An Updated ASLRB Service: What Would You Pay?

[Mr Incredible]

Why can't we have both?

What I mean, either purchase the hard copy RB (maybe bump up the price to $100) and get the eRB for free for life, or pay an annual subscription (say $25/pa) for just the eRB.

I use some propriety software for my line of work and you need a USB fob plugged into your PC to use. Can't see how that can't be done here. You get a fob with the RB or with the annual fee. Fob stops working if you don't pay.

Also, have another program that is fixed to my PC, i think via the MAC, again why can't that be done here?

Only thing with an eRB and paying an annual fee, I would expect the RB to be continually up to date.

 

[Philippe D.]

I use some propriety software for my line of work and you need a USB fob plugged into your PC to use. Can't see how that can't be done here. You get a fob with the RB or with the annual fee. Fob stops working if you don't pay.

We're not talking software, we're talking data. Data that users would typically want to access on a variety of devices (just for my personal case: a variety of PCs, some running Windows, some running Linux; at least an iPad, i.e. a device with no USB; and, most likely, an e-ink reader, again with no USB). Making sure a program has not been tampered with is way easier than data - and solutions for this are probably way too expensive for MMP.

Just set things up so that the eRB can be downloaded when you are subscribed, and require a login/password to download updates - when your subscription is over, you cannot download anymore. Simple incentive to keep the honest players subscribed so they can keep their eRB up to date. Of course, the dishonest players will be able to get pirated copies, but hey, there's not much you can do to prevent that anyway - anybody can just scan (and print, or not) their friend's RB and scenario collection. Strangely enough (or not), my guess is that there are precious few people doing that.

The eRB that I have on my various PCs is of course a bootleg one, given to me by someone who wasn't the original converter. I have no easy way of keeping it up to date with errata (OK, I could dive into the various files, it would probably be feasible). My guess is that a sizeable proportion of the active player base is in a similar situation, and that most, like me, would be ready to pay MMP to avoid having to do the work.

 

[Mr Incredible]

But passwords can be shared via email etc and work on multiple devices.

The USB can't, it will only work on one device at a time.

Just sayin'. If they can work out a system that will lock you out if the same password is used at the same time on two devices (to stop sharing), that might work too.

I'm just thinking about what the impediments might be to it.

Also, there being no ability to print the eRB would also stop unlicenced copies.

 

[von Marwitz]

Why can't we have both?

What I mean, either purchase the hard copy RB (maybe bump up the price to $100) and get the eRB for free for life, or pay an annual subscription (say $25/pa) for just the eRB.

The real question is not paper OR electronic. I believe there is room and business for both.

The real question is, in which form would the electronic variant of the ASLRB have (which chapters, for example, all errata Q&A in it or just plain rules, frequency of updates) and - maybe even more importantly - by which buisness model would it be sold.

These two factors will determine, how much people are willing to pay in the end.
By example, I would not buy the subscription model at all. But I would be paying for an eASLRB with free updates.

von Marwitz

 

[von Marwitz]

Just set things up so that the eRB can be downloaded when you are subscribed, and require a login/password to download updates - when your subscription is over, you cannot download anymore. Simple incentive to keep the honest players subscribed so they can keep their eRB up to date. Of course, the dishonest players will be able to get pirated copies, but hey, there's not much you can do to prevent that anyway - anybody can just scan (and print, or not) their friend's RB and scenario collection. Strangely enough (or not), my guess is that there are precious few people doing that.

You do not need a subscription model to enable downloads of updates if you would follow a one-time payment model.

The moment, the ASLRB will go electronic, it will be "hacked", distributed illegally, download keys shared or circumvented. Basically, this is already happening in the form of privately created ASLRBs. This is the drawback of the "21st century go all digital hype". Once the electronic data (in any form or circumstance) is there, it will be used as intended and as not intended.

Dishonest people won't care anyway and will find a way to get it for free (though there ccould be an argument if this might have some justification if one payed for a couple of printed versions). Honest people really pay for the convenience rather than the data maybe (which they mostly own already in printed form or privately created electronic form). So what we are looking for is the most 'fair deal' for those who treat MMP 'fairly'. I tend to believe that this is the one-time payment with free updates.

von Marwitz

 

[Philippe D.]

But passwords can be shared via email etc and work on multiple devices.

Yes. And my belief is that the vast majority of players won't do it.

Also, there being no ability to print the eRB would also stop unlicenced copies.

It would stop nothing, really. People who really wanted to print their eRB could still do it, using a variety of possible shortcuts (the ugly ones being taking screenshots and converting them to, say, PDF).

My point is that, in this regard, the winning strategy is to make your buyers happy through ease of access and quality of service. It saves you the trouble of finding a copy protection solution that will cost you a lot, will never really be 100% copy-proof, and will piss off your buyers because it will restrict their use of the product more than it will really protect. So just make it painless for paying customers to keep their copy up to date, while forcing cheaters to go through the same minor trouble every time they update. That, and peer pressure - my other guess is that most players will frown upon people who play the game but have only an obvious copy of the rulebook (and I live in France: many people here would certainly like to be able to read the rules in French, and there are unofficial translations about; yet I don't think I've ever seen someone playing the game but not having an original copy of the rules [apart from a small group of people playing a single copy of the game]).

 

[horseshoe]

No there aren't. There've been half a dozen or more replacement pages issued since 2001, freely available on their website (although I didn't know that putting up a replacement page on the web site was as hard as they say it is).

What we could use is an eASLRB so we can ditch the printed version altogether. MMP should stop wasting their time with printed versions altogether.

ABSOLUTELY WRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't even own a smart phone, much less some other electronic gadget and I don't want one. Give me a printed rulebook...

 

[TopT]

ABSOLUTELY WRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't even own a smart phone, much less some other electronic gadget and I don't want one. Give me a printed rulebook...

Are you sure? I'm just checking as I couldn't really glean if you really meant that.

 

[horseshoe]

Are you sure? I'm just checking as I couldn't really glean if you really meant that.

Serious as a heart attack. I really don't own one or tablet or laptop or ad naseum...

 

[Bob Walters]

Serious as a heart attack. I really don't own one or tablet or laptop or ad naseum...

Yet you are commenting in a forum for computer users.

 

[Carln0130]

I voted other, for the following reasons. There are two options listed, for just having a PDF put out there, I would not pay anything. However, for a proper E-ASLRB, that could be updated with a downloadable patch which I am on an e-distribution list for, I would consider going as high as 50.00 annually.

To date, I have not updated my RB in a few years, because I hunt down the questions in the numerous online archives that house the errata and the Perry Sez. To have it all at my fingertips in electronic format, updated, essentially for me, yeah, I would fork a few beans over for that.

 

[Brian W]

Yet you are commenting in a forum for computer users.

NO HE ISN'T. HE'S JUST SO ANGRY THAT THE EITHER HAS PICKED UP HIS ANGER AND TRANSLATED IT INTO ELECTRONS TO POST IT ON THE WWW.

 

[Robin Reeve]

Why not have the rules online ?
One would have access by subscribing at a small price and there are means to limit the access to one user.
That way, paper rules would still be necessary, as one is not always connnected.

 

[Yuri0352]

Instead of quibbling over a $10, $25, $50 per year subscription plan, the pro-ASLRB crowd should plan on saving $300 in Bitcoin for that moment around mid morning on the first day of ASLOK when their wiz-bang digital rules are taken hostage.

 

[klasmalmstrom]

Instead of quibbling over a $10, $25, $50 per year subscription plan, the pro-ASLRB crowd should plan on saving $300 in Bitcoin for that moment around mid morning on the first day of ASLOK when their wiz-bang digital rules are taken hostage.

"Section D7.1 has been encrypted, if you plan on making an OVR please pay $50 in bitcoin. This price will increase by $100 per complete Game Turn."

 

[jrv]

Who cares about the rules? We could really do ourselves a favor and make the Fire Table electronic. With the eFT no firepower would be lost and there wouldn't be those "jumps" about which whiners endlessly whine. And we could have three-player IFT-IIFT-eFT debates.

JR

 

[von Marwitz]

Yet you are commenting in a forum for computer users.

Some are working with computers all day and just want anything for their hobby but spending yet more time in front of a screen.

Some might be working with computers/hardware/software/data and may not be as oblivious as most users about what happens or can happen with all the data that is collected about you when using FB, WhatsApp, Google, Credit Cards, Smartphones, Smartwatches, Smarthome devices and other gadgets. Usually, the more "smart" advertisement tells you all this stuff is, the more fatuitous one has to be to believe it. The more "convenient" you let yourself be lulled the more languorous your train of thought becomes.

von Marwitz

 

[jrv]

MMP could insert advertisements into the eASLRB/RB update and give it away for free!

JR

 

[von Marwitz]

MMP could insert advertisements into the eASLRB/RB update and give it away for free!

JR

Bring firewood, some chains, and a stake for our dear friend JRV, please.

von Marwitz

 

[jrv]

Bring firewood, some chains, and a stake for our dear friend JRV, please.

That's very kind of you. As an aside I know you are not a native speaker, so you probably don't realize it's spelled, "steak."

JR