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I looked for an answer to this in a FAQ or existing thread; I'm sure there is one, but I failed my Search check.
I am currently an Adventure Path subscriber. I am trying to decide whether to add a second subscription. Please check my facts here:
If I opt not to subscribe to the Pathfinder RPG line, I can buy individual products in that line for 15% off as long as I maintain my AdPath subscription, but I won't get the free PDF with individually purchased products in the RPG line; if I do subscribe, I get each item in the subscription line for 15% off with a free PDF (but end up buying things I wouldn't otherwise have bought, like the GM screen and possibly the Gamemastery Guide -- which sounds potenitally useful, but optional.)
If I opt to subscribe to the Pathfinder Chronicles line, the above pricing structure applies, with the additional consideration that any items in that line that were released prior to the start of my subscription are considered non-subscrption items so that buying them individually would not get me the PDF as a bonus.
If all the above is correct, I'll have to give serious consideration to living without PDFs, which brings me to one last question: PF Chronicles Classic Monsters Revisited appears to be available only in PDF form now -- any plans to reprint that?
All of your statements are correct.
in regards to Classic monsters Revisited, as of right now they are pretty bogged down with the RPG stuff, and would have to retool the crunchy bits to make it fit with the RPG stuff in any reprint.
There are locations online that still have a stock of classic monsters *coughAmazonCough*
If I opt not to subscribe to the Pathfinder RPG line, I can buy individual products in that line for 15% off as long as I maintain my AdPath subscription, but I won't get the free PDF with individually purchased products in the RPG line; if I do subscribe, I get each item in the subscription line for 15% off with a free PDF (but end up buying things I wouldn't otherwise have bought, like the GM screen and possibly the Gamemastery Guide -- which sounds potenitally useful, but optional.)
Correct, though I can't verify the validity of whether or not you would have bought the GM screen or GameMastery Guide. A subscription can always be canceled at any time should you wish to not receive any individual or all future products.
If I opt to subscribe to the Pathfinder Chronicles line, the above pricing structure applies, with the additional consideration that any items in that line that were released prior to the start of my subscription are considered non-subscription items so that buying them individually would not get me the PDF as a bonus.
Correct again. Everything that ships to you automatically as part of an ongoing subscription nets you a free PDF. When you start the subscription you can choose to receive the most recent or the forthcoming book as the starting book, so you can get the free pdf for Dungeon Denizens Revisited if you subscribe before Legacy of Fire Map Folio ships next month. Once that ships, though, DDR will only be available as an a-la-carte item without a free pdf.
PF Chronicles Classic Monsters Revisited appears to be available only in PDF form now -- any plans to reprint that?
Yes. Vic has said elsewhere that once the publishing push of the PFRPG Core Book and the Bestiary is over they will try to get this rush reprinted. There's just been too much at the printer with these additional books on the schedule to get it done before now.
Hope those answers help!
It sounds like if I timed it correctly, I could get individual items in any given line with a free PDF, just by turning subscriptions on and off as needed. Surely that's not allowed?
Hypothetical:
I activate a Companion sub today, specify the current release (Qadira) as the starting point, and collect my free PDF; I let the sub ride through August to get Cheliax w/PDF, then cancel the sub because I don't care about the Dwarves of Golarion and maybe not Andoran.
I do want the Armory book + free PDF, so I reactivate the sub by February 2010, and immediately cancel it once the Armory ships, because I am even less interested in Gnomes than I was in Dwarves.
Do monthly printing/shipping schedules make this sort of thing tricky, or nigh impossible? Allowing it really seems like it would create major headaches for Paizo.
It sounds like if I timed it correctly, I could get individual items in any given line with a free PDF, just by turning subscriptions on and off as needed. Surely that's not allowed?
Hypothetical:
I activate a Companion sub today, specify the current release (Qadira) as the starting point, and collect my free PDF; I let the sub ride through August to get Cheliax w/PDF, then cancel the sub because I don't care about the Dwarves of Golarion and maybe not Andoran.
I do want the Armory book + free PDF, so I reactivate the sub by February 2010, and immediately cancel it once the Armory ships, because I am even less interested in Gnomes than I was in Dwarves.
Do monthly printing/shipping schedules make this sort of thing tricky, or nigh impossible? Allowing it really seems like it would create major headaches for Paizo.
You can do that, and I'm sure people do, but subscriptions work as a business model for Paizo because it gives them an idea of the demand for a specific line of products and allows them to anticipate guaranteed sales when deciding the size of print runs and such. So while you can do it, it has always seemed a little disingenuous to commit to buy a line of products and then flip-flop on that commitment every couple of months. That said, I'm sure Paizo would rather you get a subscription and possibly cancel it down the line than not subscribe at all, though someone who actually works for them has the authority to say that my assumption is wrong.
And sometimes print schedules do make it tough to cancel subs exactly when you want. On multiple issue months, like last August it was tricky for people trying to end their AP subs with Crown of Fangs before getting the first part of Second Darkness, since they shipped together. In September and October there are a few product lines that will be overlapping a product or two, so that will be a hard time to piecemeal it as well.
It does seem like sleazy customer practice. If I have to make a choice I prefer print. I like the idea of *bonus* PDFs, but I don't want the PDF enough to pay the prices listed to get it -- feels too much like buying two copies of the book -- and I think there are going to be enough items-of-no-interest in the various product lines to keep me from taking on a second sub, so I guess I will learn to live without PDFs.
It does seem like sleazy customer practice. If I have to make a choice I prefer print. I like the idea of *bonus* PDFs, but I don't want the PDF enough to pay the prices listed to get it -- feels too much like buying two copies of the book -- and I think there are going to be enough items-of-no-interest in the various product lines to keep me from taking on a second sub, so I guess I will learn to live without PDFs.
Sleazy?!? Ouch. I think that's a little harsh...
The upshot is: We want you to subscribe. We're not being duplicitous about it. We're using the free PDF as one of the incentives to get you to subscribe. It's as simple as that.
There are people who do take the above-referenced actions to pick and choose books from a subscription while still getting the subscriber benefit, but not too many. The cancellation process of a subscription is pretty easy: you just have to let us in Customer Service know that you want to cancel, and we'll cancel it for you. This can be done via the messageboard, email, or phone. You restart your subscription the same way you initially started your subscription through the store. We don't prevent people from doing this, other than putting the onus upon them.
We definitely want everyone to subscribe to every book we make. We create our incentives to support this. We want it to be most convenient and advantageous for someone who wants our books to subscribe, and subscribing means you get every book in the line. If you don't want every book in the line, then maybe subscription is not for you. This, however, means that you have to get the PDF separately.
But we never intend to deceive in ANY way.
Thanks,
cos
It does seem like sleazy customer practice. If I have to make a choice I prefer print. I like the idea of *bonus* PDFs, but I don't want the PDF enough to pay the prices listed to get it -- feels too much like buying two copies of the book -- and I think there are going to be enough items-of-no-interest in the various product lines to keep me from taking on a second sub, so I guess I will learn to live without PDFs.
I actually don't believe the people at Paizo believe that the subscribing/cancelling is sleazy per se. They would of course prefer you to get all the items, but only if you truly wanted them. They want your customer experience to be the best possible and if you receive items you don't really want, well that's not the best possible experience is it?
You can subscribe/cancel/subscribe multiple times in the middle if you want, but if you're like me, you'll think about doing it then just get completely hooked into the line and get all the future products anyways (I'm talking about you Pathfinder Chronicles...). I would however listen to what Yoda said and be wary that sometimes you may not get an item that you want through the cancel/subscribe method. Sometimes the printing schedule coincides so that you'll get multiple books at the same time from the same subscription. Good luck!
Sleazy?!? Ouch. I think that's a little harsh...Cos,
I think he was refering to the practice of "subscribe/cancel/subscribe/cancel..." as being a sleazy practice of some customers.
Yes, exactly! No slight intended toward Customer Service; it seemed like this sort of thing on the part of customers constitutes taking unfair advantage. Kind of like the evil captive sneering at the paladin, who he knows isn't allowed to torture him for information. :)