D&D 5E Does 5E have to be available as a PDF for you to consider buying it?

[GX.Sigma]

Nope, but it might make me consider buying it twice. And then, only if it has features that make it better than just a scan. I want a web- and video-integrated one for my PC, and a "lite" version for my tablet.

 

[Agamon]

The problems I have with pdf's are that they are created for one paper size, not for assorted screen sizes. There are no tablets with Letter or A4 format. In addition, the typical pdf has a lot of margins that you don't really need on a tablet (they already have "margins" around the screen). Also, pdf's don't allow you to resize the font. And yeah, I really prefer reading on a tablet instead of on a computer screen, which is why this matters.

Regarding your question, I don't know if there are any current format that handles the points I mention above in a good way. Maybe epub? I haven't gotten any epub books with advanced formatting (like tables, multiple columns, reflowing around pictures or similar), but I think it should be possible (it's basically html).

Ah, I see. I assume you use a 7" tablet? I can read pdfs for hours on my 10" Asus tablet, but if it got any smaller, it could be problematic, I'm thinking.

ePub does do what you suggest, and my Kobo reader is pretty great, for text only books, but once you add pictures it's less nice. Anything like a diagram or example picture, as many RPG products have, is a disaster. So, while it's great for reading novels and such, I wouldn't want to use it to read an RPG.

 

[Wulfgar76]

No I want actual books. I could care less about PDFs.

My current game is at always my house, so I haven't lugged around a backpack full of books around in some years.

 

[Thyrwyn]

I like books. Electronic access would be terrific, but I would like 4e style support more than pdf.

 

[Obryn]

I'm not really down with buying a hardcopy and PDF of the same book. That strikes me as vaguely inappropriate - that I'd pay a second time for an electronic copy with no additional functionality.

I like PDFs, but I'll be getting hard copies; when flipping around for rules references it's far more user-friendly. If a PDF comes along with it, awesome. If not, I definitely won't buy it.

 

[was]

I prefer books and am not particularly concerned about the availability of pdfs.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Ah, I see. I assume you use a 7" tablet? I can read pdfs for hours on my 10" Asus tablet, but if it got any smaller, it could be problematic, I'm thinking.

ePub does do what you suggest, and my Kobo reader is pretty great, for text only books, but once you add pictures it's less nice. Anything like a diagram or example picture, as many RPG products have, is a disaster. So, while it's great for reading novels and such, I wouldn't want to use it to read an RPG.

Nah, I am using a 10" tablet, same as you. I do find it annoying that the pdf always uses less than 100% of the screen area (Letter being the worst format). For a pdf in letter format I have to zoom and to flip between the pages without resetting the zoom I have to use the volume buttons. The pdf's are completely useless on my 4.7" phone though, which I used until I got the tablet. It worked great for books, but doesn't work at all for pdf's. A epub optimized for 7"+ tablets should be ok on the phone, but instead we get pdf's that are completely useless.

I don't think tables have to be a disaster, but the reader have to support things like header columns and such. I don't know how good that support is. The same goes for the images. There is no reason images don't work well in epub's. That's probably just lazyness from the epub creator.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

Tier-targeted releases, a la BECMI?

Personally I'd love books aimed at different tiers of play where the designers could go into more details about what is involved in the playstyles at those levels. Three separate releases would be great covering low levels (1-7), mid levels (8-14) and high level (15-20) would be my choice. I'd even put in something about what if you don't want the power levels to creep up to the next tier and want to continue as you are for each book. Unfortunately I don't think it will ever happen.

 

[Evenglare]

I definitly want a pdf, but book is more important to me. It's the time where I peel myself away from the computer, turn on my radio/record player, get out pencils pens etc, and sit down at the table with a cool drink and start planning / playing the game. It's my free time away from the computer, and it's valuable to me.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

I definitly want a pdf, but book is more important to me. It's the time where I peel myself away from the computer, turn on my radio/record player, get out pencils pens etc, and sit down at the table with a cool drink and start planning / playing the game. It's my free time away from the computer, and it's valuable to me.

That's cool.