Monte on covers

[Grompi]

Don't judge a book by its cover, they say. Well, the faux book cover thing seems to be just another way third-party publishers knock off WotC style. Perhaps it's just a game of association, so at best it's a (lame) marketing gimmick. At worst it's just plain lazy and hackneyed design. Even clever little things like "one gem missing from the cover of a Rogue book" doesn't save the idea for me. Further, the technique is done badly by most, in a mediocre manner by a few, and well by one—Wizards. Of course, they paid a sculptor to do their book covers, so they don’t look like Photoshop schlock.

On the other hand, I think the Fall of Man cover is pretty good. However, if I were to be "judging a book by its cover", I wouldn't buy the book. Why? Because I don’t want D&D meets Gamma World. That’s what the cover seems to scream.

More to the point, though, it is the content that matters. That’s why we need reviews, and critical ones at that.

 

[Nifelhein]

Hey, and how about the actual material used in the cover? I think none is as durable as 2nd edition's complete books, I had one atacked by a dog once, a friends was with it, the cover got some damage, the inside pages suffered nothing, except for the first page, the one with credits and the like...

Try that with a recent one, the book will vanish, if it does not fall apart just when the dog looks its way...

I agree with monte, that Dragons of Despair is one of my favorite coevrs ever... althoguh I prefer to have the faux ones instead of crappy art, it amazed me how the Sword and Fist cover was made by the very same Easley who made the great cover of Rules Cyclopedia and 2nd edition PHB, DMG and MM, among others...

 

[EricNoah]

I prefer art on the cover. Fake-book style gets a big "meh" from me. If done right it's ok -- the FR line has a good mix of fakey book and artwork mixed together on their covers.

 

[Kai Lord]

Each to his own, but art probably affects my buying decision about the same as (or probably a little more than) the content.

Yep, me too. I only play once every few months or so, so if I'm going to buy a book it needs to appeal to me during the "downtime" of not gaming, something to enjoy flipping through and admiring from time to time. The Draconomicon will probably see very limited use in my games, but it was such a visual gem I picked it up and still enjoy perusing on occassion.

On the flip side, I was greatly looking forward to Unearthed Arcana, but since I won't be able to use the mechanics until next time I game and 99% of the art did nothing for me I haven't bothered to pick it up. Now that the "buzz" of its release is passed, I'm not even sure I'm missing any of the rules variants. The art may well have cost WOTC a permanent sale. Who knows how many other potential customers that applies to.

 

[MEG Hal]

On the other hand, I think the Fall of Man cover is pretty good. However, if I were to be “judging a book by its cover, I would not buy the book. Why? Because I don’t want D&D meets Gamma World. That’s what the cover seems to scream.

More to the point, though, it is the content that matters. That’s why we need reviews, and critical ones at that.

I agree on content, and even though you would not buy it I am glad the cover for Fall of Man shows you with an image what the books theme is (to an extent)

Fall of Man is a post apocolyptic world were fantasy meets 2050 AD or so... it is being playtested as we speak.

 

[snarfoogle]

I dunno. I somewhat like the class splat-books for combining the faux cover and the illustration. I really don't care that much about the cover, but I really liked the full page illustrations in the 2ed books. They made it feel a lot more authentic than any faux cover could ever for me.

 

[Ranes]

I enjoyed the original 1e covers, despite the fact they were cheesy. The PHB illustration was the best. The DMG's demon looked too much like something out of a fairground ride and wasn't helped by the choice of font for the title. The MM really was a bizarrely drawn menagerie. The covers were all quirky but I liked them.

But I think the faux-tome designs of 3e are very evocative, especially the 3.5 core covers. The aged, stressed look of the leather effects work for me and, as others have said, they provide a blank slate. It's the combination of the covers' ability to evoke the right image, without imposing an idea of exactly what that image should be, that appeals to me.

When it comes to modules, I agree with Monty. But for my core books, I'll take blank slate, please.

 

[Ghostwind]

While I don't believe that superior cover art is essential for a sale (contrary to the statements of others), I do believe it can help make an impulse sale. If you, as a gamer, are browsing the shelves looking for something to buy, you will likely be more inclined to pick up a book with an attractive cover versus one in a plain brown wrapper (publisher's name not withstanding). Once you've picked it up and looked at the contents, statistically speaking, if you find both favorable you will likely buy the book with the nice cover even though it also has good content. As a general rule, humans are more accepting towards and even desire those things which we find pleasing to our eyes. It only makes sense that this would apply to book covers. The covers serve as the lure and bait to get us to pick up the book, while the content is the hook that makes us say, "I'll buy it." But of course, there will always be exceptions to this rule...

 

[Krieg]

Fall of Man is a post apocolyptic world were fantasy meets 2050 AD or so... it is being playtested as we speak.

...and you really need to get it out and into my grubby hands!

I'm thinking it will add perfectly (along with Choasitech, Grim Tales, OGL Horror & Darwin's World) to my upcoming dark & hopeless Thundarr meets Cthulhu campaign.

Muahahaha!!

 

[MEG Hal]

...and you really need to get it out and into my grubby hands!

I'm thinking it will add perfectly (along with Choasitech, Grim Tales, OGL Horror & Darwin's World) to my upcoming dark & hopeless Thundarr meets Cthulhu campaign.

Muahahaha!!

Sounds like we need you as a playtester .

Ariel was sooooooooo hot, and that sun sword, you know I statted that out for my D&D game at that time....

GenCon 04 will be the dawn of a new era...will you survive?