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For a long time I was excited for Chapter Approved until I learned it was another book I now have to buy for 8th ed. I wouldn't have minded if GW hadn't have already brought out the rule, index and the codex books in such a short amount of time. Now I've already spent about £60+ on rule books alone so another book (which would normally just be a free patch in a video game) just looks like less models I will buy this year on my yearly 40k budget. It makes me wonder if a lot of angst about 40k would have been removed if it was announced as free digital pdf (giving gw more time to listen to feed back and feel like they were giving back to the community). What do you think?

I vote 'yes' because I think it should be sorta free. Personally I think it should be divided up in the next few issues of white dwarf.

The bare-bones rules should be free, but hobby stuff (like conversion articles, interviews and other ancillery stuff) should be available in a purchasable printed format.

I am perfectly happy to pay for a printed hobby book if the rules are freely accessible.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
The bare-bones rules should be free, but hobby stuff (like conversion articles, interviews and other ancillery stuff) should be available in a purchasable printed format.

I am perfectly happy to pay for a printed hobby book if the rules are freely accessible.

For someone like me who just plays the game and doesn't go too deep on lore or converted models, I just want the rules and points changes. The rest will be wasted on me.

GW says they are going to do better, people incomprehensibly believe them, and then GW kicks their customers in the nuts and steals their lunch money for required publications.

Good game companies like Warlord, Fantasy Flight, Sierra Madre all produce some level of free downloadable rules update content for their customers. GW counts on Stockholm Syndrome to line up the suckers...

If it's basically just an errata to the existing rules, then yes. If it contains something that's actually new, then it would be worth paying for. But I doubt it will.

I will always put my money into something that I like the direction of and so I have no qualms buying such a thing to show GW that they're going in the right direction.

Taking a look at the generals handbook from 2016 & 17 they generally included new ways to play the game, new battleplans, allegiance abilities and narrative stuff. So in the end i would expect codex approved to be much the same with new open, narrative and match play missions, some stories to go with those new missions, expanded rules for battlezones, planetstrike, cities of death, stronghold assault, death from the skies, multiplayer, expanded campaign rules and ideas, maybe new stratgems and detachments. That would be my guess. But to answer the question I think that the bare bones updates to rules and points should be free like I think the bare bones rules should be free but I doubt that would happen.

The parts that are essentially errata should be released for free, for sure.

You say this as if literally everyone has to buy it. Have everyone in your group chip in for a communal copy, or just don't buy it.

GW don't owe you anything, if you don't like it, don't buy it.

 KingGarland wrote:
Taking a look at the generals handbook from 2016 & 17 they generally included new ways to play the game, new battleplans, allegiance abilities and narrative stuff. So in the end i would expect codex approved to be much the same with new open, narrative and match play missions, some stories to go with those new missions, expanded rules for battlezones, planetstrike, cities of death, stronghold assault, death from the skies, multiplayer, expanded campaign rules and ideas, maybe new stratgems and detachments. That would be my guess. But to answer the question I think that the bare bones updates to rules and points should be free like I think the bare bones rules should be free but I doubt that would happen.

They've already confirmed an expansion for Apocalypse games of Warhammer 40,000, guidelines on running a planetary invasion campaign, updated matched play points for dozens of units and weapons across every army and loads of new Missions for open, narrative and matched play.

Rules changes should be free. This isn't a video game, we shouldn't have to pay for bug-fix patches.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
GW don't owe you anything, if you don't like it, don't buy it.

That's one good idea to run a business dry. Promote half-baked ideas for products, then advocate for people to not buy them.

 Tokhuah wrote:
GW says they are going to do better, people incomprehensibly believe them, and then GW kicks their customers in the nuts and steals their lunch money for required publications.

Good game companies like Warlord, Fantasy Flight, Sierra Madre all produce some level of free downloadable rules update content for their customers. GW counts on Stockholm Syndrome to line up the suckers...

All I see is boohoo

Please, go play those games and stop spewing your vitriol around here. I'll gladly admit when GW 's up and they have plenty in the past but right now you can get by with buying a $25 index and downloading the free ruleset. To say that they've done anything close to what you described is laughably dramatic.

On topic, I think it entirely depends on the content. If it has everything that everyone's listed here and it's a move I feel is in the right direction, I'll definitely buy it in support. If it's just a glorified FAQ or a few pages of updates for the armies it should be free.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Darsath wrote:

 BaconCatBug wrote:
GW don't owe you anything, if you don't like it, don't buy it.

That's one good idea to run a business dry. Promote half-baked ideas for products, then advocate for people to not buy them.

Which explains why their value has gone up $700 per share in the last 3 months.

 Raphael the Raven wrote:

 Tokhuah wrote:
GW says they are going to do better, people incomprehensibly believe them, and then GW kicks their customers in the nuts and steals their lunch money for required publications.

Good game companies like Warlord, Fantasy Flight, Sierra Madre all produce some level of free downloadable rules update content for their customers. GW counts on Stockholm Syndrome to line up the suckers...

All I see is boohoo

Please, go play those games and stop spewing your vitriol around here. I'll gladly admit when GW 's up and they have plenty in the past but right now you can get by with buying a $25 index and downloading the free ruleset. To say that they've done anything close to what you described is laughably dramatic.

On topic, I think it entirely depends on the content. If it has everything that everyone's listed here and it's a move I feel is in the right direction, I'll definitely buy it in support. If it's just a glorified FAQ or a few pages of updates for the armies it should be free.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Darsath wrote:

 BaconCatBug wrote:
GW don't owe you anything, if you don't like it, don't buy it.

That's one good idea to run a business dry. Promote half-baked ideas for products, then advocate for people to not buy them.

Which explains why their value has gone up $700 per share in the last 3 months.

Short term business strategies like that are intended to spike their share prices. It's not sustainable, especially since the consequences are faced 12 months into the future.

I mean, frankly it will probably end up being one regardless of what GW wants. That's very much the thing a group of players who get together can all share, taking pictures of or copying the point changes relevant to their army or armies.

6 months after the game comes out and I need 3 books to play. Somehow the required library for my 7th ed games was smaller.

I'm really hoping that the "basic" revisions of Chapter Approved are online for free - similar to the preview already released.

I do not mind buying products for a game, But they have to be good and not to expensive. Something GW Struggle with :(

No trust here to get my moneys worth.

I'd be happy if the CA book is around the same price as General's Handbook - $55AUD

Certainly it couldn't cost almost as much as the Rulebook itself?

If it cost 55 bucks (even 55 aud), I'm not buying it. That's a goddamn ripoff. It should just be a FAQ.

Yeah, Chapter Approved might be a pretty good thing for 40k but it fails as an approach to the 8th relaunch.
Big rulebook, Codex, Index with the options that were deleted in the Codex, Chapter approved.
I need 4 books to play 40k. That's exactly the gak that killed 40k for me before.

On the other hand, I'm more than comfortable with the AoS approach.
Free core rules, free rules for all units (both always with me in the smartphone app), annual General's Handbook for the latest rule fixes for balanced play and point costs, and maybe a battletome.
This is the approach I hoped for with 40k 8th, but oh well...

New option. Both.

The rules updates for units should be free. Points adjustments and the such. Basic rules for the armies and everything.

The missions, new rules, experimental rules and all that should only be in the book you have to pay for.

Shockingly, the overwhelming response to the question 'should I be given a thing I want for free' is 'yes.' Who could have anticipated this?

I think both. If it's going to adjust the core rules of playing (which it will) then it should be free, or cheap like The General's Handbook, or both (say ONLY the matched play updates available for free). It shouldn't be a "required" purchase, but shouldn't be 100% free either. Also, a PDF containing the relevant updates to matched play make it easier to include in a tournament pack.

Free PDF with hardcopies you can buy.

 Melissia wrote:
If it cost 55 bucks (even 55 aud), I'm not buying it. That's a goddamn ripoff. It should just be a FAQ.

They've struck gold in a way. They can put out a £20-£30 book every year, almost the price of new edition rulebook every twelve months, but because it's advertised as updates, tweaks and such, people will no doubt lap it up and praise 'em for it.

Kind of genius.

I think the problem is that Chapter Approved is a bundle of stuff.

There will be new hobby articles (though probably with old photos) I suspect.

Possibly new lore.

They definitely said they're trialing the VDR stuff for 8th.

The ideal situation would be to have rules updates/errata/whatever free, and then bundle this neat stuff into a book with it that one can buy.

Depends on the content, but generally speaking, no it shouldn't be free if it provides new content.

Rules changes, FAQ's, etc. should really be free. If the book contents a lot more content (custom scenarios, etc.) then a simple $20 book, softback would suffice. It would keep people from baulking at the inevitable $45-50 hardback book they have to add on top of their normal books.

If, and I assume it will be, the book is expensive, all of the important stuff will be pilfered via PDFs and online leaks and GW will wonder why they don't sell many copies. GW needs to reign in their pricing structure and make far better decisions on the cost-front. They're driving plenty of folks to illegal PDFs etc. because some of their book prices are quite asinine.

As long as everything is made available in PHSYICAL form, I'll be fine. Ideally closer to Index price rather than Codex price.

My issue with online rules is that some of us like to hold an actual book. I will not buy a tablet just to use "free" rules. Make those rules available for players who think it's more convenient, but don't inconvenience other players.
Physical book copies are still superior to digital media (for now). I've yet to meet someone that can find a rule on their device faster than I can find it in a book.

But sure, the basic changes can be a free PDF. Let's just put those rules in an actual book with extra content.

-

 Galef wrote:
As long as everything is made available in PHSYICAL form, I'll be fine. Ideally closer to Index price rather than Codex price.

My issue with online rules is that some of us like to hold an actual book. I will not buy a tablet just to use "free" rules. Make those rules available for players who think it's more convenient, but don't inconvenience other players.
Physical book copies are still superior to digital media (for now). I've yet to meet someone that can find a rule on their device faster than I can find it in a book.

But sure, the basic changes can be a free PDF. Let's just put those rules in an actual book with extra content.

-

Agreed - personally I would prefer to pay more and have all FAQs to the date of publication collected in the book - otherwise I just have to print them off anyway or watch people messing about with their annoying phones and the like and being unable to find the page etc etc.

Books are also easier (IMO) to for a group of people to look at rather than a tiny screen or tablet which also rotates when you don't want it to.

I had hoped that Chapter Approved was going to be a full Index update for the non Codex blessed but that seems unlikely.