Hates, loathes, detests, despises...(I'm not talking about anyone here)...

[DanJ]

I wasn't thinking of any particular set of rules, just the current trend for rule books to be full of eye candy for no reason than to look nice and fill up pages.

I actually like BP and find it gives a nice game, but the actual playing rules are lost in the eye candy, this is made all the more infuriating by the lack of an index.  All you need to actually play the rules is the short section near the end, but of course you couldn't sell that for thirty quid. 

[Luddite]

Well, in the spirit of the OP (Hates, loathes, detests, despises)...

If I've dropped £30 on a book that's 20 pages of rules buried in 180 pages of photos and fluffy prose...i'm NOT a happy bunny right there.  

Don't get me wrong, I like a bit of wargames porn as much as the next neckbeard, but when it gets in the way of the rules that hits all my hates, loathes, detests, despises buttons.

If you're going to include the eye candy, put in a 'resources and inspiration' section at the back, after and away from the stuff I actually bought the rulebook for...you know, the rules.

[paulr]

Well said that man

[Last Hussar]

Do what I did...

Paid less than £20

[howayman]

Having started wargaming with the WRG stable of books i soon discovered i hated their Ancient and Renaissance rule sets but enjoyed the Napoleonic, World War Two and Modern sets. Those books, as many here will know, had very little fluff (pencil drawings) but did explain some of their concepts, basing, move distances, etc. Their lists i still refer to today as a base to most of my armies.
The Warhammer Ancient rules made me paint my 25mm Ancient British army i had for 15 years and never finished. That must be good ?
The Black Powder rule stable compelled me to complete a 25mm ACW army which was over 15 years old.
It also forced me to combine my 12 figure battalion Napoleonics into 24s not sure i liked that.
Got to put my Sassanid Persian army on the table and use it, that was good.
  Always liked Rapid Fire, more so in the smaller but greater 10mm scale
Never got on with Flames of War. . No sorry. Loved their models though.
The newer card propelled,generated, rules i have never played so reserve comment, however as a rule aquirer the lack of my interest in buying them tells me i,m not that interested.
Played DBA etc for a while need i say more?
Other hates, loathes, detests.... Warhammer 40k is a dislike, why would someone in the far distant future want to go to war with a sword? Na sorry.
Mounds of clutter on the gaming table, tokens, rules, dice, cups, there seems to be more and more tokens in the newer rules.
too many more to mention, will have to hate them all in silence.

[Leman]

As a consequence of the above I am currently painting casualties and routing troops to mark up disrupted and spent.

[FierceKitty]

Those handfuls of dice on the table are another unwelcome sight for me.

[Hertsblue]

Rulesets/data books so badly bound that they shed pages after a few week's usage. It's almost impossible to replace the leaves tidily. I'm thinking of a certain WW2, heavily marketed rule system in particular.

[Ithoriel]

If the table doesn't have at least a couple of dozen dice, three or four tape measures, some casualty indicators, three coffee cups (one empty), a coke can, couple of beer cans, a quick ref sheet (or possibly two) and a minimum of two bowls of "nibbles" why on earth are you playing?

[Last Hussar]

If the table doesn't have at least a couple of dozen dice, three or four tape measures, some casualty indicators, three coffee cups (one empty), a coke can, couple of beer cans, a quick ref sheet (or possibly two) and a minimum of two bowls of "nibbles" why on earth are you playing?

[Orcs]

Rulesets/data books so badly bound that they shed pages after a few week's usage. It's almost impossible to replace the leaves tidily. I'm thinking of a certain WW2, heavily marketed rule system in particular.

Don't be bashful Ray - Name an Shame

[FierceKitty]

..and blame and lame the game.

[Leman]

..... for there lies fame; unleash your shame.

[Hertsblue]

Nurse! The screens!

[fsn]

Oooh! Are we going to watch a film?