What do you buy?

[LordSmerf]

In order to balance what is free and what isn't... What do you buy? If you were able to get the entire rule-set for free would you pay for setting and source books? No new rules, just more detail on cultures, geography, history, etc... Or are you only going to buy something that includes some sort of advanced, enhanced rule-sets? Feedback is much appreciated.

LordSmerf

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

Boy, that's a hard one! I've done everything you've mentioned. I've purchased rules only and then never any setting material to go with it. I've got free rules and purchased setting material.

About the only thing I'm really consistent about is that I never impulse buy. That's part of why I buy so few digital only products. If I can't flip through the pages to look at the layout, imagery and get an idea of general writing style, I generally let it go.

Even buying at my not-so-local game store (100+ miles distant. I live in Alaska where there are a grand total of five game stores, three of which are owned by the same two guys and are located within 50 miles of each other; the other two being 400+ miles away in opposite directions.) I tend to look at a product and put it on the shelf to wait for my next trip - usually about six weeks later - and if it's still there and I have, in the mean time, decided to invest I'll buy it. My decisions tend to be based an a whole lot of factors including what I do or do not know or am able to learn about the publisher and designers; the quality of the layout and artwork; how it's bound (perfect, hard, bound-on-board, saddle) whether I'm buying for ideas and reference or to actively use it; and numerous others. Just FYI, most of my purchases for the last seven years or so have been to snag scenario, campaign or character ideas from. I suspect that this is fairly typical for the over-30 crowd, though I've not seen any research on the matter.

I hope this helps some.

~ Charles

[jdagna]

Before I started writing games, I bought systems almost entirely based on setting (though I wanted a system that matched the setting's feel, which is one reason why I didn't go for GURPS). Once I found a system I liked, I stayed extremely loyal (Warhammer FRP is still the only fantasy RPG I've played for more than six sessions).

However, I've recently been buying games more for reference and to see how other people solved particular problems. As a result, I'm not interested in setting, and I'm only really interested in rule sets that either do something new or put a strong focus on areas of design I'm interested in. For example, if I'm evaluating how I'm handling personality characteristics, I might pick up some games like Pendragon that advertise a strength in that area.

And, in general, I completely ignore anything that's free. I tend to assume anything being given away free hasn't had enough time or effort put into it to be worth my time. I know that I'm probably wrong in many cases, but I'll admit to being prejudiced here - I have about a dozen free PDFs downloaded that I haven't opened up even once.

[Christian A]

I impulse buy a lot.

(thats a lie. The truth is that I impulse download a lot.)

[Kredoc]

I buy rulesets almost exclusively. I almost never buy settings, splats or campaign world backgrounds. I occasionally buy sourcebooks, but they better be general enough to use outside their 'core world'.

[LordSmerf]

So, what i'm reading here, is that releasing a game with a small, low-cost rules-set (think something the size of a pocket New Testament for like $8) and then planning on making money selling setting supplements (like a $5 book on elvish society, history, religion, etc...). I was kind of hoping that would be a viable marketing strategy, since the world i'm working with is too complex to thoroughly detail all the different races and societies in one book... Oh well...

LordSmerf

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

That is, perhaps, the best way to go. All you really need to justify it is to look at the success of the Gazeteer series of books for the D&D Mystara setting. Each nation is about as fleshed out as it can be without being so detailed as to restrict roleplay options.

[braincraft]

I almost always read the books I buy through at the store before I decide on buying them.

The only exception is when I've built up a lot of brand trust and feel confident in ordering something like Abyssals online.

[EldritchHeart]

Originally posted by Kredoc
I buy rulesets almost exclusively. I almost never buy settings, splats or campaign world backgrounds.

ditto.