A plethora of gaming material: How do you find it and decide to buy it?

[Graybeard]

I'm lucky in the aspect that I work in a bookstore so I get to look at all the WotC stuff when it comes out. It gives me the chance to read it before I buy it. I also buy any PDFs that interest me primarily because they are easier on the wallet. For other publishers, I either look at the books at my FLGS or, read reviews of them here.

 

[Pinotage]

I check the ENWorld main page and forums for any news and discussion on released products. I also spend a lot of time reading reviews of products here on ENWorld. From time to time there's a thread regarding 'What's your next buy going to be?' or 'Your to buy list' which I check to see what things other people are interested in and what's in the pipeline. I think most people have their favourite publishers and I certainly check their websites for a 'product schedule'. Browsing Drivethrurpg or Rpgnow is also worth it.

Pinotage

 

[Arnwyn]

With all of the game material out there how do you find what interests you?

How do you decide on your purchases?

Here's what I generally consider before deciding on a purchase:

1) book's existence - I gotta know that the book even exists. This pretty much exclusively comes from what I read at ENWorld. If it's not mentioned here (either in the news, reviews, or threads) I likely will never buy it.

2) subject matter/topic - this has to interest me, otherwise it's dead in the water.

3) ability to preview - I need to be able to flip through most of the book and see what's in there, look at the maps, etc. If I can't do this, then it's very likely I'll never buy it.

4) minimum useful content - after flipping through it, I have to be fairly certain I'll use 80% of the content in my game (sooner or later) - I call it my "80% rule".

5) experience with company - I'll be more likely to buy a book (even up to the point of sight-unseen, which, considering my guidelines I adhere to above, is a pretty big deal for me) if I had a bunch of good experiences with the company's products in the past. Necromancer Games is an example of this.

 

[DaveStebbins]

With all of the game material out there how do you find what interests you?

As others have said, what gets talked and raved about has a good chance of raising my interest. However, I've been gaming for a long time. I have lots of books and memories and notes. These days, a six-page PDF targeting a specific niche I would like to expand upon is far more likely to get purchased. I find most hardcopy books don't have a high useful information to page count/cost ratio, so I'm usually pretty careful about what I shell out for in hardcopy.

How do you decide on your purchases?

Word of mouth, reviews (read as many as I can), and looking through the book at my FLGS when possible (as many others have already said). Very little material gets purchased without these steps. However, the niche PDFs are much more likely to make me get out my credit card, as the value to cost ratio is likely to be much higher (for me).

(Woo hoo! Post 100!)

Congratulations on reaching your first milestone. Now, shoot for 500. Go!



-Dave

 

[haiiro]

I browse release schedules (mainly the WotC one here, and Amazon), occasionally visit publishers' sites to see what they've got in the pipeline, and visit my FLGS 2-4 times a month. Keeping an eye on forum threads is also handy, as are the (relatively) new preview columns in Dragon. I used to read Game Trade regularly, but haven't in some time -- that can be a good resource as well.

As for what to buy, there are companies I've learned to trust, others I steer well clear of, and the rest is figured out by skimming a book in the store, recognizing the author as one I like or dislike, or reading reviews (or forum threads). I buy less than I used to, but I still buy a lot -- so all of the above is pretty routine at this point, even though it might sound like work.

 

[der_kluge]

Like Dave, I tend to buy more pdfs nowadays than books. There are a handful of books I wouldn't mind having, but I'm really discriminating in what I pick up. I just don't have the kind of budget for game books like I used to have. Plus I'm not GM'ing, so that affects my purchases a great deal as well. I pick up DM-related things from time to time, but I just don't have the appetite for it when I'm not GM'ing.

 

[devilbat]

I rely heavily on the various comments and reviews made here at EnWorld. I've found the general commentary very helpful in my book purchasing decisions.

As far as PDF purchasing goes, it's all spur of the moment. If I need something for a session, and I happen across a PDF that will help, I buy it.

 

[shaylon]

I usually study up on what is coming out and make a short list. If I decide it is a must-have I will buy it. If I am on the fence I usually wait for a review.

Other than that, I check with some people I play with and see what they have purchased lately that is interesting.

Depends on what you are looking for. For me, I am pretty much a D&D guy, which makes it much easier. I am not sure how some of these guys do it.

-Shay

 

[Ghostwind]

Reviews help influence my decision, but I also take a good look at the book to see if it will fit my gaming needs. If I feel it is something I can use either directly or by idea-mining, then I'll buy it. But then there's the occasional too cool not to buy book...

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I look for terms that match my interests.

Steam

War

Reformation/counter reformation

Victorian

Things like that.

The Auld Grump