Why buying the 3.5 boxed set?

[Li Shenron]

Went to local gaming store, asked when the box would be coming out, got the reply that this gaming store won't sell it at all. Reason: it costs just as much as buying the 3 corebooks separately.

I agree that it is one of the most common marketing practice when you sell a package of products to have the price being lower than the sum of the individual products. I didn't buy 3.5 immediately, mostly because of 2 reasons: we still have to finish the 3.0 campaign; I knew that the first print was going to be full of trivial errors.

So please someone convince me that NOW it is the good time to buy 3.5 and why should I prefer the boxed set! In case someone has already taken a look at it: does it include any errata compared to the individual books? Really, I can't believe the only reason to buy it is the slip cover I couldn't care less about.

edit: don't just answer: why not?

 

[Yair]

Why not

Well, I bought it for a friend as a present. He keeps taking my own books for years now; so buying him a set will make it easier on both of us. And since I was, I might as well be buying the boxed set. It's much better, I think, as a gift - one box feels better than 3 books.
And at the same price, there really is no reason not to buy it.

As to why to buy it NOW... so you could start playing now, silly. Really, if you don't want to start playing 3.5 in the near future (for whatever reason), it would make more sense to wait and get the 2nd or even 3rd printing, with all the errata in place.
But I'm impatient...
Besides, I did not find any blatant errors so far in 3.5. Some minor issues, yes, but nothing that is really "broken" and ruids the game. Even without errata, I find it is a better game than 3.0 overall. YMMV.

 

[WizarDru]

So please someone convince me that NOW it is the good time to buy 3.5 and why should I prefer the boxed set! In case someone has already taken a look at it: does it include any errata compared to the individual books? Really, I can't believe the only reason to buy it is the slip cover I couldn't care less about.

Who said you were supposed to? You're like A/V afficianado asking why you should buy a 'Home-Theater-in-a-Box'.

The answer is: IT'S NOT FOR YOU.

It's for mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters and friends. It's for first-timers and returning veterans. It's for people who don't want to have to figure out which books to buy, or why. It's a christmas gift, a Hannukah present and Golden Festival bonus. It's convienent, and it's an entry point.

There's no reason to convince you to get it, because it's not intended to make you switch. If the books didn't already do that, a box set certainly wouldn't. Your problem is that you're proceeding from an incorrect assumption, namely that this was marketed at gamers, which it really isn't. Toys 'r' Us, Target and Walmart aren't interested in carrying all three core books....but a box set goes down easier.

So no convincing is necessary. Just buy the books, or don't.

 

[Li Shenron]

As to why to buy it NOW... so you could start playing now, silly. Really, if you don't want to start playing 3.5 in the near future (for whatever reason), it would make more sense to wait and get the 2nd or even 3rd printing, with all the errata in place.

That was kind of the point of my question...

Yes I don't need it "right now".
Yes I probably buy 3.5 early or late.

So what it would be nice to know could be: should I buy the box or the separate books? If there is no difference at all, maybe I'd better wait for a future print with erratas. But we have no idea if/when that would be coming. And if the box had already any errata, this could be the reason to buy the box. If there was a discount on it because you buy 3 books at a time, that would be the reason even if they are just the same as the separate books.

But maybe they are just the same, and no one knows when a reprint could be coming, and therefore I'd better buy the 3 books one after each other, in hope of some price decrease coming between I buy the 1st and the last...

 

[Arnwyn]

Here's the lowdown: They are the same books, no included errata for the foreseeable future, and you get a "box" for free.

In other words, when buying the box of 3 books, you get the box for free. *That's* the difference.

So what it would be nice to know could be: should I buy the box or the separate books?

I'm pretty sure you'll be able to make this decision on your own.

 

[Mercule]

Since we aren't in a huge hurry to switch, I was going to buy the box, just 'cause.

About 2 weeks ago, though, I decided it was time to buy, so I went to Amazon (I had a $50 gift certificate, which was also the motivator for timing). It said that the 3 core books would each ship in 1-2 days. The gift set was 10+ days.

And that's why I don't have a box for my books. Otherwise, an extra layer of protection for my three most used treasures would probably have been a good thing.

 

[TheBadElf]

I'm planning on buying the box next payday - I need the 3.5s for the game I'm playing in now (I'm pretty sure everyone is tired of me borrowing their PHB or MM every five minutes), and the box will be a nice bonus.

 

[Wombat]

Wow, I'm amazed there isn't something like a 5% price break or a free GM screen or something.

Oh well, I guess the boxed set just qualifies as a "shiny thing" purchase

 

[Staffan]

If you want to nitpick, the box is actually more expensive than the separate books, though only by 10 cents...

 

[thundershot]

You can still get a really good deal out of it... sorta.


http://www.priceowl.com/books/isbn/0786934107



Chris