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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7739785" data-attributes="member: 6796661">Just got my copy in the mail today. First impressions, with this discussion thread in my head as I paged through it.TL;DR SUMMARYThe 5e conversion and map remakes are nice and I would like to have had the remake, the preface articles, and the map and cover gallery in one book without complete facsimiles of each edition of the originals. That would satisfy my nolstalgia AND make for a nice playable set of modules for use at the table. As it is, it is more for collectors and libraries. I'm glad I bought it, but because of the price point and redundant content, most DMs will probably skip it.DETAILS1. It is a quality, well-bound book that I will be happy to put on my shelves. This is important to me, because I've culled down my books to just nice quality books that look and feel good, or books that are important to me but I'm unable to get in an electronic format, or books with personal importance. The rest I have on Kindle or Comixology. This book, however, deserves a spot on my bookshelf. While not a "desk book", it is certainly a good library book. 2. Great fun to page through, but that's all I'll do with 1/2 the content.Much/most of the book is a high-quality scan of the original modules--actually multiple copies where there are different editions. If I run it, it will be the 5e version. I doubt I'll ever get the original rules to run the original modules. 3. Think academic print for college libraries and collectors, rather than casual games.This feels like those books that reprint multiple versions of a piece of great literature. E.g., in the original language, an older translation, and the author's new and improved translation with prefaces from one or more luminaries in the field discussing the important of the work, their experiences with it, and lauding the new translation.  Paging through this book takes me back to my undergrad years, poring over books like this for a philosophy, literature, or history class. It may seem strange to compare this book to an academic work, but that is the best way to describe it. And it isn't much of a stretch. There has been a gradual increase in scholarship around gaming in general and TTRPGs and D&D specifically. This would be the kind of book that any serious scholars of the subject might have in their libraries. But this seems like a very small niche for Goodman Games to focus on. 4. I would rather have just the 5e material in a slimmer book à la Yawning PortalI worry that the price point and redundant content for an older set of rules are going to really limit sales of this book. That's too bad. The Yawning Portal did quite well. Goodman Games should either have completely revamped the originals with modern color maps and the like, as WotC did with the modules in The Yawning Portal OR keep much of the feel and most of the art work of the original, with some moderate updates and additions. Either way, they could keep the excellent preface articles and a few pages comparing and discussing the original covers, etc. I think that would appeal to older players' nolstalgia, while also attracting new players. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have the book and I don't mind the cost. But most players are going to pass on this I think. 5. Preface articles are what you'd expect and nice to haveI really like the preface articles by Luke Gygax and Mike Mearles. I'm looking forward to reading the others, especially the Mike Carr interview. It is a nice touch to include. It would have been nice if The Yawning Portal could have included something like this. 6. A PDF wouldn't cut it for the book as a whole, but there should be a PDF of the 5e sectionI have PDFs of the Caves of Chaos and have used it, heavily modified, as a location in my home campaign. Actually, I took the PDF and put it into RealmWorks. If you think of this book as just another set of modules to run, you are not getting it. This is a labor of love printed to be paged through by nolstalgic fingers.  It isn't the same in an e-reader--it is not meant to be read like a novel. A PDF is a bit closer, but it is mean to be flipped through. To have the experience of paging through the original content in a similar format to how they were printed, while also having a gamable version in the new edition.  This is why many DMs will not like it. The would prefer just the 5e section in PDF or print. That would be more functional. This is not the most functional format for running the modules. Goodman Games should offer the 5e section as one or two PDFs. I'm guessing that their license from WotC prohibits digital formats. That's too bad.  After spending $50, it would be nice to have a free or discounted PDF of the updated 5e section for use at table. 7. About the cover maps...Yes, everything other posters warned about cover maps is true. They are not practical for running the game. That's missing the point. The maps are decoration. A nice nostalgic touch. They have an entire appendix at the end that is a gallery of covers and maps in color. Unfortunately, the map for the caves of chaos is printed across two pages and muc is lost in the crease. I can find this map easy enough in the DMs guild, but it would be nice if this were a fold out map. 8.  ...and the inline 5e mapsThe reworked black-and-white maps in the 5e section are nice, crisp, and will photocopy well, INCLUDING THE CAVES OF CHAOS. So, that's the answer to complaints of the cover map and the map-gallery map of the original. The remad caves of chaos map on page 290 fits on one page and is still easier for my old eyes to read than the facimiles of the original blue-and-white maps. My feeling at this point is that I'm glad I have the book, but it will not be for most people. Still, I hope it sells well enough for Goodman Games to continue to bring older material to 5e.</blockquote>

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