 Should I support my local comic shop? |
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 Dec 5 2005, 02:42 AM
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#1
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Dragon  Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019  |
Or should I buy the PDF for Shadowrun books off of an online dealer like Drivethru-RPG for 30% off? I feel guilty, since supporting something as impersonal as the "free market" feels very soulless, but it's 30% off!!! HELP ME!!!!!!!!!! The PDF is as convenient, if not more, since I can print multiple copies for free off of my college's printers...
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Dec 5 2005, 02:45 AM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 139 Joined: 14-October 05 Member No.: 7,844 |
As far as our college goes, we can only print about 10 pages without being charged. After that, it's about 10 cents a page. Honestly, I do not like the PDF version of the book. It's slow and hard to navigate. It's a lot easier for me to search a physical copy for some reason. The slow PDF isn't worth the 30% off if you ask me.
Also, when we originally had the PDF, we had to bring a laptop to our games because we couldn't afford to print it out. It made the process of searching for rules take forever. |
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Dec 5 2005, 02:58 AM
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#3
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,479 Joined: 6-May 05 From: Idaho Member No.: 7,377 |
I've gotten so used to my pdf that I feel weird when I look at a real copy of the book. I have all the important page numbers memeorized and can zoom to whatever area I want. Now the big hard bound book feels clunky.....strange eh?
I will but a hard copy though, but I am waiting for the second printing.... |
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Dec 5 2005, 03:16 AM
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#4
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Assuming the relative convenience of both formats is equal, what is your answer to the moral conundrum? Support my bottom line, or my comic book shop, which buys every sourcebook that is in print without much of a second thought to ITS bottom line?
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Dec 5 2005, 03:56 AM
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#5
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Target Group: Members Posts: 47 Joined: 11-July 02 Member No.: 2,964 |
I've got a copy of the book, and a copy on PDF with a laptop at the table. Its damn handy to have 2 copies floating around.
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Dec 5 2005, 03:58 AM
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#6
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,479 Joined: 6-May 05 From: Idaho Member No.: 7,377 |
I would support the shop. They have it rough, at least in these parts...It really isn't that much of a difference for the consumer to make it worth it if you would feel bad about it...
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Dec 5 2005, 04:02 AM
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#7
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
I HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET DAMMIT but thanks a lot.
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Dec 5 2005, 04:03 AM
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#8
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Target Group: Members Posts: 47 Joined: 11-July 02 Member No.: 2,964 |
I say buy the book and download the PDF for free. Its not copyright infringement if you own a hardcopy of the book.
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Dec 5 2005, 04:18 AM
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#9
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,479 Joined: 6-May 05 From: Idaho Member No.: 7,377 |
Heh, then why did you even ask? Did you want us to justify it for you? It's all just a simple matter of your preference, if the difference is a big enough deal to you, then of course, buy the less expensive version... |
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Dec 5 2005, 05:11 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 560 Joined: 21-December 04 Member No.: 6,893 |
A bound, complete, hard-covered book is worth the extra money.
I have a PDF of the SR3 manual which I snagged from a friend, but had previously bought the paperback. (I'm pretty sure this is'nt violating any laws, and I can't see how Fanpro can complain anyway. I paid good money for it, and I'm buying the SR4 book in a few weeks.) Owning a PDF only makes sense if you own a laptop, anyway; having 200 pages of printed text inside a binder is really a pain in the kiester. |
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Dec 5 2005, 05:41 AM
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#11
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The back-up plan Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 |
Frog--You may want to be careful about who you say that around...Intellectual property rights are nebulous and vague...and owning a print copy does not give you any more right to an electronic one...but that is a discussion for another place and time.
Emo--Buy the book from your comic book store, suck it up and skip your coffee for two days...problem solved. |
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Dec 5 2005, 06:15 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 |
Yes, it is. Admin Post: Discussion of such matters is not allowed on Dumpshock. Take it elsewhere. Maybe RPG.net. They like it there. |
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Dec 5 2005, 01:15 PM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 297 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 248 |
I bought both, PDF and the hardcover.
And i can't say that the PDF is hard to navigate. With knowledge of the general book structure and the provided bookmarks, i'm normally faster finding a rule than with the book. It is true, that the first PDF made available had problems with page display speed, the second one, released one week after the first IIRC and made available for those who bought it already at no cost, didn't have these problems anymore. It's quite convenient. But, OTOH, nothing beats a book in terms of readability IMHO. I have problems reading PDFs for a prolonged time on a monitor and so the book suits me better in this regard. And i bought the book from my LFGS, because i want my store to live and prosper, so that i can wait for the next books, and take a look at them before i buy 'em. |
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Dec 5 2005, 02:12 PM
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#14
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
Okay. Then I'll buy Shadows of Asia from them. The actual SR4 base sourcebook is short on print and won't be available, here or on Amazon, until I leave for college again, so that absolves me of guilt for buying the PDF.
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Dec 6 2005, 12:22 AM
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#15
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Target Group: Members Posts: 46 Joined: 6-October 05 From: Toronto Member No.: 7,819 |
Insane DRM restricitons kill any use downloadable pdf's have in my opinion.
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Dec 6 2005, 01:19 AM
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#16
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The back-up plan Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 |
DRM??
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Dec 6 2005, 01:36 AM
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#17
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,507 Joined: 27-January 05 From: ...and I'm all out of bubblegum Member No.: 7,021 |
Digital Rights Management, which (except for a few watermarked DTRPG .pdf's) Shadowrun .pdf's do not have. |
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Dec 6 2005, 02:02 AM
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#18
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Watermarking isn't DRM -- it doesn't prevent you from using the file in any PDF reader, on any platform, with or without a net connection.
No FanPro PDF releases use DRM. Not on DriveThruRPG, not on BattleCorps. |
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Dec 6 2005, 02:12 AM
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#19
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,507 Joined: 27-January 05 From: ...and I'm all out of bubblegum Member No.: 7,021 |
Thanks for correcting me.
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Dec 6 2005, 02:58 AM
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#20
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The back-up plan Group: Retired Admins Posts: 8,423 Joined: 15-January 03 From: San Diego Member No.: 3,910 |
Thanks for the clarification--my company talks about the security features of such but I hadn't heard the abbreviation before.
Adam--Good to see you around, I hope it means that you aren't quite as swarmed over as previous months.... |
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Dec 6 2005, 03:00 AM
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#21
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 715 Joined: 4-September 05 From: Metaplane GEPLK136 (The one with the lizards. You remember the lizards, don't you?) Member No.: 7,684 |
By the way, I just wanted to express my thanks for that. I have had so many hassles with copy protection on games lately that it was very refreshing to see a conscientious decision to avoid DRM. |
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Dec 6 2005, 05:16 AM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 289 Joined: 20-February 04 From: in the matrix Member No.: 6,091 |
Having the PDF and not buying it is stealing it no matter how many other copies (like the physical books) you have. I bought the SR4 from my local game store (one of them actually) as soon as they came in. But since I can not read it at work (they frown upon reading non work related materials on the job for some odd reason). So I bought the PDF online at BattleCorps (or whatever they are called). So I use both. If you can not afford both, only buy (and use) one. I would not have bought the PDF online and not the book. It is hard to flip back and forth scanning for things when building characters or learning a new system (and yeah SR4 is a new system compared to SR2/SR3!). dx |
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Dec 6 2005, 05:51 AM
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#23
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Heh. Not really. But thanks for the thoughts. :-) |
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Dec 6 2005, 02:29 PM
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#24
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Target Group: Members Posts: 26 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Boise, Salish Sidhe Member No.: 584 |
Heres a really good blog article on whether or not to buy from your local store or online. Actually the entire blog is pretty good for gamers overall. Gone Gaming Blog |
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Dec 6 2005, 02:44 PM
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#25
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
My local store's cool; they carry just about every RPG sourcebook in existence that hasn't been out of print for 10 years. And they have the large gaming space in the back, which is surrounded by obscure comic-book themed t-shirts and old but complete anime series on tapes. I think I'll buy from them. Thanks a alot.
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Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th April 2024 - 04:02 AM |
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