Anyone else feel indifferent about the PDF thing?

[SlyFlourish]

I have to admit, while I think it is a really dumb idea and sets a bad example, this won't effect me. The only book I even contemplated purchasing was the Dungeon Delve because I wanted to print individual delves rather than lug around a whole book. Still, with a cost higher than the paper copy, I couldn't justify it.

That's probably the bigger reason they pulled the PDFs. They weren't priced well at all.

 

[Barcode]

I'm sorry that you guys are having a bad experience of ENworld as a result of the 'PDF debate'. Don't forget that more than 99% of the posts made every day on ENworld are nothing to do with this issue; A quick tour of some of the other parts of the site should reveal lots of interesting discussions which are much more peaceful.

Cheers

I'd be curious as to what percentage of posts at ENWorld are about gaming or games any more, and how many are about the business of gaming. As I scan the first page of the General forum. it seems to me that the vast majority of threads are about the latter, either attacking or defending WotC, debating whether 4e/D&D is thriving or dead, boycotts, piracy, lawsuits, competition from video gaming, etc...

I'm afraid I agree that ENWorld has become a very unpleasant place. I might suggest that a forum be created for the "Business of Gaming" where the rants against WotC as a company can go, leaving the General forum to be about games again.

 

[Klaus]

I'd be curious as to what percentage of posts at ENWorld are about gaming or games any more, and how many are about the business of gaming. As I scan the first page of the General forum. it seems to me that the vast majority of threads are about the latter, either attacking or defending WotC, debating whether 4e/D&D is thriving or dead, boycotts, piracy, lawsuits, competition from video gaming, etc...

I'm afraid I agree that ENWorld has become a very unpleasant place. I might suggest that a forum be created for the "Business of Gaming" where the rants against WotC as a company can go, leaving the General forum to be about games again.

You're quite right that most threads in the front page of General are about "Business", as you put it. Which is why I'm starting a thread about good ol'-fashioned Gaming.

Anyone else who feels like contributing such threads (and responding to such threads) should do so. We make EN World what it is, for good or ill.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

I must admit to being a little bummed that I can't get some old school pdfs, as of this moment. I've always had designs of snagging the Drow, Slavers, and Giants series. But I'm not too upset, as I'm pretty sure that content will be back in some fashion. I don't think removing the pdfs will stop piracy and the online community seems up in arms about it, so that's not the greatest of news. But I don't think most D&D players will care or even know about what's happened.

Frankly, I'm more upset at how the warlock, cleric, paladin, and ranger aren't being redesigned as A-shaped classes.

But I must say I am glad I bought the pdf of the 1980 GH boxed set last week... I had been wanting that for a while, and I'm now going to use it as the basis for my 4e GH game.

 

[Mark]

On the plus side, each thread about the PDF situation is another not about edition wars.

 

[GoldieDavid]

Those of you who are indifferent to this decision seem to be reacting exactly the way Wotc expected. Is one of you the strategy manager at Wizards?

Seriously, one of the common themes of you "relaxed ones" is your confidence that the old editions will eventually be made available by some method. I suspect that if this actually happens then the "unrelaxed ones" will join you in your indifferent nirvana.

If this doesn't happen then I will feel the same sadness that I do about MERP and Hackmaster. I consider them to be works of art that are gradually becoming legally inaccessible due to the expense of hard copies.

P.S. Getting wound up about nerd rage won't give you a happy life either.

 

[JohnnyQuest]

I'm indifferent regarding the availability of .pdf resources. On the other hand, I'm happy to see theft prosecuted. Yes, I realize that it won't stop piracy, but I'm still glad to see it prosecuted. I've seen too many good friends suffer from that sort of thing.

 

[3catcircus]

For 4e pdfs? Yes, I'm indifferent. For the back catalog? Absolutely I care. I'd rather pay $5 for a pdf of an out-of-print book than try and buy one at 2-3-4x original retail on Amazon or Ebay.

IIRC, original retail for A1-4 was $19.99 (somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

Current ebay offerings are $39.99 - $59.99. Amazon is $60.97 - $139.99.

Me, I'd take the $5 pdf any day.

 

[Invisible Stalker]

Indifferent, yet enjoying another floor show of rage.

I can't wait to see what WOTC does next.

 

[Nahat Anoj]

Seriously, one of the common themes of you "relaxed ones" is your confidence that the old editions will eventually be made available by some method. I suspect that if this actually happens then the "unrelaxed ones" will join you in your indifferent nirvana.

Probably so.

I think even if WotC never released the old edition material, I'd still be indifferent. I'd a little more sad knowing that I couldn't ever get some of the old classics easily, but I've been thinking about picking them up for years and have never gotten around to actually buying them. So obviously they weren't *that* important to me. I just wouldn't ever be able to indulge an impulse buy again.