Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game Discussion Thread

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by HunterS

The box set is a physical set of books, not intended to be created in PDF form at the moment. We don't have plans to produce this content in PDF form currently.

Originally Posted by HunterS

We never say never, so things may change, just not currently in the plans.

I'm really stunned. Just gobsmacked. WHY?

Just ones with the page numbers on the left and right corners, a straight dump of the Quark files into PDF like you've been doing, plus about a day of effort to put in bookmarks, and you'd significantly open up your market.

If I had to pay more for both PDF and print, I would. In a heartbeat. It's pretty dang standard in Kickstarter campaigns for RPGs by this point.

[Nemoricus]

Put me down among the people who'd like to see pdfs of the game books. They're just so useful to have, and they're so convenient when you can't refer to physical books.

That said, I'm putting down for this project. I'm really excited for it and I think that it will be great for both GURPS and Dungeon Fantasy.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I'm really stunned. Just gobsmacked. WHY?

Just ones with the page numbers on the left and right corners, a straight dump of the Quark files into PDF like you've been doing, plus about a day of effort to put in bookmarks, and you'd significantly open up your market.

If I had to pay more for both PDF and print, I would. In a heartbeat. It's pretty dang standard in Kickstarter campaigns for RPGs by this point.

Throwing in for me-too-ism, I play exclusively online via Roll20 or one of the other VTTs. I have multiple monitors so that I can have rules open in one, and the map on the other. I don't mind having a physical book at my table, but the searchability of PDF is just too good to pass up.

If this were a "stretch goal to be opened later," that would work out. Fund the physical product first, yes. Then add the PDF availability later, and I'd happily pay more for it.

(oh, by the way, as one who just priced out a single 368-page full-color smyth-sewn hardback at $9-12 per book, and with the advice on pricing physical product at 5x the cost of materials . . . I am stunned that the entry price point is as low as it is. That's some great physical-item sourcing/buying by the SJG team)

I've backed it at the $50 level, because anything else is redundant for me as one that has already purchased most of the DF line. But I'd definitely kick in more for the PDFs.

[Bruno]

Oh, I'm totally backing it - I want the boxed set too!

But I would pay $40 dollars extra for PDFs of everything as well as the hardcopy. The magic book, the monster book, both of those are going to be really important to be searchable. Templates perhaps less so at the play table, but the GMing book seems like it would also be very handy.

And as mentioned, it's a giant box of books, and some of us either have small tables, or don't actually play at a table at all. Sitting around in couches and on armchairs makes it hard to manage big piles of books.

I want the hardcopy. It's a luxurious, tactile, wonderful product. I want the shiny box to show off on my shelf. I want the little gubbins that can't ever make it to PDF.

But I also want PDFs.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

If this were a "stretch goal to be opened later," that would work out. Fund the physical product first, yes. Then add the PDF availability later, and I'd happily pay more for it.

That's what I thought was happening, at first. But then I see that no more stretch goals are planned out of fear of scale of success (and I understand that - Ogre isn't the only Kickstarter to be crushed by the weight of success). But PDFs are one of those things that doesn't produce significant escalating costs with more shipped, so it's a great stretch goal.

Or I thought it was anyways. Not quite sure what's happened here.

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by Harald387

This is disappointing; I'll still back it, but the utility is *seriously* diminished without electronic copies. This feels like a backwards step.

Indeed. I think the same and it has been completely unexpected to me to check this.

Online roleplaying via virtual tabletops is my usual rpg medium, and it's very hard to do just with physical books. Also SJG has a reputation for supporting the PDF format.

We'll see, I guess!

[kmunoz]

I wish I had the search-fu you folks all seem to have. I literally just now went searching through some of my hardcovers for details on using HP to power spells, and when I didn't find it, I went to Thaumatology. It took me as long to find it in Thaumatology as it took me to not find it in four hardcover books. Every time I have to go to PDF I cry a little inside.

[philreed]

The Kickstarter page says:

As the project goes on, we will reveal more stretch goals

[JMason]

I too would like to get pdf copies!

But, I also understand that this product is geared toward the (physical) table top. Most "Beginner Box" products are. it's a box full of "things" (dice, maps, miniatures). It will hopefully sit and many store shelves and be bought by folks who have no idea what Warehouse 23 is. And that's great!

Still, I'd pay extra to get these books (and maps, and cardboard heroes) in a format that I can use with my regular group, which play online.

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by Bruno

...I see that no more stretch goals are planned out of fear of scale of success

Not sure why you think that; the stretch goal section says, "As the project goes on, we will reveal more stretch goals."

What I don't expect will happen will be stretch goals that add to the boxed set itself. That, more than anything else, is where Ogre DE ran into delays.

BTW, everyone pledging at the $50 level because "that's all there is right now" -- you may have overlooked the $20 GM Screen add-on. If you like screens, that is.