What syntax construct should be used for rulebook quotes?

Question

When quoting the rules of a game, there are two obvious options:

Block quotes

and

code blocks

Each one has problems.

Block quotes are much more limited in terms of layout. You can't have custom indentation or arbitrary spacing.

The following has no block quote equivalent:
    mmmmm    mmmmm    mmmmm
    nnnnn    nnnnn    nnnnn

The fanciest thing you can do in block quotes is bullets:

This is the closest block quote equivalent to the above:

• mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm
• nnnnn nnnnn nnnnn

Meanwhile, code blocks don't look as good on mobile and don't support bold or italics. Are there general guidelines for when to use each (if ever)?

Answer 1

Any time you're quoting more than one line of someone else's text, you should use a block quote. If you really need custom indentation, you can represent that part of the quotation as a code block within a block quote:

This is a code block in a block quote:

    mmmmm   mmmmm   mmmmm
    nnnnn   nnnnn   nnnnn

With bullet points afterward:

• Bullet 1
• Bullet 2

On this site, you should only use code blocks when the specific indentation and spacing are essential (such as with tables or ASCII art), or when actually writing code.