If you have the ability to post on the Internet about how expensive a luxury item like roleplaying games are, then I submit that you're pretty well off, in the grand scheme of things.
I kinda agree with this wholeheartedly.
If you have the ability to post on the Internet about how expensive a luxury item like roleplaying games are, then I submit that you're pretty well off, in the grand scheme of things.I kinda agree with this wholeheartedly.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
If you have the ability to post on the Internet about how expensive a luxury item like roleplaying games are, then I submit that you're pretty well off, in the grand scheme of things.I kinda agree with this wholeheartedly.
LOL, reminds me of things I've seen on Facebook like:
"FML! No money to party! No money for shoes! I f***in' hate being broke!"
- posted by iPhone...
If you have the ability to post on the Internet about how expensive a luxury item like roleplaying games are, then I submit that you're pretty well off, in the grand scheme of things.I kinda agree with this wholeheartedly.
Kinda wholeheartedly eh? ;)
I think drinking bottled water is a rich man's hobby, when the tap water isn't hooked up to a river with human and animal excrement routinely dumped in it.
I think drinking bottled water is a rich man's hobby, when the tap water isn't hooked up to a river with human and animal excrement routinely dumped in it.
LOL, if you investigate you'll find out that the vast majority of bottled water is produced by hooking up a tap to a river with human and animal excrement routinely dumped in it.
Of course most of it comes from municipal taps so the river water is processed, but I couldn't help but chuckle at your description here.
I have seen stuff labeled alpine spring water when it was bottled below the mountains in the desert right off highway 395. Also bottled water tastes worse than tap water.
I think drinking bottled water is a rich man's hobby, when the tap water isn't hooked up to a river with human and animal excrement routinely dumped in it.LOL, if you investigate you'll find out that the vast majority of bottled water is produced by hooking up a tap to a river with human and animal excrement routinely dumped in it.
Of course most of it comes from municipal taps so the river water is processed, but I couldn't help but chuckle at your description here.
I think the fact that we drive a truck around to market filled with tap water in bottles instead of relying on this new fangled Roman invention called plumbing which we've improved generally by generally not using actual publium in its manufacture to move water cheaply and efficiently speaks volumes......
I'll tighten up my statement, though, and qualify it by saying "unprocessed excrement," and add in "unprocessed animal corpses" for good measure.
Sorry; I should have it more together, seeing as I had adequate caloric intake this month and don't live in a house with no electricity and mud walls covered with a roof of aluminum siding. Also, the water I drink from the tap is relatively free from parasites, so my innards are generally safe from all manner of malaises.
I do agree that prices for certain books can get very high. I did buy the 3.5 Rapan Athuk Reloaded, read all the books and then put it away. Why did I buy it? Brand loyalty since I have enjoyed Necromancer Games' products. I do have buyer's remorse since I have never gotten to play and thus will be skipping the PF version of RA and Slumbering Tsar since I can't really justify the expense these days.
PDFs, the free online source are all good choices for those on a budget who want to play.
Buy a copy of hero lab and all the data files to keep it up to date, you'll find that feels like a Rich Man's hobby. However, Hero Lab and the data files are definitely luxury goods.
If you can afford them, they're great for building characters with minimal mistakes. If you're prone to making mistakes like I am, it's worth it.
Like good accounting software vs a leather ledger, it's very much personal choice. Some people prefer a physical ledger and do amazing things with them.
The prices are getting so high on these books these days. $50-$100 dollar books. I remember the days of AD&D when I could walk into a hobby shop and get a good adventure module for $15 bucks. Now, every body wants $30,$40, $50, $100 bucks for modules. The prices are getting ridiculous and is seems nothing cool can get made anymore withoug a kickstarter. Sad times for the RPG game industry. Due to the economy and $5 dollar a gallon gas prices, my campaign has come to a hiatus until further notice and there's no way I can keep caught up. If people keep paying these prices they will keep raising them. As of now, I'm not paying it anymore.
Yeah, I remember when AD&D hardbacks cost $15.00 too. Of course minimum wage was $3.35. Now it's $8.75. Do the math, game books cost the same as always, and sometimes less. Also, "modules" like the Adventure Path series are leagues ahead of the old $15.00 D&D modules in terms of production value, story, integration, and ease of use.
The amount I have spent in my reef tank dwarfs what have spent on all my other hobbies combined. Desktop RPG's are cheaper and more accessible than ever. Especially if you don't live in the US. Back in the old day I could not even get the most basic rule book, not because I could not afford it but because I could not find it.
|
Also, "modules" like the Adventure Path series are leagues ahead of the old $15.00 D&D modules in terms of production value, story, integration, and ease of use.
You should be careful with generalized statements. They may not have had color pictures or glossy paper, but there are a lot of old modules that are just as good (or better) than the best of Paizo's stuff.
Which stores are you going to?
Those prices aren't even that crazy high in Norway.
I envy the US prices.
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Also, "modules" like the Adventure Path series are leagues ahead of the old $15.00 D&D modules in terms of production value, story, integration, and ease of use.You should be careful with generalized statements. They may not have had color pictures or glossy paper, but there are a lot of old modules that are just as good (or better) than the best of Paizo's stuff.
If you're into dungeon crawls that are strings of tangentially connected "SCREW YOU" puzzles and "SCREW YOU AGAIN" fights filled with 3rd grade elementary school art club level production values, maybe :)
Well, my friends and I have weathered the economic downturn over the last 5 years by specifically playing roleplaying games. A much cheaper way to spend a saturday night that going clubbing, especially if you consider babysitting.
Compared to the speedboats and ATVs our neighbors buy for the weekend, a set of pathfinder books and minis is cheap!
|
|
Well, my friends and I have weathered the economic downturn over the last 5 years by specifically playing roleplaying games. A much cheaper way to spend a saturday night that going clubbing, especially if you consider babysitting.
Compared to the speedboats and ATVs our neighbors buy for the weekend, a set of pathfinder books and minis is cheap!
Agreed. My RPG-playing friends are about 90% students, minimum-wage workers, or unemployed. It's a relatively cheap hobby. My PF group shares a set of basic books at table, uses the SRD for extra reference between games, and makes our own campaigns and adventures. We use our primary GM's childhood legos for minis. It cost about $300-400 split over 5 people over two years of weekly gaming, or about $1.60 per person per night. That's less than a cup of coffee from a fast-food restaurant.
Now, you can MAKE it expensive. I do, unfortunately. But I spend the vast majority of my gaming dollars on miniatures, terrain, dice and other game aids. I've built a computer gaming table, I have about a hundred pounds of hydrostone terrain made from Hirst Arts molds... I've probably got about $1,000 tied up in this game over the course of my life. Maybe $1,500.
Based on your post I'd say $1000-$1500 is conservative.
While I do like the old school adventures, even I have to admit that the artwork back then was fairly mediocre compared to the artwork we see now. Nothing against them, because I still had loads of fun!
I liked the 3rd edition artwork, and the Pathfinder artwork, but Jeff Easley's 2nd edition masterpieces will always be what I compare everything else to. Some of the hairstyles are pretty humorous though by today's standards.
I want to mention that I'd be happy to pay above-Amazon rates for books if doing so supported a FLGS in my area. The benefits of having such a place are well worth the retail markup. And speaking as someone who lives in an area with a genuine dearth of such establishments, let me tell you, I REALLY feel the lack.
I liked the 3rd edition artwork, and the Pathfinder artwork, but Jeff Easley's 2nd edition masterpieces will always be what I compare everything else to.
While I do like the old school adventures, even I have to admit that the artwork back then was fairly mediocre compared to the artwork we see now. Nothing against them, because I still had loads of fun!
Damn, you know, I feel ashamed to have forgotten him. Such great art. Young me always oohed and aahed at his work. Touche, my friend, touche.
Based on your post I'd say $1000-$1500 is conservative.Now, you can MAKE it expensive. I do, unfortunately. But I spend the vast majority of my gaming dollars on miniatures, terrain, dice and other game aids. I've built a computer gaming table, I have about a hundred pounds of hydrostone terrain made from Hirst Arts molds... I've probably got about $1,000 tied up in this game over the course of my life. Maybe $1,500.
Ciaran, I may have more than $1,500 tied up, but I don't think I have that much more than that. But that's because I have been, I think, extraordinarily frugal in building my colletcion of RPG assets.
For example, my computer game table is one I made myself from scrap lumber and some melamine with a plexiglass "screen" which shows an image from a projector that bounces off a mirror below the table. The total cost of the table was less than $200 since I was able to find a 1024x768 projector on eBay for $100.
My miniature collection (roughly 2,000 minis) was built mostly from bulk purchases on eBay. The last time I totaled up my entire cost of minis I came out with around $.28 per mini. For example, I bought over 500 Mage Knight minis for less than $60. Plus I made a lot myself from poly clay and epoxy putty, with a lot of bits chopped up from animal minis I bought for a quarter apiece.
My terrain is either Hydrostone ($30 per 50 lbs) cast from Hirst Arts molds (roughly $30 - $35 per mold) or made from scrap styrofoam or foam core posterboard I buy from dollar stores.
When you add up all the paints and tools, it might get over the $1,500 threshold. But I doubt it would go as high as $2,000.
(Update) Just one more thing, I only have a few D&D minis comparatively, maybe a total of 40 or 50, but I bought most of them from a Borders going out of business sale at huge discount, or else I bought them used from our local gaming store. I have some Reaper minis, but I got many of them from a gaming store going out of business sale, plus I got quite a few as gifts...
I'd love to try out a table like that. Do you put a lot of detail into the projected maps?
Yes there is some good points being made here... bravo bravo. Looks like the people have spoken here! RPG's are not a rich man's hobby but can be if you want them to be, and inflation has dilluted our perception of coin throughout speedy years of memories. Now is a glorious time to be an RPGer. Now is a time where video games are drowning out in preparation of the next generation mindgasm. Personally I play RPG's to maintain my sanity. I still aim to collect most of the books, it's a hobby and I'd rather buy books than drugs or hookers.
I started gaming in 1990-1993, $20 bucks was enough at the time.
Gas was 59 cents a litre in 1992, now it is $1.39. That kind of increase would peg 20 dollar modules at roughly 48 dollars. In perspective there a lot of things that are horrible rip offs, but I think the majority of RPG related stuff is labour-of-love priced.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Ah so good to live in a country where there is no tax on the written word..now if only the postage to anywhere outside the US wasn't so expensive.
@Kthulu: Agreed. My AD&D DMG is still in good enough shape that when I was last flipping through it (yesterday, as a matter of fact) it in no way felt like it would fall apart. The art was still amazing with DAT, DCS, Darlene, Will McLean, the primary inspirations for my life-long love of fantasy gaming. And the content? Wow! The old DMG is also responsible for an awful lot of my broad range of knowledge. I <3 my old AD&D stuff.
Same here. Still take them out once in a while. The Rules Cyclopedia is my favourite book. Love the cover art. The humour in very old dnd art was also a giant plus.
When old roleplayers die, you can get a lot on the cheap.
It happened last year, and I was contacted by a mysterious stranger wanting to pass so much onto a good home.
When old roleplayers get new stuff and jump systems, you can get a lot on the cheap.
I still aim to collect most of the books, it's a hobby and I'd rather buy books than drugs or hookers.
Stick to buying PDF's and as an astute shopper you can still enjoy all three! :p
|
Anyway, I have to agree with pretty much all the posters here - whilst RPGs have the potential to be a rich man's hobby if you want to buy all the books, all the maps, all the dungeon tiles, all the miniatures etc, RPGs can also be the cheapest hobby out there with plenty of free RPGs.
On Amazon.co.uk I can buy the Pathfinder Core Book for £26.25, the Bestiary for £20.00, and if I really couldn't find a FLGS to buy dice from D&D dice can be got from £6.49 including postage, so a total of £52.74.
Now that bundle plus a few pencils and paper could give 5 gamers (1 GM + 4 players) hours upon hours of enjoyment.
Compare that with going to the cinema, my local cineworld is £7.20 (if booked online) so for 5 friends that would cost £36.
So basically you couldn't even go to see two films for the same price.
There are lots of (legal) ways to get RPG games cheap if not free. You want a game with all the bells and whistles you'll pay but if your looking to get some framework for a game, a notebook or pad of paper, a few pencils, some scavenged d6s from that slightly not intact board game no one's touched in your house since the Wii was bought and a decent quiet corner of the dining room or basement you can have a ball. Be prepared to make stuff up, house rule and otherwise take a break to recover from laughing too hard. That's what we all did way back when with the Red Box or that dog eared copy of GURPs someone bought at a library book sale.
Heck, with PDFs there's always a free version of this or that waiting to be printed/downloaded and opened for a fun Friday night. I found this just tonight:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product/106454/ImagiNation?term=imagination
looks amazing as a system that could handle whatever and be accessible to whomever. RPGNow has the D6 Core set Bundle from West End Games for a whopping $0.0, zip, nada. Great gaming is out there for nothing. Imagination is free and seriously needs some exercise these days, and as Mr. Gygax always said the only reason DMs rolled the dice anyway was because they liked the sound so we don't really even need those.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Rich man's hobby? Let me think.
1. Game system: let's say seven day to write own system in spare time (assuming job/studies/child care/housekeeping do not leave you exhausted for the rest of the day).
2. Notebook: $4
3. Pencil: how many pencils can one get for a $1 in US now?
4. Set of dice: $5 (can be replaced by cost of deck of cards or just omitted if making diceless system).
Total: $10. Can do.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
That's an expensive notebook there Drejk.
Yes there is some good points being made here... bravo bravo. Looks like the people have spoken here! RPG's are not a rich man's hobby but can be if you want them to be, and inflation has dilluted our perception of coin throughout speedy years of memories. Now is a glorious time to be an RPGer. Now is a time where video games are drowning out in preparation of the next generation mindgasm. Personally I play RPG's to maintain my sanity. I still aim to collect most of the books, it's a hobby and I'd rather buy books than drugs or hookers.
Ok, all kidding aside, if you're seriously looking for hard-copies of everything to complete your collection, you are on the internet for crying out loud. I completed most of my 3.5e collection for barely over $4 a book. That's less than a combo meal at McDonalds.
I have next to ZERO "play money," and I get along in this hobby just fine. There are tons of retailers selling used and overstock items for dirt cheap.
Back when I started in the books were way more expensive. In fact in 30+ years the price of the books has only gone down in price. I remember paying $40-$50 for core rule books back in 80s. Now I can pick up books for about the same price as I did then. Take in 30 years of inflation on everything else now the books are bargain compared to what they were back then.
Tabletop RPGs: The Great Equalizer?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Ugh. Keeping up with edition changes is what killed the original run of D&D for me. Over the course of the game I bought everything from the original boxed sets, through 1st edition, 2nd edition during college, then 3rd. Then...3.5 came out and I went...um...no more. I actually started to buy 3.5 and then friggin 4.0 came out.
Which is why I like Pathfinder 3.5, its a decent game system and I'd prefer to see it keep going. But yeah, expensive.
That's an expensive notebook there Drejk.
A4 Hardcover with lots of pages. Yes, it can be replaced with cheaper notebook.
Amusingly, I was at one of those eateries that hang kitschy memorabilia on the wall at lunch today. One of their decorations was a framed Bob Dylan concert ticket from 1979. Face value was $8.
You want to protest a racket, go bug Ticketmaster. ;P
Paizo has some fair prices on their books compared to some of these other dillusional companies whos prices I laugh at. Warhammmer cough, cough Warcough cough...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Wow... first off.. I'll say I couldn't even read thru all the responses.. I felt a need to post.
LoL to the "rich man's hobby"
I've been playing "D&D" for almost 30 years. You know what I've learned/ seen??
"D&D" players are the cheapest people around..most groups let 1 poor guy shoulder the burden of buying ALL the books the group "needs". People don't even buy the books they SHOULD have for themselves ( ie Players Handbook, etc ).
I have little to no sympathy for anyone complaining over book prices, especially when they go to amazon or somewhere online to buy it. Go to your local store and buy/order the books, support them, grow the player base.
Not only does pathfinder offer you most of their information online via the d20srd., but it's free.. beggars can't be choosers. They are a great company, with great material ( as well as alot of 3rd party stuff out there ).
I guess the only advice I can offer is maybe if you have a shortage of cash for roleplaying books, find a supplemental source of income or ask your group to chip in for "communal books" to help with the cost of said books.