[TEG] Poll What do you expect at a RPG Publisher Website?

[annadobritt]

When you visit a rpg publisher website, what do you expect to find there?

 

[Roudi]

To add to the "Others" category; support for products that go beyond the typical "free adventure" or "web enhancement". Is there a Character Generator software used to help create the products? Then I want the modules for that software to support those products. Maps? I want those two, maybe even in their original file formats (so if I have the software you used to develop them in, I can play around with them).

Stuff like that.

 

[Kanegrundar]

A publisher's website should (IMO) contain the following: Web Enhancements, Free Material (NPC's, monsters, spells, items, adventures, whatever), the latest information on products (even if there is nothing to tell, put up a blub saying things are still on course), and a forum that is visited by the writers every so often to give the fans a little taste of what's to come.

Kane

 

[Sledge]

Errata. Always post your errata clearly. If I buy your book and it has numerous problems I will check your website first. If there is no errata there then it certainly reflects badly on the product.

 

[Morrus]

"Expect" is a strong word. I'm surprised that there was someone who voted that they "exect" to see an artist's gallery on every publisher's website. 99% of publisher webite fail that person's basic levels of expectation.

The only things I'd expect are product news and errata. Those are necessary and represent the basic role of a publisher website. Everything else is nice, and reflects well on the publisher, expanding the role of the website further.

 

[CsonTep]

I agree with Morrus. Product information and errata. Let me add one thing: the description of a product should be easy to find, at most two pages in.

---BRAD

 

[neo777]

Free Downloads and Demos

I would expect (in the strong sense of the word) free downloads. I use the quality of small free samples and demos to judge whether I should buy the full product. I've spent over $200 on .pdfs in the last year - all the purchases I am satisfied with are either incredibly cheap in the first place, or have come with an accurate sample or demo. I've learnt to distrust any product where I cannot sample at least a small part before buying.

 

[scourger]

I chose the 1st 3 options. What get me to to buy a book from a publisher is often free downloads. The best one was for Skull & Bones from Green Ronin: setting maps and a free adventure. It prompted me ot buy the book.

 

[trancejeremy]

The only thing I expect is news/info on other products. Errata is very very nice to have, though to be honest, I usually either correct books myself or ignore the problems, if things are minor.

 

[Vanuslux]

I expect stuff on a publishers website because if it's not there then I've wasted my time visiting it. Since I pretty much have to order non-WotC stuff online I can't browse books I'm interested in so I have to do the next best thing which is browse the related demos and web enhancements. This goes triple for PDF publishers, since if I buy a PDF and don't like it I can't recoup any of my loss by reselling it on ebay.