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Gwar! wrote:

Vilegrimm wrote:Hmmm... I'm thinking I'd like to upgrade, but my original license expired in April of 2008. So, despite them not actually upgrading the program in that time, they want me to have to buy a 3 year extension to my license, for 37.50.

On second thought, I think I'll pass for now...

-Vilegrimm

Errm, what? No you don't. You should be able to use your original licence, or at least email customer support

Well, I may try emailing them, but according to their user's license information, I was apparently supposed to keep my license active (despite no upgrades for over 2 years, was it?), and when I try to extend my license, it says a 1 yr. and 2 yr. extension are not enough.

Even more interesting, it also states that if your license is over 2 yrs. expired, they may wipe your information, which means you'll definitely need to get a new license to put Army Builder onto a newer machine, or a reinstall. Not as nice of a license as I originally thought...

-Vilegrimm

Loving the smart phone/iphone ability. Instructions on how to do it and the need to buy additional APP was *ehhh* but now that I did it I love it.

If you have not kept your license current, IE you have been using it without the upgrades or autosearch feature, the in order to make it current, you must pay for the time you missed.

So if your license expired 3 years ago, you have to buy 4 years to have it active (the 3 you missed, plus the 1 to make it current).

As it stands for me, it might be cheaper to just buy a new copy than to re-activate.

But what about the two plus years that you basically would have paid for nothing as far as support? Sorry, can't see reupping for past years where they did nothing to support the product to get a update that is marginally useful.

Hmm, I was wondering about that, too. I bought my army builder license last fall so it's still active, and I was able to upgrade to 3.2

I didn't think they'd try to charge you for multiple years if your license isn't active, though! Maybe a group of you should email them about it, and see if they might consider making it a flat fee to upgrade, no matter how many years your AB is out of date.

Actually, I'm still waiting to hear back from them....

I emailed them on Monday to ask if there was some sort of discount price, considering the fact that there were virtually no uprgrades over the course of the extra 2 years that I would have to pay for, and even if I did spend the $37.50 for "3 years" worth of support, it would only last until Jan. 4, 2010.

So, as it stands, $37.50 for 4 1/2 months of AB 3.2? Nope, not me...

-Vilegrimm

Ok, stupid question: I downloaded 3.2, my license is out of date, and I don't like the updates enough to pay for them. How do I get 3.0 back?




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Never mind, I got it. Just download and reinstall 3.1.

loomisc wrote:If you have not kept your license current, IE you have been using it without the upgrades or autosearch feature, the in order to make it current, you must pay for the time you missed.

So if your license expired 3 years ago, you have to buy 4 years to have it active (the 3 you missed, plus the 1 to make it current).

As it stands for me, it might be cheaper to just buy a new copy than to re-activate.

Your kidding right?

It's lone wolf, they have the most restrictive Licence known to man, not even M$ is as bad.

Then they should just get DRM and get it over with. The purchase of 3.0 is now the last penny they will ever get from me.

Sarge wrote:

loomisc wrote:If you have not kept your license current, IE you have been using it without the upgrades or autosearch feature, the in order to make it current, you must pay for the time you missed.

So if your license expired 3 years ago, you have to buy 4 years to have it active (the 3 you missed, plus the 1 to make it current).

As it stands for me, it might be cheaper to just buy a new copy than to re-activate.

Your kidding right?

No I am not kidding. I can't remember the price quoted when I tried to re-activate my account, but it might have been in the $37.00 range someone else noted above. At the time 3.2 was not announced yet and I just blew it off and figured I am not wasting my time or money. Not entirely sure 3.2 will be enough for me to change that either.


NM..just check it is indeed $37.50 for me to upgrade.

Sarge wrote:Then they should just get DRM and get it over with. The purchase of 3.0 is now the last penny they will ever get from me.

That's what the license key system is, essentially. Wolf Lair's system is definitely restrictive, but there's a lot worse if you look at high-end commercial apps. hardware dongles are a pretty good solution in some cases, I think, but the dongles are expensive if you're talking part of a $40 hobby utility, but they're fine when it's part of a multiple-hundred-dollar professional application. (And I've never had the misfortune to work with the expensive multi-thousand-dollar specialized CAD/CAM apps or similar.)

loomisc wrote:If you have not kept your license current, IE you have been using it without the upgrades or autosearch feature, the in order to make it current, you must pay for the time you missed.

So if your license expired 3 years ago, you have to buy 4 years to have it active (the 3 you missed, plus the 1 to make it current).

As it stands for me, it might be cheaper to just buy a new copy than to re-activate.

Well, the AB Licence is dodgy as feth, so I don't know why people are surprised by this kinda stuff.

To be honest, they're quickly being outpaced by other developers that can cover both this niche market and others more quickly.

Who's that?

Arschbombe wrote:Who's that?

Yes, do tell. What other company has even a comparable product?

ChrisAsmadi wrote:

loomisc wrote:If you have not kept your license current, IE you have been using it without the upgrades or autosearch feature, the in order to make it current, you must pay for the time you missed.

So if your license expired 3 years ago, you have to buy 4 years to have it active (the 3 you missed, plus the 1 to make it current).

As it stands for me, it might be cheaper to just buy a new copy than to re-activate.

Well, the AB Licence is dodgy as feth, so I don't know why people are surprised by this kinda stuff.

Lol. Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true.

Vertrucio wrote:To be honest, they're quickly being outpaced by other developers that can cover both this niche market and others more quickly.

Inquiring minds want to know.

If someone's putting out a comparable product at a comparable price, a lot of unsatisfied Wolf Lair customers might just be switching products when their licenses expire (or, now that they have).


Eric

As much as I love AB, I am not renewing my license to get an update that should have happened years ago.
The license mentions upgrades/updates. I recieved exactly zero after purchase, because 3.1 was already out.

I have no problem searching for new files on my own. That's easy.
But an upgrade that overwrites my paid for license is more than annoying.

I am hoping that the 40kAB file writers keep building the files based on 3.1.

I already had to switch to Tabletop Commander for Warmachine, since there are no updated files for AB.
Maybe someone could have a go at a 40k program similar to that.

skrulnik wrote:I am hoping that the 40kAB file writers keep building the files based on 3.1.

The 3.2 upgrade did not break the file structure. It uses 3.1 files. I wouldn't expect a break until a major version change like to 4.0.

This version is the first time I've purchased Army Builder and I love it since I'm one of those guys who basically make a new army list every time I play (too many units I've still yet to use in the IG dex).

Great program and I understand the PDF feature is a new thing which is a great feature. My only complaint so far are the army list files since the last time I updated you couldn't give IG veterans their Chimera option.

I found one bug, so far... but it's a datafile bug, and not a version bug.
I chose Wazdakka as an HQ, and wasn't allowed to choose Nobs as troops with him.


Will have to report it when I can get on their site (can't from work).
...unless someone already has?


Eric

MagickalMemories wrote:I found one bug, so far... but it's a datafile bug, and not a version bug.
I chose Wazdakka as an HQ, and wasn't allowed to choose Nobs as troops with him.


Will have to report it when I can get on their site (can't from work).
...unless someone already has?


Eric

You do know Wazdakka doesn't allow Nobz as troops? Thats Generic Warboss and Ghazgul Only. Wazdakka allows Warbikers to be troops. So no, it isn't a bug.

MagickalMemories wrote:

Vertrucio wrote:To be honest, they're quickly being outpaced by other developers that can cover both this niche market and others more quickly.

Inquiring minds want to know.

If someone's putting out a comparable product at a comparable price, a lot of unsatisfied Wolf Lair customers might just be switching products when their licenses expire (or, now that they have).


Eric

Unfortunately, it hasn't happened fully yet. But there's already replacements for Warmachine. I currently use ibodger on my ipod touch, there's other stuff like tabletop commander and more.

Not so much luck for 40k players or other games though.

Vertrucio wrote:Unfortunately, it hasn't happened fully yet. But there's already replacements for Warmachine. I currently use ibodger on my ipod touch, there's other stuff like tabletop commander and more.

Not so much luck for 40k players or other games though.

Because GW's Lawyers shut down anything that comes close. They have a Special Agreement with Wolflair.

It surprises me that everyone's making a deal about pdf exporting when you can do that with pretty much any program that supports printing using a PDF Printer.

Bookwrack wrote:

ChrisAsmadi wrote:
Well, the AB Licence is dodgy as feth, so I don't know why people are surprised by this kinda stuff.

Lol. Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true.

Just because you seem to think it's not shady as feth, doesn't mean it isn't.

ChrisAsmadi wrote:It surprises me that everyone's making a deal about pdf exporting when you can do that with pretty much any program that supports printing using a PDF Printer.

But it's much simpler, and probably looks a lot better than exporting the file, and then importing it to whatever program you're going to use to print to PDF.

Just because you seem to think it's not shady as feth, doesn't mean it isn't.

I'm sorry, I was obviously too subtle for you. The point you failed to get was:

Lol. Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true.

You get it now? Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true. You've called the license 'shady' and 'dodgy' but despite these rather strong assertions, you've completely failed to explain why. Is there a clause buried somewhere in the user agreement that if you let your license lapse, they get to claim one of your kidneys?

Vertrucio wrote:

MagickalMemories wrote:

Vertrucio wrote:To be honest, they're quickly being outpaced by other developers that can cover both this niche market and others more quickly.

Inquiring minds want to know.

If someone's putting out a comparable product at a comparable price, a lot of unsatisfied Wolf Lair customers might just be switching products when their licenses expire (or, now that they have).


Eric

Unfortunately, it hasn't happened fully yet. But there's already replacements for Warmachine. I currently use ibodger on my ipod touch, there's other stuff like tabletop commander and more.

Not so much luck for 40k players or other games though.

So, that begs the question; How are they being outpaced, then?
I don't play WM, and I don't have (or care for) ipods. Their stuff is, then, useless to me and... well... anyone playing 40K.
With the number of systems AB supports vs what the others support... AB seems a hands down winner, then.

Eric

Bookwrack wrote:

ChrisAsmadi wrote:It surprises me that everyone's making a deal about pdf exporting when you can do that with pretty much any program that supports printing using a PDF Printer.

But it's much simpler, and probably looks a lot better than exporting the file, and then importing it to whatever program you're going to use to print to PDF.

Just because you seem to think it's not shady as feth, doesn't mean it isn't.

I'm sorry, I was obviously too subtle for you. The point you failed to get was:

Lol. Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true.

You get it now? Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it true. You've called the license 'shady' and 'dodgy' but despite these rather strong assertions, you've completely failed to explain why. Is there a clause buried somewhere in the user agreement that if you let your license lapse, they get to claim one of your kidneys?

A PDF printer doesn't work like that. It works exactly like a normal printer in that, when you go into whatever app you're printing with, you select it from the list of printers on your system, and it exports it to a PDF exactly how the print out would have been. It's entirely integrated as a normal printer in Windows (and presumably MacOSX and Linux, too).

Also, it is shady for several reasons:
1) The limited licences. I should not have to wait until they decide to contact me back to reinstall an application.
2) This thread. They are forcing people to pay licence fees for a point release, which is essentially a patch. The only other thing that I've heard that charges for point releases is Mac OSX.
3) The fact that if you want to renew your licence, you can't just buy another twelve months from the point in time you're buying it, you have to pay for however long since you let it lapse. You could, for instance, pay for 2 years of licence and then have it lapse in a month.

ChrisAsmadi wrote:
Also, it is shady for several reasons:
1) The limited licences. I should not have to wait until they decide to contact me back to reinstall an application.

So, clearly, because you are slightly inconvenienced then the developers should go back to the freely pirated model used in version 2 of the software. Guess why that isn't going to happen.

ChrisAsmadi wrote:
2) This thread. They are forcing people to pay licence fees for a point release, which is essentially a patch. The only other thing that I've heard that charges for point releases is Mac OSX.

*cough*Windows 7*cough*. I'm sorry, what specifically are you complaining about? It's a very nice patch, by the way.

ChrisAsmadi wrote:
3) The fact that if you want to renew your licence, you can't just buy another twelve months from the point in time you're buying it, you have to pay for however long since you let it lapse. You could, for instance, pay for 2 years of licence and then have it lapse in a month.

You could, instead, purchase a new license.