D&D 5E Are hardback AP's a waste?

[Jester David]

This actually came up in another thread and so I figured it would be a great topic to discuss.

Do you think big hardback AP's are a waste of money?

I do because of the following reasons. I feel like Wizards could save a lot of money in printing costs by going either paperback or digital format. Let's be honest here. How many of you run the same AP repeatedly? I play with the same group of people so it wouldn't be plausible to run the same AP again because the group already knows what to do. The mystery has gone out of the AP. It basically just becomes this shiny book sitting on my shelf.

If you have to have something physical, then why not just go with a paperback? You could print it for a lot cheaper price and sell it for less. I think what would be best are for these things to go digital. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper and you could charge people 2 or 3 quid per adventure and maybe a fiver for an AP. After you are finished with it, you would then feel like you got your money's worth out of it and just leave it sitting there on your hardrive without it taking up really any space.

I just think hardback adventures are a bit much and could be dealt with a lot better.

If I find an AP I really like, I might be willing to play it again and again with different groups. I have no delusions that the group I'm playing with right now will primarily be the group I'm playing with in six or ten years.
Plus, using a softcover book on a regular basis for six months or a year is super hard on the book. I'm careful with my books, and a couple of my Paizo APs look pretty rough after a couple months of use.

The primary cost is the paper and the colour ink. Going from hardcover to softcover isn't that much of a price drop. A couple bucks less. Dropping Hoard of the Dragon Queen from $30 to $25 wouldn't have dramatically increased sales.

 

[Jester David]

That said, the recent release of the EE player's companion had me pining for it in print. I just don't like pdfs for reference works that I will use often. So... I would prefer a softcover option over no option. Maybe they could work out a print on demand arrangement for their pdfs or something

Off topic, but I wouldn't be surprised to see that in Princes of the Apocalypse. The free PDF strikes me as something for players of Organized Play to use so they don't have to buy the book.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I wasn't keen on Tyranny of Dragons being hardcover, because it was two shortish books. But with Elemental Evil, we're getting a single large book, so I appreciate the hardcover.

 

[Gnarl45]

This actually came up in another thread and so I figured it would be a great topic to discuss.

Do you think big hardback AP's are a waste of money?

I do because of the following reasons. I feel like Wizards could save a lot of money in printing costs by going either paperback or digital format. Let's be honest here. How many of you run the same AP repeatedly? I play with the same group of people so it wouldn't be plausible to run the same AP again because the group already knows what to do. The mystery has gone out of the AP. It basically just becomes this shiny book sitting on my shelf.

If you have to have something physical, then why not just go with a paperback? You could print it for a lot cheaper price and sell it for less. I think what would be best are for these things to go digital. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper and you could charge people 2 or 3 quid per adventure and maybe a fiver for an AP. After you are finished with it, you would then feel like you got your money's worth out of it and just leave it sitting there on your hardrive without it taking up really any space.

I just think hardback adventures are a bit much and could be dealt with a lot better.

WoTC just wants to sell these AP as luxury products. Someone in their offices probably thinks they can maximize their profit by making a bit more profit on each sale and sell a little less. Selling cheap and a lot isn't always the best business decision.

 

[Charles Wright]

Also, Frog God Games has found that hardbacks simply sell better than softcovers.

 

[SirAntoine]

Hardbacks are great for the fans who appreciate them. For some people, they make a world of difference. They get more excited turning the pages, read it more frequently just for pleasure.

Paperbacks are also still great, though. For me, an adventure is better for paperback because I don't expect to use it much. It's a source of ideas, but nothing like a manual.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Also, Frog God Games has found that hardbacks simply sell better than softcovers.

I would say Paizo found that to be the opposite.

 

[SkidAce]

Durability is good for corebooks and books that you will continue to use on a daily basis. What happens when you finish that hardback AP? It doesn't need to be durable unless you are a book collector.

In the military, I change groups every so many years. I have used several modules over multiple times. I imagins it would be the same for someone running public games.

Hardback = Durable = Good.

 

[Charles Wright]

I would say Paizo found that to be the opposite.

I wouldn't, because they've never sold adventures in both formats.

 

[Charles Wright]

Wait, I'm wrong. When they sold Rise of the Runelords as a compiled book, it was as a hardcover.