What makes a TTRPG purchase "worth it" to you?

[Randomthoughts]

That’s easy: if I actually use it (play or run a game). I’ve bought stuff to use as “reference”, and yeah that’s ok. And it would be “super worth it” if I used it more than once.

 

[aramis erak]

7. Coming across a free-to-look at PDF version of the TTRPG product. This one is sort of like #6 in that you get to see the work before you actually buy it. A couple years back when I was collecting PF1 material, I came across a website called the Trove. This website had PDFs from several different RPGs and you could look at them for free and at your leisure.

The Trove was taken down for copyright infringement. The last month or so of operation, the US Gov't had logging of all IP Addresses hitting it. Most things on it were not there with consent of the IP owner (including a couple works of mine, but since mine were never sold, I really don't mind the exposure.)

 

[aramis erak]

No, not really. My wife recently became an official business partner in our little enterprise and a couple of weeks ago she spent a good chunk of a day sending DMCA takedowns to scribd which had a bunch of our stuff. It's definitely whack a mole but we try to hit the biggest vendors.

And yeah, I've heard the argument that D&D Beyond is needed and WOTC is so big they can't possibly sell their materials in PDF because somehow their four billion dollar company has more to lose than my wife and I. (Hint, it's not about stopping piracy, it's about locking everyone else in).

Some of the pirate sites, especially Scribd, are charging for downloads now. That makes it more actionable in court.

Scribd turned almost purely pirate long ago.

 

[Distracted DM]

... The chemical impulse in my brain that says "oh yeah buying that made you feel good," and the rationalization that "I'll make use of it by [insert good sales pitch to self that will ultimately go unfulfilled]."
"Oh I should get that adventure, it looks cool and I want to run something like that." Goes on huge stack of adventures, all purchased for same reason, 1/20 of which get read and 1/100th of which see actual use.

 

[sabrinathecat]

The Trove was taken down for copyright infringement. The last month or so of operation, the US Gov't had logging of all IP Addresses hitting it. Most things on it were not there with consent of the IP owner (including a couple works of mine, but since mine were never sold, I really don't mind the exposure.)

My big problem with taking down Trove was all of the out-of-print books which are highly unlikely to ever be available as a new printing or as a .pdf that can be purchased, including most of West End Games Star Wars books. Some of those suckers go for $300+ for a used book (if you can even find one).

 

[jdrakeh]

If a product introduces new concepts to me or reframes old ideas in a new and interesting way, I feel that I made a good investment in a RPG book. I get a LOT out of GURPS sourcebooks in this regard, for example.

 

[Reynard]

My big problem with taking down Trove was all of the out-of-print books which are highly unlikely to ever be available as a new printing or as a .pdf that can be purchased, including most of West End Games Star Wars books. Some of those suckers go for $300+ for a used book (if you can even find one).

I feel like there is a non-pirate site solution to this problem. We need a solid game preservation movement in TTRPGs, like the movement that has started in video games.

 

[Distracted DM]

I feel like there is a non-pirate site solution to this problem. We need a solid game preservation movement in TTRPGs, like the movement that has started in video games.

While I wholly agree, so far the legal battle has not gone well in favor of video game preservation.

 

[aramis erak]

I feel like there is a non-pirate site solution to this problem. We need a solid game preservation movement in TTRPGs, like the movement that has started in video games.

Legally, not for another (in the case of WEG Star Wars) another 60+ years. (Works for hire pub+95 or creation +120, earlier of.)
In the case of Original Edition D&D printings 1-5, no point in the foreseeable future - their copyright isn't the issue (per se; it's still an issue into the 2070's), but the infringement upon trademarks still jealously guarded by Saul Zaentz Co d.b.a. Middle Earth Entertainment. Printing 6 will be life of Arneson+70, since he's coauthor, so 2079.

I agree there needs to be a solution...

In the case of WEG Star Wars, the Copyrights are in LFL's name. If Disney/LFL wanted to, they could reprint them tomorrow... (assumes POD and using extant scans — suboptimal...) but it probably isn't worth the time for someone to upload them, at least in the eyes of the LFL IP department. Further, making them evergreen in PDF reduces the value they can expect from the next licensee. And there's a strong possibility that not all the art was done as work for hire.

I think the best solution would be to move towards "holder non-publication for 20+ years is affirmative defense vs Copyright claims." The Copyright Recovery Act is the first step of such — authors of works for hire being able to recover copyrights if the holder isn't making economic use of them... with Steve Jackson (of SJGames, so US SJ) being amongst the first to use it, and he promptly produced a new version.

 

[Thomas Shey]

It has to be at least interesting to read. That's all I really expect, though if it ends up looking like something I want to run, that's a bonus.