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I have been away for a couple years now, and when I left you could buy the rulebooks on apple book store. Have they changed this dynamic entirely? Is there a way to read them in their entirety in a convenient format?

Also, has anyone found the app to be valuable? What use cases have you personally found for it to replace things like battlescribe or the quartermaster apps? My main gripe with it is it doesn’t actually allow reading the main book or codexes. I really like havimg the physical book, PDF or epubs are just so handy

Severite wrote:
I have been away for a couple years now, and when I left you could buy the rulebooks on apple book store. Have they changed this dynamic entirely? Is there a way to read them in their entirety in a convenient format?

Officially? No, because they’re stupid and decided they didn’t want me giving them money for my digital rulebooks anymore. Hasn’t stopped me from Acquiring digital books of course… Currently you can only get 40k Codexes thru the 40k app by buying a physical book and registering the unique code found in it. Doesn’t give you All the rules from the codex on the app, but it gives you most. The 40k app also has the main rules, but not the Chapter Approved.

Does anyone know why this change was implemented?

Severite wrote:
Does anyone know why this change was implemented?

$$$.

The answers always $.

Apple takes a 30% cut off of every purchase on their app store, so it makes sense to try and avoid that from a business perspective, making your own app is the only way to really do it.

I do really like the concept that if you get a physical book, you get the digital content too for free, but I wish that it was better implemented.

I am not sure that the 30% cut applies to books which is separate from the app store, but GW’s app is garbage. It is a cool idea, sure. ‘Poor implementation’ doesn’t really cover the reality. I would rather have bought the book twice, then what I did end up with. Luckily, it didn’t cost me anything extra, so I can just ignore the app entirely. This is the same crap Bethesda pulled……oh, well. They will either fix it so it’s good, or I will just ignore it. There are too many options that provide good results to rely on failed implementation of ‘good’ ideas. I do agree with CCS, however, if they didn’t make a point of the change laying out very good convincing reasons, it is of course money.

Severite wrote:
Does anyone know why this change was implemented?

It's real easy for pirates to rip a digital version of a codex and host the epub on legally untouchable social media sites.

It's still easy to extract content and upload it to legally untouchable rules reference sites, it just takes a little longer.

The other big reason why? Monthly subscriptions are guaranteed, predictable money for nothing every quarter, and that's on top of the book you have to buy to get the code in the first place.

 Andilus Greatsword wrote:
The other big reason why? Monthly subscriptions are guaranteed, predictable money for nothing every quarter, and that's on top of the book you have to buy to get the code in the first place.

I imagine this to be the exact reason why, and it’s a shame, since their service is worthless, and I wouldn’t buy temporary access to the books anyway. I unlocked my codex to check it out and see…..well, the fact that I call it worthless says it all, really.

 catbarf wrote:

Severite wrote:
Does anyone know why this change was implemented?

It's real easy for pirates to rip a digital version of a codex and host the epub on legally untouchable social media sites.

It's still easy to extract content and upload it to legally untouchable rules reference sites, it just takes a little longer.

They just scan them, pirated things take no longer than the book being released. But in any case it’s just a shame they lost that second sale from me. I wonder if the app has garnered more money than what they generally use.

Does anyone here like the app?

Severite wrote:

 Andilus Greatsword wrote:
The other big reason why? Monthly subscriptions are guaranteed, predictable money for nothing every quarter, and that's on top of the book you have to buy to get the code in the first place.

I imagine this to be the exact reason why, and it’s a shame, since their service is worthless, and I wouldn’t buy temporary access to the books anyway. I unlocked my codex to check it out and see…..well, the fact that I call it worthless says it all, really.

 catbarf wrote:

Severite wrote:
Does anyone know why this change was implemented?

It's real easy for pirates to rip a digital version of a codex and host the epub on legally untouchable social media sites.

It's still easy to extract content and upload it to legally untouchable rules reference sites, it just takes a little longer.

They just scan them, pirated things take no longer than the book being released. But in any case it’s just a shame they lost that second sale from me. I wonder if the app has garnered more money than what they generally use.

Does anyone here like the app?

No one anywhere likes the app. It's so bad that even the jank Sigmar App is beloved relatively speaking. When they found out the apps were being merged most of the Sigmar community wrote off purchased digital content almost immediately.

It has flaws, but I use the app every game I play, and I use it for list building. Idk, works well for me.

The app is terrible, which is actually kinda good for everyone, because it makes people less likely to swallow the blatant cash grab that was the discontinuing of digital codexes in favor of trying to shoehorn you into a monthly subscription instead.

Now if they would just provide a good app that gives you convenient monthly access to ALL the rules for a flat price - say $5 a month - THAT would be a reasonable tradeoff for no longer offering e-pubs. But the current attempt to bill you on the front end and the back end for a crappy product is beyond lame.

Severite wrote:
Does anyone know why this change was implemented?

GW have their own company store app now, that you pay for, so they want you to use that, rather than the various other electronic document reader programs out there that they can't control and can't charge for.

 Andilus Greatsword wrote:
The other big reason why? Monthly subscriptions are guaranteed, predictable money for nothing every quarter, and that's on top of the book you have to buy to get the code in the first place.

Of course there's the thing you don't need subscribtion to use the code ;-)

I don't pay cent for subscribtion yet all the codexes I have are usable in the app.

The 2 are separate payments. Book content you unlock with code and that's it. Subscription gives you other things.

The app isn't perfect but let's not make it sound like you need to pay each month to use the code in the book shall we?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

yukishiro1 wrote:
The app is terrible, which is actually kinda good for everyone, because it makes people less likely to swallow the blatant cash grab that was the discontinuing of digital codexes in favor of trying to shoehorn you into a monthly subscription instead.

Monthly subscription gives you zero rules.

You get all the rules in app with purchase of codex. You do NOT need subscription so stop that lie please.

The system isn't ideal as you don't get full codex(only matched play rules, no fluff, no path to glory), UI is not ideal though seen worse and price is more than digital books were though at least you actually own the book and not just have permission to read that can be rekindled at GW's discretion so you are future proofing at least for when GW removes the old books from readable.

Cost can be mitigated bit though by selling the book/code as needed. I have seen people sell the code for book if they don't use the app or vice versa.

I actually quite like where the app is at right now for the most part. It’s still not perfect, list builder can’t handle things that don’t take up force slots nor make lists with PL, and it’s missing all the Crusade rules. Put the missing Codex rules in there and charge $10 for a code and I’d probably pay it.

But yeah, stopping digital sales hasn’t stopped people from pirating them. It’s actually forced me to since I can’t get the PDFs direct from GW like I did previously and would prefer to continue to do so.

tneva82 wrote:
You get all the rules in app with purchase of codex. You do NOT need subscription so stop that lie please.

Is it the whole Codex or just the rules?

And you love accusing people of lying. They could just be wrong. Don't assume malice.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

tneva82 wrote:
You get all the rules in app with purchase of codex. You do NOT need subscription so stop that lie please.

Is it the whole Codex or just the rules?

And you love accusing people of lying. They could just be wrong. Don't assume malice.

You don’t even get all the rules. It’s missing all the Crusade rules from the Codexes.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

tneva82 wrote:
You get all the rules in app with purchase of codex. You do NOT need subscription so stop that lie please.

Is it the whole Codex or just the rules?

And you love accusing people of lying. They could just be wrong. Don't assume malice.

When something keeps said over and over again and you keep spreading false information you get called on it.

Stop spreading same myth all the time. Or how many times it needs to be spelt to you for you to get it? Most people get it with one...And it's not like you could defend with recent change because it's been year like this now. 9e codexes have NEVER been under subscribtion paywall. Never. Not single day. Not even single second.

Thanks Aduro.

So it's not even the whole book in digital format, and not even the entire rules. What a bargain...

tneva82 wrote:
Stop spreading same myth all the time. Or how many times it needs to be spelt to you for you to get it? Most people get it with one...And it's not like you could defend with recent change because it's been year like this now. 9e codexes have NEVER been under subscribtion paywall. Never. Not single day. Not even single second.

I don't even know who you're replying to right now, but you seem really angry about something. You do you, I guess...

I hate GW E-Pubs, and feel like every cent I ever spent on them was wasted. You can not zoom in any closer than necessary to display an entire page, which means they are illegible on computers. Simple PDF's would have been 1000 x better.

If you have a dedicated E-book reading machine, I suppose they're okay. I like computers because they do EVERYTHING. I hate E-Book readers, because they do only one thing.

I'm glad that no one else will be in the situation where they buy a book, only to discover they can't read it.

As for the APP, I haven't tried it yet. I hope it runs on computers, but I doubt it- probably phone only. Those crazy kids love their 2 inch screens so much.

I plan on subscribing to Warhammer+, so I will be getting the app for "free" very soon.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Thanks Aduro.

So it's not even the whole book in digital format, and not even the entire rules. What a bargain...

Well, currently they Are technically free, you just can’t get them direct from GW separate from buying a physical book. The app is weird because it has no Crusade rules anywhere. Not the core rules, not in the Codexes, the list builder doesn’t even have power level as an option, only points. It’s a weird design choice.

Also what’s this about not being able to zoom in on ePubs? I was able to zoom in on them on my iPhone and iPad just fine.

For what it's worth, crusade rules won't always be absent, they are a feature which will be added in the future.

There’s no reason they can’t be in it now.

Didn't they stop producing ePubs long before the app came out?
It's possible they pulled them early in preparation, but I think more likely they just didn't want to pay a cut to whoever was hosting them.

 kirotheavenger wrote:
Didn't they stop producing ePubs long before the app came out?

But they haven't stopped producing them. Just last weekend the latest Necromunda book was released electronically.

They've just stopped producing them for 40k (and, presumably, AoS now with everything from Dominion forward).

Severite wrote:
Does anyone here like the app?

I can't enter the code from the ork codex I physically hold in my hands because the book "hasn't been released yet". Does that answer your question?

To access rules digitally, I'm using a vastly superior app, which is called "bookmark to a certain russian wiki". It's even searchable, in case you forgot where exactly they wrote the rules you are looking for.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 kirotheavenger wrote:
Didn't they stop producing ePubs long before the app came out?

But they haven't stopped producing them. Just last weekend the latest Necromunda book was released electronically.

They've just stopped producing them for 40k (and, presumably, AoS now with everything from Dominion forward).

The Warcry Tome of Champions 2020 and the four army books were never released digitally.

tneva82 wrote:

You get all the rules in app with purchase of codex. You do NOT need subscription so stop that lie please.

You're missing the point. I didn't say you need to pay the sub to get access to the rules you bought through your hardcopy codex. I said the purpose of discontinuing digital codexes is to push you onto the app with the aim of nudging you into a subscription. Those are not the same thing.

Please read what people say before accusing them of lying based on your misreading.

PenitentJake wrote:
I hate GW E-Pubs, and feel like every cent I ever spent on them was wasted. You can not zoom in any closer than necessary to display an entire page, which means they are illegible on computers. Simple PDF's would have been 1000 x better.

If you have a dedicated E-book reading machine, I suppose they're okay. I like computers because they do EVERYTHING. I hate E-Book readers, because they do only one thing.

What are you defining as an 'e-book reader?' I'm honestly confused at this point, because I can't think of anything that fits the idea of a mono-task reader anymore. Pretty much everything that started as an e-reader (like the original kindles) has become a tablet that does everything a laptop can do. The only real restriction is the awkwardness of lacking proper input devices (like a mouse and keyboard) and deliberate sabotage crap like Apple not letting iBooks work on other platforms and various apps only being coded for phones or tablets, but that's a choice by the companies involved (and ironically means that PCs do less than everything).

I use my 12.9 iPad for reading PDFs, I know it’s hella expensive, but got it sacrificing months of saving specifically to do that, since I have hundreds of role playing PDFs. I have found I use it for a lot of my browsing too, though I will get on the computer for certain tasks.

But anyway, from the limited experience I have in ‘trying’ to use the app, they just had the data sheets. Which is not even remotely what I want out of the app. I want to read the book, and in a weird turnabout, I have grown to prefer the convenience of the iPad tp do so, instead of having to lug the books(s) around with me. I just think the change is a shame, but is what it is.

I don’t even want to use the ‘army builder’ in the app, I already have a better app for that, GW is years late to the party for that one. But what boggles me the most, is there is a real opportunity to drag me in, by providing real value and a truly streamlined experience. Instead, we got…this