Too many books!

[Ed Cha]

Actually, it seems like that phase of the industry is winding down. Right now, I'm looking at fairly innovative things and new settings that I can raid for homebrews. And I can never have enough monster books. Which is odd, since I generally prefer classed humanoid adversaries -- NPCs essentially instead of monsters. I must need some kind of therapy...

I think you're suppressing something. Just kidding. Maybe you should try using some more monsters and see if you like it. I love monster books! I'm thinking about picking up that Fantasy Bestiary book by Atlas Games actually.

There are a lot of great books coming out this fall. Can I ask you what makes you think the industry is winding down? Personally, I'm excited about the products that have come out this year. The quality is definitely getting better and better. Have you seen Lords of the Night: Vampires? I believe it's from a first-time publisher and they did a GREAT job. Check it out here:

http://www.bottledimpgames.com

 

[Bloodstone Mage]

I wish I had more money, but then I'd have more problems.

When I started playing AD&D back in the day, it was very hard to find any book (it took us about two months to get a Player's Handbook). When 3rd Edition came out, I was determined to buy all of the D&D books then on, so I'd never be stuck in that situation again.
I stopped that practiced when the Epic Level Handbook came out. Since then, the only Wizards books I've bought were Coruscant and the Core Worlds and Ghostwalk. So, lucky for me, I don't worry too much about the WotC D&D stuff.
The d20 gaming industry continuously tries to tempt me. On my wish list so far:

Elements of Magic
Midnight Campaign Setting
Arcana Unearthed
Star Wars Hero's Guide
Mutants & Masterminds
Unearthed Arcana (still a maybe, I'll have to see more)

Right now, money is tight, since I'm intending to get a music thing going, but hopefully when I get it started and save up some cash, I'll buy all the books on my wish list and start a nice dice collection.

Cheers!

 

[Sulimo]

They had it at GenCon. It was VERRRY pretty.... and honkin' heavy.

It better be, for US$50.

 

[Bagpuss]

I've restricted myself by not buying anything new until I've read at least 50% of the last thing I bought.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Well, tomorrow morning I'm off to buy at least one new bookcase and maybe two.

I've cut back to buying "good" stuff but this is my list of "must haves":

- all WotC stuff, especially for FR (three concurrent FR campaigns to consider);
- subscriptions to both Dragon & Dungeon;
- anything by Malhavoc Press, especially since discovering about two hours ago that I was addicted to Unearthed Arcana;
- Oathbound products (one campaign to consider); and
- of course, Midnight products.

Money isn't an issue for me, nor is time, but I find myself wanting to run campaigns in both Diamond Throne and Midnight on top of the four (3 x FR; 1 x Oathbound) I'm already running... and it's difficult to get the two additional groups I need together. Hmmm, must meet more people....

Cheers
D

 

[Holy Bovine]

Being off work for the nest few months you'd think I would be curtailing my expenses wouldn't you? So why do I now have Traps & Treachery and the Book of Vile Darkness sitting by my bed waiting to be read?

The answer is simple - I am a weak willed jellyfish that must buy something cool when he sees it for 1/2 price!!! That's right I got both of these for 1/2 cover price from the 'used' bin at my local games shop. If they're used I'll eat 'em because they look brand new! I love my FLGS!

 

[A2Z]

Being off work for the nest few months you'd think I would be curtailing my expenses wouldn't you? So why do I now have Traps & Treachery and the Book of Vile Darkness sitting by my bed waiting to be read?

The answer is simple - I am a weak willed jellyfish that must buy something cool when he sees it for 1/2 price!!! That's right I got both of these for 1/2 cover price from the 'used' bin at my local games shop. If they're used I'll eat 'em because they look brand new! I love my FLGS!

Okay! I'm checkin' out the used bin next time I'm in London.

 

[Desdichado]

There are a lot of great books coming out this fall. Can I ask you what makes you think the industry is winding down? Personally, I'm excited about the products that have come out this year. The quality is definitely getting better and better.

No, no, I'd definately not say the industry is winding down -- quite the opposite (see my first post -- momentum just keeps getting stronger!) I think the phase where we're seeing class/race/feat/PrC books is winding down. That's been done so much that there's not much of a demand for those kinds of books anymore, I'd suspect. I don't see a lot of those kinds of books on the release schedule's these days anymore either.

 

[buzz]

This is almost the same as what I was happily griping about in this thread. Not only do I have too many gaming books, but I feel compelled to use them all!

Normally, I buy pretty much everything and anything that WotC puts out for D&D. However, my lack of gainful employment curtailed that around the time that Fiend Folio was coming out, so the only WotC products I've bought since then are Urban Arcana (which was a bummer) and the 3.5e books. I also have Arcana Unearthed on the way.

Still, between WotC, Hero Games, and various other publishers (I tend to cherry-pick; HERO and WotC D&D are the only lines I currently buy w/o question), I now have about a foot-and-a-half wide swath of books I have yet to read sitting on my gaming shelf.

Like Bagpuss, I'm trying to force myself to read through what I have now before I buy any more. I've also been seriously considering scaling back on what gets "deemed worthy" for purchase (at least, for full-price, brand-new purchase). It's not easy, though. I'm simply amazed at how many great products are coming out.

The current biggies on my upcoming "must have" list are Fantasy HERO, Gamma World d20, Tekumel (Tri-Stat), and d20 Future. I'm also pretty curious about Exalted, Witchcraft, Midnight, most all of the recent Penumbra line, GR's upcoming Dragonfist, Cthulhu Dark Ages, Heroquest, and the revised Delta Green.

I swear, the gaming publishers are conspiring to bankrupt me.

 

[jester47]

About a year ago I became really descriminating in what I bought. Typically it has to win an ennie, or have 4+ stars in the review section. I have to know that I will use it. There is a lot that I am interested in, but oftentimes when I see it it is not anything that I can really use.

This has happened with:

Dungeoncraft
Unholy Warriors Handbook
Desins of Freeport
Ghostwalk
Lots of Malhavoc stuff
Lots of Atlas Games stuff
Lots of Necromancer Games adventures (like Morrik Mansion, Aberations, The chaos one), and Raise the Dead. However I am looking forward to Vamps and Liches, Lost City of Barakus, and the Wilderlands stuff.

I find FR stuff to be good all round and ussually buy it sight unseen.

Even being a supplement snob, I still am behind in the purchasing.

Aaron.