First: english is not my mothertongue but I think the following will be possible to decipher :)
Second: The content of the books (I ordered both in colour two years ago I think) is great, the other ratings tell more about that.
but, and this is my point of view and a useless one when you don't care about the binding of a book,
Third: The Binding, for me an essential component for a Roleplaying Game Rulebook, is what seems to me as a double-fan adhesive bound. I am not proficient in this trade but I am able to compare all of my other p&p Books (nearly 20 Hardcover books of over 7 different Games from the US, UK and Germany, sometimes with over 500 pages thick) bindings with the bindings of the book I am reviewing. And none of them has this kind of binding. Instead they are done with the oversewing technique. And from my point of view there is a consequence in that.
After using both Vampire books nearly 2 times a month over 2 years (as a Storyteller) the paper which held the pages in the cover ripped (both books). A clear cut between the first page attached to the cover and the rest of the pages. The tear is located there because I open the books usually with the front cover first, like from right to left. Not any of my other books 5 to 10 years older and more frequently in use (once a week for over 5 years (also for storytelling)) plagued me with this problem. Well not any other books except the last VtM Core-Rulebook Edition before this one (but I am not sure if this version also had the same binding as the v20, I don't posses it any more, passed it along when receiving the v20 ones)
This is essential because these books are considered to be used frequently preferably over a long time. They have to withstand the continuing opening and closing of the players.
"I use my new feat XY, I have to..." open - close
"I would like to create this character from..." open - close
"Isn't this supposed to be..." open - close
and so on.
When the pages are going to fall out of the cover it is a annoying hindrance to use the books. And this is happening and I can see no other Reason than this. I doubt that my girlfriend is gnawing at the pages at night Oo
I wrote this Review because I care and because I love the Vampire Setting and hope that this will be considered in the future.
Books with this flaw tends to be useless to me and therefore wasted money.
Delagur
PS: I also wrote an E-Mail to the support about this topic but I felt to tell this again and this time to the ones considering to buy the books.
Rating: [1 of 5 Stars!] |