I would live to see Traveller 5, Mongoose, etc placed into ePub files that could be downloaded as books to my Nexus 10, or my iPad through Google Play or iTunes. Think about being able to carry all of your RPG books on a tablet where ever you go, and work on scenarios, ships, etc on the tablet!
ePub files for RPGs?
- Thread starter Murph
- Start date
Until the latest epub standard gets adopted, there are MAJOR formatting issues. That's the current hurdle to switching from pdf format.
I've read many RPGs in PDF format without any problems, but recently I've been reading Nights Black Agents in ePub and it's a truly excellent experience. I bought the game direct from Pelgrane so I got the hardback with the PDF and ePub versions bundled in for free. If I had to choose just one electronic version it'd be PDF simply due to the formatting of tables, forms and quick reference sheets. Even so, actually reading the rules is much more comfortable in the ePub version.
Simon Hibbs
Simon Hibbs
It was all built-in to the Astak. I have an Asus TF300T tablet. I'll look for apps to read things. I have noticed that pdfs over 1 megabyte don't always load on my tablet. But they load fine on one of my ereaders.
I just added a Nexus 7 32gb to my collection of tablets. With Aldiko Reader app, it seems to handle most formats well. ePub seems to be the most stable/stadardized/open of the formats. I would love to see RPG books in ePub so they could be downloaded to a tablet, and taken with me.
You really wouldn't like the result of most RPGs ported over to epub. It's not pretty.
That's due to trade dress aka formatting. That doesn't port over to epub at all. Text, OTOH, ports over very well. But an RPG publisher would have to separately format a book to present well in epub, and that's extra work which has to be balanced against potential sales. Each publisher will make their own call; so far, none have chosen to explicitly publish in epub, likely for the reason outlined above.
No, not referring to that.
Text isn't the problem. It is all the tables, charts, etc.
Incorrect. Troll Lords did it. It didn't turn out well because of the limitations inherent in EPUB 2.x
Good point. Still doable, but the extra effort is the kicker.
Your facts defeat my ignorance.
With weeks of work they couldn't duplicate the pdf or paper copy. It's a limitation of epub
I'll note that I converted the Fate pamphlet into epub with no major issues - but none of the tables needed more than 2 columns.
Right. Take something like one of the major FRPG PHB's and you get something fit to serve my shepherd for breakfast.
Last edited:
The issue is primarily tables. The matter of formatting has been tackled satisfactorily for several FATE system games- which is a major FRPG system.
Likewise, CT can be relatively well adapted into ePub except for the combat mechanics. The CGen tables can be redone one career at a time in a format like this (well, it's MT, but, you get the picture):
Career: Navy
Enl 8 +
_ ▮ DM+1 Int 8+
_▮ DM+2 Edu 9 +
Draft: 1
Survival 5+
_▮ DM+2 Int 7 +
Position 10 +
_▮ DM+1 Soc 9+
Promo 8+
_▮ DM+1 Edu 8+
SplDty 4+
Renlist 6 +
Roll Pers Dev
▮ 1 Physical
▮ 2 +1 Dex
▮ 3 +1 End
▮ 4 Vice
▮ 5 Mental
▮ 6 +1 Soc
Roll Service
▮ 1 Ship's Boat
▮ 2 Vacc Suit
▮ 3 Fwd Obs
▮ 4 Space Cbt
▮ 5 Hand Cbt
▮ 6 Gun Cbt
Roll Education
▮ 1 Vacc Suit
▮ 2 Mechanical
▮ 3 Electronics
▮ 4 Space
▮ 5 Space Cbt
▮ 6 Inborn
Roll Adv Ed.
▮ 1 Medical
▮ 2 Navigation
▮ 3 Space Tech
▮ 4 Technical
▮ 5 Space
▮ 6 lnterpers
Roll Cash
▮ 1 1,000
▮ 2 5,000
▮ 3 5,000
▮ 4 10,000
▮ 5 20,000
▮ 6 50,000
▮ 7 50,000
Roll Benefits
▮ 1 Low Psg
▮ 2 +1 Int
▮ 3 +2 Edu
▮ 4 Weapon
▮ 5 Travellers'
▮ 6 High Psg
▮ 7 +2 SOC
Not horrid, really.
DummyWeapon (3d)
C +2
S +0
M -2
L -4
V -4
N +1
A +1
R +1
J -2
C -3
M -3
BD -6
I agree tables are a problem. NBA has mostly just two-column tables, but it also comes with a whole raft of quick references and forms. Since all of those are downloadable as free PDFs, I don't think that's really a problem though.
Currently there are two general ways you can obtain an ePub. One is to buy it through an online ePub store like iBooks Store or on a Kindle (yes, I know those aren't _really_ ePubs), the other is as a direct download from either the publisher or somewhere like Drivethru.
The advantage of buying as a download is that it can come with any required charts and forms as PDFs in the download bundle. Job done. If you want to sell through an integrated store like iBooks or Kindle that's not really an option, so the only way is to make the tables and forms and such available as free downloads and provide a link in the eBook version. For a table heavy game like Traveller that's perhaps more of a problem as a lot of the value in the game is locked up in the tables.
Simon Hibbs
Currently there are two general ways you can obtain an ePub. One is to buy it through an online ePub store like iBooks Store or on a Kindle (yes, I know those aren't _really_ ePubs), the other is as a direct download from either the publisher or somewhere like Drivethru.
The advantage of buying as a download is that it can come with any required charts and forms as PDFs in the download bundle. Job done. If you want to sell through an integrated store like iBooks or Kindle that's not really an option, so the only way is to make the tables and forms and such available as free downloads and provide a link in the eBook version. For a table heavy game like Traveller that's perhaps more of a problem as a lot of the value in the game is locked up in the tables.
Simon Hibbs
And pictures. For most rule books it isn't workable. HENCE, they aren't published in that format.
madmike
SOC-12
I purchased my iPad for the primary reason of being able to read PDF's. I use my Sony ereaders to read ebook novels. Works well for me.
But these days you do not need to spend heaps on a tablet. There are stacks of low cost Android tablets with 7" to 11" screens that would be fine as a dedicated PDF reader.
I am looking at buying a sub $200 tablet just for RPG PDF's.
But these days you do not need to spend heaps on a tablet. There are stacks of low cost Android tablets with 7" to 11" screens that would be fine as a dedicated PDF reader.
I am looking at buying a sub $200 tablet just for RPG PDF's.
Pelgrane and Evil Hat both publish a growing proportion of their catalogs in ePub format alongside PDFs.
I can't imagine anyone publishing RPGs as standalone ePUB versions, at least not given the current ePUB standards, but it makes a great complimentary format to PDF.
Simon Hibbs
