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cutsleeve

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I've been thinking about picking up a few more Hero system books with a bit of fortunate cash flow improvement. So I've developed a small dilemma, should I order the dead tree version of the book or should I order the pdf's. The book version is a bit more expensive but its physical and I can take it anywhere. However the PDF version is easy to store, a bit cheaper, goes well with my computer. At the moment I'm not in a gaming group and even then I have a laptop in case I need to look it up. Lastly I don't really have a preference between the two when it comes to The Hero System.

 

I was wondering if anyone else here debated this and if so which way did you go.

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Re: Book or PDF

 

I like dead trees. I do a lot of flicking through the books on the throne and a PDF wouldn't work as well for that.

 

My husband does that too. Sometimes cleaning the bathroom involves moving 5-10 Hero Games books before I can even start cleaning.

 

Maybe Hero should consider publishing books with laminated pages so they are truly humidity proof and safe to take in the tub as well. =)

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I have actually made a major change in the last year or so. I used to despise PDF and would only buy them given no other option. But these days I actually get both for books I use. When creating, nothing works better for me than a physical book in hand. The very act of leafing through the pages helps me think. I use PDF’s for their fast search capability when I am in a hurry.

 

Heck I still like to build things on paper the old fashioned way and later input them to HD for neatness and to double check my math. :D

 

So to answer the question. If it is a budget thing, I would buy the core books on paper and supplements PDF. If you are heavy in a specific genre I would get that in hard copy too.

 

But that is just me, because of how my creative process is.

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For manuals, including gaming manuals, I prefer .pdf. I generally reference them more than I read them. I do all of my gaming work using word processing and spreadsheet programs so searching files keeps working in the same medium. If I were sitting at a desk with a notepad and pen I'd probably feel the opposite. Its also a question of space. I simply hate clutter. It drives me up the wall. I like an orderly open space. I'm very spartan when it comes to things. In this respect, digital media has been a godsend. I can have entire archives backed up to terabyte sized external drives (multiple backups where possible). Aside from my Torah library I have very little dead tree format.

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Re: Book or PDF

 

I've been thinking about picking up a few more Hero system books with a bit of fortunate cash flow improvement. So I've developed a small dilemma, should I order the dead tree version of the book or should I order the pdf's. The book version is a bit more expensive but its physical and I can take it anywhere. However the PDF version is easy to store, a bit cheaper, goes well with my computer. At the moment I'm not in a gaming group and even then I have a laptop in case I need to look it up. Lastly I don't really have a preference between the two when it comes to The Hero System.

 

I was wondering if anyone else here debated this and if so which way did you go.

 

To me the key statement here is "I don't really have a preference between the two when it comes to The Hero System." Most people seem to choose one version or the other simply because they enjoy more having a hard copy or electronic one. If it truly makes no difference to you, and since with your laptop you've minimized the practical obstacles to using a PDF for a game session, or even to taking the books to read elsewhere, the cost saving for the PDF would seem to be the deciding factor.

 

OTOH if it really made no difference to you, I suspect you wouldn't have this dilemma. ;) Of course most of the books in the Hero website store that are on PDF can also be bought as a "bundle" with a hard copy, for much less money than buying them separately... :whistle:

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Re: Book or PDF

 

I When creating, nothing works better for me than a physical book in hand. The very act of leafing through the pages helps me think. I use PDF’s for their fast search capability when I am in a hurry.

 

Heck I still like to build things on paper the old fashioned way and later input them to HD for neatness and to double check my math. :D

But that is just me, because of how my creative process is.

 

 

I'm very similar. I prefer to leaf through the book and create on my little 3x5 cards for NPCs. I help write up PCs for my players on the computer for their character sheets and it slows my thought processes down.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re: Book or PDF

 

Maybe Hero should consider publishing books with laminated pages so they are truly humidity proof and safe to take in the tub as well. =)

 

And "Fumble proof"

 

HONEY!! How do I dry out an entire book?!

 

I totally did that with my hard cover copy of American Gods. What a mess. At least I had purchased an old library copy and not a 20some dollar new copy.

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I totally did that with my hard cover copy of American Gods. What a mess. At least I had purchased an old library copy and not a 20some dollar new copy.

I didn't really like American Gods, but didn't hate it either. :straight:

 

A friend of mine loaned a book to a guy he knew.

 

The return went something like this....

UHH, just want you to know... I fumbled it and got it wet.

That's ok, I've done that too.

Friend hands book back. It'd been immersed.

"Where did you drop it?"

"In the bathroom."

(Has a horrable thought :sick:) "just keep it"

 

I NEVER read on the toilet

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Re: Book or PDF

 

I always buy PDFs. I have them on my laptop for convenient reference. Of course it helps that I have a laser printer for cheap printing when I need a copy for other people to reference from time to time. Since my players are also my kids it works out well.

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Re: Book or PDF

 

I just work better and am more creative with a book for reference in making characters etc. I just find things easier to find and less trouble on paper but I'm an older guy. Maybe if you're more used to PDFs it works the other way for you. Its also novelwise harder to curl up on the sofa with a good PDF.

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