[Minor Rant] How about that Index

[MeepoTheMighty]

I noticed that Unapproachable East didn't have an index at all. Just a full-page ad for that same damn drow novel they've been advertising for the last year and half.

No Silver Marches-style pullout map, either.

Oh, and it's needlessly hardcover. Bleh, I'm gonna go yell and throw things now.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

GURPS books tend to have a great index as well. A lot of publishers could learn from them...

 

[Fenes 2]

I love my SRD and other electronic sourcebooks. Nothing like having a search function (although with bookmarks I don't need it as often as I used to.)

 

[Drawmack]

I love my SRD and other electronic sourcebooks. Nothing like having a search function (although with bookmarks I don't need it as often as I used to.)

I use the srd in help file format. It's much less of a memory hog. Though it hasn't been updated with the monsters yet, but I'm hoping.

 

[Fenes 2]

I use the srd in help file format. It's much less of a memory hog. Though it hasn't been updated with the monsters yet, but I'm hoping.

I got the pdf formatted SRD for 7 bucks. 20 mb, but my notebook can handle it, together with my word files on NPCs, region, party and name lists.

 

[Drawmack]

I got the pdf formatted SRD for 7 bucks. 20 mb, but my notebook can handle it, together with my word files on NPCs, region, party and name lists.

I run an access database with all that stuff in it, plus I have my maps open in photoshop while we're playing so I need to trim resources on the SRD. Though I am going to pick up that SRD for use in designing the adventures and away from the table work.

 

[Cedric]

You know...for those people out there making PDF's, don't think you are exempt from providing an Index.

But even more importantly, with a PDF, I want a thorough set of bookmarks available for the PDF.

Cedric

 

[Gizzard]

I'm telling you though...the guys who made Champions 4th and Hero 5th...they know indices.

It's true - it is possible to make a good index with a lot of work. (By the Shakespeare->Monkey->Typewriter theory it's also possible that if you make enough indices, one of them will be good. ;-)

My GF was an editor for a long time, so I've heard a fair number of rants about indices from her. Almost as many as rants about flakey writers or lack of proofreading in published products. That should give you an idea how important the subject is in the profession. ;-)