Expected physical properties of 5ER

[WanderingWilbur]

Steve:

I understand that 5ER is not yet back from the printer. However, if I understand correctly, certain aspects of the finished product are decided well in advance. So, what I am wondering is this: Since 5ER is like 200 pages longer than FRed, how will it compare physically with respect to factors like:

Paper thinkness and opacity.

Binding -- I have often heard that 500ish pages is pushing the limit of most of binding methods commonly used for RPG books. Was a sample of 5ER's binding put through anything like the FRed dryer treatment? Is the binding going to be of similiar (excellent) quality?

Shifting gears a bit -- is 5ER going to have the improved asthetics of Sidekick (art quality, layout, graphic design, etc.)?

I'm pretty much going to have to guy it anyway, just curious.

Thanks!

[Steve Long]

As you say, we don't have the book in hand, so I'm not going to speculate on a lot of final physical properties. We got a slightly better quality paper (the best we could reasonably afford).

We've been assured that there won't be any problems with the binding. Darren ran a comparative sample book through a variety of stress tests, but nothing as elaborate or stressful as what he did with 5E because now he actually has to spend his time running a business with three dozen-odd products instead of 0 products.

Each of our books takes advantage of the greater experience we have in writing, layout, and a zillion other subjects since the book before it. That applies to 5ER as well. 5ER borrows a lot of elements and such from SK, just as it does from other books produced in the past 2.5 years.

[BobGreenwade]

As you say, we don't have the book in hand, so I'm not going to speculate on a lot of final physical properties. We got a slightly better quality paper (the best we could reasonably afford).

We've been assured that there won't be any problems with the binding. Darren ran a comparative sample book through a variety of stress tests, but nothing as elaborate or stressful as what he did with 5E because now he actually has to spend his time running a business with three dozen-odd products instead of 0 products.

Slightly better quality paper from FREd? The paper there is already pretty nifty IMO. I'm really going to have to take a good look at this.

As for binder testing, doing a dryer test and a "Norman test" (by the latter I mean dropping it off a tall building, illustrating how "Normal fell") should be sufficient for me.

[lazarus]

I'd settle for a simple "read-through" test. More and more game books can't even stand being read once cover to cover...

Laz

[Steve Long]

Slightly better quality paper from FREd?

Well, in printing terms for us, "better" generally means "same durability, less thickness." I can't say exactly how it's all going to shake out because I haven't seen the book yet and this is a relatively new printer for us, but given the higher quality of the paper, I expect 5ER to be physically a little thinner than it would have been if we'd used the same paper we used for 5E. Not much, I imagine, but a little.

[BobGreenwade]

Well, in printing terms for us, "better" generally means "same durability, less thickness." I can't say exactly how it's all going to shake out because I haven't seen the book yet and this is a relatively new printer for us, but given the higher quality of the paper, I expect 5ER to be physically a little thinner than it would have been if we'd used the same paper we used for 5E. Not much, I imagine, but a little.

Wow. Way cool.

[Captain Obvious]

I think the cover should be made of superconducting materials as well, so we can make magnets float over it.

[Solomon]

I think the cover should be a tesseract, so we can store all our HERO books inside 5er. Handy!

[StGrimblefig]

I think the cover should be a tesseract, so we can store all our HERO books inside 5er. Handy!

Now I have a headache. Thanks.

[aylwin13]

I think the cover should be a tesseract, so we can store all our HERO books inside 5er. Handy!

Oh... I thought you said there'd be a Storn pic of Tesseract on the cover.

[tgrandjean]

I'd like the cover to be made of kevlar.
That way not only would it provide protection from Dice Storm, I could slip it under my jacket and cross the street.

[WanderingWilbur]

I would like my copy to contain a katana.

[Jhamin]

Hmm.

Kevlar cover containing a tesseract and a katana?

I smell a special collectors editon!

[Steve Long]

While we're at it, we'll throw in a pony.

[DRThrush]

A pony?

I wan't an Oompaloompa... I wan't an Oompaloompa nooooow!

-Dave