Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Erskin]

I admit it. This is a blatant marketing research tool.

Talisman Studios wants to give you what you want, and this is one way I hope to know what you want.

The results of this poll will be a direct factor in determining how we handle the issue of low-ink versions of our products, in the future.

So, please, let me know what you think!

Note: Whether or not the Shaintar: Immortal Legends Player's Guide is enhanced to include a low-ink version is an internal issue depending on outside factors at this point, it is not a decision that will be affected by this poll.
_________________
Erskin L. Cherry
Promotions Director
Talisman Studios (www.talismanstudios.com)

[Alcamtar]

I would rather just buy the low-ink version and skip the full color version. I'd say either bundle them at no extra charge, or sell them separately so we can pick which one we want.

FWIW I don't care so much about printing (other than character sheets or reference charts), if I need hardcopy I'll buy a book. But "low-ink" PDFs are easier to read, require less disk space, load faster, and scroll more quickly.

[Erskin]

[TheLoremaster]

[jblittlefield]

It's not a question of price -- simple fact is that including both a high-res and a printer-friendly version of the file is pretty much standard practice for the PDF industry.

Look at Legion (IIRC), with the click of a button, their PDFs switch between HR-PF versions. It doesn't cost you anything extra-- in time or money --to include the PF version as it's nothing more than the HR file without the graphics.

I bought Shaintar on a lark, and its a great product, but the fact that it didn't have a PF version sort of soured the experience. I figure if GWG is going to offer both versions in a single file, then so should the licensees.

[Yuri]

Put me down for hoping that both PF and HR should be included....

Yuri
_________________
I think we're property - Charles Fort

[starwars1138]

While I don't use "printer friendly" .pdfs, I DO think they should be included at no additional cost as it's the same content.
_________________
Chris in Atlanta
----------------------
"Were I not wed, I would take you in a manly fashion."
"Because I'm pretty?"
"Because you're pretty."

[Count Zero]

I'm with JB. I bought Shaintar assuming there would be a PF version, since that seems to be the standard these days, and was a bit chuffed to find it was missing. Great product, though.
I'd recommend fixing that and sending links to people who already bought it.

That said, I won't buy a hardcopy of something I have in pdf and vice versa.
For me pdfs are all about instant gratification; I usually print em out and put them in a binder. Having a PF version keeps it affordable.
_________________
I'm not an adversarial GM. I am a facilitator of awesomeness. - Dr Rotwang

[Erskin]

[Erskin]

[Erskin]

[Erskin]

[fanchergw]

Erskin, I know this isn't exactly the question you asked, but I'm one of those who prefers the file sans background frills. I like the full pictures, but the stuff around the edges and behind the text does nothing for me. Edge frills are really only acceptable in a hardcopy book, to my mind, and even there I'd rather not have them. Additionally, artwork behind the text invariably makes it harder to read; at least for people like me with bad vision to begin with.

Gordon

[Erskin]

[Sean Patrick Fannon]

(Cross-posted from the related topic in "Official Settings")

The last I am going to say here about the "printer friendly" approach is that we use a particular style with our layout, and we are very graphically and artistically oriented at Talisman.

Jason A. Engle, simply one of the very best artists in this industry, is a Talisman partner, and his voice is incredibly important to me when he speaks on matters of appearance and presentation of our products.

We can't just "rip out" the graphics, because the graphic and art is so intricately involved in the full development of the product. I am not skilled or talented enough in such matters to argue with an award-winning graphics team like JAE and Ace, nor would I dare when they've done so much to make Shaintar so special.

As such, the process of creating a graphics-lite version of the product is not going to be a simple one for us; in doing such things, we can literally find ourselves increasing our overall workload by at least 50%. We have to decide if the gain of that labor is worth the expenditure.

What I believe helps make Shaintar so very special - as what makes any Talisman Studios product unique in the marketplace - is also a barrier to the goal of just ripping out the graphics and art. I do sincerely hope that the majority of the SW and Shaintar fans will appreciate that and support us in our goal of high-quality products, even in the PDF market.

With all sincerity and respect...
_________________
Sean Patrick Fannon
Evil Beagle Games
The FREE Shaintar Player's Guide

Bad Dog. Good Games.

[Yuri]

[Dahak]

Sorry if I'm basically echoing someone else's point, but I have to vote "other". It dosn't bother me in the least that the Shaintar PG is lacking a printer friendly version, because it will be available (sooner or later) in print. It would bother me if a PDF-only ebook (such as the Fantasy Toolkits) lacked them, because I do print those myself.

Yes, I did buy the Shaintar PG. Great work gentlemen! Not to derail the thread, but seeing you're going through Studio2 as well, are you guys subject to the same printer-queue issues as GWG?

[Clint]

Since this is a request for opinion, I'll give mine.

I greater prefer printer-friendly versions. Not just for printing, but as someone else said for quicker and easier use on the computer. Thus, my preference is even more important when it comes to larger PDF's as the file size becomes larger.

I have the Shaintar PG, and while I think it should be simple to create a PF version, I'm not going to debate the people who actually would have to do it over that point. I don't have the knowledge they do.

I will say how I would do it.

1. Change the color cover and back to B&W.
2. Remove the background and border.

That's it. I wouldn't even touch the art or any other aspects of layout. Let me repeat this one point that I think is key.

Leave the art. As is. The "drain" on the printer is miniscule compared to their value to the product.

Anyway, I think those changes alone would be all that's needed for a Shaintar version of printer-friendly. I would think this should be viable with a minimum of work considering there is already an example in there. The character and ally sheets are already done in a version with and without the background/border.

But like I said, I won't debate that possibility without information. I'm just trying to clarify exactly what I would propose for the PG in case the stumbling block may be a misunderstanding of what is desired (by me in this case).

Again, that's just my opinion.
_________________
Clint Black
Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager

www.peginc.com

[Erskin]

[Erskin]

Clint, thank you for your opinions and your consideration of the aspects of the process which are internal for us.