The Changing Face of Reading

[Stormonu]

Everyone here has pretty much been talking solutions to replace PDFs, but I don't really think that is the solution that would work.

Instead, you want to reduce the game into bite-size chunks. Rules that take a page, character design that's a few minutes and has the information available-at-hand, not in a thick book. Had I been introduced to something of the bulk of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook when I started playing D&D, I would have found some other hobby.

Honestly, I think cards and board game elements going forward would be a major help. Power cards have become the way to present and track character abilities. If you could also regulate racial abilities to card ("As an elf, you can use the following abilities..."), and perhaps class abilities, that would likewise help (equipment cards could be fun too, so long as you don't end up with a "character deck" you're having to sort through).

Look at the character "sheets" for the D&D board game; if you could condense a character's mechanics to fit into that small and concise a space, you'd probably get more interest. If done well, you won't flexibility, just unnessary complications. Let folks get more powers at higher level, but characters don't have to be complicated (look at B/X sheets from the 80's).

At the same time, the DM's workload need to kept small. There's a lot of reading DMs are expected to do, and it's quite off-putting. If that information could be distilled down to a 2-4 page pamphlet for starting DMs, that would be great.

And a flash game walkthrough would be an awesome tool, if you could get the word out to potential buyers.

In the end, I think the idea of Basic versions of D&D need to come back. To hell with if they aren't compatible with the "Advanced" or Full game - put something out there to get people interested in trying to play.

 

[IronWolf]

In the end, I think the idea of Basic versions of D&D need to come back. To hell with if they aren't compatible with the "Advanced" or Full game - put something out there to get people interested in trying to play.

Paizo has a Pathfinder Intro set in the works. Knowing Paizo they will likely get it right and offer a lower barrier to entry than picking up a giant tome that is the core rulebook to start playing an unfamiliar game to people new to the hobby.

 

[tenkar]

In the end, I think the idea of Basic versions of D&D need to come back. To hell with if they aren't compatible with the "Advanced" or Full game - put something out there to get people interested in trying to play.

Isn't that what WotC Red Box was supposed to be?

:: runs and hides...

 

[ThirdWizard]

Would I be able to use this without an Internet connection? Can I make annotations to material as I see fit? Does it work on major platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux?

What if I told you that you could have an easy to read document that looks just like a PDF that can be used on any platform, allows you to edit it, and pulls new data to update itself (telling you, of course) when there is errata released? What if I also told you it would be available when you were offline? What if I also told you that you could view the information on all your devices: your Windows Machine, your Mac, your Linux Box, your phone, and your tablet?

What if I further told you that you could rearrange the chapters as you see fit? Copy useful information into a separate document that you could add notes to and arrange however you want? With an Internet connection, have built in tools in the document do calculations for you? Use first or third party applications, your choice, to access all the information in different ways such as a VT, a character builder, monster builder, encounter tools?

This isn't easy. But it is not crazy conjecture. This is something that can be done by competent programmers.

What if a RPG was released as a Web Service? A Web Service is basically a way that an application, web site, whatever can call in a platform neutral manner using XML various functions and queries on a central source. That information can then be saved for future use , displayed to the user, used in calculations, or whatever purpose is possible. This would allow all of the above to work.

Subscribers could query for a list of classes, then based on that a list of classes, their powers. Then you could query for combat rules. You could query for expressions. I could call something like GetPowerCards(oCharacterXML) and it would return an XML representation of all the Powers associated with that character, complete with calculations done using the latest errataed rules. It could check character validity. I could pass a character and return all the errata that affects the character released within a certain timespan. Whatever you can think of, this model could perform.

This would take a forward looking company to pull off. They need to realize that the benefits of massive massive ease of use offset any perceved side-effects from allowing third parties access to the services. They would have to realize that they aren't competing with third party providers, they are enabling them, they are increasing the power of their users, which will in turn make their users happier and bring more people in. The tools would be so powerful, so useful, that they wouldn't have to worry about things like piracy, because they are offering a service to their users that a document can't possibly compete with!

It's asking a lot. It's asking for a total overhaul not only of how information is presented, but a huge amount technological faith and understanding as well as a shift in management paradigm. I don't see it happening any time soon. But, it would be glorious.

 

[IronWolf]

What if I told you that you could have an easy to read document that looks just like a PDF that can be used on any platform, allows you to edit it, and pulls new data to update itself (telling you, of course) when there is errata released? What if I also told you it would be available when you were offline? What if I also told you that you could view the information on all your devices: your Windows Machine, your Mac, your Linux Box, your phone, and your tablet?

This would definitely have me listening. You've hit a lot of the major points that I would be looking for from an access question.

What if I further told you that you could rearrange the chapters as you see fit? Copy useful information into a separate document that you could add notes to and arrange however you want? With an Internet connection, have built in tools in the document do calculations for you? Use first or third party applications, your choice, to access all the information in different ways such as a VT, a character builder, monster builder, encounter tools?

Not sure how much rearranging I would do, but possibly just because I have not easily had the ability to do so. With ease of doing so I suspect useful reasons would be found to do so. Calculations are always good! And easy access of the data across various 3rd party tools would be a selling point as well.

What if a RPG was released as a Web Service? A Web Service is basically a way that an application, web site, whatever can call in a platform neutral manner using XML various functions and queries on a central source. That information can then be saved for future use , displayed to the user, used in calculations, or whatever purpose is possible. This would allow all of the above to work.

Subscribers could query for a list of classes, then based on that a list of classes, their powers. Then you could query for combat rules. You could query for expressions. I could call something like GetPowerCards(oCharacterXML) and it would return an XML representation of all the Powers associated with that character, complete with calculations done using the latest errataed rules. It could check character validity. I could pass a character and return all the errata that affects the character released within a certain timespan. Whatever you can think of, this model could perform.

This would take a forward looking company to pull off. They need to realize that the benefits of massive massive ease of use offset any perceved side-effects from allowing third parties access to the services. They would have to realize that they aren't competing with third party providers, they are enabling them, they are increasing the power of their users, which will in turn make their users happier and bring more people in. The tools would be so powerful, so useful, that they wouldn't have to worry about things like piracy, because they are offering a service to their users that a document can't possibly compete with!

My last reservation is the subscription/service aspect. With PDFs if I decide I cannot afford a service I still have my PDFs to continue playing the game. With a service I am more likely to need to rely on it to play the game - potentially.

It's asking a lot. It's asking for a total overhaul not only of how information is presented, but a huge amount technological faith and understanding as well as a shift in management paradigm. I don't see it happening any time soon. But, it would be glorious.

It is always good to think outside of the box and brainstorm these ideas. Sometimes change is difficult for some to take - i.e. as I clutch to my current PDF books....

 

[ThirdWizard]

I really want to do this now! Too bad I don't have the resources to do so.

My last reservation is the subscription/service aspect. With PDFs if I decide I cannot afford a service I still have my PDFs to continue playing the game. With a service I am more likely to need to rely on it to play the game - potentially.

That would be the biggest paradigm shift for consumers to make. Not to say it would have to be that way. There could be free aspects, one time buy aspects, and subscription aspects.

So for example, a one time buy of a base rulebook means you get errata for free on it. Then they could release some free bonus material, say a free adventure, and anyone could access it for no cost. Paying subscribers would be able to access things like interactive encounter modules from the adventure that could be used in an encounter tracker or VT or somesuch.

That would do a lot to encourage subscriptions without requiring it. And, any actual data you download could be used in perpetuity. I especially like the idea there of a free adventure with bonus uses unlocked via subscriptions that aren't necessary to run it but offer ease of life benefits. That encourages subscription with a carrot approach.

 

[enpeze66]

Had I been introduced to something of the bulk of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook when I started playing D&D, I would have found some other hobby.

Yes you are right. What you said is the MAIN REASON P&P RPGs have not much success today. Nobody who is not a number crunching supernerd but rather a casual normal guy wants to read more than a few dozen pages for just playing a game.

Unfortunately the rpg publishers are to dumb and short sighted to understand this principle and dont bring fresh people into the hobby by releasing easy to understand rule light rpgs with only some dozen pages of rules . Instead they are only caring for their usual old customer base which is shrinking every year. So its the publishers fault that our hobby is dying.

 

[nedjer]

I'm not crazy about not being able to access my needed gaming material w/o an internet connection. For me, a website, no matter how good, will always be trumped by an ebook.

Just try to get a 3G connection from AT&T in downtown Manhattan during normal working hours... spotty at best, unusable at worst.

I kind of thought I was clear on this You can have local copies of websites that are entirely without any need for a connection. DDI may not work like that at present, but it's essentially no different from saving a single web page to your hard disc apart from savign all the pages on a site or game.

Try it. Treasure's in the sig. Choose the Win32 installer and there's even a proper uninstall, so you can ignore the game, look at the technology and delete the lot in an instant

 

[IronWolf]

So for example, a one time buy of a base rulebook means you get errata for free on it. Then they could release some free bonus material, say a free adventure, and anyone could access it for no cost. Paying subscribers would be able to access things like interactive encounter modules from the adventure that could be used in an encounter tracker or VT or somesuch.

That would do a lot to encourage subscriptions without requiring it. And, any actual data you download could be used in perpetuity. I especially like the idea there of a free adventure with bonus uses unlocked via subscriptions that aren't necessary to run it but offer ease of life benefits. That encourages subscription with a carrot approach.

Something like this could be a step in the right direction for me. I have no issues with paying for the better features. Just for the times I don't feel like I can afford to pay for them, I don't want to be cut off completely from the game which I could continue to play with at least its core features.

 

[IronWolf]

Unfortunately the rpg publishers are to dumb and short sighted to understand this principle and dont bring fresh people into the hobby by releasing easy to understand rule light rpgs with only some dozen pages of rules . Instead they are only caring for their usual old customer base which is shrinking every year. So its the publishers fault that our hobby is dying.

Dumb and short sighted? WotC released the Red Box last year for at least an attempt. Granted it wasn't well received but they tried. Prior to that they had other boxed sets as well.

And Paizo is releasing Pathfinder Beginner Box later this year I believe, so they are at least trying. Success remains to be seen, but they are trying to gain new customers.