JoeGKushner said:
I'd pay extra for color hardcover. Too few books have the color interiors which is a shame because it really adds to the book. Bastion Press Monsters is a heavily refferenced book in my group.
Bastion Press' Monster book is an excellent example of how, for me, color art can make up for low quality art in many instances. I think the art in the BP Monster book is very hit or miss, and I don't love the style of the main artist - if it had been b/w, I don't think I even would have considered picking up this book, even at $20. But the color illos got me, and overall I've been pretty happy with the book.
I compare this to something like CC2 (I thought CC1 was dreadful all around; yes, I bought them both) which is full of great monsters, but the b/w pictures for the most part just don't reach out and grab me the way color does. I know I would use this book much more if the pictures were color.
There is just something about color pictures that really bring the creatures alive for me, and that "something" is a quality I would gladly pay extra for. I can see a noticable difference in the reactions of my players when I show them a color picture of what they are fighting versus a b/w. It's one of the reasons I have invested in so many fantasy art books, and frequently show them the picture of some fantastic monster, while using the stats for something else from the MM.
But I'd prefer to show them exactly what they are fighting, given the choice.
This mini-rant isn't meant to try and convince Necromancer Games to switch the ToH to color - although I'd be thrilled if it managed to do so!
I expect you guys are too far down the product development pipeline to make a switch like that now, even were you inclined to consider doing so.
-War Golem
