Weiley31
Legend
Nice to see how 6th Edition is gonna become that.
D&D General I hate pdfs, and I'm happy that WOTC primarily publishes Books
- Thread starter Snarf Zagyg
- Start date
Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
RENTON, Wash., January 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wizards of the Coast, a division of Hasbro, Inc (NASDAQ: HAS), is proud to announce that DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®, the award-winning and best-selling role-playing game, will now be moving to blockchain.
"Whenever I'm at the table playing Dungeons & Dragons with my fellow young people, I think to myself, 'Self, how can I exploit the synergies between this game and emergent new technologies in order to better monetize them?' And that's when I knew that we had to pivot to a blockchain-based video solution for Dungeons & Dragons," said Rich Stoddart, cool gamer that is hip to the lingo of today and CEO of Hasbro, Inc.
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Count_Zero
Adventurer
If space was not an issue (and I wasn't on a level 2 evacuation notice in 2020 due to wildfires), I'd prefer my books in physical form. However, I tend to buy books as .pdfs first, unless it's not available in PDF, or if it's a really good deal (like my copy of OG Delta Green I got at a Value Village for $10).
I haven't listened to as much Huey Lewis and the News as I'd like, and I also haven't watched American Psycho - I've only encountered the memes. What's with the nailgun?
I've used tablets to reference rulebook material, and occasionally use digital character sheets to streamline some of the math - though you can have my physical dice when I run out of CON points and blow away as dust.
I like books the first time I read them. Then they sit on my shelves, never to be touched again. Which kinda makes me hate them in the end.
I only use an actual book at the table when it’s the only book we use to play. Like, we played a BECM(I) campaign, and all I needed was my Rules Cyclopedia. But I could never do this with 5e.
On the topic of 5e, if they ever released pdf, I wouldn’t use them. Aside from portability, trying to find the right snippet of a rule among so many books is just an hassle. I prefer a database model, like DnD Beyond, where I can just call up a class, for example, and get a list of all info related to that class (all subclasses, spells, etc.)
I only use an actual book at the table when it’s the only book we use to play. Like, we played a BECM(I) campaign, and all I needed was my Rules Cyclopedia. But I could never do this with 5e.
On the topic of 5e, if they ever released pdf, I wouldn’t use them. Aside from portability, trying to find the right snippet of a rule among so many books is just an hassle. I prefer a database model, like DnD Beyond, where I can just call up a class, for example, and get a list of all info related to that class (all subclasses, spells, etc.)
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
LordEntrails
Hero
Depends on your use case.
Ever notice that a Kindle or your local library's online books don't use PDFs? (You do know your local library has digital versions of most books don't you? For free...) Their are formats like ePub and Mobi that are designed for reading on variable sized screens. Ever notice how much it sucks to try to read a two column layout of most PDFs on a small screen or even any landscape oriented screen? ePub and Mobi don't have two columns, they have the text (and inline images) just inline images and let the reader format them for column width, text size, text color, background color, etc.
(edit: and the reason they come as PDFs is because with a couple of mouse clicks you can convert a print ready book to PDF and because (wrongly so) most people think PDFs are 'secure' and can't be altered or text scraped once created. PDFs (for reasons) are ubiquitous, therefore people think its what they should expect or want.)
That's just for reading. If you actually want to use the content during game play, then the VTT of your choice might have a better format that can do all the things I mentioned before.
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Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
#1 I like hardcopy, but realistically I like hardcopy + PDF + on Roll20, so it can get kinda expensive! I like the hardcopy for browsing and for at-table reference, but PDF and Roll20 for online play.
#3 I don't use electronic devices at the table (except the calculator app on my phone to work out XP at the end), but I've given up trying to stop players using eg D&D Beyond at table.
Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
IME, if it's treated as a fun thing, instead of as a punishment, it works pretty well.
Everyone is so saturated with screens anymore that having a required "no screen" downtime while you are playing can be viewed as more of a bonus than anything else. Most people don't realize how distracted they are until they do it for a while.
LordEntrails
Hero
I'm sorry, what? looks up from phone
Omg. omg. I never noticed this
Snarf Zagyg
Notorious Liquefactionist
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J-H
Hero
I only play in person, so I like having physical books. Sometimes I (the DM) am the only one at the table not using a tablet/laptop.
It's usually faster to have 3-4 books/pages spread out versus being confined to only a single small screen at a time. PDFs are even worse because if everything's in a single PDF, you can't even alt-tab quickly between windows to refer to multiple items.
It's usually faster to have 3-4 books/pages spread out versus being confined to only a single small screen at a time. PDFs are even worse because if everything's in a single PDF, you can't even alt-tab quickly between windows to refer to multiple items.
TheSword
Legend
Hmmm, not sure there’s any meaningful difference [in distraction] between looking at a pdf copy of the players handbook or looking at the actual phb.
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Despite my financial preference for PDFs, I do vastly prefer looking at an actual book. Not just for the tactile intangibles, but I also find it easier to navigate in many cases. Just my two cents of course.
Count_Zero
Adventurer
Nah, "Gimmie All Your Lovin'" by ZZ Top is more so, and that got used in a children's film! (Specifically, The Santa Clause).
TheSword
Legend
- Oh so variable sized screen size.
I kinda prefer reading game products in the format the publisher intended. I just use the zoom function to a degree I’m happy with and then scroll through it.
Kindle is good. Though I usually just read a pdf with the kindle app.
theCourier
Adventurer
When it comes down to it, if there's only one option available I can always print out what I need from a PDF without worry.
But I do love my physical DCC collection.
But I do love my physical DCC collection.
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
Gotta have one of those sacred tomes on the table when Bobugbibliz minons are summoned. Gotta drop a needle for tribute to Klazath.
