PDF rules?

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**jeffersonian000**

I’ve only purchased codexes since 6th, because GW has not updated the model line for my army in 10 years. Thankfully, I buy them as ebooks, which get free updates, so I don’t have to buy Chapter Approved to play my army. You guys chase your plastic crack and complaint about pricing, I’ll still keep playing with my 2nd and 3th edition metals that are still legal per the most recent and updated codex.

SJ

**dkoz**

BrianDavion wrote:
Stormonu wrote:
Corrode wrote:
Free, electronic rules will happen the minute someone in forecasting sits down and works out that profits will increase by offering free rules which drive sales on other lines vs. selling books as your main source of rules.

Until that is true (and that is if, not when - it may never actually be true that the lost revenue from selling books would be made up by sales from other things) then it won't happen. Comparisons to other businesses are meaningless, the GW model will change when they expect it to more successfully make money, and not before.

Personally I wouldn't expect it to change - I suspect the crowd who really will not buy books is vanishingly small compared to the people who will buy at least one codex + rulebook + supplement/Chapter Approved every edition, and that selling those books is an easy more-or-less guaranteed revenue stream for them which wouldn't be adequately replaced by greater sales of models (which aren't a one for one replacement anyway, since they'll have different costs and profit margins associated).

GW is almost there now. 8E's base rules are available as a PDF. You can get datasheets with the minis, though you still have to pay for that at the moment. AoS is a little further along, it's rules and the Warscrolls are available as a PDF. GW just has to make that last just to "realize" they're making their core money off the models and the datasheets are simply a gateway to get players to buy more minis.

really the only thing you need the codex for are chapter tactics, stratigiums, psykic powers etc. I can go out, buy a squad of primaris Marines for myself and a buddy, print off some rules online and play with those, codexes contain the "advanced rules" and I think paying for rules beyond the "quick start" seems fair to me

I think this is a vary good way of looking at it. GW is basically our plastic drug dealer, they give us a small taste for free then make us pay for everything after that. I'm ok with this GW is a business and they deserve to make as much profit as they see fit off their IP. I can't understand people who hate these companies so much for wanting to keep people employed.