Info from the WotC 2007 January to April Catalog

[philreed]

What material is used in the stiching process?

It's a metal wire (which is why it looks a lot like staples). If you pry apart the "staple" and compare it to a normal staple you'll see what I mean.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...Stitched&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

There's got to be a picture of one of these machines out there.

 

[philreed]

Is it better or worse quality? [like does it last longer than staples?]

Much better quality. True saddle-stitching can hold up a lot longer than stapled books. Saddle-stitched books from places like Kinkos will use a saddle-stapler (which is a pretty cool toy).

EDIT: How did we start talking about this?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Well, poot. Nothing I worked on after Complete Mage and Frostfell Rift is coming in the first quarter. Guess I'll have to wait that much longer to talk about CENSORED, CENSORED, and CENSORED.

Looks like a great selection, though. And if there are going to be more "Expedition to" books--so far we've seen Ravenloft and Demonweb Pits--I so want in on one of them.

 

[philreed]

Well, poot. Nothing I worked on after Complete Mage and Frostfell Rift is coming in the first quarter.

Frostfell Rift is another Fantastic Locations release? I've really been enjoying this series (more than I thought I would).

 

[Eytan Bernstein]

Well, poot. Nothing I worked on after Complete Mage and Frostfell Rift is coming in the first quarter. Guess I'll have to wait that much longer to talk about CENSORED, CENSORED, and CENSORED.

Looks like a great selection, though. And if there are going to be more "Expedition to" books--so far we've seen Ravenloft and Demonweb Pits--I so want in on one of them.

I'm surprised, given how prolific you are. If you look on the bright side, perhaps you'll have two books in the same month come out later on.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Why is it that these product catalogues never get my name right? For Dragons of Faerun, they had me written as Eytan Burnstein. For the Magic Item Compendium, that have me written as Evan Bernstein. Is it really that hard?? It's absolutely infuriating!

I feel for you, Ertan.

I'm a reporter, and I had a source I talked with weekly for three years who never got my name right, even when she had my article in front of her face when she was talking to me on the phone.

 

[Dog Moon]

Much better quality. True saddle-stitching can hold up a lot longer than stapled books. Saddle-stitched books from places like Kinkos will use a saddle-stapler (which is a pretty cool toy).

EDIT: How did we start talking about this?

I was just curious why the one book 'Dungeoneering' said 'saddle-stitched' whereas none of the other books had.

 

[cybertalus]

I am also upset at the lack of FR regional books, or any FR book outside of FR adventures. I know the gripe has been "We need for FR adventures" and it seems like they're doing it. But I hope Cormyr is the last one for a long time because I really would like to see more non-adventure FR books. Specifically more regional books.

Umm, don't hold your breath. Given this line of text from the Cormyr adventure description: "This adventure can be run as a standalone adventure or as Part One of an epic three-part series of hardcover adventures set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting." I wouldn't be surprised if those three hardcover adventures will be all that is released for FR in 2007 (aside from novels).

I'm baffled at the release of larger adventures, especially multi-part ones. I thought I'd read that City of the Spider Queen was such a poor seller that it put WotC off doing adventures for quite a while. I've also read that multi-part adventurers tend to sell poorly as well, yet now WotC is combining two poor selling concepts into one series.

I just hope that when these adventures bring FR sales way down that someone doesn't use that as an excuse to kill the line.

 

[philreed]

I just hope that when these adventures bring FR sales way down that someone doesn't use that as an excuse to kill the line.

I don't think this is anything to worry about. I suspect the increase in adventures has more to do with a new edition than anything else.

 

[Nyeshet]

I must be an exception, as few of the books look interesting to me. The only ones that might spark my interest are Complete Scoundral, Dungeonscape, and the Magic Item Compendium.

The initial Complete series ended a while back, and this second iteration will begin with Complete Mage in October. If I like that book I will be much more likely to buy Complete Scoundral. Otherwise I will be quite hesitant. I am curious as to how many differences might exist in the book from the others in the prior Complete series.

Will there be more PrCs? Will they be new or mere updates? Considering the new format it is all but certain that even if a quarter of the book is take up by PrCs there will be no more than a third or less the number that was in most of the prior Complete series. Will there be new classes? If so, just what concepts are truly left to explain that have not already been explained in other books? Granted, Complete Mage could perhaps have new classes that deal with Incarnum, the Tome of Magic concepts, variant Warlocks, etc, but those are about the only areas left, I think. What about new spells and magic items? Seems rather redundant with the two compendiums - released and yet to be released - already (and rather recently) out.

What does this really leave for the book? If the book still manages to impress me I will likely buy it, and at that time I will reconsider buying Complete Scoundral.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Dungeonscape sounds interesting, but I wonder at what they consider a dungeon? A town in ruins, a cave system, a necropolis, a castle in a state of disrepair, a thieve's den, a functioning palace, a sewer system, a series of animal trails and hedges in an overgrown woodland: all of these could potentially be 'dungeons' - and many more places besides. How will this one book cover all these different ideas except in an abstract sense of offering advice on when to have encounters and how many branches to add to a path?

I will have to see this book before I will consider buying it. Cityscapes sounds far more interesting, although as I already have a couple books on the topic I will likely have to see that one (or read some good reviews of it) before I consider it, also.

So I will have to wait and see, for I wonder as to how interesting and useful the books will be.