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<blockquote data-quote="Spell" data-source="post: 2987704" data-attributes="member: 19718"><p>ehm...</p><p>sorry, i know that RPG books are luxury items, and that production prices has gone up, blah blah blah...</p><p></p><p>i would *still* rather buy a black and white book than a full colour one.</p><p></p><p>i would *still* rather buy a single normal-paper 34$ book (actually, 22$ from amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568821816/sr=8-3/qid=1154685614/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-6294374-4839044?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568821816/sr=8-3/qid=1154685614/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-6294374-4839044?ie=UTF8</a>) that gives me a complete game, than 3 "deluxe" glossy-paper books, at 30$ each (again, amazon has them for around 20$).</p><p></p><p>i would *still* rather buy a game that is really 100% modular (GURPS, hero), or much simpler (C&C), or that is written in a less academic fashion (WoD books), or that gives me something more than the dry rules and a couple of hints about a generic setting that is not supported outside RPGA or magazines (WHFRP). even if the cost the same.</p><p></p><p>the evil "profit motive" as you call it, is there because some companies are not attentive to the needs of their customers. let's name names. palladium: how many times have you heard people demanding a umber of fixing to their system? wotc: they produce the 3.5 to incorporate errata and "get the system better" and then they produce a new errata within a month the new core books are out.</p><p></p><p>everyone has their own opinion about the market, their own gripes about this or that publisher, and their own tastes. running an RPG company doesn't give you the right to make bitter would-be-ironic comments about what a single customer wants.</p><p>the guy wants cheaper books. i want them, too. and, from what i hear around various forums, we're not alone.</p><p></p><p>now you, as a publisher, can:</p><p>1. do what you can to produce cheaper books.</p><p>2. ignore that request, and hope that your production values will make us shell our hard earned money (we work to pay our bills, too, you know? it's not like my mum buys me an RPG book for christmas).</p><p>3. make out-of-place comments to show to the world how cool you are and lose customers for good.</p><p></p><p>should i assume you made up your mind already?</p><p></p><p>just a couple more thoughts.</p><p></p><p>when people complained that 3e was too complex for what it offered, on these boards, the vast majority of the replies were rather offensive. you couldn't discuss the merits of the system without some smart ass coming and starting an edition war, or something like that.</p><p></p><p>i can't remember how many times i've read that these demands couldn't be sustenable because "the market is buying D&D" ans so "the market wants complexity". then C&C comes out. surprise! maybe it's not doing as well as D&D (how couldn't, realistically?) but it's doing well enough for third parties producing stuff for it. maybe, then, the whole market didn't want 354 expensive deluxe books filled with new exciting feat and new mind blowing spells.</p><p></p><p>maybe part of the market wanted an updated simple version of the game they have been playing since 1974. one that made those old books usable without hours of conversion work. one that could be grasped by a 5 year old in 3 minutes of explanations. one that could allow you to create a character and start playing in 20 minutes, rather than 1 hour.</p><p></p><p>i'd like to think that there is a lesson here. unfortunately, from what i have seen dealing with various publishers for requests, or clarifications, or orders, the lession has been already learnt long long ago by those who didn't really need it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spell, post: 2987704, member: 19718"] ehm... sorry, i know that RPG books are luxury items, and that production prices has gone up, blah blah blah... i would *still* rather buy a black and white book than a full colour one. i would *still* rather buy a single normal-paper 34$ book (actually, 22$ from amazon: [url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568821816/sr=8-3/qid=1154685614/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-6294374-4839044?ie=UTF8[/url]) that gives me a complete game, than 3 "deluxe" glossy-paper books, at 30$ each (again, amazon has them for around 20$). i would *still* rather buy a game that is really 100% modular (GURPS, hero), or much simpler (C&C), or that is written in a less academic fashion (WoD books), or that gives me something more than the dry rules and a couple of hints about a generic setting that is not supported outside RPGA or magazines (WHFRP). even if the cost the same. the evil "profit motive" as you call it, is there because some companies are not attentive to the needs of their customers. let's name names. palladium: how many times have you heard people demanding a umber of fixing to their system? wotc: they produce the 3.5 to incorporate errata and "get the system better" and then they produce a new errata within a month the new core books are out. everyone has their own opinion about the market, their own gripes about this or that publisher, and their own tastes. running an RPG company doesn't give you the right to make bitter would-be-ironic comments about what a single customer wants. the guy wants cheaper books. i want them, too. and, from what i hear around various forums, we're not alone. now you, as a publisher, can: 1. do what you can to produce cheaper books. 2. ignore that request, and hope that your production values will make us shell our hard earned money (we work to pay our bills, too, you know? it's not like my mum buys me an RPG book for christmas). 3. make out-of-place comments to show to the world how cool you are and lose customers for good. should i assume you made up your mind already? just a couple more thoughts. when people complained that 3e was too complex for what it offered, on these boards, the vast majority of the replies were rather offensive. you couldn't discuss the merits of the system without some smart ass coming and starting an edition war, or something like that. i can't remember how many times i've read that these demands couldn't be sustenable because "the market is buying D&D" ans so "the market wants complexity". then C&C comes out. surprise! maybe it's not doing as well as D&D (how couldn't, realistically?) but it's doing well enough for third parties producing stuff for it. maybe, then, the whole market didn't want 354 expensive deluxe books filled with new exciting feat and new mind blowing spells. maybe part of the market wanted an updated simple version of the game they have been playing since 1974. one that made those old books usable without hours of conversion work. one that could be grasped by a 5 year old in 3 minutes of explanations. one that could allow you to create a character and start playing in 20 minutes, rather than 1 hour. i'd like to think that there is a lesson here. unfortunately, from what i have seen dealing with various publishers for requests, or clarifications, or orders, the lession has been already learnt long long ago by those who didn't really need it. [/QUOTE]
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