DDI vs. books

[DK]

Hi everybody!

I'm curious to know if the DDI makes some books completely useless to buy; a good example could be adventurer's vault I & II: what's in the book that is not in the DDI? (apart of course images and paper!)
For those that how the books and have the DDI, do you feel you don't need the books?
What other rulebook is made un-necessary to buy by the DDI? (x- power series?)

Thanks & Ciao!

 

[AllisterH]

Hi everybody!

I'm curious to know if the DDI makes some books completely useless to buy; a good example could be adventurer's vault I & II: what's in the book that is not in the DDI? (apart of course images and paper!)
For those that how the books and have the DDI, do you feel you don't need the books?
What other rulebook is made un-necessary to buy by the DDI? (x- power series?)

Thanks & Ciao!

IT's the fluff to crunch ratio.

Basically, as you mentioned, the X-Power books are not worth buying since I have a yearly subscription. However, the campaign/player guides and books like Open Grave, the Dragon Book, Manual of the Planes are all books that I actually bought.

AVII I actually am wavering on buying....There's a bit more fluff in there that interests me so....

 

[Kzach]

This is one of those things where it's really the intangibles that can't be quantified that urge people to buy books AND subscribe to DDI.

I know I can't quite explain it, but as much as I love DDI (despite its many annoying bugs and lack of features), I still prefer to have the books, even if I rarely reference them.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I think there's a difference between having it available in compendium or character builder and having it in a book.

Aside from just general feel, it's a lot easier to take the book onto the train with you. Or other places. And it's just easier to flip through idly.

Brad

 

[gribble]

In my opinion, yes, for a few reasons I elaborated in another thread:

• The character builder is usually considered a more correct source than the printed books because it incorporates errata.
• 4e (especially when played with power cards, which are generated by the character builder as default) lends itself to being played without referencing books at the table.
• Most 4e books are crunch heavy and don't lend themselves to being casually read away from the table.

Those two factors, combined with the ease of incorporating errata make purchasing 4e books a lot less attractive than prior edition books, if you're a DDI subscriber (or willing/able to use a demo/pirated version of the CB).

I know for me personally, I wont be picking up AV2, and probably not primal power. I almost didn't get divine power, but the completist in me couldn't resist filling out the bookshelf - in hindsight, I kind of wish I hadn't picked up any of the X power books or AV 1!

I'm also seriously considering not picking up PHB3, as I'm expecting it to be fairly crunch heavy like PHB2 was...

 

[Dykstrav]

Whether or not it makes certain books "useless" depends on how you intend to use them, of course... Some people can't play the game without a computer, some people can't play it with. I've seen players on both sides of the fence lately.

As far as my own group goes, I'm the only person who buys physical paper books on a regular basis. Our group has six regular players and one sporadic player. Between eight people (including myself as the DM), we have three copies of the PHB and two DDI subscriptions. The people who don't have either just show up to the game early and use our host's DDI account to make their characters. They purchase no D&D books whatsoever, citing the character builder as the only thing they need to play the game now.

For those players, every 4E book is useless. They see no reason to spend $30+ dollars for paper books when they can get their friends to let them use their DDI accounts. They don't even see the need for their own DDI subscription in this case.

 

[Kzach]

For those players, every 4E book is useless. They see no reason to spend $30+ dollars for paper books when they can get their friends to let them use their DDI accounts. They don't even see the need for their own DDI subscription in this case.

I really hate people like this. I bet they all have more than enough money to buy the books too, right? They're just too cheap and scummy to do it and so the leach off everyone around them.

Bleh.

 

[Morrus]

The books contain fluff not found in, say, the character builder.

I imagine the revenue streams are carefully balanced and that DDI + books results in a higher figure (or at least higher projections) than books only. Certainly WotC will know that they are cannibilising books sales to a certain extent, and will be studying those ifgures very hard.

 

[drothgery]

I've purchased most of the player-oriented books to date + the Eberron Campaign Guide. But most of that was before I realized how useful D&Di and the character builder are; I can't see how Adventurer's Vaults or the X Power books make a lot of sense as purchases if you've got a subscription.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I've purchased most of the player-oriented books to date + the Eberron Campaign Guide. But most of that was before I realized how useful D&Di and the character builder are; I can't see how Adventurer's Vaults or the X Power books make a lot of sense as purchases if you've got a subscription.

Yeah. I have cancelled my AV2 and MP2 pre-orders. Just not enough fluff to justify from the previous versions. I am wavering on PHB3, MM2/3 etc. I will get the DMG2 'cos it seems a lot of discussion-ey type stuff.

But DDi has definitely decreased my book purchases.