Did anyone like the old Monstrous Compendium ring-binder format?

[Psychic Warrior]

I was lukewarm to it when it came out. I could see the advantages, but I ran 100% seat-of-the-pants, so most were lost on me anyway.

When my first page ripped out, I was angry and cursed TSR, wishing for a bound book.

The first time they put out an expansion that broke the possibility of alphabetizing things, I CAME COMPLETELY UNGLUED, INVOKING A DIRE CURSE UPON THE OFFENDING PARTIES -- A CURSE THAT ULTIMATELY CAUSED THE FINANCIAL RUIN OF THE COMPANY, AND I STILL THINK THEY DESERVED IT. Ah, I feel better, now.

Oooooo there are some guys at Dragonsfoot who are gonna get you for that!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

A truly superb idea, 100% better (if not 422% better!) than sticking a bunch of monsters in a non-customizable book. I would love to see all monsters, spells, classes, prestige classes and even settings produced in this format.

Unfortunately, TSR managed to mangle this wonderful idea beyond recognition. Putting two monsters on each page, making the binders very poorly, not providing a third binder to take all the expansions, making the pages on thin, easily-torn paper...

Despite all that, despite their being 2e when I was running RC basic, they were still twice as convenient as the modern monster books. Especially pre-Monsternomicon/pre-MM3 books that don't have one monster to a page.

 

[Tom Cashel]

Interesting stab at making RPG products disposable (and thus more profitable), but ultimately flawed for the reasons repeatedly stated above.

 

[Arnwyn]

I'm one of the few that liked 'em, mainly due to the fact that I could pull out the sheet of each monster when featuring combats with multiple different monsters.

I did have the problems that others have mentioned above, though - but I still find that format more convenient than the multiple hardcovers that exist today.

 

[danman71]

A truly superb idea, 100% better (if not 422% better!) than sticking a bunch of monsters in a non-customizable book. I would love to see all monsters, spells, classes, prestige classes and even settings produced in this format.

Unfortunately, TSR managed to mangle this wonderful idea beyond recognition. Putting two monsters on each page, making the binders very poorly, not providing a third binder to take all the expansions, making the pages on thin, easily-torn paper...

Despite all that, despite their being 2e when I was running RC basic, they were still twice as convenient as the modern monster books. Especially pre-Monsternomicon/pre-MM3 books that don't have one monster to a page.

I totally agree. They only made 2 binders (doh!). I did like the concept for the later spell compendiums and treasure books. Would have preferred one huge book to 4 smaller ones though.