To clarify, there's an increasing conflict between style and usability in game books lately. Some are pushing towards making "artful" products that end up being borderline unusable at the table. A lot of that is due to poor text implementation, and justification is a major solution to that problem.
As a reader, I prefer the opposite: Justified main text, unjustified bullets, unjustified quotes, unjustified examples - basically unjustified everything else. Justified main text makes it easier for my brain to speed-read. Text that isn't justified is, sadly, text I eventually give up and games I likely never play s a result.
I dislike justified text. I don't know how it's supposed to help me read better; my brain keeps flexing and gurgling because the letter spacing changes constantly.
Then there's the occasional line that s t r e t c h e s all the text out and just looks dumb as hell.
I don't have a strong feeling one way or the other, but if I had to make this choice I'd go to a few books that I generally like the look of and have used over the years, see below. However, it should be noted however that all of these use 2 columns:
Justified Shadowrun 5E (ignore the crappy editing, the layout and artwork in this was stellar) Late Sine Nomine Books (Stars Without Number, Starvation Cheap)
Not Justified D&D 5E All books D&D 4e All books Early Sine Nomine Books (Scarlet Heroes, An Echo Resounding)
So bottom line is who do you want to be like when you grow up (into a widely published RPG author)?
Originally shared by Jonathan Tweet Tonight, my "Lethal Damage" 13th Age campaign draws to a close. Meanwhile, the guys are work have talked me into running a couple D&D sessions for them. That was the day 13th Age was announced, and they're happy to play 13th Age instead. That will be my "Great Center" campaign, based in the imperial capital of Axis, the center of the world. It's my opportunity to explore the setting from yet another perspective.
Where did it all go wrong, Casey? I can’t pinpoint it, but it was already too late when they remade 3:10 to Yuma and took a movie that was mostly two men talking about morality in a hotel room and put in a Gatling gun.
Depends on the format. Blog? Novel? Game?
ReplyDeleteIf it's a printed book, I say yes, as it helps the brain flow along the text.
RPG Book, single column.
ReplyDeleteThen yes, god yes.
ReplyDeleteUnless you're a newspaper, Justify that SHIT!
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, there's an increasing conflict between style and usability in game books lately. Some are pushing towards making "artful" products that end up being borderline unusable at the table. A lot of that is due to poor text implementation, and justification is a major solution to that problem.
ReplyDeleteWell, for me, we're talking "layout" by typing in a Word Doc, so...
ReplyDeleteDepends on the page. I usually only justify charts and bulleted shiz.
ReplyDeleteThe rag helps break the monotony of text walls, leaves each paragraph a bit more aproachable.
YMMV
As a reader, I prefer the opposite: Justified main text, unjustified bullets, unjustified quotes, unjustified examples - basically unjustified everything else. Justified main text makes it easier for my brain to speed-read. Text that isn't justified is, sadly, text I eventually give up and games I likely never play s a result.
ReplyDeleteThis is quite the split. I've found a new fracture point for the gaming community.
ReplyDeleteI dislike justified text. I don't know how it's supposed to help me read better; my brain keeps flexing and gurgling because the letter spacing changes constantly.
ReplyDeleteThen there's the occasional line that s t r e t c h e s all the text out and just looks dumb as hell.
Depends on the design but I lean towards unjustified in my own books.
ReplyDeleteDepends!
ReplyDeleteYou also need to hyphenate words if you justify otherwise it can look stupid. And if your layout isn't multiple columns likely not needed.
ReplyDeleteRamanan S depends on the parser, many programs now auto-hyphenate.
ReplyDeleteHell, even pandoc auto-hyphenates justification by default.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Invisible Sun text is justified or not?
ReplyDelete(ノಥ益ಥ)ノ ┻━┻
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a secret.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a strong feeling one way or the other, but if I had to make this choice I'd go to a few books that I generally like the look of and have used over the years, see below. However, it should be noted however that all of these use 2 columns:
ReplyDeleteJustified
Shadowrun 5E (ignore the crappy editing, the layout and artwork in this was stellar)
Late Sine Nomine Books (Stars Without Number, Starvation Cheap)
Not Justified
D&D 5E All books
D&D 4e All books
Early Sine Nomine Books (Scarlet Heroes, An Echo Resounding)
So bottom line is who do you want to be like when you grow up (into a widely published RPG author)?