Just of out curiosity, how many folks truly read the Board Descriptions?

Depends. So many maps have unique rules that reading through it quickly once is almost a necessity. For standard fare, nope.

I always read them when I play a board for the first time.

1. Sometimes I think I understand a board.
2. Then I get in trouble.
3. Then I read the description.

Always read the board descriptions.  Always.

Thingol wrote:

Always read the board descriptions.  Always.

+1 

I always at least skim the board description, and usually refer back to it if the map is complicated.

Here's a follow-up question: Do folks normally look to the board description to understand game mechanics/rules or something else?

AttilaTheHun wrote:

Here's a follow-up question: Do folks normally look to the board description to understand game mechanics/rules or something else?

Yes, I go to the Board Description first to get a sense of what the game is all about.  Then I use the Board Explorer to play around with what attacks/fortifies what and what the bonuses are along with reading whatever text is on the map.

But, I usually need to play it to fully "get it", especially these days with all the "outside the box" type maps (which I love) that are coming out.

I like it when i can, as quickly as possible, learn how to play the board so that i don't feel like i'm about to be crushed. i think some "story" or whatever, but i should easily be able to bypass it to the mechanics if i want. In "the Lorax" there's a lot of story, but just by reading the red letters you can learn how to play, so i like that alright.   

I always read it, and do so to understand game mechanics/rules, and often refer to it. Any key difference from the standard rules should be there, and usually is. Unfortunately, a lot of players don't seem to read it, or at least don't get what they're reading, so the clearer, the better.

A couple of problems with descriptions I've noticed recently -- scenarios not explained, and customized setup not explained (first player gets 3 to place, 2nd and 3rd get 4, 4th gets 5, etc.). This stuff is often not easily discoverable through the board explorer, either.

I don't always read them because most maps are ordinary and I'm sick of reading "Pretty standard map".  I always try to add some flair to my descriptions to make them interesting reading.  Also, most of my maps have some sort of story.  If you haven't read the description on Rent is Due Again I think you are missing out... I find it pretty fun!

I feel that back-stories are a nice and entertaining touch - as Jigler suggested, as long as its easy to by-pass them if you want and get right to the mechanics of things.  I enjoy reading a clever or interesting backstory, and I do my best include them with my boards.

Also, I agree with Risky.. Up until recently, you could pretty easily tell if a map was self-explanitory ..or needed an owners manual, but as the designer tools get more and more sophisticated, more often than not, things are not what they seem.  Though my maps are looking more more and more simple, it's almost impossible to understand how they work without someone explaining it to you, or by reading the description.  Anarchy and New Earth (a map soon to be released), look like regular maps, and there's nothing on these maps that suggest play is different than play on a standard map.  Their "twist" on the norm is not that complicated,  (what makes them unique can practically be explained in one sentence) ..but I've got to believe they'd be hard to figure out without a little help.

It's getting to the point the description page is almost not enough.  In fact, I wonder that designers should be able to put graphics in the description.

M57 wrote:

It's getting to the point the description page is almost not enough.  In fact, I wonder that designers should be able to put graphics in the description.

What I am going to start doing with most of my maps is make a post in the general forum & a post in the strategy & tactics forum about the board and then link to those threads in the beginning of the description of my maps.

Since you can post images in the forums this should be a decent workaround.