I’ve read through over 100 game books in the last two months. One thing keeps popping out at me – they take forevar to get to the point. Sometimes I have to wait for as many as 60 pages before I get to the ‘so what can I do’ part of the text. Most often, I get to read a chapter or two of background, in addition to the ‘What is an RPG’ stuff that makes my eyes glaze over.
*yawn*
The first couple pages of a game book is a pitch, folks. You need to tell me why I should play your game. What makes it fun? What can I do? I’m sure your history and setting and such are fine and dandy, but they should come after I’m hooked.
If you’re designing the layout of a new game book – thinking about how the information will flow – do me a favor and read the first two pages. If those two pages don’t contain content that will make me want to use this book in a game, then start over.
Write a pitch.
You can digress into examples of play and sample fiction and setting material once you have me hooked. But you need to hook me, first.