Say no to DLC Dnd.

To my remeber biggest problem with PDFs wasn't even the loss due to piracy, it was the leaks of the books before their release.

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

 This isn't exactly a good arguement for the type of product this thread is talking about.  The three exclusives are no different from previous products that WotC provided as PDF's in recent years other than that they are exclusive to DDB. If they had used the same model as their DM's Guild PDF's, I would have purchased them, but as a DDB exclusive, they hold no value at all.  I think it is easy for people on these forums to think that the majority of players use this site, but that has not been my personal experience.

 Or, they noticed after that 'last time' that there were copies of the PDF's on various free distribution sites, to a wide spread enough extent that trying to shut that down was deemed impractical, so that this time, they went this way to try to avoid a repeat of that.

 Given that these appear to be an entirely new product category in practice, since apparently all the other PDF releases have been for charity books, I think trying to place the blame on why they did it this way on any particular factor is going to be difficult. It may be as simple as "this is how we do digital distribution".

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 I don't play "what about" games. If you don't agree that everyone playing d&d at the same table should have the same access to content that is fine. I don't feel the same way. 

Have a great day.

Quote from Pantagruel666 >>

Quote from AntonSirius >>

Does WOTC lose some effectively meaningless amount of revenue to piracy of D&D books in 2025? Sure, I suppose. Have they taken the best approach to addressing the "issue"? I doubt it

WotC certainly loses money to piracy. The exactly amount of money they use is hard to calculate and debatable, because you don't know what portion of pirates would buy anything if unable to pirate. As for whether they've chosen the best option: we don't know, and I doubt they know, but I will note that making games always-online (even when there's no reason it should be necessary) is a popular solution in the video game space, so it's not like D&D Beyond is doing anything all that unusual, and comparing D&D to other RPGs is just like comparing AA and AAA games to indie games -- they don't really have the same issues.

Though always-online video games have themselves become subject to increasing scrutiny and criticism in recent years: it's one thing if the game itself is an online multiplayer, but forcing always online for single player games is not popular among players after high-profile instances of games having unreliable servers or other issues that prevented people from being able to access them.

Quote from 6thLyranGuard >>

Though always-online video games have themselves become subject to increasing scrutiny and criticism in recent years: it's one thing if the game itself is an online multiplayer, but forcing always online for single player games is not popular among players after high-profile instances of games having unreliable servers or other issues that prevented people from being able to access them.

Sure. It's the universal problem with security (which isn't even limited to IP): the things you do to block bad actors also interfere with legitimate uses, and thus you have to balance usability and security. At the one end, you lose money to piracy; at the other end, you lose money because your product is too annoying to actually use so people don't buy it. As a customer, the primary way to voice satisfaction or dissatisfaction over the way the seller has resolved that dilemma is by choosing to buy or not buy; complaining on forums is mostly noise.

Quote from MaedraDawnkeeper >>

& I've already addressed how durable magazine paper is long-term in the past(it's only slightly better these days), thus the kinetic satisfaction is only temporary unless you know how to non-electronically preserve magazines to a degree where that kinetic satisfaction is maintained to your lacking.

Likewise, 4e's HEAVY piracy scene turned off investor firms from PDFs. Hasbro lost their money in their eyes. It's not Beyond's fault in this case, or even WotC's:It's Blackrock, The Vanguard Group, & other boomer money blobs ordering Hasbro to increase RoI to make up for what they see as loaned money lost to piracy.

 
That's kinda missing my point. I can buy lots of copies of magazines. I can photocopy them. I can read them in a faraday cage that blocks wifi signals. As I've argued before, there's plenty of reason to suggest that the services D&D Beyond provide are likewise non-durable. The difference is that with physical copies or pdfs I have control and can take action to prevent losing the information. 

I'm not saying who should receive the blame. I'm saying, again, that this is the next step in a trend towards the consumer-unfriendly paradigm in which every product is a service that you do not actually own. D&D Beyond was a great service at first because it expanded the options available to consumers. I'm upset because WotC is now reducing the options available.

I'm not denying that D&D Beyond is a service that provides utility or that people should feel bad for using it or whatever. Buy what you want, I don't care.

The fiduciary duty argument is super dubious. Nobody is going to sue WotC if they offer pdfs of their books. They certainly won't be sued for providing a physical option.

Quote from Pantagruel666 >>

Quote from 6thLyranGuard >>

Though always-online video games have themselves become subject to increasing scrutiny and criticism in recent years: it's one thing if the game itself is an online multiplayer, but forcing always online for single player games is not popular among players after high-profile instances of games having unreliable servers or other issues that prevented people from being able to access them.

Sure. It's the universal problem with security (which isn't even limited to IP): the things you do to block bad actors also interfere with legitimate uses, and thus you have to balance usability and security. At the one end, you lose money to piracy; at the other end, you lose money because your product is too annoying to actually use so people don't buy it. As a customer, the primary way to voice satisfaction or dissatisfaction over the way the seller has resolved that dilemma is by choosing to buy or not buy; complaining on forums is mostly noise.

 It's kind of been known for decades at this point that extremely stringent anti-piracy practices actually increase piracy, because it makes it harder for people to legitimately access the product so they turn to illegal sources instead, many of which will remove the anti-piracy security measures from it.  That's probably as far as we should go on this tangent- wouldn't want to annoy the mods too much.

I'm just done with attempts to shame "whales" online into playing other stuff that exists.

Especially if people do not have *fun* with OtherStuff that Exists.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

Counter-example:Some of us are still waiting for DMSGuild exclusives to be on other services, PDF or not, because we don't HAVE a traditional pen & paper community where we live.

Some of us live where Satanic Panic is still a thing, there is no house or friendly business to conveniently waltz into & play, & where IRL gaming with strangers is discouraged due to local paranoia.

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

You are comparing a smaller DLC for a game (which is essentially what gazetteers and the like, i.e. things such as this thread is discussing, with an entire game, though. 

And meanwhile, you have people out there making bank on complaining about how bad they consider 5e to be, or at least how bad they consider the newest releases all to be and yet there is simultaneously a complaint that such products are not being given wide enough distribution?

The whole situation, in context, feels far more like an excuse to complain (or perhaps to try to shame WotC into switching to easily pirate-able PDFs) than any legitimate complaint. Again, it feels too specific, too targeted.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

 

You are comparing a smaller DLC for a game (which is essentially what gazetteers and the like, i.e. things such as this thread is discussing, with an entire game, though. 

And meanwhile, you have people out there making bank on complaining about how bad they consider 5e to be, or at least how bad they consider the newest releases all to be and yet there is simultaneously a complaint that such products are not being given wide enough distribution?

The whole situation, in context, feels far more like an excuse to complain (or perhaps to try to shame WotC into switching to easily pirate-able PDFs) than any legitimate complaint. Again, it feels too specific, too targeted.

 It's less of an actual conspiracy, moreso a sharp uptick in guilty attitudes that all bad things are equally bad because they're any degree of bad, because the internet loves to do guilt by association.

I still want to know what people without the IRL conveniences of friendly affordable business spaces, non-Satanic Panic-laden community, or willing participants are supposed to do if the game has to stay pen & paper because it's tradition. Likewise, some of us do not have FUN with other stuff that exists, which is the point of a game. I don't have a choice but to use electronic Dungeons And Dragons. I've tried other stuff & not had fun. & I know I'm not the only one who's spat upon by the greater TTRPG community for being a lower-class fan.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

 

You are comparing a smaller DLC for a game (which is essentially what gazetteers and the like, i.e. things such as this thread is discussing, with an entire game, though. 

And meanwhile, you have people out there making bank on complaining about how bad they consider 5e to be, or at least how bad they consider the newest releases all to be and yet there is simultaneously a complaint that such products are not being given wide enough distribution?

The whole situation, in context, feels far more like an excuse to complain (or perhaps to try to shame WotC into switching to easily pirate-able PDFs) than any legitimate complaint. Again, it feels too specific, too targeted.

 I have been a firm defender of the 2024 rules, so any "feelings" you might have regarding why I want a quality pdf are your own and have nothing to do with me.   I have been clear, I play with people that don't use DDB who would like some of the content, but don't want to use DDB. 

Quote from MaedraDawnkeeper >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

 

You are comparing a smaller DLC for a game (which is essentially what gazetteers and the like, i.e. things such as this thread is discussing, with an entire game, though. 

And meanwhile, you have people out there making bank on complaining about how bad they consider 5e to be, or at least how bad they consider the newest releases all to be and yet there is simultaneously a complaint that such products are not being given wide enough distribution?

The whole situation, in context, feels far more like an excuse to complain (or perhaps to try to shame WotC into switching to easily pirate-able PDFs) than any legitimate complaint. Again, it feels too specific, too targeted.

 It's less of an actual conspiracy, moreso a sharp uptick in guilty attitudes that all bad things are equally bad because they're any degree of bad, because the internet loves to do guilt by association.

I still want to know what people without the IRL conveniences of friendly affordable business spaces, non-Satanic Panic-laden community, or willing participants are supposed to do if the game has to stay pen & paper because it's tradition. Likewise, some of us do not have FUN with other stuff that exists, which is the point of a game. I don't have a choice but to use electronic Dungeons And Dragons. I've tried other stuff & not had fun. & I know I'm not the only one who's spat upon by the greater TTRPG community for being a lower-class fan.

 I have never said that anything should be print only, and no one in this thread has spit on you or tried to deny you content in way that is useful to you. 

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from MaedraDawnkeeper >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

 

You are comparing a smaller DLC for a game (which is essentially what gazetteers and the like, i.e. things such as this thread is discussing, with an entire game, though. 

And meanwhile, you have people out there making bank on complaining about how bad they consider 5e to be, or at least how bad they consider the newest releases all to be and yet there is simultaneously a complaint that such products are not being given wide enough distribution?

The whole situation, in context, feels far more like an excuse to complain (or perhaps to try to shame WotC into switching to easily pirate-able PDFs) than any legitimate complaint. Again, it feels too specific, too targeted.

 It's less of an actual conspiracy, moreso a sharp uptick in guilty attitudes that all bad things are equally bad because they're any degree of bad, because the internet loves to do guilt by association.

I still want to know what people without the IRL conveniences of friendly affordable business spaces, non-Satanic Panic-laden community, or willing participants are supposed to do if the game has to stay pen & paper because it's tradition. Likewise, some of us do not have FUN with other stuff that exists, which is the point of a game. I don't have a choice but to use electronic Dungeons And Dragons. I've tried other stuff & not had fun. & I know I'm not the only one who's spat upon by the greater TTRPG community for being a lower-class fan.

 I have never said that anything should be print only, and no one in this thread has spit on you or tried to deny you content in way that is useful to you. 

 I wasn't directing that at you.

You just got caught in the multi quote.

But I'm not going to stay in this thread anymore.

I'm done with TTRPG psuedo-Jimquisitionomics for a long while. It's too depressing.

Quote from MaedraDawnkeeper >>

 

 

 I wasn't directing that at you.

You just got caught in the multi quote.

But I'm not going to stay in this thread anymore.

I'm done with TTRPG psuedo-Jimquisitionomics for a long while. It's too depressing.

 For what it is worth, I am sorry you live in a place where you are unable to play with other like minded people.

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from GnollitAll78450 >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Quote from Lia_Black >>

Quote from Kotath >>

Well, again, given we are in the DDB forums, yes, I expect the vast majority of people here to be people who use this site. But as for a 'desire for those specific items' again, when the demand for PDF versions is specific to them, then it begs the question, why just them?  I find that question particularly significant in conjunction with the possibility I mentioned above, namely that they felt burned after the last time. 

Why just them is because these options are ONLY AVAILABLE ON DDB.  If there were a PDF then they would be available to EVERYONE instead of just people on DDB. 

Edit: Personally, I would never expect them to release physical copies of this type of product, but to make them exclusive to DDB is the issue I have.

 

If this was some sort of Steam exclusive for a game available on Steam, would you have the same issue with that?

 
People did get annoyed at Epic when it would buy up exclusivity periods on games, and that was with the knowledge that after the period elapsed it would come to other platforms. So yes, it was the same issue. There was a big frackas about OuterWilds a while back being an epic exclusive, same with some tactics game i can't remember. 

Or maybe not same, that was lesser, cause if These exclusives were timed period only before they released in other forms, I wouldn't be mad. D&D has been pen and paper for longer than i have been alive, 3rd party online for a decade and a half, and to see content gated to one specific site that was bought up and walled off is pretty irksome.

This is one of the things people were worried about when MMO monetization veterans like Chris Cao was working there, and now it has come about even though he isn't there anymore.

 

You are comparing a smaller DLC for a game (which is essentially what gazetteers and the like, i.e. things such as this thread is discussing, with an entire game, though. 

And meanwhile, you have people out there making bank on complaining about how bad they consider 5e to be, or at least how bad they consider the newest releases all to be and yet there is simultaneously a complaint that such products are not being given wide enough distribution?

The whole situation, in context, feels far more like an excuse to complain (or perhaps to try to shame WotC into switching to easily pirate-able PDFs) than any legitimate complaint. Again, it feels too specific, too targeted.

 
Again, Splat books and PDFs are Different, so are Printable PDFs because you can take them to other places and I am saying, the thing about this that is bad, is that it is to my knowledge, not a PDF that can be used freely, it is locked to Beyond. So no, i am not bemoaning the existence of Gazetters or splatbooks. I like those.
( If it is transferable to a PDF then I don't have a problem, and have been misinformed, and i am not about to blow a bunch of money to find out, i can't afford to right now )

Like i said in another post, platform locking is like only being able to see and use a supplement in the store i bought it at, at games run there. The platform exclusivity is what i don't like. If you want to talk "whole situation in context" you would know my position and that I make a clear distinction between "DLC" Such as platform locked exclusive content and Supplements like Splat books and other micro-material for the game, which I like.  Nuance exists.

Also the people making bank about complaining about 5E being bad, are not part of this conversation and in my eyes, are idiots. I have been playing since AD&D 2nd Edition and 5E is WAY BETTER.  

i don't want to play a "he smelt it delt it" but it kinda sounds like you are acting as you accuse me of doing. Looking for an argument. 

Actually imma just Straight out and ask it.

Can these supplements be transferred into PDFs that i can share with my table? Some friends have told me it can't but others here have suggested it can. 
If anyone has, tell me, because then the problem is gone. Like i said in another post, i don't have the money to waste if it is indeed platform locked.