RPG Book Size

Sado

First Post
Who decided all rpg books should all be the large A4 size books? Why doesn't anyone put them out in smaller sizer, like paperbacks or, even better, regular hardback sizes? Like the Mongoose Pocket *** books, but hardback. Sometimes it's hard to find room for all those big books on one game table. It would be easier to flip through smaller books. I usually end up leaning back from the table resting the spine on the edge of the table so I don't mess up my other papers, character sheets, etc. And they are too big to read in my lap at the table.

Well, just thought I'd rant a bit. Anyone else have any thoughts?
 

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Started with AD&D 1st edition. Folks who play RPGs since then have been comfortable with that book format.

If they did 3e in smaller size, it would result in a much thicker book. You can reduce the artwork in number and size but text must still be legible and comfortable to read than say, fine prints like this. Eliminate the art and it'll be much like a book from the law library.
 
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The books are sized perfectly for me. Size = one standard sheet of notebook paper. Makes a handy place to rest my char sheet. Everything else stays in my tote.
 


I wouldn't have any problem with books the size of say, your average trade paperback book. However, only if all books followed that pattern.

I keep many of my RPG books on a bookshelf and the odd size ones always cause problems. They are hard to arrange and hard to find when I look for them.
 

Guardians of Order's BESM books are all in "digest" size - 9" high by 6" wide. Eden Studio's Witchcraft book is slightly larger - 9 3/16" by 7 3/16". The latest editions of Witchcraft are also hardcover in that size.

It's a tradeoff. The smaller books are much easier to carry around, read on the bus, etc. However, when you open the larger hardcover books to a particular page, they stay open to that page. The smaller paperbacks don't.
 

I agree it would be nice if some books were available around a 5x7 size, but us old guys have to be careful that the print stays large enough to read. I, however, did just order the new Castles & Crusades boxed set, which is supposed to be in the smaller format. After it arrives, I'll see if that was a mistake (considering my eyesight). Of course, if the product is anywhere near as good as I'm hoping, I could give the small books to my son (who is turning out to be a more serious gamer than I, anyway) and just order the "regular" books, which I understand will be in full size format. We'll see.
 

My biggest gripe is that books are in the Letter format, which is used in the U.S. and nowhere else in the world, and not the international standard A4 format.
 

I like the book size. But then again until this moment I had not really thought much of it one way or another. I guess if anything - I like it because I can stick papers in there while on the go and make sure I don't lose them.
 

Sammael said:
My biggest gripe is that books are in the Letter format, which is used in the U.S. and nowhere else in the world, and not the international standard A4 format.

Frankly, the majority of the books are produced and sold in the US, so it shouldn't come as much of a suprise.

I'd tend to prefer to go with one of the old standards (just for archaic appeal); having a (traditional) folio-sized book would just be funny -- though hard to transport!
 

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