I never thought I could be convinced to pay 120$ on something without first seeing it

[ssampier]

....
However, I haven't been disappointed with Malhavoc's offerings in the past (AE, IH, Banewarrens) so I'm pretty sure that I would make use of it. I'm just not sure that to me it is worth $120.

That's me in a nutshell (Help, I'm in...). Nearly every RPG book gives me useful material, the question is how much. Most $40 books I get approximately half value, I guesstimate, so that's why I'm a big fan of used books (if I could find any good used book stores, that is).

To be get $120 worth of Plotus, I'd have to use every word in that book. Statistically speaking that isn't going to happen; it's my world now, not Monte's.

 

[satori01]

I pre-ordered it, granted I make a decent living, and had a good weekend at the tables in Vegas, so it wasnt much of a hardship.

I've ran a Ptolus Campaign for over a year and a half, and it is probably the best D&D I've ever run, and thats just off the dabs of Ptolus lore I've picked up off Monte's Website.

Sometimes it is just a name, like the Malkuth, or a tibit that X shop sells the best biscuits in Ptolus, or reading about the feel of a place like the Necropolis, that just inspires me. The idea of having a 600 page book full of stuff like that excites me.

Surely the Ptolus I run is different from Monte's, surely some of the stuff in that behemoth will be unusable to me, but I bet my money that most of it will be useful, and many of it will inspire plenty of other ideas.

 

[Numion]

I pre-ordered it, granted I make a decent living, and had a good weekend at the tables in Vegas, so it wasnt much of a hardship.

Thats the best reason ever to buy an RPG product! Hope your good luck carries to RPG table too.

As for myself, I'm not interested in buying the normal 20-40 buck supplements anymore. There's hardly any excitement from Complete X series, new PrCs etc. Campaign supplements for my FR campaign haven't interested me in a while either - campaign world is just a backdrop for me, and how much of the world is one campaign going to show? My last campaign didn't stray out of Dalelands, Sembia and Cormyr. I hardly need FR supplements for half the continent.

No, I want something special. Shackled City. Ptolus. And to put those into perspective, for me, skipping the normal bar/club round with friends on the weekend can save the amount even for Ptolus. And without the hangover!

 

[helium3]

I hate to sound shallow, but I simply can't get past the name. I keep thinking of Discworld, particularly the novel "Pyramids" and even more particularly, the character "Ptraci" from it.

I had the same trouble with Kalamar. I kept thinking of giant squirds and Admiral Ackbar

I dunno about you, but the name reminds me of Ptolemy, which is a great reference because it puts some really cool images into my brainpan. I suppose you don't know who Ptolemy was though . . .

I've never been able to make it all the way through a discworld novel.

 

[Henry]

It's not COMPLETELY sight unseen, seeing as we have several PDF preview pages on the site...

It's almost hooked me, to be honest. I may do the preorder for it early next year, as the additional pre-printed handouts are going to be a nice draw, especially the gazeteer. My biggest problem is this: Am I going to have a chance to use this in the next 2 years???

 

[Dextolen]

Monte's fame finally gone to his head?

That price is insanely high.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

That price is insanely high.

The price is accurate, the question is, do you want the product?

I once saw a Ferrari in action. It was zipping along I-66 like a dream, weaving in and out through rush hour traffic. It was the only time I've ever truly wanted a sports car. That vehicle was a thing of beauty. But is it worth a few hundred thousand dollars to me? No. The Ferrari isn't overpriced, but it is out of my budget and I'm better off with my 2003 Honda Accord.

The question of Ptolus isn't if it is worth $120 as a product. From what I know of printing costs, the answer is yes. It is a fairly priced book. The true market value of the contents will eventually be found later and it's worth to you personally is a question only you can answer.

 

[Voadam]

I dunno about you, but the name reminds me of Ptolemy, which is a great reference because it puts some really cool images into my brainpan. I suppose you don't know who Ptolemy was though . . .

I wouldn't be so quick with such suppositions in general. It can easily come across as condescension.

Which Ptolemy are you thinking of? The astronomer? Alexander the Great's general and one of his heirs? Any of the Ptolemaic dynasty who ruled Egypt?

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

As much as I want this, I only have to look on my bookshelf at all the Midnight material I bought just before my gaming group dispersed across the Northeast US to remind me of my buyers remorse.

I could care less about a numbered collectors edition, but the other goodies would be nice. Maybe if I get a new group by next spring...no, must resist, I don't have the time or $$$.

 

[Nebulous]

Well, the noob that i am, i pre-ordered it last week. YES, impulse buy. Now, i like AE, and IH is good, but...well, what really turned me on was the preview pages Monte had. It just looked like a beautiful, unique book, and i love stuff like that. For the roughly $10 a month that i'm paying, i can forget about it between now and August, and if i don't like what i get when it ships, i can resell it. It really did sound like a fun campaign setting though. Now if only my Game of Thrones rpg would ship...(grrrr!)