[kirk]

So I've got this personal project, converting the rulebook to a different format for my use. Copying and indexing it is going to be lots of work anyway, and I'm wanting opinions. I enjoyed the stories, but does anyone use them in relation to rules? If not, I'm going to leave the stories out and place a hold-page until everything else is to my satisfaction. If relevant, it's "just" some more copy, paste, and look for relevant indexing linkpoints.

[BSOD]

It depends a bit. I found "Game. Set. Match." in SR4A, to be a reasonably good example of how the matrix rules work in practise.

[CanRay]

I find them useful for setting the mood and tone of the universe.

It's important and useful to me.

[Valashar]

Not only to they offer an exceptional means to show a window into the setting itself, but they often provide practical insight into the rules. Game. Set. Match. was one such example, as is the story at the head of the magic chapter in SR4A (magical forensics, assensing to acquire the thief's astral signature, astral tracking via spirit, and magical combat between mages and their spirits).

Also, in many of the books the stories provide coherency to the 'current' events of the metaplot (most recent example being the fiction bits in Street Legends).

So yeah, I'd keep them at hand in your format translation. Maybe place them in a separate file, but keep them all the same.

[Shinobi Killfist]

On the rules front they help in the sense that they give you a feel of when and how the rules should be used.  On the setting the tone front, that is sort of dependent on your campaign.  Me I hate the tone of the stories, it is mostly about super awesome guy who is super awesome and surrounded by the less awesome in fact the lame, so let super awesome guy make snide usually internal comments about dude X and his unprofessional ways.  I lean more towards the pink mohawk so super awesome professional guy is not setting the mood well. 

[Onion Man]

It depends on what you mean by useful.

I know I wouldn't have bought the rulebook if it had nothing but rules in it, so from that standpoint the Stories are extremely useful, to Catalyst at least.

[EmperorPenguin]

It really does depend on what use you are converting the book to.  If you only want a rules reference, you don't need to have the stories along with them.  If you're intending for your conversion to completely replace the rulebook for you, maybe you'll want them included.

They do a good job of describing some game mechanics, but since you own the rulebook proper you can always go back to it for that single purpose.  I wouldn't include them in a reference-type project.

[kirk]

Thanks, all.

FYI, it's initially just a "rules reference for me" product. If I think after it's done and I've used it for a bit that it's worthwhile I'll look at talking to Catalyst about it. Which, by the way, is why I'm being vague. I think it's a great idea, but it isn't so unique that nobody else will think of it. I don't want to get into the "they're stealing my idea" game. I prefer games that are fun.