Gruffty the Hiver
Mongoose
Books should definitely be produced in both e- and dead-tree formats, and should be available on the same day.
Favoured format for Traveller books?
- Thread starter TrippyHippy
- Start date
dmccoy1693
Cosmic Mongoose
I find it funny the level of opposition to e-books considering we're talking about a sci-fi game.
Gruffty the Hiver
Mongoose
I like both - actual books to sit back and read and relax with; e-books to work up stuff from.
zozotroll said:
See I don't get this, A big book is harder to manage in the tub. More difficult to mange when you need to reference two different sections at the same time. Heavier, harder to recycle with a edition change, more expensive to produce in the 1st place.
Sorry could go on for days.
I love to read, but I am not a bibliophil. So I want something that is easy to use.
E-books are fine, sure, but I also like to have a bound copy as well and I prefer hardcover to softcover. I love the stiff durability of casebound books. Paperback gamebooks in my collection are all too floppy for my tastes. The size of the book is not as important to me, but the 8.5 x 11 format would set better alongside my other gamebooks.
CosmicGamer
Mongoose
Often online docs are still formated for print (narrow and long - page format) and not a computer display (short and wider - landscape format).
Without a 20+ inch wide screen monitor (hold a 8.5x11 book open and put it up against your monitor) or, in my case, a dual monitor setup, you get more information at once with a book than on the computer. The constant scrolling and "page turning" with a mouse can be annoying for straight through reads.
My laptop has a tiny low quality display (13" 800x600 max). For me and others with no laptop or an inadequate one I am stuck in front of the computer and can't read in the tub, in a comfy chair, in the hammock, or anywhere else - including the gaming table.
The result, for me, is that a book is more practical for actual gaming and straight through reading. An online doc is nice sometimes for a quick lookup but once I'm familiar with the book I could find something in it before the computer even boots up.
Without a 20+ inch wide screen monitor (hold a 8.5x11 book open and put it up against your monitor) or, in my case, a dual monitor setup, you get more information at once with a book than on the computer. The constant scrolling and "page turning" with a mouse can be annoying for straight through reads.
My laptop has a tiny low quality display (13" 800x600 max). For me and others with no laptop or an inadequate one I am stuck in front of the computer and can't read in the tub, in a comfy chair, in the hammock, or anywhere else - including the gaming table.
The result, for me, is that a book is more practical for actual gaming and straight through reading. An online doc is nice sometimes for a quick lookup but once I'm familiar with the book I could find something in it before the computer even boots up.
zozotroll said:
That's what printers, ring notebooks, and page protectors are for... Oh, and a strip of scotch tape will seal a page protector. Almost spill-proof, and with the right notebook, very much like hardback
Yes, electronic digest is the most flexible. Have a player with vision issues, print it on 8.5x11 with expand to fit sheet checked, 1 page per page...
Also, works better on e-book readers.
CosmicGamer said:
See, another reason for Digest......
CosmicGamer said:
See with a digest sized PDF, you can print for poratbility...
I understand the whole dinky laptop screen problem. Though My iBook was much better than my picturebook (1024 x 440 screen).
As for at the table I still prefer a smaller book.
In this topic, I find that the current trend towards omnibus editions of games with all the rules in one main rule book to be a royal pain. I prefer to be able to haul along to game just what I need in the smallest useable package. Over the years I have found my self building campaign specific books that have just what I need at the table and no more. This is much more feasible with electronic documents and to a lesser extant digest sized publications.
I'm using a sony PRS-505 ebook reader as a gaming accessory...
The screen (3.5x4.5, roughly) displays a 6x8 marginally (WWG MET books), a 5.5x8.5 fairly well (Jihad from Burning Wheel), and 8.5x11 really small OR by the half-page.
(within that limit, however, the 5.5x8.5 pages of Jihad can be rotated to show the half-page at jst shy of full size.)
The screen (3.5x4.5, roughly) displays a 6x8 marginally (WWG MET books), a 5.5x8.5 fairly well (Jihad from Burning Wheel), and 8.5x11 really small OR by the half-page.
(within that limit, however, the 5.5x8.5 pages of Jihad can be rotated to show the half-page at jst shy of full size.)
old gamer geek
Mongoose
I not to fussy so long as the content is good .
A4 or 8x11 hardcover - all the way. One thing that I detested about CT was the LBBs. Colour covers, nicely done illos is the way to go. Don't go overboard with the art like Conan but it seems like MGT is just perfect minus the characters as noted before...Spinward Marches is perfect.
