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Granted, they could not be laid open on the gaming table at the required page like a hardcover, but for some reason I sort of miss them.

I can't explain my preference for them.

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eh digital > softback > hardback

softback only because it is thinner so fits better in my messanger bag.

I still think digital is superior though and would prefer an app with subscription model to just have access to all the codexes. $5 per month cool, $10 per month.. a stretch but sure

Digital is convenient for quick reference during a game, but I really wouldn't enjoy sitting on my couch and reading a digital codex on my phone. I like leafing through pages.

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I prefer a PDF, but yeah, I do miss the softcover books.

Not only were they half the price, but half the weight. In 4E/5E I could carry every 40k gaming book in a backpack, if I try to do that in 8E I'd break my spine.

With the softcover books, I purchased every release. With the hardcover books, I purchase only those I need for the main armies I play.

I like Digital in that is takes up so little space, and it gets updated. I hate that sometimes small screens suck, low batteries suck, and mechanical failure sucks.

Too funny. When all we had were softback's, players cried for hardback's to justify the price.

Hardback's have a better fit-n-finish to them. Additionally, softback books cannot stand up to the same level of punishment (i.e. constant handling) that hardback's can.

Digital... Laughable! Digital is anything but convenient. For the sake of this conversation, information can be found a lot faster in a paper book vs. digital.

-Guardsman- wrote:
Granted, they were not as sturdy as hardcovers and could not be laid open on the table at the required page, but for some reason I sort of miss them.

I can't explain my preference for them.

I preferred them because they were 20$ instead of 50$.

But I guess that's just me.

Yeah i would love it, because i don't want to spend lots of money on a hard cover book personally. Especially since the book almost becomes irrelevant within a couple of years or less. Which begs the question, why books at all, why not put it all online, save us some money.

I do and I don't. Hardcover is nice in terms of them being more durable, especially if you have them in heavy use. However, as mentioned previously, softcover makes portability so much easier. If they did a rules only softcover version (pretty much what they do with the mini rulebook in every edition's starter set) for 15-20 bucks, I would say it would be a big hit in terms of people just having easy access to a faction's rules.

 oni wrote:
Too funny. When all we had were softback's, players cried for hardback's to justify the price.

I can safely say I literally never once saw this complaint, except as hyperbole once the softcover books started pushing $40.

Likewise, despite being in this hobby for 5 or 6 editions now, none of my GW softcover books are coming apart, but I have a couple hardcovers with broken spines. I do have Battlefront softcovers that came apart, but their hardcover books didnt last any better . Never had GW softcovers come apart on me.

 oni wrote:
Too funny. When all we had were softback's, players cried for hardback's to justify the price.

Hardback's have a better fit-n-finish to them. Additionally, softback books cannot stand up to the same level of punishment (i.e. constant handling) that hardback's can.

Digital... Laughable! Digital is anything but convenient. For the sake of this conversation, information can be found a lot faster in a paper book vs. digital.

i usually can find things faster on digital than a book. granted i use a tablet not a phone and tablet has a keyboard so ctrl f/type works and goes through them. also you can save pages with bookmarks and keep a legend on the side for say unit profiles, points etc so you can always pop between the 2 quickly.

I do agree on a phone though as that is much slower than a good tablet or a book.

My Disciples of Tzeentch softcover battletome cost $20 while all of the hardcover codices I've gotten have cost forty. So yeah, I'd like to see more softcovers, though I do like the look and durability of the hardcover.

Loved softcover. Easier to flip through, packed better for travel, costed less. Win win win.

When ever anyone says, "Am I the only one..." Generally, they are not. I mean there are players that miss Initiative. Just the same, if you do actually miss Turn Radius Ratio (TRR), you may actually be the only one.

I can't say that I miss them in the least. I play my armies mono-dex and usually make use of battlescribe for the unit rules. Really the only thing I use the codex for is Stratagems since I don't play nearly enough to remember exactly how they work. I do prefer that with the hard cover books they stay open to the page much better than soft cover ones.

 Stormatious wrote:
Yeah i would love it, because i don't want to spend lots of money on a hard cover book personally. Especially since the book almost becomes irrelevant within a couple of years or less. Which begs the question, why books at all, why not put it all online, save us some money.

To be pedantic that is the wrong usage of begs the question.

PDF > Everything else, but I like the hardbacks as reference tome, when I’m not in a game.

Do wish we had card data sheets for all the 40k units, like they seem to be doing with Apocalypse.

I like hard covers because they last, although something can be said for ease of referance of a digital book. IMHO the IDEAL would be to adopt something like what Modiphius does. where you can send proof of purchase in an email (a photo of your receipt taken on your cell phone apparently suffices) to a specific email they have set up, and they give you a free digital copy in addition to your hard copy.

I really miss the old style softcover, like 3rd-4th edition. They dont need to be full color with glossy pages and hardcover.

Soft back for me. I'm finding the current hardback a bit unwieldy... Its more of a collectors piece and a nice picture book of fluff than an actual source of rules IMO.

I think that once you purchase a book you should have a code which would give you access to an online PDF that would be errata'd and updated continuously & regularly for the rules & points.

Softback for sure. While the hardback with color pictures are pretty and all, they're expensive, I'd rather have black and white softbacks.

Also, I'd much rather have books of any kind that digital media. Besides the fact that PDF books are hard to use, hard to reference since you can't flip and hold pages, and overall a s***ty experience, I also opposed the use of phones and laptops at the gaming table.

Softback, 100%...however...I also want softback prices, so with GW it makes little difference.

If I want rules I tend to refer to Battlescribe. My codex rarely gets opened. More a formality for attending tournies and these days no one checks. Back in the days before BS i used codex a lot for points references.

Codex is great toilet reading material.

Softcover for the price and lower weight, maybe even durability.
PDF only if it came in German and would have all the FAQs in it automatically, then I could imagine to pay more than 5€ for it.

Yes, but because I'd get them spiral bound which made them way easier to use.

Spiral binding the old softcovers was always great (and not terribly expensive).

 oni wrote:
Too funny. When all we had were softback's, players cried for hardback's to justify the price.

Hardback's have a better fit-n-finish to them. Additionally, softback books cannot stand up to the same level of punishment (i.e. constant handling) that hardback's can.

Digital... Laughable! Digital is anything but convenient. For the sake of this conversation, information can be found a lot faster in a paper book vs. digital.

I just wanted to point out that you can set and name bookmarks for a digital codex, For quick reference. And when done well, you can even have a search function and everything available in a physical book to find things. Much faster than physical books.
GW still has a bit to go before they get there. But its all Available.

I like hardbacks, and softback books. Bigger books in hardback, but smaller in soft. Anything under 75ish pages soft, and i put in a protective case up on the shelf.
I have softcover books that are still in good condition that are 30 years old so its just about taking care of them and how they are handled.

But with GW prices, they do i think use Hardcover to justify the price a bit(lot).

They go hardcover and full colour I think more because that's become the industry standard. Back in the 80s and 90s the standard for gaming was black and white, with hard cover being reserved for maybe your core rulebooks, if that. when D&D 3rd edition launched WOTC went with hard back and full colour for everything, and I noticed many gaming companies followed suite. it's a compeition thing. you need to look good sitting on a shelf beside your compeition GW stayed paperback and black and white for awhile, Battletech ahd made the shift to hard cover full colour bore books before 40K switched to hardback codices.

Hardbacks look FANTASTIC in my bookcase, but yes gets annoying and heavy when carrying them to my FLGS.

I prefer softback for actual gaming but PDF's are slowly gaining favour for me, esp since tablets and larger screen smart phones have gotten cheaper and better battery life.

Also, worth pointing out - with the current 40K "method" of invalidating codices pretty quickly with heaps of FAQ/errata and points changes....codices really need to be $20-25 a pop and softback so people would care less about writing in them, or eventually replacing them with updated versions.

No one cares that much...until you start charging $50 for a book you rarely use. Hell, sell me a $25 softback codex with a small "note" box in the bottom corner of each page so we can make our own adjustments/fixes....

 Elbows wrote:
Also, worth pointing out - with the current 40K "method" of invalidating codices pretty quickly with heaps of FAQ/errata and points changes....codices really need to be $20-25 a pop and softback so people would care less about writing in them, or eventually replacing them with updated versions.

No one cares that much...until you start charging $50 for a book you rarely use. Hell, sell me a $25 softback codex with a small "note" box in the bottom corner of each page so we can make our own adjustments/fixes....

I think I'd like to have a digital one that updates as nesscary given to me for free with the purchase of a hard cover. then I can keep the hardcovers at home as glorified bathroom readers/coffee table books