Box Sets first and last and always. Just like a cat.

PDF, followed by softcovers, then hardcovers, and I don't really know what should happen for me to buy a boxed set;).

Quote from: Nihilistic Mind;961706There is definitely something special about Box Sets. My favorite box set is City of Lies for L5R 1e, because it has so much stuff! Maps, an in-game journal, etc.

A friend of mine has the Horror on the Orient Express and Beyond the Mountains of Madness box sets and they are full of in-game props which are really special!

If it's a set of books only, hardcover is probably best. If it has extra bits, boxed set, of course!

A friend of mine gave me a worn Pendragon 1st ed box. It's full of interesting maps & stuff, making me really want to play the game (I always wanted to play Pendragon, since I have the 4th ed book, but now even more). As a bonus, it also contains other old RPG stuff that had accumulated at the bottom of the box. Which is another nice thing about boxes (if they have extra room).

Quote from: Dumarest;961464Boxed set every time. I like a complete game in a box. Also, the box makes it handy for transport with the dice and books all inside it.

I liked boxed sets, but I find transporting to be the worst reason to like them. While I still have some intact boxes, like my Moldvay Basic, most of them have been flattened, and it is usually the result of using them to lug the game around. I learned quickly that it was best to just to take what I needed out of the box when playing a game outside my home.

There is a lot of talk of softcover vs. hardcover here, but I think it is important to mention that softcover can mean very different things. Unlike most softcovers today, the ones in a lot of those 80's boxed sets were saddle stitched. Those are pretty good at laying flat on the table. Assuming they are printed on good paper, they are also pretty durable. My B/X , Gamma World 2E and Star Frontiers core books have outlasted a lot of hardbacks over the years.

Granted, saddle-stitching is only something you want to do with a fairly short book, but that isn't a bad thing to aspire to.

Quote from: Trond;961841A friend of mine gave me a worn Pendragon 1st ed box. It's full of interesting maps & stuff, making me really want to play the game (I always wanted to play Pendragon, since I have the 4th ed book, but now even more). As a bonus, it also contains other old RPG stuff that had accumulated at the bottom of the box. Which is another nice thing about boxes (if they have extra room).

Oh well yes, from the point of view of providing a game that new players can play, it can be good to have a box to be able to include other things, such as independent pieces for maps, counters, reference sheets, etc.

Quote from: Trond;961841A friend of mine gave me a worn Pendragon 1st ed box. It's full of interesting maps & stuff, making me really want to play the game (I always wanted to play Pendragon, since I have the 4th ed book, but now even more). As a bonus, it also contains other old RPG stuff that had accumulated at the bottom of the box. Which is another nice thing about boxes (if they have extra room).

Nice!

Quote from: Baulderstone;961846I liked boxed sets, but I find transporting to be the worst reason to like them. While I still have some intact boxes, like my Moldvay Basic, most of them have been flattened, and it is usually the result of using them to lug the game around. I learned quickly that it was best to just to take what I needed out of the box when playing a game outside my home.

There is a lot of talk of softcover vs. hardcover here, but I think it is important to mention that softcover can mean very different things. Unlike most softcovers today, the ones in a lot of those 80's boxed sets were saddle stitched. Those are pretty good at laying flat on the table. Assuming they are printed on good paper, they are also pretty durable. My B/X , Gamma World 2E and Star Frontiers core books have outlasted a lot of hardbacks over the years.

Granted, saddle-stitching is only something you want to do with a fairly short book, but that isn't a bad thing to aspire to.

This inspired me to finally Google "saddle stitched". Slightly disappointed to learn it just means "stapled".

Quote from: S'mon;961961This inspired me to finally Google "saddle stitched". Slightly disappointed to learn it just means "stapled".

It's a bit like how when I worked at Borders, we classified trade paperbacks as "Quality Paperbacks".

Hardcover. They are more durable, compact and often contain more content per inch of shelf space they occupy. I own quite a few old boxed sets. They take up far more space than do an equal number of hardcover or softcover single volume games.

Hardcover.  Box sets have their charm too, but ultimately hardcovers are more durable and easier to carry around.