D&D 5E Are hardback AP's a waste?

[BrockBallingdark]

Is your copy of Runelords the hardback or softcover?

My copy of the "Rise of the Runelords" is a hardcover. I just went to look at it, it's getting worn now at second use.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, I read just the intro story that sets up the AP and thought, "Yes, please." It was such an enjoyable read on its own that the story could have been continued and been a regular book.

Only [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] knows, and I imagine there are lots of factors to consider. He did mention that Zeitgeist was the last AP they would do, but mayber if En5ider takes off and sustains itself, a new AP might eventually make its way in there.

Nah. Our AP adventures are often 100+ pages. They're insanely high end and lavish. No way we can match that with 15-page adventures!

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I would rather have the AP in a digital format, so I can print it one-sided and stick it in a 3-ring binder. I use the blank sides for making notes and I take a few pages out at a time and spread them on the table. If there is a cool piece of artwork then I take it out and clip it to the players' side of the screen to set the scene.

Rules book in durable hard-cover, yes. Modules and adventure paths, no.

 

[Matthan]

Nah. Our AP adventures are often 100+ pages. They're insanely high end and lavish. No way we can match that with 15-page adventures!

Any possibility for a kickstarter for an AP after Zeitgeist? WotBS had various on and off ramps to the path. Could you potentially fund a shorter AP that would have a natural conclusion, but if stretch goals are reached, the path would expand to further adventures?

 

[Morrus]

Any possibility for a kickstarter for an AP after Zeitgeist?

None whatsoever, at least at present. We just can't get people to buy the damn things! Sorry! And the idea of being tied into a massive multi-year project again with increasingly diminishing attention is soul crushing!

We're incredibly proud of both APs, believe they're incredibly good work, and the hardcovers are nothing short of stunning. I hope that, as Endzeitgeist kindly said in his latest review, that "the Zeitgeist AP may indeed become THE roleplaying monument of this generation" and that people will look upon it fondly as something well achieved.

The closest thing might be some very short arcs over 2-3 adventures in EN5ider and TRAILseeker. But that's likely as far as we'll go. I like the idea of short arcs each in their own world with its own theme.

 

[jamesjhaeck]

The closest thing might be some very short arcs over 2-3 adventures in EN5ider and TRAILseeker. But that's likely as far as we'll go. I like the idea of short arcs each in their own world with its own theme.

Let the record show that I support this idea, especially if we get the right people on board!

 

[Ssendam]

Wow, what a lot of deep analysis; clearly individual preference and perception is key to what people prefer here ...

Hard covers have their place, primarily for the 'core' books that get a lot of use. Also for the large adventure compilations like 'Rise of the Runelords' they seem to make sense. For smaller volumes I much prefer softcovers. I don't have a big scientific reason regards durability or cost, I just think that a) 20 pages stuck between hard covers looks a bit silly, b) A small book seems to open better when in soft cover and c) carbon foot print ... all that weight and excess shipping.

Shouldn't we go off piste a bit and look at alternatives? I've seen some very good wargames rules that are ring-bound and made of very durable materials. It probably wouldn't work for the big core books but it is handy to be able to keep the book open and flat (which is why I like the old style scenarios too that are more like a magazine).

My 2p ... I double anyone will listen on page 10 so I'll post something inflammatory ...

For all those people who feel compelled to justify their point of view with, "I've been gaming for 50 years", remember, you can have one experience a thousand times or a thousand different experiences.