Has the free Ars Magica pdf increased your purchases?

Yair

Community Supporter

• Oct 28, 2006

• #1

A while ago, Atlas Games released the entire core book of Ars Magica Fourth Edition as a pdf for free download (through RPGNow). Years have passed, and RPGNow no longer carries Atlas' goods. What I'm wondering, is whether having the free pdf caused you to make purchases from Atlas that you otherwise wouldn't, whether Atlas Games earned your money as a result of putting out the pdf for free.

So: Has the free Ars Magica pdf increased your purchases?

 

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Starglim

Explorer

• Oct 28, 2006

• #2

Yes, I probably wouldn't have purchased as many, if any, Ars Magica products if I hadn't played a game in the system, which was made possible by the free download. It didn't have a significant effect on my purchases of Atlas d20 products.

 

Angel Tarragon

Dawn Dragon

• Oct 28, 2006

• #3

No. I own the paperback version of 3rd Edition and neither it or the 4th edition PDF has sparked any creativity into me. AM is DOA for me.

 

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DaveyJones

Explorer

• Oct 28, 2006

• #4

no effect. i avoid pdfs. that's not to say i don't buy Atlas stuff when it peaks my interest.

but my FLGS doesn't really carry them. so... my Atlas collection is small. very, very, very small.

 

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Baron Opal

First Post

• Oct 28, 2006

• #5

I'm a fan. I used to have the 4th ed. book and have a shelf of AM books as well as the 5th edition book. I would have purchased it regardless of the availability of the pdf.

 

Wombat

First Post

• Oct 28, 2006

• #6

I had already bought 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ed by the time this came out; I have subsequently bought 5th ed.

Nope, it made no serious difference in boosting my favourite game

 

Nyaricus

First Post

• Oct 29, 2006

• #7

Yair said:

A while ago, Atlas Games released the entire core book of Ars Magica Fourth Edition as a pdf for free download (through RPGNow). Years have passed, and RPGNow no longer carries Atlas' goods.

Click to expand...

Is there any place you cans till DL this pdf for free? I always hear about this system, but have never seen it AFAIK.

cheers,
--N

 

Cedric

First Post

• Oct 29, 2006

• #8

I hope this doesn't come off badly, but I almost think Ars Magica is too good as a system. It's not a simple game system and you can't just grab the book, give it a quick read and go.

It requires a good bit of dedication from the GM and the players...but if you get that dedication and effort, it can be one of the best RPGs out there, and arguably has the best magic system ever put in print.

I had largely forgotten about it because I hadn't played it in awhile...but once the free pdf download was available, I took advantage of that, and afterwards made some purchases from Atlas.

 

Shadowsmith

Explorer

• Oct 29, 2006

• #9

I love Ars Magica! I have all 5 editions and almost everything ever printed for it. That being said, I can't get my players to try playing it. Between their objections to Mythic Europe and objections to learning a new system it has proven problematic.

Year ago I was part of an Ars Magica campaign that lasted a couple of years and worked through three decades of game time. Gods that was fun.

Hmm... Guess I should get back to my work on porting the magic system to d20.

 

Aus_Snow

First Post

• Oct 29, 2006

• #10

Co-created by one of the designers of D&D3e? (J. Tweet) How cool's that? Or should that be the other way around?

Anyway, I think that what turns/turned a lot of people off Ars Magica is troupe play.


As for the original question, no it hasn't affected my purchases of anything, by Atlas or anyone else. I have bought a fair number of Atlas Games products in my time, many of them d20, some Ars Magica. Yes I did download the free pdf, but mainly because I'll download anything if it's free (almost.)

Their d20 stuff, some of which was written by the primary creator of Eberron (how cool is. . . no, never mind ), is generally fantastic. Occult Lore is one of my faves, as is Dynasties and Demagogues.