It's happening again!: DTRRPG.com is selling WotC books!

[Aesthetic Monk]

Were you aware that you can get all the material from the core rulebooks (except a few Intellectual Property monsters, Greyhawk names in the spell list, and the XP rules) available free online, easily searchable?

Like delericho, I was aware of the SRD, but is *that* the reason that WotC isn't doing the core books--altruism, more or less? Or is it just fear of piracy even with whatever copy protection they've set up (and I'm not familiar with methods, anyway)? I'm sure there's a reason; I'm just not sure what it is. Not that it really matters to me because I wouldn't buy the core books in pdf anyway, but I'm just curious.

 

[sjmiller]

Were you aware that you can get all the material from the core rulebooks (except a few Intellectual Property monsters, Greyhawk names in the spell list, and the XP rules) available free online, easily searchable?

www.systemreferencedocuments.org

I'm partial to http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/index.htm?35/sovelior_sage.htm

As for the price of this WotC deal? Well, y'see, I like it, because if WotC can use their market force to convince consumers pdfs are worth a bit more than they think they are now, it means the little guys like me can charge more.

Well, like others, I have heard of those websites and have looked them over. Frankly, they aren't suitable for my purposes. I buy pdfs because: I cannot find the print book; the print book is too expensive; or I want to easily search a book for projects I am writing or editing.

The websites are not exactly portable (especially since I do not own a laptop computer). They are also not terribly printable either. I like to print and bind my pdfs, so I can write notes in them and read them away from my computer. A pdf would at least be printable.

But, the point is moot, since WotC is using Adobe DRM on their pdfs. I won't even take a free pdf of a book I want if it is locked behind DRM.

Oh, and for the record, nothing WotC has done so far is convincing many folks that pdfs are worth more. They seem to be convinving folks that they do not know the pdf market well, that's all.

 

[Staffan]

It's pretty easy to remove the DRM from a file (I can't tell you how it's done since that would be illegal in the US), but I still won't buy a DRM-protected file on general principle. Especially not one that costs as much as a print copy.

 

[Mercule]

This is just some of the kind of stuff I do with my database. Of course it's not pdf any more. But I can print a specific document like a spell, creature, class, etc. to PDF or a printer. It's super cool for creating a character's spell book.

That sounds very much like what I'd be willing to pay for.

I currently use Notes for my engine. I have toyed with other types of DBs but I really love the funtionality I'm getting at the moment.

I used to do Notes development (still have a copy of R5, somewhere). That's something I could see being very well suited to the task.

 

[Mercule]

I like to print and bind my pdfs, so I can write notes in them and read them away from my computer.

This is why I would be so onboard with an electronic subscription to Dungeon. Easily worth full cover price, maybe more.

But, the point is moot, since WotC is using Adobe DRM on their pdfs. I won't even take a free pdf of a book I want if it is locked behind DRM.

QFT

 

[Hawken]

Here's a novel idea--pun intended: They should include a floppy with a pdf version of the product with each magazine (Dungeon and Dragon) and each hardcopy book.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Haha, floppy?

 

[vic20]

There are probably a couple of books I'd be tempted to pick up, although charging print prices for PDFs for current product is just gouging, since the amount of work to convert new product to PDF is trivial.

But the DRM kills it 100% dead. No way, no how. Watermarking is fine, but nothing else.

Same here. I was considering picking up a few of these for my collection, but I really felt burned the one time I bought a DRM pdf. I bumped into a series of technical problems that prevented me from looking at my own books! For my own protection, of course...

I have been buying watermarked pdfs since.

 

[DerHauptman]

I don't buy PDF at all, what are you paying for - I can't put my hands on it!

I hate to read on my screen, crap I print most of my e-mails at work before I read them if they are more than a paragraph.

I must be a curmudgeon of something.

DerHauptman-Out!

 

[Steve DriveThruRPG]

Steve from DriveThruRPG here.

Just a couple comments on our program with Wizards.

1. Price - As has been pointed out by others, like some other publishers on DriveThruRPG, Wizards sees eBooks as ancillary to their main business of providing fans with printed books through FLGS and other stores. For now, they are content to simply have their titles available as eBooks. Who knows what the future holds.

2. DRM - We understand that folks prefer watermarking (to say the least) and 99% of the titles on DriveThruRPG use that format. Wizards titles are currently using Adobe DRM.
If someone disavows Digital Rights Management (DRM) on principle, that's certainly their right and privelege. I'm not here to debate the philosophy, economics, or technical details of it.
If however someone doesn't like DRM because of a frustrating experience in the past, then we'd certainly prefer to offer a wealth of customer support rather than have a bad experience with it become a permanent turn-off. We help lots of folks through computer upgrades or crashes, and while Adobe has made the one-time activation a helluva lot easier these days, the odd time someone may have a problem with it as well. Such things are usually easily resolved.
Since some folks disavow DRM on principle, a subset of such folks tend to express (what in my opinion are) internet-forum-strident opinions about "what a hassle" it is to use. I've been using it a lot for several years and through several computer changes and never had any frustration with it. One time acitvation and then it's as easy to use as any other pdf file.

While the pricing and security choice are not everyone's favorite, I remain excited that Wizards has taken the step. I view it as another milestone in the era of digital delivery of rpgs. We really did start DriveThruRPG with the hope of offering all past, present and future rpgs 24/7 world-wide, and we continue to be zealots for that cause.

Regards,
Steve