4ed PDFs - Are you still getting the books?

[Flobby]

Although its surely illegal, I don't if its unethical. To me downloading pdfs is like browsing in a book store. And for someone like me how lives in a place with no FLGS, its nice to be able to take a look at something before I order it. I took a look at the pdfs and I will definitly by the books. If they looked like crap I may have cancelled my order. To me its the electronic version of reading before you buy in a book store.

I have a feeling thats what its like for most people. Of course there are always a few a-holes, but then I'm sure there are people who try to read whole books at book store without buying them.

 

[Pinwiz11]

Being able to print out specific pages as necessary makes the PDFs a godsend and I had no qualms about downloading them. I haven't canceled my order.

 

[william_nova]

I've been on board with 4e for a long time. I was never really on the fence as I viewed the preview information . Everything WotC and the community put out just reinforced my like of the new approach.

I do think the leaked PDFs will drive up publicity for the game, and will increase sales. Will it offset any potential lost revenue due to folks who will not buy now that they have electronic copies?

I know I certainly won't be canceling my order for the hardcopies.

I believe we have a duty to not bite the hand that feeds. It's as simple as that. They've done a lot of work and we owe it to them to vote with our wallets as good capitalists, since that's often the only metric society uses for success. If 4e is not viewed as generating sufficient revenue for Hasbro we just might see the game dry up and vanish forever.

 

[gonesailing]

I don't really know how to put this completely politely. So I rephrased this a half-dozen times.

Set aside for a moment whether downloading PDFs is legal, illegal, moral, or immoral.

It's completely and totally crass to post about it on a board where the writers & designers read & post. "Hey, man! I know you hate it, but I downloaded that!! YAY!!"

It's like if your buddy started sleeping with your (now ex-)wife after a divorce. You know what's happening, but if he starts talking about it, it's tough not to punch him in the face.

-O

This...

 

[gonesailing]

Oh and there should be another option to the poll...
How many people with the PDFs are buying them because they just feel damn guilty?

Making up justifications after the fact is the sign of a guilty conscience

 

[3catcircus]

Hmm - I've been dead set against 4e and have loudly outspoken about it. No suprise there.

I will be getting the books only because my brother pre-ordered them for me as a christmas present. Most likely, I'll put them up on ebay right afterward.

All that having been said - I'm too lazy to try and find a decent torrent, set up my router to fool my ISP into not sending reset packets or accidentally overflowing its routing table, and waiting the hour(s) for pdfs to be downloaded. If I could find them as pdfs on a non-torrent site, I would, so that I could determine whether or not I'd want to keep the books before they get here.

Recall a few months ago when I was complaining about WotC's pricing structure for PDFs? The one where Rouse placed me on ignore? I was wrong - I predicted pirated PDFs would be out within 72 hours of the book hitting the store shelves.

I wonder what this leak will do to their pricing structure for PDFs - will they still be a few bucks but require the purchase of the books first? I wonder if it might be a good idea to just release the PDFs for free download off the website - it'll completely stifle torrent downloads (except for those hardcore anarchists who want to "stick it to the maannn!") and it would also likely increase sales of books - no different that thumbing through the book on the store shelf from the comfort of your living room chair.

 

[Raevynn]

ok. so here is my take on the pdfs/ebook version/paper/both/etc....


I love PDFs. have a ton of them on my laptop.... but I also travel. A LOT... so for me when I was playing 3.5e/RPGA I scanned in ALL of my books. this way I could travel to a location... post to see if a game was being played.. join in.. I did not have to lug 50lbs of paper to play. Plus I have my character and all of its ARs scanned as well. I also ride a motorcycle making taking more than my laptop and a book VERY impractical.

Now... I would even pay full price for a NON-DRM version of the book even if pirated copies are available. B/c I am doing that anyway by slicing up a PHB for scanning and having one in book form.

Now one thing NO ONE MENTIONED is aren't pdf/ebooks just a tad bit more eco-friendly too? perhaps there are a few of us who care about that as well... nice little "check us out we are green" press release for WoTC..

Anyway.. I love the kendel... but I want full color with graphics and tables of pdfs for what ever eBook Reader is out there... I am praying/sacrificing... for one... but noting as of yet...

so to answer the PDF vs paper... I love paper.. but hate that I have to to carry a milkcrate of books to a game just to play.. I want the books for my home and the pdfs for the game/portability...

 

[Engilbrand]

I got a call earlier where my friend asked if I knew that 4E was coming out. I told him that I'd known for months and preordered on February 8th. "Have you downloaded them?" "No." "Uh. Really? I was looking at them, and it definitely seems like it would be fun to try again." "Yep. I've got them coming. They come next week, so I haven't cared enough to really search beyond a cursory glance real quick that turned up nothing."
I don't see it as a big deal at all. And I think that it definitely pulls more people into it. Times are changing, and PDFs are a part of a new wave, no different from walking into a bookstore. Old ideas need to be phased out as the new ones take over.