| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Uzzy |
Posted - 07 Apr 2009 : 01:11:09
So, just got an email from Paizo.com, stating that WoTC have pulled their license to sell any PDF's owned by WoTC. You can't buy them from April 6th, 11:59pm, PST. If you've bought any before now, you've got till midday April 7th, PST to download them.
This is also apparently happening over on DriveThruPDF. So, if you've got any bought, download them now! Not got much time left at all. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| The Sage |
Posted - 25 Aug 2009 : 00:44:33
quote:
Originally posted by Ardashir
Any word on whether or not WoTC will be changing their mind and putting the PDfs back up?
Nothing yet. I suspect Wizards will take its time determining the proper course for the electronic distribution of those PDFs. If that is indeed the path they wish to follow.
|
| Ardashir |
Posted - 25 Aug 2009 : 00:01:37
Bit off topic but something I've recently noticed...
Ever since Wotsy yanked all the D&D PDFs I've noticed a LOT of 'older' settings getting put on PDF at very low prices. I've seen a ton of old World of Darkness material from White Wolf on PDF for $10 and less, for instance.
Any word on whether or not WoTC will be changing their mind and putting the PDfs back up? |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 27 Jun 2009 : 15:18:09
quote:
Originally posted by Ayunken-vanzan
Lisa Stevens from Paizo about PDFs, pricing, and piracy:
Interesting read
Sounds ... very ... reasonable.
It does sound quite reasonable.
I plan on getting both the pdf and the print copy, and I'm loving that low price for the pdf. I've long felt that pdfs should be considerably cheaper than print books... With print books, their prices are largely dictated by production and distribution costs. While there are similar costs with pdfs, they are smaller. Plus, the same system used to distribute one pdf can distribute other pdfs for practically no additional cost -- so there is essentially a one-time setup fee, and that's it on the distribution side.
So it's only logical that pdfs should be much cheaper than print copies. And I appreciate seeing a company realize this, and incorporate it into their business plan. |
| Ayunken-vanzan |
Posted - 27 Jun 2009 : 10:05:32
Lisa Stevens from Paizo about PDFs, pricing, and piracy:
Interesting read
Sounds ... very ... reasonable. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 10 May 2009 : 01:26:21
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
And as an off-topic post about Off-topicness - I'm notorious over at WotC for modifying my thread topic as the thread itself mutates into new directions. I have one thread over there with four seperate topics attached to the thread (a rather generous usage of the word 'and'). 
I call it my 'mod armor' 
The real question is, though... will it stop the awesome power of the Staff of the Irritated Moderator +5? 
|
| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 10 May 2009 : 00:27:09
Searchable PDFs right at the game table could be of help. Of course that depends on the group.
The WotC boards have really slowed down. Not much to keep my interest in it, especially with the decreasing number of discussions on actual Realmslore and often off-the-wall speculation regarding or compilations of generic DnD material applicable to the Realms. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 09 May 2009 : 18:55:55
Well, the point is that the tech is there - we just need everyone to get onboard with it for it to become a standard and move forward (which happens VERY quickly, once things 'catch on'.) As we now know, WotC doesn't mean to just make these pdf's 'disappear', but rather are looking for better means of making them available (exclusively through them, of course).
And as an off-topic post about Off-topicness - I'm notorious over at WotC for modifying my thread topic as the thread itself mutates into new directions. I have one thread over there with four seperate topics attached to the thread (a rather generous usage of the word 'and').
I call it my 'mod armor' |
| The Sage |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 17:31:37
Hmmm. We seem to be deviating from the topic somewhat.  |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 17:22:30
quote:
Originally posted by Tyr
<snip>
However braincells themselves are much more powerful than 10 bytes each. Heck the most powerful computers can only achieve the processing power of simple creatures.
Well, yeah... But if our brains were wired as 32-bit machines, we'd have the equivalent of a 3 GB hard drive. The devil is in the details, as they say. IOW, our 'bytes' are specialized in each 'partition' so they don't interact as 32-bit programming.
Sorry to take the train off-course again, but I just love the fact that AI is now a software problem and hardware is no longer an issue. |
| Tyr |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 17:06:11
Hopefully they'll come up with a good affordable pdf reader device, would save loads of table space at games.
However braincells themselves are much more powerful than 10 bytes each. Heck the most powerful computers can only achieve the processing power of simple creatures. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 16:59:49
And another similar note (last one before the thread totally derails), you can get 1TB external hard drives now in the $150-$200 price range. To give you an idea of the space:
1TB = 1000 GB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.
The number of neurons in the human brain: 50-100 billion (100,000,000,000)
So the hard drives have 10x more bytes than we have neurons. I'm thinking AI is about 25 years away. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 16:37:30
quote:
Originally posted by Ashe Ravenheart
I agree Cap. But 5 years ago, the iPod was clunky and could only hold 5gb. Now we have iPod nanos with 16g and regular iPods with 50+gig.
The future's a-comin'.
On a similar note, I bought my first thumb drive in either late 2001 or early 2002. It was about $80 for 64MB. At the time, 256MB was about as big as you could go... My current thumb drive is 16GB, and cost $25. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 16:27:23
I agree Cap. But 5 years ago, the iPod was clunky and could only hold 5gb. Now we have iPod nanos with 16g and regular iPods with 50+gig.
The future's a-comin'. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 08 May 2009 : 13:44:09
Sorry for the bit of thread necromancy, but I just wanted to point this out:
Amazon Kindle DX
It's going to have a built in PDF reader with it.
Such a shame WotC has decided to get out of the PDF business... |
| Ghost King |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 21:57:49
There is a couple of things I like from the setting. Warforged and changelings for the races. Artificer for the class (because I like item creationist) and how they incorperated psionics more, then any other setting aside from Dark Sun. Everything else is rather bland and it just feels like a "Hey that was a great idea let's put it in the setting!" type of campaign setting. However, I do own the books because I'll give them this, the artwork looks awesome and at least they detailed out the whole world which is rare.
I have DMed the setting, but I usually put my own twist on things to make it more up to par with what I expect. If I do anything with the dragons I turn to the 2nd edition Wyrm's Council book, however, which I think better depicts how dragons would interact. But that is just me. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 20:53:52
Ah... one of my favorite characters is my female changeling bard/rogue Vex.
She's got a spot in my heart right next to Ashe Ravenheart, Katsumi Kagemusha (samurai from Kara-tur), Thredorik Trapspringer (former rogue, now a cleric of Moradin after 'the accident'), and Lithôniel Ravenheart (Lith is actually Ashe's daughter in most of my campaigns). Yep, those are my top five. And Vex is the only one from Eberron. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 20:02:15
I don't like the setting as a whole (and I have many reasons for that, some meta-game), but it is a veritable treasure-trove of ideas and usable lore. I have nearly every book from that setting (minus a few adventures), and I don't regret buying any of it.
Not to mention Shifters are kinda nifty. 
A GOOD DM doesn't look at something and say "I can't use this", he asks himself "How can I use this?" |
| Eye of Horus-Re |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 19:26:18
I'm no fan of that setting, but I see nothing wrong with leaving it in place. I'd not cease publication of it as long as it's still profitable.
There are a couple nifty Eber-whatsit ideas.
[/quote]
There is one thing I did like. That was the War Troll. So ok, maybe not ALL of it...I will keep the War Troll. :) |
| Alisttair |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 18:19:14
All very good points about piracy being a good thing you made earlier Markus. Couldn't agree more. I have actually done like you and didn't give certain books a second thought to buy, until I saw what it was like through a PDF, seeing it as a must buy. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 17:46:30
A bit off-topic, but my reasoning over at WotC was this - although they have stated that they planned to go with one year of Realms time for ever 2½ of real time (IIRC), that was never the case. We had approximately twenty years of 'Realms history' from the time it was bought by TSR to the last canon date in a novel (NOT the GHotR, which added in a few more years before the Spellplague, and that decade can actually be considered a blend of 3e/4e lore).) We also have 20 years of real time occurring between that purchase by TSR and the announcement at Gencon.
Perhaps not an exact reckoning, but its pretty clear that the two planes time moves almost precisely in-sync with each other. If Elminster were to travel to earth in 4e, the year would be 2109 AD!
Or there-abouts.... |
| Faraer |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 17:38:21
I find showing people what lore exists about a subject does a better job of highlighting the richness of the Realms (yes, even more starkly in comparison to 2008's thin concoction) than just talking about how great it is. Civility is a mix of inclination and practice!
The relationship between Earth years and Toril years has never been consistent -- speeding up and slowing down to match the state of the ongoing timeline, obviously -- and the workings of gates and worldwalking generally have been kept uncertain and mysterious since Dragon #32. So it's no trouble at all to suppose current Earth contacts 15th-century Toril, if you wanted to bother restoring this pillar to Realms-2008 when so many others have been broken. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 17:22:06
LOL - I was wondering how long it would be before THAT got dragged over here. 
The 'Ed Greenwood' (the D&D game version living in the D&D game version of Earth) mentioned in the GHotR, along with many other older sources, who also made at least one canon appearance within the Realms (in a comic, in Cormyr) cannot possibly be alive in 1479 DR.
THAT Ed Greenwood is a human FR NPC, and like nearly all other human NPCs, must be dead.
Morbid, I know, but its just something that occurred to me yesterday. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 17:16:35
It's actually funny, because the last straw wasn't really my thread on Hasbro's profits, but MT's (slightly humorous) thread on the fact that Ed as an NPC would be dead in the current realms. That got blown way out of proportion by some 4E fans that just made me kinda sick. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 17:03:52
Which usually leads to us telling them how great pre-4e was, which is counter-productive to WotC growing the 4e D&D brand.
Once again, their decision regarding the pdf's doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
The sole place for '4e people' to get their 'lore fix' is now the very people they annoyed with their shouts of "FR is finally worth playing in"?
I don't mind helping people at all, which I feel is the way many of us 'old fans' that are still hangin' in the wings at WotC feel, but as Dark Wizard has stated, when they preface their question with something along the lines of "4eFR is SO much better then the old version...", it gets a bit hard to stay civil. Especially when they are asking for information coming from those editions they claim to hate. 
I'd love to be a fly on the wall over at WotC, because I find this whole affair extremely confusing. Many of their decisions seem very self-destructive. |
| Tyr |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 09:34:01
Rather than being able to just look it up themselves they're forced to ask other people about it.
Cue much storytelling:
"Why, it must have been in my late twenties, sometime in late 1354 DR, Dale Reckoning don't you know..." |
| Jorkens |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 07:04:21
quote:
Originally posted by Bakra
Maybe the removal of the older pdf's was a good thing because now players are asking the questions about a world we love.
Sorry, my brain must still be asleep, but I didn't get that one. |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 05:13:07
After the hoopla that turned out for my thread at WotC, I've logged out for good. I haven't seen any really good Realmslore come down the pike there in a while, and I'm just tired of looking.
RE: Dark Wizard, I made sure to try and answer any questions as I could on the forum as well. The best answer has always been "Check out Candlekeep!". |
| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 23 Apr 2009 : 04:57:40
I wouldn't worry about the negative response regarding sale of the DnD license to Paizo, White Wolf, or whoever. Most people didn't care either way, there were just a few zealous diehards. We see them with every edition, company or setting. Heck, to many, the people here at Candlekeep are craggy old Realms grognards not worthy of touching the sacred ink of the 4E FR books, or Eberron books, or Greyhawk modules, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
The whole mindset over there is wack - the 4er's speaking against "old FR", and then asking all kinds of questions about what it was like.
How did they dislike something so much that the knew almost nothing about? Its bizarre... they have to reference older sources just to play, because there isn't enough information out there about 4e.
And now the older sources have been pulled as well... 
I noticed that too. Some people always preface their posts with something along the lines of "I've hated FR with a passion for decades, but 4E made me give it a chance. By the way, where can I find more information on this area/organization/deity. The 4E FRCG only says so much, I want to use the information from the 3e or 2e books, which one has it?"
Some over there also claim that many people well versed in Realmslore chose to depart the Wizard forums for places like Candlekeep. I still seem many familiar names jump in with information on the Realms when it's asked for. Many regulars from Candlekeep still answer questions. I just think much of the day-to-day discussions have moved elsewhere.
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
At least one American sci-fi book publisher includes in their hardcovers CDs that have digital copies of other books. They're apparently not losing money for doing this...
Baen books offers on their website some of their older novels (whole novels) as free samples. The free library include a great number of authors, many of their big names, and some of their most popular series. They supposedly have numbers that show the free offerings increase sales. Apparently many people might just read the first few chapters from the free download, then finish the book with a hardcopy which they decided to buy. Once they're hooked on a series, character or author, the sales just keep coming.
|
| Brimstone |
Posted - 22 Apr 2009 : 23:13:44
quote:
Originally posted by Bakra
Maybe some of the posters asking questions are brand new to 4e Realms or returning players to the Realms. Either way they should be nurtured into the Realms. They ask for guidance then help them. I haven’t posted there in a while but I have been lurking. The current trend is the 4e-I-hate -the-Old-Realm haters find themselves arguing with the Pre-FR-Shattered-Realms (Guess who starts the arguments) which tends to invite people who flat out hate WotC and will say nothing but negative things about 4e and the Realms. Next thing you know nothing gets solved and some of the newer players get scared away.
Give advice, help them out, and resist the urge to slam the company/4e/FRSpellplague in the same post.
Maybe the removal of the older pdf's was a good thing because now players are asking the questions about a world we love.
This +1.
BRIMSTONE |
| Moonlight |
Posted - 22 Apr 2009 : 23:12:51
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
In a strange sort of way, book-piracy may even increase sales (for RPGs), or at the very least, be a 'break even' deal. I can think of at least FIVE 3e sourcebooks that I didn't plan to buy that I went out and purchased after looking at pdf's of them. I figure any time a D&D campaign gets underway, a few people will be using pdf's, but if they stick with it, they'll eventually want physical books, and others that join-in will probably buy the books outright - ergo, if that game running on pdfs didn't exist, many of the people who became new players would have never been introduced to the game and made purchases.
From what I've read, the anime community actually relies on a form of piracy... People that can speak Japanese get copies of untranslated anime titles, add subtitles, and distribute them. The US anime companies watch the fansub communities, and see which titles are the ones that are getting the most attention. Then they get licenses to sell and distribute those titles over here. As soon as the announcement is made, the fansub communities -- without being asked -- stop distribution of fansubs of those titles.
So the anime companies watch the pirates. They figure if the pirates like it, the rest of the anime fans will. So they decide to sell it, and the pirates cooperate by not competing or undercutting their sales. It's a win-win for everyone.
I cant more agree with that. It's exactly how it's happening. And I am seriously praying that a less "family related thing" that Hasbro will take over FR. Or maybe the wizards of Thay decided that they had enough. And take some real actions in the Realms. And who would care about WOTC then? Not Szass Tam for sure. Let people adventure, I don't care about your profit. Do you remember this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxKACKQJ6Dk |
