Rulebook reference

Depending how complex the rules different approaches seem to always shine more over others. Avoid any fantasy flight rule book as a template for it. Since they usually never work too well and are just a mess of rules that are hard to review back to find specific rules when you need them.
Dead of Night took a neat approach making the rulebook like a zombie survival guide.
Talasman 4th edition used a numbering system to reference rules which sounds like a good idea but was very hard to follow and even harder to find specific rules though most we looked for didn't exist in the rule book.
The best way I've found to write rules is
1 - Overview
2 - Set up
3 - Game play steps (short descriptions of each)
4 - Game play steps broken out into longer descriptions of each with all special cases etc.
5 - Various rules that take up too much room in Game play steps (good place for combat and things like that)
6 - Whatever else you need here
7 - some form of conclusion or variations.

Hello,

Heres my 2 cents.

The rule outline I used for my game Pastiche.

1. Overview
2. Game Setup
3. Game Rules
4. Starting the Game
5. Turn sequence
6. End of Game
7. Game Options

I believe having the Game Setup up before reading the game rules section 3, 4, 5, and 6, will futher the players understanding of the game rules.

Regards,
nomadsgames

Pictures of examples are helpful I find.

In the overview (which I call the Introduction) I put a very brief descriptive background of the game (a few sentences, perhaps a paragraph) and then move straight into a discussion of the shape and character of play, the decisions players will make and the mechanical challenges they'll face. The goal of the introduction is to prepare the player for play, to get them into the right context and expectations to be able to quickly comprehend the rules and play a successful game.