Apparently WotC / OBS updated the file for the D&D Rules Cyclopedia along with dropping the price on the POD version of the rules but it isn't without issues.
Here's the recent comments on the RC page since the file was updated.
Tony M Mar 14, 2018 7:39 am EST
This is all very confusing. Two weeks ago I ordered the PoD version and paid 21.48 sterling for the privilege, now the price has dropped to 12.95 sterling but consensus suggests my PoD copy may be superior to what is currently being offered...
An explanation for the price drop and the PDF 'update' would be appreciated, either from WotC, OBS, or both.
Joshua G Mar 14, 2018 6:43 am EST
Wow, the "updated" pdf really sucks compared to the previous one, so blurry and washed-out looking. Why is the price reduced so much for PoD? Makes me VERY suspicious of purchasing this in print format now. I know mistakes happen, but this is really awful.
Scott S Mar 14, 2018 2:54 am EST
The new PDF is awful and blurry, the older one (pre Mar 13) is fine and also good as PoD - don't get as PoD until it's confirmed fixed IMO.
Christopher S Mar 13, 2018 7:18 pm EST
I put in an order for a hardcover copy of this yesterday afternoon, only to get up this morning and find out that the PDF has been changed and the price has dropped 50% in the last 24hrs...still excited to get the book, but that hurts.
Richard T Mar 13, 2018 5:10 pm EST
The new scan released this week is very blurry compared to the old one. I'm glad I still have my original download. Didn't they look at it before releasing it???
Rodger D Mar 13, 2018 7:21 pm EST
Yer its very bad. The worst I've seen. They need to redo it or put an older one back up.
Rodger D Mar 13, 2018 7:27 pm EST
My August 2016 download is way way better then this one. So much sharper.
Jeff E Mar 13, 2018 10:42 pm EST
Also, it's flat. That is, there is no text, just a static image. You can't highlight and copy a portion of text, as you could before.
Michael S Mar 13, 2018 3:24 pm EST
yeah, I just downloaded the new one and it's horribly dithered and shows all sort of compression artifacts.
Lloyd M Mar 13, 2018 1:15 pm EST
BLURRY print on my copy as well. Headache inducing, even if I do enjoy the content of RC.
Mar 13, 2018 12:33 pm EST
The PDF was updated today. Apparently "The book has been rescanned and page references in the book have been linked." However, there are two different versions downloadable, neither of them with linked page references and neither of them the same file size as the last version I downloaded. Which one is the current version?
Jeff M Mar 13, 2018 1:44 pm EST
PURCHASER Flag comment as inappropriate.
I have the original download from Feb 15 and the size is 164.3MB and has an outline that I can click to different areas (D&D_Rules_Cyclopedia_(Basic).pdf
The DDB_RulesCyclopedia.pdf & RulesCyclopedia-Basic.pdf doesn't have an outline. The DDB* is 163.6MB while the RulesCyclopedia-Basic.pdf is 96.8MB.
Something changed and just recently the DDB* and Rulescyclopedia have been removed and D&D_Rules_Cyclopedia_(Basic).pdf has been put in place but 94.5MB in size.
Jeff M Mar 13, 2018 1:53 pm ESTPDF is 9.99
The new D&D_Rules_Cyclopedia_(Basic).pdf from today looks like the RulesCyclopedia-Basic.pdf. not the same as the Feb15 downloaded file that is sharp and not blurry with an Outline.
SC is 11.52
HC is 16.12
add 2 bucks for Print plus PDF
My advice - hold off until the issue is corrected.
Thanks to The Taverner that pointed this out to me.
edit: updated yet again since this post went up. I've been told its now less smudgey, still random blurry pages. Images are sharper. I'm guessing still not ready for prime time.
Yep, thats an affiliate link above. I truly appreciate your support.
Glad I got my print a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Thom, I'm really happy with the copy I ordered when this first went up on POD. I was debating getting some SC for my players, and will definitely measure twice and order once.
ReplyDeleteI paid about $31 for my hard copy. Filed a complaint, they are sending me a replacement. I will report on the quality.
ReplyDeleteThey updated it again today. My POD looked great, and I paid normal price before the drop.
ReplyDeleteThere has been issues with some file updates. I only found out while trying to run Keep on the Borderlands for kids on Sunday that the "better" scan lacks the maps of the keep and wilderness and the rules summary in the middle.
ReplyDeleteHonestly my day 1 print is horrible
ReplyDeleteYeah, my Day 1 copy of the Rules Cyclopedia seems to be printed on an ink jet printer. The black text is fine, but any black areas in an illustration are muddy. Large illustrations, especially the full colour maps in the middle, have those lines running through where the ink isn't evenly distributed. Really cheap paper quality, too. The Creature Catalog has the same problems. The books can still be used–the printing isn't so bad as to render them useless–but they are pretty aesthetically unappealing.
DeleteI paid the day one price and my POD print is fine. Glad I got mine when I did. I'll hold off on ordering the rest of my group prints for now.
ReplyDeleteWhat pisses me off the most is that while I get an email informing me the product has been updated, WotC never seem to take the time to say why it's been updated, what's been changed and presumably improved, or what mistakes and oversights have been corrected.
ReplyDeleteFYI: there is another update; it is the newer version PDF, but now with the bookmarks. The text is still worse than the original version. Of course, I have no idea how this translates to a POD version, but I was considering (and would definitely consider at this new price) but need to see someone show off an example.
ReplyDeleteI ordered my hardcopy on 3/12, and DTRPG support confirmed that mine would be printed from the 3/13 file. I can't speak for the updates over the last couple of days, but I could try to upload a couple of pictures from my copy when it comes in.
DeleteRegarding this comment:
ReplyDelete"Jeff E Mar 13, 2018 10:42 pm EST
Also, it's flat. That is, there is no text, just a static image. You can't highlight and copy a portion of text, as you could before."
That's not true. i kept all 3 versions (it was updated twice this week) and can mark/search text in all 3. They are all, IMO, far blurrier than OCR'd text should be. Readable, but borderline.
The second update brought back the text. The one I downloaded wouldn't select text, at least.
DeleteI'm being to wonder if there's a new person doing the OneShelf stuff. We haven't had more than a trickle of back catalog added in a while. And now, we are getting questionable updates, and product descriptions that are far less detailed than before. It kinda feels like one of those "I'm not going to do things the way the old guy did" vibes.
ReplyDeleteAs for the new scans, it looks like some of the images are far better than before, especially the hex maps. A lot of the straight lines through out the book also look better. But, the text looks worse, and I care more about that, than some table boundaries. Hopefully, they will look at both scans, and put the best parts from each into one better version. I don't expect them to, but hope springs eternal.
I have two copies from back in the day, so, eh, what ever will be.