PDF vs Print materials

[gariig]

I was wondering what everyone thought on buying PDFs or waiting for the print version. Specifically I'm torn on buying BoEM2 or waiting until it comes out in print.

If I buy the PDF I can take it to my girl friends and have copies to my players if they need it. Specifically, if they give a text version(such as If Thoughts Could Kill) I can easily take what I need to give to players for their reference.

If I get the print version, it usually isn't much more($5 for the PDF + printing expenses + binding($3)). It's also prettier, it's in color and the copies I make are in black and white. So, I was just wondering what people thought and if I'm the only one waiting for the print version.

Gariig

 

[UD]

I bought it and printed it off at my uni (subsidised orinting costs!) then placed it in a multi-seve project disply wallet I bought. It still works out cheeper than buying it in hardform. Plus I get to taunt the other DM's and players in RP society...

 

[bondetamp]

I usually get the pdf, read it on my computer and print out whatever I need. Fancy graphics can be nice, but I rarely need it during the game.

 

[Thaumaturge]

PDFs are the way to go. If you have the equipment for it you can back them up on writable cd-rom, which is nice. If you get a bunch of PDFs (If Thoughts Could Kill, both Book Of Eldritch Mights, Wild SPellcraft, etc.) you can keep them all in the same binder, so instead of having to keep track of them seperately, you have them all in the same place.


Thaumaturge.

 

[Agamon]

I bought BoEM1 and left it on my PC for 6 months. It never got used. I finally printed it out (in color, it didn't seem to use much ink), and now my players are all oooohing and ahhhing over it. I bought and printed out BoEM2 last night, and it looks great. Good value and looks nearly as good as the print copy, but it's better protected from wear and tear (in sheet protectors), not to mention, if a page does get ruined, it can be reprinted.

Plus, who can wait?

 

[Jasperak]

I actually have both versions of BOEM1. I have always preffered print versions and ~$15 dollars american total for both is not too much compared to some products out there that cost more.

I dislike printing out PDFs because I already have too many binders, file folders, and report covers on my shelves. You have not lived till you have seen shelves (two) filled with just white binders.

 

[Sam]

I'm a big vote for the PDF format. I like being able to download products and print them out. I like not having to be overly concerned if I spill coffee on the book; I can always print another one out. I also like having a bunch of sourcebooks and other info burned into a CD-ROM and taking that along with my laptop when I travel (makes the plane trips go faster).

I've seen the print version of BOEM, and I'll take my binder. There wasn't even a decision for me last night when I bought BOEMII or Wild Spellcraft. Cheap, convenient and quick. Instant gratification and the like.

 

[Davelozzi]

Originally posted by gariig If I get the print version, it usually isn't much more($5 for the PDF + printing expenses + binding($3)). It's also prettier, it's in color and the copies I make are in black and white. So, I was just wondering what people thought and if I'm the only one waiting for the print version.

The .PDF of BOEM II costs $7, if that helps you make the decision. If you want to print and bind it too as you suggested (and as I prefer myself) you'll barely pay less than you would for the print version.

Originally posted by Jasperak
I dislike printing out PDFs because I already have too many binders, file folders, and report covers on my shelves. You have not lived till you have seen shelves (two) filled with just white binders.

I agree. I usually don't buy .PDFs and was planning on waiting for the print versions of both BOEM II and If Thoughts Could Kill. But last night I broke down and bought both because I wanted to check out the variant classes before a couple of my players roll up new characters this weekend.

The .PDF versions are big and slow. I started printing BOEM II when I got home four hours ago and it's still got another 15 pages to go. The wide bands of color on the top of every page are a big waste of ink, IMO, but the text version is completely unformatted to the point of being useless unless I want to spend hours going through it in Word and cleaning it up. The quality of the print job isn't that good either, everything is all washed out looking and blue. Maybe it's my printer, but it hasn't been having trouble with anything else. I just replaced the black ink cartridge right before I started printing but I didn't realize that there was anything wrong with the color cartridge.

I'll definately be waiting for print versions in the future, although I guess I would still occasionally consider dropping the cash for the .PDF in a rush situation like this one.

 

[RangerWickett]

Just as a note, Wild Spellcraft comes with an rtf file which is already formatted, in addition to the pdf file, which is all in black and white except for the cover.

 

[Davelozzi]

Just as a note, Wild Spellcraft comes with an rtf file which is already formatted, in addition to the pdf file, which is all in black and white except for the cover.

That's a great idea -- thanks for letting us know. Are you guys considering doing a print version or is it all downloads for the time being?