Poll
Question:
If someone made a ROM Hack with a Readme in it, would you read it?
Option 1: I definitely would!
votes: 0
Option 2: Yes.
votes: 2
Option 3: I am not sure.
votes: 1
Option 4: No.
votes: 2
Option 5: Definitely not!
votes: 0
So we haven't had many Voting Polls lately, so I thought this would be perfect. So.... "Who reads the readme?"
Hmm... perhaps another question should be asked in kind - who would notice the readme. They aren't exactly standard...
But personally, I usually skip readmes.
Do I read the readme? Not necessarily. Do I look at the readme? Yes.
If the download includes a patch and a text file titled "Read this first", I would at least open it and see what's in it. This can in many cases be the author's only opportunity to pass a message on to the user. If you press button X when the readme says "don't press button X or the game will crash", you have yourself to blame (horrible example really, but I think you get the idea).
Looking at the readme would probably lead to reading at least small portions of it, so that would probably qualify for voting in this poll as a "Yes!", depending on how much you actually look at it(?) After all, if something was in all caps inside of it and read "IMPORTANT!! PLEASE PRESS SELECT TO VIEW ITEM INFORMATION.", you might would notice it. Although, I should have asked if it would be read on the day the hack was tested.
And yes, horrible example. Although, I would sort of blame both depending on the outcome. (Ex: Did the author know how to fix the problem, but was just too lazy to fix it?)
Another thought. What if someone had a question, would s/he check to see if it was answered in the Readme? (Even via Ctrl+F to search for keywords.)
IMO, a readme shouldn't be needed. Software/games should be developed so that they're intuitive, especially in games where such things are better left to tutorials and the options menu (so many I've tried put the control scheme in the readme for some stupid reason, instead of giving something better like keymapping options. I mean, come on - that PC gaming 101! All PC games should have keymapping!)
When it comes to game design I agree with you, Role (as sad as the death of manuals is). But this poll is referring specifically to ROM hacks. Sometimes it might be feasible to explain things in-game, but in many cases it's a lot of work that doesn't really add anything to the experience (or might even the deter from it). If you want to leave a little message, it's usually pretty simple. But if there's a new game mechanic to be introduced, or there's a multitude of small changes, a guide or a changelog is the way to go.
Oh, a changelog is fine. But he said a readme, which in my experiences is quite a bit different. For example, mods for things like Neverwinter Nights and Morrowind had separate files for guides and what not, leaving the readme for installation instructions instead.