Bitch about Malhavoc Press

[Morrus]

This is just the strength of PDF format products.

Both print products and PDF products have their advantages. A print product's main advantage is that it is "nicer"; it's a book you can hold and read.

On the other hand, a PDF's advantage (I would argue that this is the primary advantage of the PDF format and why I encourage it, is that it is easily modified/replaced and/or updated. That's the whole point of buying a PDF instead of a print product.

You choose which you buy. You decide what's more important to you - the advantages of the print format or the advantages of the PDF format. It's all about giving customers the ability to choose. I don't think there's really any basis to complain about this.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

The PDF's got the upgrade and we didn't, and I'd be willimg
to pay a small fee to off-set his time etc.
I didn't say Monte was doing anything wrong, its just that he needs to
give the opportunity to cheaply upgrade to all his previous customers.
Not just select groups.

I don't agree that he NEEDS to give this opportunity to all the previous customers. When a publisher (be it a RPG, textbook, or general trade publisher) updates a book, they don't give the update out to their previous customers, either for free or for a small fee. You have to buy the new edition of a book. If having the most up to date information is that important to me, I'll go buy it. I have 3 different editions of Road Trip USA on my shelf (1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions) for this very reason, and I never felt that I should contact the publisher and say "You need to provide the updates to me, since I'm a previous customer".

If you purchased the PDF, then you have the opportunity to get those upgrades, for a fee. A PDF is NOT the same as a print book. It is a piece of software, and as such, it can be upgraded without the costs involved with printing a book.

I have several of the print books that Malhavoc Press has published, and I also have a few of the PDFs. Will I be upgrading the PDFs? Maybe. Will I be buying the new print editions? Maybe. I haven't decided if the upgrades are that important to me yet. Do I feel that Malhavoc owes it to me to provide the updates cheaply? No. Not at all.

 

[physics_ninja]

That's the first I have heard of this deal. What are the details? How do I get it?

 

[Voadam]

I can't bitch about Monte's PDF policy for two reasons:

1) He did update the Prints with Complete BoEM and 3.5 version of BoHM. Sure it's not free but then none of the revised stuff from other publishers updates are either.

2) Player's Guide to Fighters and Barbarians is a FREE Ebook when you get Legacy of Dragons!

Chainmail Bikini's two pdf books had free 3.5 updates (Beyond Monks and Call of Duty).

Silverthorne Games had free upgrades of Book of Templates to Deluxe Book of Templates for their first 300 customers.

I believe Minions complete (3.5) was a free upgrade for those who owned Minions rebirth (have to double check this one.)

I believe CMG has such a policy of free updates for his srd pdf files.

When Librum Equitis Compiled (by Ambient) came out I got a free copy as an purchaser of the component files Librum Equitis I and II.

And there are others who give out free updates.

Monte himself gave out free updates previously on his pdf products. I got the Book of Eldritch might original version with the Thoth cover and got a free new one when he added in more material and different art.

 

[Kaji]

That's the first I have heard of this deal. What are the details? How do I get it?

I recently upgrded my Malhavoc pdf's, and it cost me maybe $6 or so. Go to http://www.montecook.com/mpress.html and click away...

As to the topic, right, I don't get new editions of books for free or cheap. Never have, never will. Folks have already pointed out that pdf format is fantastic for the upgrade feature. I bring my laptop to the game, full of pdf's, and I'm all set. Good deal for me.

 

[SSquirrel]

Something else worth remembering. WOTC had to release the changes as part of the 3.5 SRD anyway. So summing it up in a document on the website was quite simple. Buying the 3.5 version of all 3 Hallowed Might books IS your upgrade line.

Hagen

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Monte himself gave out free updates previously on his pdf products. I got the Book of Eldritch might original version with the Thoth cover and got a free new one when he added in more material and different art.

Yes, and so did I. However, those updates were mostly cosmetic, with a little bit of new content. The new updates are a complete revision of the book from 3.0 to 3.5 rules. Thats quite a bit more of an update.

 

[buzz]

Much snippage.

Chainmail Bikini's...
Silverthorne Games ...
I believe CMG has such a policy...
When Librum Equitis Compiled (by Ambient) came out I got a free copy...

I have to wonder, when you're talking about smaller operations like these, particularly PDF-only operations, there's a certian irony that they *need* to do value-added things like these for little or no money to compete in the market. Malhavoc probably doesn't need to be as generous, seeing as they're already a hot property, with a proven track record of quality, and they *know* people are willing to pay for revisions and upgrades. I.e., smaller companies will go out of their way to offer incentives like these to encourage customer loyalty.

But I bet Mark from CMG could speak to this. I'm really just hypothesizing out the ol' kiester, here.

 

[Breakdaddy]

and easily outdated.

This from a man who plays the 30 year old version of our favorite RPG (at least MY favorite!)!

 

[Lela]

So, what are we expecting him to do? Send out new 3.5E print copies to everyone who bought the book?

Or just provide a .PDF conversion for them? If you want that you can get it easily. Just buy the 3.5E .PDF.