To info dump or not?

[hoihoisoi]

So, recently I've been going through my script again doing a full edit of it to add some more depth to the story, and I've recently found out that I actually do 'info dump' here and there, but for the most part, these info dumps seem to integrate with the script quite okay, it doesn't really stand out very much and in turn actually looks fine.

But then I reach the latest info dump in the script and this one feels like it has a pacing problem. So my question is, should I info dump the rules of a particular competition or world for the sake of world building or should I just gradually ween the reader to it. The issue here is that if I do choose to gradually ween the reader to it, it'd probably take another 10000 words of unnecessary events to gradually give the reader the full explanation of how this or that works.

So, to info dump or not?

[Parataxis]

How long is the info dump? At what point do you, the writer, get bored when reading the dump? Is the set up reasonable for one character to tell the PC the rules of the competition? Is there an opportunity for the character to react to the rules in some interesting way? What about the person doing the telling? How do we feel about them? How much of this information is absolutely VITAL to the continuation of the story. What if the character zones out during the rules being explained? Would that cause drama later when a rule they didn't hear comes into play?

Info Dumps are sometimes a necessary thing. It's not always ideal, but it can often be the more optimal of two options. Here, it seems like it all comes down to which will tank your pacing more, a short dense scene or an extended sequence of half-hearted spacer scenes.
My instinct would be to spice up the info dump scene using emotional content or stakes. Think about who the scene involves and how your character feels about having to tell some one/listen to some one explain the rules to this competition. By thinking about the characters involved in the Info dump you can often end up with at least a more enjoyable experience for your player while you cram rules into their brain.

((Also I feel this deeply because I am writing a totally necessary can get around it infodump as like the 3rd scene of my novel and all the alarms are going off constantly. So I feel this. I feel this pain.))

[greenjelly]

It might also help to have fresh eyes take a look at the structure? Since you already know the information you're trying to convey, it might feel denser and duller to you than to someone unfamiliar with the content. When I'm reading, I agree that small asides or bits of character flavor injected into explanations can help the pacing of an info dump feel more natural.

I'm struggling with a similar problem right now as well, so I'm interested what you end up deciding to do.

[psy_wombats]

I would look at where this infodump takes place and how interesting it is to the player.

As far as location in the story goes: The reader really has to be invested in the present of the story to care about anything in the past. Dropping worldbuilding stuff or character backstories via flashback etc too early on is counterproductive just because the reader isn't invested at all and has no reason to care about the information presented, even if you as the writer know it will be relevant later on.

Player interest: I don't think I've ever seen a setting infodump that was actually engaging. Not even because of pacing problems, but just because it never related to the actual characters' present and what was going on. If it was relevant, it could've been explained as part of the relevant actions. For other info, it varies, which is probably why you're being asked "well what's the info?". I've read through 10,000 words of characters' histories before and not cared at all, because what was presented was relevant to a character I cared about, and answered questions that the plot had been hinting at for the whole rest of the story. That was fine.

I would also avoid getting caught in a false dichotomy -- your choices aren't either infodump or have 10k words of irrelevant events. Take a step back and see if there's a way you can manage your story structure better to lay the information down across actual relevant events, make the irrelevant events actually relevant, reconsider if the info is actually important at all, etc.

And seconding that an external reader's perspective might be more helpful than your own.

[SundownKid]

The very word "infodump" is a derogatory term. Kind of like "dump" equates to "trash", it's like pouring trash on the reader. Infodumps should be avoided if at all possible, all information should be elaborated through dialogue unless totally necessary.

If you have a competition where you need to say the rules, then maybe add in a scene where you watch an announcer explain them, or the main character's team captain, or whatever. If the rules are too complex then just give the basics and let the explanation for more complex technicalities come up when it's their time. Maybe it could be suspenseful to even figure out the rules and use them to win against someone who isnt as familiar with them. Just dont try to narrate them.

There is an exception to the rule of course. If the narration itself is actually entertaining and not just spouting info, then giving background information is interesting. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy for example, gives infodumps as segments of the Hitchiker's Guide, which are so ridiculous that the reader actually wants to learn more.

[hoihoisoi]

One thing I did forget to mention is that the infodump in question is in dialogue form, spoken out by one of the two main characters. The problem here which I find ruins the pacing of the story is that it's a particular scene which isn't very flexible to work with. It's essentially talking about the dark history of a friend which in turn throws comedy totally out of the equation, so the characters can't throw around banter which helps elevate the 'boringness' of the entire infodump.

But taking note of everybody's ideas here, I think I probably will have to go the longer route and drop points through the story to make the readers actually care about the infodump in question.

[RotGtIE]

Wombats is absolutely spot-on. You can't dump until after you've generated reader interest in the info to be dumped, and you can deliver information with while steering clear of the dreaded info dump if you do it with enough finesse.

To be a bit more targeted, I would be very very very very careful about having characters describe themselves. If there's one thing that will annoy anybody, it's a self-absorbed person, and it's impossible not to sound self-absorbed when talking about yourself, even if it was solicited or necessary and you're still trying to keep it within reason. There's just no way around it - talking about yourself is the interpersonal-social-interaction version of telling-instead-of-showing. It's pretty rough to have to infodump about a character rather than about the setting itself because of this. If it were me, I'd do everything in my power to prevent a self-analytical monologue from a character unless I wanted to develop their character as a narcissist. Common ways to get this done involve flashbacks, private diaries, or a third party confidant. Or you can have a dialogue between the character in question and another character who, rather than needing to be told, is able to make accurate deductions about the character whose past is being revealed (this doubles as an opportunity to develop the deducing character as being particularly intelligent or empathetic).

Is this a scene which occurs relatively late in the story? It's not unusual for the characters in a story to share their deepest thoughts just prior to the final act, giving them and the audience a breather between scenes of much higher tension. Especially if a character is delivering revelations which force a comedic character to stop being comedic for a moment - that sounds a lot like the kind of thing that would happen before entering the climactic conflict and resolution of a plot. Those tend to build suspense just by being where they are, which might be contributing to your uneasy feeling about the pacing at this point in the story. You may very well be affected by your prose in exactly the way the reader should be. It's a stab in the dark, but I'd consider it.

[hoihoisoi]

In the scene I am writing, it's not a personal story told by the person is question but rather a friend relaying to another friend of what this person in question had revealed to him/her earlier on in the story. (I know that sounds pretty difficult to understand but it's like B tells C about A's past, something on those lines) So it's not so much of a self absorbed kind of dialogue but rather a third person's perspective on another character's past.

And yes, it does occur pretty late in the story and plays an essential role in revealing more about the character in question by revealing his/her past. But it's essentially an info dump about this person's past which makes it quite the grueling read although I think it's pretty necessary. I think I'll have to go back to redo or add some parts earlier in the story to make this info dump more relevant to the reader because as it stands now, it feels kinda isolated from the rest of the story. :/

As Wombat has said, you can't info dump until after you've generated reader interest in the info to be dumped. This I think is the solution to my problem.

[ghostpel]

Have you considered putting it somewhere separate from the main story? Such as the codex, tips, or glossary where the player can access via a menu.
Some reader may want to ignore the rule and go along with the flow (+some small hint on the way instead of full-fledged infodump) but will read it when they're curious enough.

If you have trouble fitting it to script, this may helps. ^^'

[sjgriffiths]

'Infodumping' is sometimes necessary but often executed poorly. As far as non-diegetic exposition goes, it should be kept ideally to a minimum, simply because players can quickly lose interest with the lack of gameplay. It's most effectively done, I'd say, as a prologue at the beginning of a game and left at that.

However, other ideas do spring to mind. Exposition in this way could perhaps take effect at certain points in the story in some sort of time jump or similar major divisor? For instance, The Last Of Us featured its highest density of cutscene around season breaks in the story, sparsely located which provided a satisfying and progressive explanation of the furthering of the story.

PS: for an example of what not to do, have a gander at this hilarious gameplay video of The Cursed Crusade!
https://youtu.be/Omx-JJyadTg