Will you be purchasing PDFs from DriveThruRPG?

[The Voice of Reason]

For the purposes of this poll, it doesn't matter whether you never purchase PDFs online, whether you previously did so but won't now, or whatever. Just out of curiosity, I only want to know one thing: will you be purchasing PDFs from DriveThruRPG?

If you haven't made up your mind yet because you're waiting to see what happens, how things are priced, because you don't know much about DRM, that's fine. There's no need to vote at the moment. The poll is just for people who have already reached positions.

 

[johnsemlak]

Haven't decided, but I'll probably at least give them a try.

I'm concerned about limitations of the format. But I'll wait and see.

But the biggest plus for me is access to mainstream print products. I hope that some of teh publishers lower their prices a little, and make more products available. If so, I may be using the site a lot. I already would like to pick up Trouble at Durbanford.

 

[Turanil]

I already bought PDFs in the past, and will probably still buy PDFs in the future. (For me the real question is: Will I ever cease to buy gaming products that I am never gonna to actually use??)

Concerning rpgnow or the other? Frankly I don't know. The fact is, that i am used to buy on rpgnow, and out of common laziness, why try something else for the same service? Also, I am not especially pleased to have my credit card number in various databases on the Internet, so I would prefer not add it to yet another database. Another point: I am not especially pleased to see another online shop. Until now, if I wanted something, I just had to go to rpgnow to get it, and that's it. I also could go there and get a look at what new stuff they had, and now I should double the time needed to do this? I would have to check both shop to see where it is sold?

Mmmmh... I wonder if I should better stop buy PDF instead... :\

 

[Spell]

I have bought PDFs in the past (mainly TSR's stuff).
I hate the limitations posed on PDF. I could stand using the PDF on a limited number of computers (with some difficulty, but still...). What I really can't stand is the cut and past limitation.
What's the use of having a PDF if I cannot bring it with me whenever I want to (public libraries included) and cut and past the information I need any time, any place, any number of time I want to?
It's like having a paper book and being unable to bring it to session. Not very useful.

PS: I know that my comparison isn't really that accurate, but that's how I feel. When I consider to buy something, I have to be sure that I can use it in any way I want. If people breaks the law, go after them. Reducing the power of PDF because of piracy is just laughable, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Wombat]

Needs to be a "Maybe" on this poll...

I am in "Wait & See" mode; the speed of the site does not impress me. I can certainly appreciate the desire to cut down on copyright piracy (hear! hear!). I am not too happy about having another way for an outside company to look into my computer (I loathe cookies...).

Technologically, I am hitting the semi-Luddite stride. I like pdf files. I am not sure I want to go an extra step.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

For the purposes of this poll, it doesn't matter whether you never purchase PDFs online, whether you previously did so but won't now, or whatever. Just out of curiosity, I only want to know one thing: will you be purchasing PDFs from DriveThruRPG?

If you haven't made up your mind yet because you're waiting to see what happens, how things are priced, because you don't know much about DRM, that's fine. There's no need to vote at the moment. The poll is just for people who have already reached positions.

The main reason I buy PDF's is portability.

I need to be able to move the PDF's from one computer to the next depending on where I am. For example I start reading a PDf at home and want to continue reading it at work. I put it on a ZIP disk or other media and put it on one of my work PC's and read it on my lunch break.

When I'm putting together adventures and I want to use source material I need to be able to copy and paste from the PDF to the document that I'm creating for easy reference. If my PC's find a spell book in game with a new spell in it, I want to beable to HAND them a document with the new spell and what it does. The same with feats and other special abilities instead of having to hand copy them word for word. The same thing with Maps. PDF's are AWESOME for distributing maps and stuff. Import into Photoshop, get rid of the stuff that you dont want the PC's to see, print. The PC's buy a map in game, JUST HAND THEM A PHYSICAL COPY OF THE ALTERED MAP. The PC's appreciate the time and the work put in and they like having this stuff in thier hands.

Anything that makes it difficult for me to do these things will not be purchased by me in either format. I have stuff from Malhavok in either sometimes both formats. I have Banewarrens and Requiem for a God in both PDF and physical formats for no other reason than I liked the products that much and I wanted physical copies of them. If this new service is going to make things more difficult then the money that I would have spend on the PDF will be spent elsewhere.

It's that simple for me.

 

[Voadam]

I might sign up for the free books and possibly for access to pdfs that are not available anywhere else.

However the restrictions on copy and paste, number of copies, registration hassles, and no free recovery, means that I am not likely to jump into it anytime soon and that if it is available at rpgnow then I will go there first for things I can port, copy and paste, and recover if I lose them.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

The main reason I buy PDF's is portability.

I need to be able to move the PDF's from one computer to the next depending on where I am. For example I start readin a PDf at home and want to continue reading it at work. I ut it on a ZIP disk or other media and put it on one of my wok PC's and read it on my lunch break.

When I'm putting together adventures and I want to use source material I need to be able to copy and paste from the PDF to the document that I'm creating for easy reference. If my PC's find a spell book in game with a new spell in it, I want to beable to HAND them a document with the new spell and what it does. The same with feats and other special abilities instead of having to hand copy them word for word. The same thing with Maps. PDF's are AWESOME for distributing maps and stuff. Import into Photoshop, get rid of the stuff that you dont want the PC's to see, print. The PC's buy a map in game, JUST HAND THEM A PHYSICAL COPY OF THE ALTERED MAP. The PC's appreciate the time and the work put in and they like having this stuu in thier hands.

Anything that makes it difficult for me to do these things will not be purchased by me in either format. I have stuff from Malhavok in either sometimes both formats. I have Banewarrens and Requiem for a God in both PDF and physical formats for no other reason than I liked the products that much and I wanted physical copies of them. If this new service is going to make things more difficult then the money that I would have spend on the PDF will be spent elsewhere.

It's that simple for me.

Ditto.

 

[Thanatos]

I have bought many PDF's. I will probably buy more.

I am very familiar with e-books and DRM technologies and do not like or support them and so will not buy from any company that uses that format.

Come to think of it, I hate ALL of these dang "activation" products...it is such a pain for someone who reformats his computers every 4-6 months (this helps keep the format good, speed up, problems down and helps keep me from accumulating tons of garbage on my multiple pc's). Also, they are impossible to use on Linux currently.

Products could be priced cheaper and I still won't support DRM technologies.

It's going to suck if the industry moves that direction and I have to go back to buying just paper products again.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

The restrictive DRM makes their store a non-starter for me.