 More pre-SR4 PDFs?, <insert description here> |
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 May 24 2007, 04:12 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 345 Joined: 10-February 03 From: Leeds, UK Member No.: 4,046  |
What are the chances of any more of the SR3 (or earlier!) books being released as PDFs? Whilst I've not got a bad collection there are a few I'd quite like to get my hands on for interest and the sake of completeness (since I've given up all hope of ever playing a proper RPG again)...
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May 24 2007, 04:21 PM
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#2
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
There are several in the pipeline, IIRC. Right now with the transition to IMR, they're probably a bit back burner.
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May 24 2007, 05:30 PM
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#3
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,284 Joined: 31-December 06 Member No.: 10,502 |
They are out there if you get them through less legitimate channels. Which I fear I'll have to turn to.
It just seems so ridiculous. I mean it would take an intern all of a week to scan everything ever printed in at high res. Then the company could just sell things maybe at discount rates or something. While some are just junk a number of those old adventures were half sourcebooks and honestly make a pretty decent read if you treat them as a short story. And the decker chat and art were great. It's subtle, but it just isn't the same telling someone they're being attack by a something and these are its numbers vs letting them roll their paranormal critter skill and then passing over a book with a picture and some decker chat. |
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May 24 2007, 05:47 PM
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#4
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
This is grossly inaccurate. The process actually involves a bit more work than cutting up your copy, scanning it half crooked on your scanjet, giving the file a name and hitting the upload button. That's what you're getting when you grab a sourcebook off of Limewire or something. When you get one from Fanpro (well, IMR, whatever), you're getting a high quality, indexed and searchable, well bookmarked PDF. I don't say this as some kind of Fanpro fanboy, I say it because it's simple fact. |
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May 24 2007, 08:20 PM
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#5
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,284 Joined: 31-December 06 Member No.: 10,502 |
I suppose it's possible I don't fully apreciate the effort in making a proper Ebook. Currently I've got the physical versions.
Still I was assuming it took more than popping the binding and feeding it into an automatic scanner. If that's all they did the intern should be done in less than a week I would think. I guess if they have to track down the origional artwork and retype everything/redo the tables it could take a while per book. |
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May 24 2007, 10:44 PM
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#6
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Scanning the old books takes a fair amount of time and effort: the actual scanning of the book, color-correcting pages, OCRing all the text, building the bookmarks. Considering the number of titles left, it would take an "intern" far more than a week to handle them all -- and someone at IMR/Catalyst would still have to go over all of them to make things were still all okay.
Would it be great to get the backstock Shadowrun books done? Absolutely -- but they are lower in priority than a) finalizing the licensing deal with WizKids and b) getting new Shadowrun and Classic BattleTech products flowing through the channel. |
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May 24 2007, 11:41 PM
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#7
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,284 Joined: 31-December 06 Member No.: 10,502 |
Actually is it even in the pipeline then? I mean do they have any intention of going back to first edition to release Harlequin again for example?
I would think they might be worried that the old setting stuff might make people play in that timeframe. And if players are playing back then they might not buy the next sourcebook that comes out. I mean at this point I think people would be happy with just pop the binding and scan copies if they were offered economically, and their alternative is nothing. I suppose I'm just annoyed that there is some stuff out there, and if I want it I'll have to get it illegaly, just because they can't be bothered to sell it. |
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May 24 2007, 11:55 PM
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#8
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Harlequin is already available, and should be at all the PDF vendors that FASA/FanPro products are available from. The plan is to release *all* previously published Shadowrun books in PDF format, but there is no timeframe on that. When the current negotiations finish up, more titles will be released.
I'm sorry, but there's a difference between "can't be bothered to sell it" and "don't have the resources to do a low-profit project when those resources can be applied to a higher-profit project." That said, things might be sped-up if we could find a Seattle-area "intern" who had some knowledge of Shadowrun. It wouldn't be just a week's worth of work, though. :) |
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May 25 2007, 04:05 AM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 519 Joined: 27-August 02 From: Queensland Member No.: 3,180 |
What if the current junta (InMediaRes?) selected submissions for full scanning, fixing, editing, indexing etc. by individuals from the SR community who'd be paid by commission with no up front payment (This may have been considered). Why limit it to Seattle when people who can slice their old books up dot the globe? |
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May 25 2007, 05:56 AM
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#10
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Well, the advantage with Seattle is: the Catalyst offices are there, as are the book archive, the hardware and software necessary to do the job, and, of course, the person who's done all the scanned books before, to train the new person.
We recently had a long talk about how to get the remaining backstock scanned in a manner that will profitable, and outsourcing all of it was discussed. |
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May 25 2007, 08:20 AM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 345 Joined: 10-February 03 From: Leeds, UK Member No.: 4,046 |
That's cool - as long as it's still in the pipeline. I'm actually quite happy with my print copies of Harlequin and UB :P but some of the setting books are the ones I'm interested in...
Having said that - the quality difference between the older scanned/OCRd books and the newer ones is immense. What's the cut off between when the files are available to do direct PDF conversion compared to needing to scan? |
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May 25 2007, 08:37 AM
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#12
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Just taking a quick look at my spreadsheet -- most of the titles from 1995 and onwards are archived in digital form, and 1994 and previous titles all need to be scanned.
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May 26 2007, 06:44 AM
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#13
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
Out of idle curiosity, what skills and equipement would be required for this project? I just upgraded my computer, I've got time at home, and I just happen to live 10 miles from Everett. (I also used to live a few blocks from the Wizkids store.)
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May 26 2007, 05:03 PM
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#14
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
I'll nag David into spinning by [he's ultra busy lately] to give the low-down.
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