D&D 5E So what's the scoop on D&D in PDF Format?

[CapnZapp]

And yet for some reason the one company in the RPG market that does all those anti-consumer and hostile things happens to also be far and above the most successful and the one that has done the most toward the development of RPGs as an art form. Interesting dichotomy.

It sure isn't because of their reluctance to publish PDFs, that's one thing we can be absolutely certain about without going into details.

 

[LordEntrails]

What are the bad ones? You not liking them?

You should talk to your doctor about being evaluated for short term memory loss. Either that or you should consider disengaging since you are conviniently ignoring my early posts with that information.

I’d like for you to make the case that they do the most for RPGs as an art form

Sure, (have done, not necessarily currently do) I think a simple review of RPG artwork, such as Deviant Art and published books, will show a overwhelming influence to either D&D 'topics' or to early D&D artists. Artists who got paid for creating their artwork by D&D (TSR, WotC). Therefore, D&D has been the strongest influence in RPG art.

I would also like to see WotC offer more bundling of D&D Beyond with books and work with VTT companies to support more portability or discounts.

I've no interest in DDB bundles, but would love for WotC to look at increased portabiltiy.

There are content management systems that would allow for D&D products to be produced on one platform and then auto-magically converted to numerous formats (print, pdf, epub, vtt, etc) but they are expensive and time consuming to setup. And then you have to have all your creators be trained and to use the system. Currently a multi-million dollar investment. Someday the price will come down, and then hopefully (if I'm still living) I will see format just be a consumer choice of the moment.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You should talk to your doctor about being evaluated for short term memory loss. Either that or you should consider disengaging since you are conviniently ignoring my early posts with that information.

Sure, (have done, not necessarily currently do) I think a simple review of RPG artwork, such as Deviant Art and published books, will show a overwhelming influence to either D&D 'topics' or to early D&D artists. Artists who got paid for creating their artwork by D&D (TSR, WotC). Therefore, D&D has been the strongest influence in RPG art.

I've no interest in DDB bundles, but would love for WotC to look at increased portabiltiy.

There are content management systems that would allow for D&D products to be produced on one platform and then auto-magically converted to numerous formats (print, pdf, epub, vtt, etc) but they are expensive and time consuming to setup. And then you have to have all your creators be trained and to use the system. Currently a multi-million dollar investment. Someday the price will come down, and then hopefully (if I'm still living) I will see format just be a consumer choice of the moment.

I believe they were referencing RPGs as an art form (like literature), not art in RPGs.

 

[LordEntrails]

I believe they were referencing RPGs as an art form (like literature), not art in RPGs.

And my response does not change. D&D has funded the majority of art in RPGs, and it has the biggest influence on art and artists in the industry, both paid and unpaid. As such, it has had the biggest influence on the form of art that is in the RPG community.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You should talk to your doctor about being evaluated for short term memory loss. Either that or you should consider disengaging since you are conviniently ignoring my early posts with that information.

Mod Note:

“Check yourself before you wreck yourself”, as the saying goes.

You’ve been on ENW for nearly a decade and you’re conveniently forgetting about the rule against insulting other posters, despite probably seeing such behavior drawing moderator attention.

People: If a particular poster is repeatedly getting under your skin enough for you to forget how to be civil, perhaps consider using your account’s ignore list. (Without announcing it.)

Similarly, if a topic is getting you riled up, perhaps it’s time to step away from threads involving it for a while.

 

[mamba]

Sure, (have done, not necessarily currently do) I think a simple review of RPG artwork, such as Deviant Art and published books, will show a overwhelming influence to either D&D 'topics' or to early D&D artists. Artists who got paid for creating their artwork by D&D (TSR, WotC). Therefore, D&D has been the strongest influence in RPG art.

so fantasy art back in the Larry Elmore, Keith Parkinson, Clyde Caldwell days… I can see that.

When you said ‘RPG as an art form’, I was thinking of TTRPG design, not fantasy art, and also thought you meant more recently than 40 or so years ago

 

[mamba]

As such, it has had the biggest influence on the form of art that is in the RPG community.

that is still missing the point of ‘RPG as an art’ though and still is talking about fantasy art instead, guess I misunderstood what you meant originally when talking about ‘RPG as an art form’

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

When you said ‘RPG as an art form’, I was thinking on TTRPG design, not fantasy art

That is what I was referring to, yes.

 

[SteveC]

For a long time, Burning Wheel and Rifts weren't available in PDF due to piracy concerns. Now you can get them in that format. I'm sure there must be some company with a game in print that doesn't want to sell it as a PDF, but I can't think of it.

WotC wants to do "D&D as a service" for electronic copies of the game, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[Reynard]

For a long time, Burning Wheel and Rifts weren't available in PDF due to piracy concerns. Now you can get them in that format. I'm sure there must be some company with a game in print that doesn't want to sell it as a PDF, but I can't think of it.

WotC wants to do "D&D as a service" for electronic copies of the game, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Licensed games often end up hard to get in PDF. I am pretty sure you couldn't get PDFs of FFGs Star Wars games. But it isn't universal. Modiphius puts out all of their licensed games in PDF.