General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
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That wasn't my point. I wouldn't pay $25 to have a second PHB, either.
I generally consider PDFs to be worth significantly less than dead trees, anyway. This has been confirmed to be when I've gotten PDFs of otherwise great products. I wouldn't pay $25 bucks for a PDF PHB even if I didn't have the paper version. $15 bucks, tops, unless the linking is really something amazing.
Agreed. I personally get strained reading from an electronic format for a while, especially as my work has me in front of a computer all day (as most people's do). Also, I love the feeling of cracking open a book, yes it's purely my own preference, but the only value PDF formats have for me is that I can place them on my computer at work and access them during lunch break.
Will strongly consider buying the PDFs of the core rules. Would also greatly prefer to buy the PDFs of additional books in lieu of the hardcovers. Hopefully, once they've got the specifics worked out, new PDFs will come out on or close to the hardcover sale date.
The intention is to have simultaneous release dates for PDFs and physical product.
Wait a minute, what the hell happened to Wizards having the PDF version of our books for FREE? Am I the only one that remembers their promise of having an online version of our books, after inputting in some code off the book we bought? They were debating whether or not the pdf version would be available only online or also offline. Now all of a sudden they're available... for the same price as buying the actual book in the store (those prices are nearly identicle to Amazon's).
Well I guess the PDF's don't smear like the two sets of books I bought (and sent back)...
Wait a minute, what the hell happened to Wizards having the PDF version of our books for FREE? Am I the only one that remembers their promise of having an online version of our books, after inputting in some code off the book we bought? They were debating whether or not the pdf version would be available only online or also offline. Now all of a sudden they're available... for the same price as buying the actual book in the store (those prices are nearly identicle to Amazon's).
Well I guess the PDF's don't smear like the two sets of books I bought (and sent back)...
*rant over
They abandoned that idea a long time ago. It's in the DDXP Q&A video. The logistics were too complicated.
Not that I condone it, but seriously folks, PDF versions of the books being that price... who would pay that, when there are other 'alternatives'?
This totally reminds me of the T$R days. Whatever happened to DnD Insider costing 'a cup of cofee'. I don't remember Starbucks charging $15 for a latte.
Not that I condone it, but seriously folks, PDF versions of the books being that price... who would pay that, when there are other 'alternatives'?
This totally reminds me of the T days. Whatever happened to DnD Insider costing 'a cup of cofee'. I don't remember Starbucks charging $15 for a latte.
Don't look now but there's a hole in the ship...
You are getting your facts messed up. DDI was going to cost the same as a MMO... which it does. The PDFs were going to be an extra charge that would cost 'a cup of coffee'... which was taken out and the data base added.
Not saying that was a good thing of a bad thing just what happened.
Agreed. I personally get strained reading from an electronic format for a while, especially as my work has me in front of a computer all day (as most people's do). Also, I love the feeling of cracking open a book, yes it's purely my own preference, but the only value PDF formats have for me is that I can place them on my computer at work and access them during lunch break.
PDFs are not for everyone. Wizards, and most companies seem to be targeting the people that don't already own the book. There are a few companies the sell the PDF along with the print book if you order it from them but that trend has not caught on. A few companies were offering a discount to the print book after one already bought the PDF for when the PDF comes out a month or so ahead of the print book but I haven't heard of that happening for a while.
That's not how I remember it at all, but not that it matters anyway. I think they're handling their pdf's a little greedily to say the least. That is way, way over priced.
I
This totally reminds me of the T days. Whatever happened to DnD Insider costing 'a cup of cofee'. I don't remember Starbucks charging $15 for a latte.
Yay! Nothing like a good ol' T$R reference.
I'll pay $20 tops for a PDF file.. and it better be fricken amazing if I do.
I wish these had been available before I purchased my PHB. I've actually come to like PDFs more (I hated them at one time), because I can get them printed and spiral bound, which lets my books lay flat (something that hardcovers don't do unless you screw up the binding by breaking the spine). Also, for smaller PDFs (like adventures) being able to print maps and such as needed is really handy.
I'm really happy that WoTC seems to be fully embracing the digital thing though.
See, I guess this doesn't fall under my definition of "fully embracing". We know what can be done with PDFs and, for me, fully embracing would be extending what can be done with the books because of the format. Here's what I posted earlier over on the WOTC site (edited a bit):
Quote:
I'm not thrilled about the price, but I would pay a premium for a PDF that was truly enhanced. That means (at least) fully bookmarked and a table of contents and index that are linked to the content. Save me time from doing it all on my own, and I'll pay for it. ADD VALUE.
Other things that would be great are further enhancements such as an interactive, autocalc Character Sheet; sortable tables; semi-regular updates with the errata; a bonus module (such as Talon Pass); printable Power, Monster and Magic item cards; links to appropriate areas of DnDi and this site, and so on.
It's a loser's game to think of PDFs as "like the book, but digital". It would be so easy to enhance these in such a way that they are easily worth as much as the dead tree versions. Despite RPGNow saying they are adding bookmarks and links, that's still pretty vanilla. If they (or someone) were to enhance these releases in ways like I outlined above, then they'd be worth the price, IMHO.
Exploit the format. Add value. I'll give you money. Everyone's happy. That's truly embracing the digital thing!
Right now, it's just a limp handshake. Don't expect me to buy a digital version of the book I already own at the same price just because it's a PDF.
__________________ Robert - San Francisco, CA
Visit my blog: Groknard - The History of Star Trek Tabletop RPGs This week: Enterprise Giveaway; rare Trek miniatures; Star Trek movie reports from WonderCon in SF
This hasn't been answered yet that i can see: Are the Print and Copy functions enabled on the PDFs or not?
I've bought plenty of pdfs that turned out to be encrypted with owner-passwords with critical functions disabled for users. If the official 4e PDFs are open to copying and printing, such that I can produce character sheets with power text already on them, and printed reference tables easily for the use of my group, I'll scoop 'em up. If either of these are taken out, I'll pass
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