>Or I might slip and
>send the files to HeroWars or HW-Rules or the digest instead of Jeff, and
>bango, who needs to buy the paper copy?
While I fully agree with Greg that those who actually create content understand the need for paying customers much better than those who are just out to get freebies, I must say that the fear of piracy if often linked to the quality of the materials provided.
Once again, to use White Wolf as an example. If you look at Vampire: The Dark Ages or Wraith: The Oblivion 'core' book I think you'll agree that WW probably has fairly little fear of piracy. Why? Well, for $30 you get a nice hardback, tons of great art (tons!), nice big print, and a feeling of quality that is a joy to own. I have never seen this stuff posted as text despite its popularity and the many years since it has been published.
If all that is being provided is raw text and a few graphics in a paperback for 20 bucks a book with 5 or 6 such books being needed to play... I'd say that fear of piracy is a very valid concern. I don't say this to imply that Issaries isn't providing a great service by publishing HW. However, I do think that it is good to remember that the goal of a great publisher should be to provide a bang for the buck that is so high that everyone will want to own the product rather than getting paranoid and counting on the legal system to *enforce* their intellectual property... It is simply getting to hard to count on this form of protection for the very reasons that RR sites above.
So, here's to the second edition of HW!! May it be a positive must-have book that is a joy to own, and a terrific value in it's own right =)
A.K. Berner (a pragmatist who wants to recommend HW to friends but is afraid of the high cost, learning curve, and confusion of the current rules)
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