What is Ptolus anyway?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The book covers are embossed, front and back, and include 3 ribbon bookmarks sewn into the bindings for marking places. Each separate section of the book has color-coded tabs visible on the page ends for quick reference. 4 cardstock bookmarks are included as well. Monte's built this book with a DM in mind. I don't know why you'd even compare it, physically, to a typical gaming book like the core books.

I only did so when talking about it being a "full" binding like a textbook has, where all the pages are actually attached to the spine. You're quite right that it otherwise is a very different sort of production.

I won't use the cardboard bookmarks, but the silk ones have been immensely useful. The only thing I would have changed would have been to have had a few more and maybe had them of different colors, so that they could be easily differentiated with a glance.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Regarding the price issue, RPG books in general tend to be ludicriously cheap, and Ptolus is no exception. I mean, 700 pages, hardcover and lots of illustrations - where else will you get such a deal for that little money?

But that's because RPG writers are willing to work for payments that ordinarily wouldn't be sufficient to support a decent standard of living...

 

[Falkus]

Falkus,

By then you'll only get bits and pieces! But hey if it works for you man. I'd say wait until there's a copy of RAR for sale on E-bay. You'll get that quicker probably.

A book's a book. What's it matter whether I buy it next week or next year?

 

[Mistwell]

The "freebies" that you are referring to are actually an 8.5 x 11" envelope attached inside the back cover of the book (yes, it still comes with the book - yes, it's really part of the book). The CD is in there along with ~25 pages of campaign handouts and reference materials, such as: 1) a full-color poster sized map of the city (one side) and the highest-level dungeon maps (back), 2) 6 pages of random encounter tables (~350 separate events), 3) full color handout map for the players, with a notes page on the reverse, 4) Ptolus-specific reference tables to be clipped to the inside of a DM-screen, 5) A description of Ptolus-specific "events" (read: adventure hooks) that a DM can throw any time or place, 6) ready-made color props such as "adventurers wanted" posters that a party might see posted in the city, menus, wine label, tavern rules, calling cards, etc. that a party is likely to encounter during the campaign, 7) blown-up artwork and description detail for the Delver's Square where adventurers are most likely to hang out, and lots more that I can't even recall right now. Basically, it's all stuff that should be found in any typical campaign setting, but that would be bound into the book (ie, pagecount) in a format that's of little use to a DM without a scanner. The CD itself actually includes electronic copies of most of that stuff for easy editing/printing by the DM, along with complete, searchable, electronic versions of the book's index and table of contents for quick reference by laptop using DMs (for convenience, as well as to limit "fluff" in the actual pagecount -- the expanded TOC alone is 13 pages of pdf). Basically, it's a bunch of stuff intended to add immersion to the game without creating an additional load on the DM. I wish there was a good way to communicate how many other facets of the book are designed along those same lines, but pagecount certainly ain't it.

Instead of characterizing the bonus materials as fluff that no one would want, how about just telling people what's in there so they can make up their own minds about whether it has value of not? Monte's listed an overview of the Book/CD contents here: http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?mpress_Ptolus_TOC



The book covers are embossed, front and back, and include 3 ribbon bookmarks sewn into the bindings for marking places. Each separate section of the book has color-coded tabs visible on the page ends for quick reference. 4 cardstock bookmarks are included as well. Monte's built this book with a DM in mind. I don't know why you'd even compare it, physically, to a typical gaming book like the core books.

That's all really useful information to know (which nobody has mentioned, to that level of detail, so far).

The extras the previous poster was referring to were the free hardcopy module, signed and numbered book, etc..., the stuff that was a bonus for pre-ordering.

 

[Mistwell]

No, you're being a complete ass whose primary goal is to "win" on a message board instead of actually discussing issues of merit. Calling me a liar is to ascribe an ulterior motive to my posting. Please feel free to keep your trap shut if you can't actually discuss this issue without this sort of behavior...

I didn't call you a liar (look again). And you resorting to calling me names is uncalled for.

Actually, if you could start reading instead of hitting Submit Reply like a rat with a food lever, you'd see I'm discussing what's so great about the book in multiple threads here and elsewhere.

I think you're abusivness is doing your cause a lot more harm than good. I was trying to discuss this calmly (not bash it), and actually get to the heart of how best to promote the book, by focusing on actual content as being worth the increased price. There was no need to resort to that sort of nastiness.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Mistwell, you've tried to continue this argument on multiple message boards now. Please let it go.

 

[Nightfall]

A book's a book. What's it matter whether I buy it next week or next year?

Only in the fact you a) might get it cheaper or b) get it more expensively.

Btw thanks Voady for the assist with Grumpy there.

 

[Umbran]

No, you're being a complete...

Where, in all the world, did you get the idea that such name calling was appropriate for these boards?

Drop it already.

If you feel you need to speak to your fellow posters in that manner, you should probably follow your own advice. You also probably want to go and edit that post, before it is edited for you.

I also advise others to not reply in kind. No escalation of hostilities, please.

 

[Dinkeldog]

We're all going to remain civil, right?

Right?