I don't miss the magazines (/ducks)

[ProfessorCirno]

Reading a magazine is way different from reading a screen for me. I dunno, it's the same as reading a book. There's something about the feel of of the paper on your fingers and of turning the pages that just puts me in the right mood. Computers are awesome for utility - I use them all the dang time with school and work - but it just doesn't set the same moo

Computers - great for reading the twenty quadrillion APA formatted reports I trudge through, great for spreadsheets, great for crunching things. Not great for curling up and immersing yourself in delicious D&D-isms.

Oh, and despite really NEEDING a cell phone for the various things I do, I'm so very thankful that more then half the day puts me in situations where I can guilt freely turn it off.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I subscribed to Dragon many years ago for a few years, but never really used anything in my games, and in 3.X I never subscribed to Dragon. I enjoyed Dungeon more, but I do not belong to DDI and I am not interested in joining. I looked at Dungeon and Dragon during the 4E changeover, before DDI became pay=per-view, but it was far from impressive. I suppose it has gotten better since then, but those 8 months really put me off.

 

[EATherrian]

For me a computer loses many of the other positives of reading. The feel and smell of the paper, the ability to read from almost any angle and the ability to read just about anywhere even while riding in a car. I refuse to get a laptop and haven't had a cell phone for 3 years now. The thing I most miss is Dragon Mirth though. I know we have some great web-comics out there, but I usually went straight to Dragon Mirth each month and near as I can tell there's no replacement for that yet.

 

[MrMyth]

I miss the comics from the print magazines. But most of them are online anyway.

Dragon is, for me, the most useful it has ever been. By a factor of 10. The articles are more interesting, the content is more balanced, players are more familiar and more accepting of it, and the material is more appropriate to the average game.

I understand Dungeon has had issues - I've never used it, so it hasn't been an issue for me. My DM converts adventures from it, and our group has thoroughly enjoyed them, so clearly it isn't a total waste. But does seem to have room for improvement.

I very much am looking forward to the division in content between Dragon (player content) and Dungeon (DM content). I'll actually get use out of both, and I suspect there will end up being more of what I'm looking for than before.

I miss just sitting down and flipping through content... but I think I rarely got much out of it. I have piles of the old magazines sitting around, with no good place to store them - I far prefer having the information online, in the end.

So the current form of the magazines is pretty much a win for me in every single way.

 

[bastrak]

I still miss the print versions of Dragon and Dungeon. I refuse to look at the electronic versions - I don't like reading "magazines" on a computer screen. I'm not switching to 4E, so none of the WotC computer stuff is of any interest to me. Of course, had they allowed the magazines to remain in print form while moving on to 4E, I'd still miss the "good old days" of 1E, 2E, and 3E, and it's unlikely I'd have kept my subscriptions. (I may have kept my Dungeon subscription, as I could always convert 4E adventures to 3.5, the same as I do with 1E and 2E adventures from the magazine's early days.)

Johnathan

This pretty much sums up my feelings as well.

I particularly miss the Zogonia strip, which I used to look forward to every month.

 

[carmachu]

I mentioned this on another thread but it's worth saying here as well ...

For those that miss Dragon, have you checked out Kobold Quarterly? It really feels like Dragon and the quality is excellent. If you want a good D&D magazine (print or PDF) this is the one to get in my opinion.

Seriously, do yourself a favor and at least give it a look:

Kobold Quarterly

Already did. and didnt renew once the first couple issues ran out, as it told me what I already knew.

I hate reading magazines online. Unless I can get it print on demand, I wont buy or read anymagaine online. It has nothing to due with your conetent, but the medium of the magazine.

I ignore Firebase magazine for 40k, and I dont buy PDF's unless its able to get it printed and bound. If war of teh burning sky wasnt print on demand, I wouldnt have bought that either.

I like being able to take and read it in dead tree form.

 

[Hussar]

A question from someone who doesn't subscribe.

The pdf's are in landscape format right? Has anyone tried converting them to epubs to stuff on an Iphone using Stanza? Does it work? I know that columned pdf's don't transfer worth a damn most of the time, they just get garbled. But, I have had pretty decent luck converting landscape format pdf's.

Being able to stick my stuff on my Ipod Touch would be a huge selling point for me. That way I get to read it in the can, just like before.

 

[Shemeska]

I particularly miss the Zogonia strip, which I used to look forward to every month.

Man, I miss Zogonia and Mt Zogon.

 

[Orius]

I miss print. I really do. I HATE HATE HATE reading on a screen for any length of time.

I spend 9+ hours a day reading a computer screen at work. I miss having those dead trees in my hand as a relaxing break. Who cares if you actually use the content directly in your games? I read them for inspiration and for pure enjoyment.

I feel the same way. Reading from a screen and reading from a page just feel different. And after about 2 or 3 hours, stuff on a screen starts to go by in a blur or something. Or maybe it's just with print, you can more easily put it down and pick up where you left off.

Don't get me wrong, I like computers, I like my daily net fix, I just like books as well. I like writing stuff by hand (like game notes) on paper with a pen or pencil too, instrad of just typing it up and printing it out.

Blink blink... man... I even have gaming stuff on my cell phone. How does one operate without a cell phone these days? That's like saying you don't have teeth or something.

Easily and with much less interruption.

I don't have a cell, and I don't miss it. I don't need it, and I feel like using one kind of shackles me to others' whims and wants. It feels like I'm responding to their demands or something, it's kind of hard to explain. I just feel freer without one. If I were to get one, it would just be for the convenience of communication, and I wouldn't bother with things I see as unnecessary extras like texting, games and so on.

The thing I most miss is Dragon Mirth though. I know we have some great web-comics out there, but I usually went straight to Dragon Mirth each month and near as I can tell there's no replacement for that yet.

Ah yes, Dragon's greatest long running feature.