What Makes Gaming Books as PDFs Desirable?

[Mark CMG]

Let's open this up to additional discussion about PDF page counts and price points, as long as we're in the neighborhood.

 

[JeffB]

For me? Nothing.


Hate reading large amounts of text on a computer (even the giganto forum posts around here do me in) , and I am old & crotchety enough to feel having a computer at the gaming table is a sin.

I buy them when I absolutely have to have something and there is no other option- alot of the old TSR PDFs, Judges Guild (i.e. OOP items).

 

[francisca]

What Makes Gaming Books as PDFs Desirable?

Full text search (when available), being able to print sections I need, and in the case of modules, being able to print out extra copies of the maps to mark up.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

For me, PDFs are only desirable because I can pirate them and copy them and related errata into my own PDFs. Despite the massive amount of time I'm putting into that little project though, I much prefer reading a real book.

 

[IronWolf]

Let's open this up to additional discussion about PDF page counts and price points, as long as we're in the neighborhood.

I'm not sure I judge what I am willing to pay on page counts to price. Using Paizo for an example.

Core rulebooks at $10. Awesome deal for me. No issues buying one to be available to me when I don't have my hardback with me or don't feel like lugging it around. On the page count to price ration, an insane deal.

But then I also don't have an issue paying the $4 for a Pathfinder Society Organized Play scenario where page count wise it isn't nearly as good of a deal. But I get good writing, good art for the price and $4 is still considered cheap for me.

I have a Pathfinder AP sub right now, but have no issue filling in the PDFs of APs I might not have for the $13 or $14 price range. Though it works much better for me to just subscribe so I end up with the book and the PDF for free.

So for me it is less about page count to price and more about my perceived quality of what I am getting to price.

 

[BrokeAndDrive]

I can't take 50+ lbs of books with me on the bus, a plane, in the backseat of a carpool, on the beach...

I can't CTRL+F even a single dead tree.

I never have to worry about tearing a page or spilling coffee on a PDF.


Actually, why is this question being asked, given the obvious answers. I'm getting the typical "technology is BAD!" vibe here, honestly.

 

[El Mahdi]

...Actually, why is this question being asked, given the obvious answers. I'm getting the typical "technology is BAD!" vibe here, honestly.

I'm wondering if we're reading the same thread?

Different people have different considerations and preferences. I haven't read anyone negatively disparaging anything in this thread so far...and I definitely haven't read anyone decrying technology.

Are you maybe reading more into some posts than what was intended?

 

[rgard]

And I'd add that as long as you back them up properly, they'll last forever (no wear and tear, no spilled soda stains and dorrito's fingerprints,...).

Or once purchased, download it immediately before the IP owner decides you are not allowed to download what you purchased.

In fairness, I probably downloaded my copy of the Veiled Society once, but lost it in a hard drive tragedy soon after.

Still pissed off at that decision to stop downloads of legally purchased pdfs.

I'll get over it someday.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Dice4Hire]

I prefer paper, always have, though pdfs are nice for prep as cut and paste beats typing all the time.

But buying one and then the other just strikes me as wrong. Buy the book and get the pdf just makes sense, or buy them seperately. But having to buy both form the same publisher is wrong.

 

[rgard]

Maybe. But this isn't about being tech savvy. It is about long-term planning, execution, and risk management, something humans in general aren't good at.

(Anyway, sorry for the hijack)

I don't think it's a hijack, it's part of the equation for pdfs. My post just above proves your point's relevance...reference the lack of a back up being done.

Thanks,
Rich