Has the Compendium Influenced your Buying Habbit?

[Scribble]

I was just wondering if the compendium has influenced anyone else's buying habbits? I know in my case it has.

I DM a 4e campaign. Most of the time I need the info in the new books, is durring adventure creation. I write adventures and such on my computer, and a pretty much all of the info I need is in the compendium.

So I haven't really felt the need yet to buy new books. I know there are a few extra rules for things in the new books but:

1. One of my players pretty much buys al the books.

2. The new rules aren't the type that come into play all the time, and therefore I can usually just glance at my player's book when we need the rule.


Is anyone else noticing a similar thing happening to them?

 

[darjr]

I love books. I really do. So no. If I like the content I'll usually get the book.

 

[garyh]

I voted "No." However, it's a bit more complicated.

I occassionally use the Compendium to search for things (especially Dragon rules elements, which aren't in books anyway), but the big impact DDI has had on my purchases is that I'm more open to buying books knowing that the Character Builder will support the options included in those books. I still like having the hard copies, but having them integrated into the CB (including printing power cards) means I can actually USE the material, even if the DM doesn't have the book, which is great.

So if you asked, "Has DDI influenced your buying habits?" I'd have said "Yes."

 

[Scribble]

I voted "No." However, it's a bit more complicated.

I occassionally use the Compendium to search for things (especially Dragon rules elements, which aren't in books anyway), but the big impact DDI has had on my purchases is that I'm more open to buying books knowing that the Character Builder will support the options included in those books. I still like having the hard copies, but having them integrated into the CB (including printing power cards) means I can actually USE the material, even if the DM doesn't have the book, which is great.

So if you asked, "Has DDI influenced your buying habits?" I'd have said "Yes."

You know that kind of speaks to another thing that I was thinking about when I posted this...

I probably should have included a poll ootion to say whther you were mostly a DM or a player. I think it will make a difference.

As a DM with this edition I'm not feeling the need to have the books as much either because a lot of their content will go unused.

Most of the powers won't be used except with NPCs, and that's less frequent, and I don't really need feats at all... Magic items I ony need when putting them into the treasures... I don't really "need" them to give the monsters/npcs abilities...

The times I DO need them, I can use the compendium... And since it's primarily for NPC and adventure generating purposes, I'll almost alwayus have the info I need printed out...

I wonder if the character builder will have a similar impact on the books players decide to buy?

What would be totally awesome is if they did a year end "rules update" book that had all the different little rules additions (Like how vehicles and animal companions work) in one place. I would buy that.

 

[garyh]

You know that kind of speaks to another thing that I was thinking about when I posted this...

I probably should have included a poll ootion to say whther you were mostly a DM or a player. I think it will make a difference.

Well, in my case, so far in 4e I've been mostly a player (currently only DMing a short game in Living 4th Edition, while playing in one live/PbP game and several PbP games), but in 3e and 3.5e I was always my live group's DM (and got my playing in here on the PbP boards).

So currently I'm approaching 4e as mostly a player, and occassionally a DM.

 

[I'm A Banana]

For the next month or so, yeah.

I mean, if I'm being mercenary about it, what do I need for my games? PC's and monsters. PC's don't need new powers every session, and the Compendium is the best way to look for monsters.

4e hasn't been great at giving me fluff yet, so what it has, I don't have a whole lot of use for.

I might pick up the Manual of the Planes, because it looks to be a different experience, but I'm not going to pick up the Power splats, I might not pick up the PHBII, I don't need/use their adventures....

I'm not interested in printed databases of powers and abilities in 4e. The Compendium gives me that.

I'm a little more interested in plots and schemes and world building tidbits, but 4e doesn't give me a lot of that anyway.

Meh. At this point, I'd rather spend my gaming dollar picking up interesting other games to look at for inspiration. This month it was WFRP2!

 

[Shroomy]

I'm pretty much a completist and like my books, and since I get them for 34% off MSRP (among other perks), it doesn't take too much for me to buy them. I actually subscribed to the DDI for the magazines, so I use the Compendium more or less as an searchable index. So I ended up voting "No."

 

[mach1.9pants]

I love reading games books. I have a few hundred and only probably used 1/10....so no difference to me.
I get the DDI for the eMags and the character builder..when it is fully here

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I would say it has in that I am much less likely to pick up books that only have some key things I want. So stuff like FRPG or Draconomincon has all I need in the Compendium.

Now I will sometimes buy books like say Martial Power even though it is basically all in the Compendium, simply because that books is basically built for me and my group (all prefer Martial characters).

 

[Zaukrie]

Our group was discussing this tonight. I probably will not buy as many splat books, but I'll still buy setting books and MMs for sure. But, there's nothing in Martial Power that I can't find in the DDI.