In creating a new adventure world, should I incorporate government bureaucracies into it, or just handwave the PC interactions with their local government by having them interact with 2-3 main NPCs?
The reason for asking this is because of this article:
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/articles/how_to_create_a_bureaucracy.php
I can see its value, but have a bad gut feeling about forcing the PCs to heavily interact with lots of agencies and bureaucrats when they're in town. Thoughts?
Much like real bureaucracies, you can simply claim that the 2-3 NPCs they interact with are the only people they can actually pinpoint in that bureaucracy. I deal with a "department" at our client that is listed nowhere within their company as a department, doesn't have a group email, doesn't have a phone number, and doesn't let us tell other people at the company who is in the department. Think about that.
Ultimately, as a GM, your goal is to create a fun experience for everybody, including yourself. If you have a bad feeling about doing a full bureaucracy, then you probably shouldn't do it, as it would likely not be fun for you.
Two possibilities strike me right off...
First, you could go the Pokemon route and create Inspector Sara. Everywhere the PCs go, they run into Inspector Sara. If they need a licence to hunt dragons in South Burnedtothegroundistan, they have to get it from Inspector Sara. If later they want to open a bar in East Iforgottonamethecityopolis they have to get a permit from Inspector Sara.
Second, make up some forms, hand them out to your players. Tell them the forms have to be filled out completely in character if the PCs want the job/licence/audience with the king. Have spaces for things like date of birth, parents, employment history, and next of kin. Give them an opportunity to use the character backgrounds they created.
They did create a background for their characters, right? :D