It's not about anything being better. As far as I know, just like the Real_Skin products, this doesn't do anything you aren't capable of doing yourself. As a matter of fact, he hosts tutorials on making your own AO and Real_Skin without his scripts. Now if you look at those tutorials, you will begin to understand why exactly someone may want to purchase the scripts. It is a lot of work to make it come out right. (I should know, I had followed his Real_Skin tut for a coulpe of days, and I have been tweaking out my render for a couple of weeks now. I have yet to buy his scripts, but I may just get them after I prove to myself I can do it on my own.) The point is, it saves you time making really complicated Mat Room effects. It is by no means required for you to get the effects, it just makes you life infinitely easier. Hope that helps.