Its been 6 days since the last post here so i thought i might post something for the hell of it and hopefully spark some excitement from everyone here. HEH.

I have been working on my help files for the last few days, removing all the defunct ones and trying to add in some new ones and fix up some of the others t be more relevant to the game im making.

What i have realized is that i suck at writing descriptive help files for things like classes and races. While i know in my mind what they should be, putting that into text can be somewhat hard.

Q> From your stand point, what sort of information would you include in the helpfile for races and classes (if you posses these things of course) in your game.

Here is one help entry for one of my races, anything more is should add or do you consider there to be enough information. Errrr dont pick apart the grammar, i just noticed a few things that dont make sence.

Race……. Vanara
Alignment.. Good
Bonuses…. int, Wis, Cha, Hp, Mana

Description: Vanaraare witty, capitalistic hunters. They have no real 
community, and live in forests. Vanara personalities can range from stern 
hunter-warrior to happy-go-lucky troublemaker, but most are somewhere in the 
middle. The majority of Vanara make hunting an enjoyable sport, or game. 
Most Vanara stand about 5 and a half feet tall, with a great variation, some 
being as short as 4 feet, and some reaching over 6 feet tall. Most have long, 
wavy or straight black or brown hair, which is always just slightly darker 
than the rest of their hair. Their most pronounced feature, however, is their 
surprising resemblance to monkeys. They have blonde or brown hair all over 
their bodies, pronounced lips, nose and ears, and a long, semi-prehensile 
tail. Vanara are generally unbiased in their opinions of other races and 
people. They are not quick to judge anyone and rarely hold grudges against a 
group of people for the actions of a few. To many outsiders who do not 
understand and know them they can seem cold and uncaring, but they just show 
their emotions in a much different way than most other races.

I am a fan of "short and sweet" help files. Just the facts.

For races and classes (and other items that may require longer, more detailed, descriptions) you might be better served by placing longer files as web pages, and the website address as part of a "For more information see: <website>".

Just to throw something out there.

This is the helpfile for one of MW's many races.

One of the first of the Elven groups to settle on Eridanus, circa -20,000
SR, and are by far the most advanced of the Elves in regards to Magic.
High Elves originally discovered the use of what has become known as Elven
High Magic, an art of magic that comes from subtly singing magic from the
living matter around them. Where other elves prefer a balance of magical
and non-magical combat, High Elves are much more akin to the use of magic.
 
High Elves are among the taller of the elven subspecies, and like all
elves have a very lengthy lifespan. Typically High Elves range anywhere
from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet with weights ranging from 85 to 130 pounds. High
Elves pride themselves on their beautiful skin that comes in shades of
bronze, and their hair is almost always a stunning contrast with their
skin in beautiful blondes, coppers, or black. Most High Elves have eyes in
shades of green or gold, however some human like colors have been
reported. 

Socially, High Elves are the most civilized of the Elves and prefer an 
isolated existence with their colonies typically far out of reach of 
prying eyes and hands. The greatest of the High Elven cities was the 
city of Mythantromir. Sadly, the city fell during the Dhaeraow Wars to
an unknown, but suspected otherworldly  cataclysm. It has also been said
that High Elves are an extremely haughty group and that for this reason,
they prefer to remain isolated from N'Tel'Quessir, or those Not of the
People, Non-Elves.

Kayle's post demonstrates my first suggestion - separate the physical and social, and describe them physically first. You sort of have it in the middle. You can also separate…. uhm… call them 'personal' traits from their social structure. I just find it easier to focus on one topic at a time.

I agree it's tough. I have them spread around in several places, and while it's sorta cool to look at, it's a real a pain to update them all. I have a room with all the races standing there, and you can 'look' at each for the physical desc. The "help" entries are OOC, and discuss them from a gamer's perspective, listing their skills, stats, and so forth. The "social" part is in Limbo, haven't really decided where to put that. Then there are comparison tables in the help files…

Thanks Sandi, you raise a number of good points, especially the order if which you present the information. When i get time later this week i will go over them all putting a sence of order to what i have written, correct my grammar and add in any missing information i might notice.