When was the Player's Handbook sent off for Printing?

[Reynard]

I can't wait for the leak. When this thing hits the torrent sites, it is going to be like a tiny little supernova in the gaming community.

I already have agents on the lookout for scanned and uploaded playtest documents. You can't embrace the internet generation and not expect PDF piracy. Hell, WotC might do it on purpose just to gauge reaction.

 

[JVisgaitis]

I can't wait for the leak.

Going on record in a public forum and saying that you can't wait to steal something isn't too smart IMO.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Now that the developers are done, the book has probably been handed off to the publishing group who will do all the nice layout work, incorporate artwork and generally make it ready for printing. While that is done, general editing and playtest changes can be incorporated.

It probably won't go the actual printers until February or March.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'm amazed a copy of the playtest document hasn't already been leaked.

Once the text is finalised, how long does it take to do the layout? A month?

 

[Reynard]

Going on record in a public forum and saying that you can't wait to steal something isn't too smart IMO.

It's not that. Rather, the liklihood of such a thing occuring is very high -- inevitable, I'd say -- and the reaction to it will dwarf what we have seen so far (relative to teasers and such, I mean). WotC has recognized and embraced that enterainment is delivered in a different manner than in the past. So too they must recognize that maintaining control of that entertainment is a herculean task for the very same reasons.

Given this, I am eagerly awaiting how WotC will respond when it happens. Will they act like the RIAA and sue every 14 year old with a file-sharing program? They haven't so far, near as I can tell. Will they, instead, use it as an opportunity to gauge initial reaction and make some final tweaks based on the falme wars and cartwheels that follow?

For the record, I do not use file-sharing programs and I do not make use of pirated anything: music, movies, TV shows, books or games. I am not "waiting to steal" 4E, I am waiting for it to leak so I can watch the maelstrom of reaction to it.

 

[Zaruthustran]

I think the whole "free e-book with every physical purchase" thing will go a long, long way to discouraging piracy.

The appeal of PDF books are the utility of the Search (to find just the one rule you need) and Print (to print just the page you need) features. The appeal is *not* saving twenty or thirty bucks. Even for a McD's burger flipper, that's less than a single day's wages.

So kudos to WotC for including a DL with every purchase. If you give the utility bit away with every purchase, then sure--why not just buy the book?

I guess another way of looking at it is free physical book with every e-book purchase. In fact, it'd be fun to see them do exactly that--allow users to buy the PDF instantly online, and let them go ahead and enjoy reading and playing while the physical book is in the mail.

-z

 

[BASHMAN]

So the rules are done (draft anyway)?

Let the real previews begin!

I agree.