Go To Front Page Now. The Ebooks are Here

[Takei]

The Adobe FAQ says that you can activate up to 6 machines. However, as FlightCommander points out, you can't deactivate a machine. I don't consider myself to be an out of the ordinary user, but could probably blow through the 6 machine limit within two years.

I'll grab the freebies but DTRPG won't be getting any paying business from me.

 

[Malenfant]

I do with people would read what has been said about this - the DTRPG settings do *not* have the 6 machine limit.

From the DTRPG FAQ (emphasis mine):

By default, we package our books with rights that allow you to print unlimited copies, copy 10 selections of text (or 10 pages if a selection spans multiple pages) to the clipboard every 10 days. You can have your eBooks on as many computers as you want, so long as each computer is activated with your DRM account.

Is this quite clear enough for people now?

 

[Morte]

Did anybody buy the electronic version of Hard Times?

If so, how was the scan and OCR?

 

[clementk]

The scan is good. A few pages are just a little bit not straight perhaps but the contrast is good. Some of the grey text boxes are a little hard to read to my eyes but I suspect this isn't unique to the electronic version.

The book has been OCR'd and from what I can tell the main body test is fully selectable. Some of the charts have "missing" lines. Still it prints out just fine esp. for the cost ($7). This was a MT book I had really wanted to at least read but hadn't due to its rarity.

HTH,
Casey

 

[Takei]

Originally posted by Malenfant:
Is this quite clear enough for people now?

Not really, as it directly contradicts what is on the Adobe "Introduction to Adobe Reader" page.

"Note: Each Adobe DRM Activator account may activate Adobe Reader on up to six Windows or Macintosh computers and six Palm OS devices."

The thing I'm unclear about is this; once you've activated a machine, can you read any eBook you've bought on that machine, or do you need to activate it again for each book you want to read on it?

I'm not wanting to get all heated about this as there's enough of that already on RPG.net I'm trying to clarify in my mind what the facts really are between two apparently contradictory statements. My initial gut feeling is to believe the makers of the software used to read the books.

 

[Malenfant]

Sorry if I was a bit snappy. I'm getting a bit tired of having to explain the same thing to people...

Remember that Security settings are customisable - presumably the Adobe page assumes the settings are at their most extreme. DTRPG obviously have set it up differently - they are not going to misrepresent what you can do with their products (if they did that, rest assured that they'd be utterly screwed for it).

I downloaded the free Gamma World book to test it, and it opened up as soon as I downloaded it, I didn't have to reactivate it. So it seems that once a machine is activated, you can just port all your ebooks over to it and read it there.

Unfortunately it seems that you can't activate a machine that isn't connected to the net.

 

[Takei]

No worries Malenfant. The reason I'm trying to get clear information on these boards is that responses are always more level headed than RPG.net The first DTRPG thread has generated 60+ pages since yesterday!

I've grabbed both Exalted and Gamma World from DTRPG and both of them went very smoothly. I did open them both whilst I was still on-line, and had no trouble with activation.

I think I might try a couple of cheapie eBooks from Amazon to see how things work with them and DRM.

I'll be paying close attention to how things go with them. As it stands now there are a few titles I'm interested in, and a few I'm interested in but not willing to pay the asking price for

 

[clementk]

ooo GDW up to 95 titles now including Pocket Empires and both editions of Fire, Fusion, and Steel.

And on the non-GDW front FGU has Heart of Oak up now and Chaosium has some hard to find Elric! / Stormbringer books and CoC 2nd edition...

Casey

 

[Malenfant]

Oooh? They've got the TNE FF&S now?! Sweet. (I've got the hardcopy. But an ebook backup would be nifty).

 

[clementk]

Pocket Empires is mine now!

Hmmm between Imperial Squadrons and Pocket Empires...anyone up to run a big ole' Traveller Pocket Empire game? o.o

I'd hate running such a game myself esp. not having done so before but sending in a turn a week or so might not be so bad. Fall or Winter would be a better time to start though instead of busy summer.

Casey

 

[clementk]

Star Cruiser is up on the 2300AD page at DTRPG. Haven't bought it yet though.

Free book of the week is BESM 2nd Edition Revised! ^_^ A very good generic point-based system that IMHO is like a streamlined GURPS* without the baggage and is very tweakable. Well worth the free download looksee. Don't be put off by the name or what it was designed for. Anime includes a wide range of genres. BESM 2nd Edition Revised is a better and cleaner presentation of the tri-stat system than the also free Tri-Stat dX. The printed book is manga book sized, i.e. a large thin paperback so some of the pages may seem low on word count when printed out on regular sized paper. My only dislike about the Revised version is to save printing costs the originally color interior graphics were changed to greyscale but that works out ok on pdf.

JTAS has a well done adapation of CT to BESM, Vast Imperium, Bold Travellers.

Personally I recomend also picking up the way cool Centauri Knights book for a Transhuman Space-like setting done by the same author. Big Robots, Cool Starships is for 1st Edition BESM and I think any rules in that book are in 2nd Edition Revised. I don't have BESM Space Fantasy (original Space Opera but there is this other RPG called Space Opera...) but it seems more of an overview and exploration of the space genre than crunchy bits. BESM Fantasy Bestiary is chockfull of racial and monster templates that could be very helpful for creating alien races.

[EDIT]DTRPG has also added a privacy policy statement and a response to common misconceptions on forums.[/EDIT]

As always, YMMV.
Casey (must finish BESM version of Asu now)

* this is just personal preference and from someone who has a good number of GURPS books

 

[clementk]

The free book at DTRPG.com this week looks to be TNE's World Tamer's Handbook instead of the main TNE rulebook itself.

DTRPG contacted...

Casey

 

[Malenfant]

of course, if you actually wouldn't mind a copy of the WTH, this isn't necessarily a bad thing

 

[clementk]

Oh true. A handy book, esp. for free. ^_^ More options and goodies for planet etc. builders.

Casey

 

[clementk]

Free one this week is Fading Suns 2nd edition. Worth it for free at least IMO.

Casey

 

[clementk]

New one this week is finally up and it's...Traveller 2300 not *2300 AD* which doesn't jive with FFE's schedule but since I already bought 2300 AD in anticipation of the 2320 playtest np for me.

Is taking an awfully long DL time though.

Also QLI's on DTRPG now under GDW with TA1. No idea about DRM on this version.

Casey

[UPDATE]About 28 megs. Covers are too dark IMO but there's some different artwork than in 2300 AD and a scenario so for free it's good. Bookmarks are present but after a while have no relation to the text they refer to. 2300 AD has a similar problem with bookmarks.[/UPDATE]