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.

For my part, I'm still a fan of having hard copies of the rules. I'll only use digital when I need to look up something I don't have in my paper books (such as the rules for my Callidus Assassin in 40k). Flipping pages is just better than scrolling on your phone and squinting at the screen.

Paper for me. I’m not against digital, so much as just stuck in my ways.

I’ll do e-books when it’s novels, but anything where I’m flicking back and forth I just can’t adapt.

Paper. I have enough screens in my life, thank you.

I think this forum will lean towards older players, so Paper will be dominant. I like paper because once I have it, no one can really take it away from me unless I toss it out.

However, most of the young folks I play with do it all electronic.

I'm such a dataslate puritan that I even convert printed books to e-documents manually (as far as I understand, I am allowed to do this for personal use only, based on "fair use" of property). IMHO GW is making a mistake not offering epubs of absolutely every print publication they sell, it would sidestep all paper/cardstock printing issues, no availability problems..)

I can totally understand if someone prefers paper versions. I just dont

I like paper rulebooks and cards, but with modern systems being more and more about "living rules", updates etc these are becoming useless pretty quickly.

Much as I hate clicking and swiping through an app to get to the rule I need, having outdated paper resources and putting all the work into keeping them up to date is much more of a nuisance.

I loathe digital and detest app required games.

Stuff like the BRB, I'm fine with digital since I don't need to reference it as much and can just keyword search through quickly.

The datacards I want paper since I'm always checking them to make sure I didn't forget something and it's easier to look at multiples.

Paper!

1) It can't be taken away. Considering Warhammer+ has had all the rules content for previous editions pulled from every publication that means if you did have a favoured edition digitally, chances are it would be removed once its no longer the current edition.

It doesn't have to be the "best" edition, but fond memories and wanting to replay is possible with paper and not with digital that gets wiped

2) Paper is easier to reference. Personally whenever I do anything with reference material I find paper easier. You can flip fast; you can find resources and read through at a glance.

3) Paper is bigger. Yes you can take your PC screen to the game session - chances are you won't. So either you've a big tablet or more likely a phone. So a book is just bigger to read. I don't need glasses, but again with reference material being able to see outside of just the snippet of info you were originally after (or thought you were after) is often advantageous.

4) Getting away from digital. Yeah sometimes its nice to de-tech and just play something with dice and paper. I love video games and computers, but at times I just want to step away and engage in something different.

5) It won't die on me mid game. These days phones and tablets can run out of battery pretty fast and you can bet when it happens the nearest power outlet isn't near the game table; or you didn't bring the charging cable with you; etc...

A book won't give out mid-game

I much prefer paper, but I'm a grognard.

I DID download a couple of rules summaries GW were giving away - and I did find that keyword searching rules was useful, but then lockdown happened....

I actually use both, often buying the PDF and printing out only what I need.

With paper printouts, I can make reference cards. Cut out a frequently used table, mount onto card. Printouts are better quality than photocopying.

Too many rulebooks are overpriced coffee table books. Slick paper rulebooks can't be written on. Covers get scuffed. Hardback spines become damaged as I flip to a commonly used section.

I'm playing "Five Leagues to the Borderlands", and each chapter is in its own tabbed section of the binder. So I can just flip through the tabs and find the chapter. Plus, I use Post-It bookmarks.

If a physical copy's index is weak, it's annoying flipping through the book for something. With a PDF, I can do a search.

Some parts of the game, such as character generation, don't need me to be with my miniatures. So I'll use the computer's spreadsheet for character sheets, printable tokens, etc. With a PDF, I can flip through windows, rather than find a place on my messy desk for a book -- assuming the pages stand still when I need them!

If I have other players around, they're going to grubbify my pristine coffee table book. With a PDF, I can give each player the chapter they need for character generation and combat rules.

If a physical book goes on sale, I might buy it to browse the rules and add it to my collection.

I just can't read stuff on a screen for the purpose of retaining info.

Now using digital to reference information in a hurry, that I can do.

I like to have a book, or at least a physical list and reference sheet.

Print goes out of date though, so I find that a digital "living" rules are much more practical.

I vastly prefer physical books over digital products of any type when it comes to using them during a game. PDF of rulebooks are great for quick reference, but aren't useful to me during a game.

Apps? No. Never.

Unfortunately, GW has made their rules so damned ephemeral that buying their printed 40k products is an mug's game.

It depends. If the game is a quickly changing, constantly updating one (like many wargames today) then digital. If it is a more stable one (like many solo/co-op games) then paper.

Mix.

I specifically bought an i-pad that's the size of a hardcover book for viewing things digitally. My back is too old to be carrying dozens of books, especially for RPGs.

However, if I am lounging around at home, I like pulling books off the shelf to read. And I always print out a paper copy of any army roster I'm using.

Paper, for the 3 months before the publications are invalidated.
I like using unit cards, like AoS has, and 40k now has.
But once an errata comes out, you're pasting bits of paper over the cards, which get pulled off in the box.

Lists change every time the points change, so every 6-12 months. I get around 2 games of 40k in in 6 months, and usually not the same army.

So I now use official apps for list building. Battlescribe was nice for a long time, but was not kept updated often enough in some cases. BS lists were nice, but hard to pick out the particular wargear in a rush at the table-side.

I've transferred to digital for almost everything except rulebooks. It's the page-flip factor.

Sometimes, you need to hold your place in the, oh let's say, sustained fire rules while you quickly check the weapon stats chart then go back. I've yet to find an app that does that as easily and efficiently as having two thumbs and a paper rulebook.

Almost fully digital

Maybe cards or tokens for reminding myself about abilities/options. Rules and Army Lists? Digital

 Psychopomp wrote:
I've transferred to digital for almost everything except rulebooks. It's the page-flip factor.

Sometimes, you need to hold your place in the, oh let's say, sustained fire rules while you quickly check the weapon stats chart then go back. I've yet to find an app that does that as easily and efficiently as having two thumbs and a paper rulebook.

The iPad app was good for that I heard. Pop-up hints for keywords.
If only....

Which the new 40k app does now do

I'm definitely a digital fan. Miniatures are enough clutter and transportation as is. If the rules can fit in my pocket or even just on a tablet I'm all for it. Particularly given the number of different game systems I play, having the rules for any of them lets me be a lot more flexible and keep up to date with changes.

I do like learning a game with cards though. Rulebooks are a no for me, but I do really enjoy cards. I just find that over time the volume of them gets hard to manage and makes changing lists and finding the right cards for things a pain.

I've never purchased a physical copy of any rules and I don't really plan to. I've been exclusively digital for years, buying books that are outdated on release just always seemed silly. My army list is an HTML file on my phone and Waha for most rule lookups resolve any issues during games.

I would consider purchasing art/story books, maybe a 10th ed crusade supplement will catch my eye.

The idea that rulebooks can be printed and invalidated in months is anathema to me.

You aren't making a serious game then, you are creating drafts of a game and selling them for money.

Would you buy a car that immediately needed a engine overhaul? Would you buy a stove where the front burner went out in two weeks after purchase?

Why we as consumers tolerate it in Wargames is beyond me.

Paper printouts pinned to cork noticeboards on the wall, Jim & I found that makes things so much easier

While I can see why some people like them, I really, really hate trying to use a digital rulebook to find anything. Old-school dead trees all the way.

GW will take digital rules from you without warning, and then you won't have them (even if you paid for them).

I buy rulebook a for the fluff and the art. Physical paper all the way.

 Psychopomp wrote:
I've transferred to digital for almost everything except rulebooks. It's the page-flip factor.

Sometimes, you need to hold your place in the, oh let's say, sustained fire rules while you quickly check the weapon stats chart then go back. I've yet to find an app that does that as easily and efficiently as having two thumbs and a paper rulebook.

Take a look at the Kill Team Wahapedia page. It has pop up mini windows for keywords (eg Relentless) and main rules concepts are hyperlinked so you're always one click away from getting full wording for anything. Not to mention it's usually very quickly updated with new releases and Erratas and links to FAQs.

Books for this game are trash in comparison. Need to flip through several pages to find something and they are already out of date anyway.

That said, I've printed out the units info from Wahapedia on one A4 for even more convenience

 Psychopomp wrote:
I've transferred to digital for almost everything except rulebooks. It's the page-flip factor.

Sometimes, you need to hold your place in the, oh let's say, sustained fire rules while you quickly check the weapon stats chart then go back. I've yet to find an app that does that as easily and efficiently as having two thumbs and a paper rulebook.

The new app does this nicely, click on the weapon rule and a popup opens describing the rule in question. Simples!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Lord Damocles wrote:
GW will take digital rules from you without warning, and then you won't have them (even if you paid for them).

They can't do that actually, I'm not aware of their epubs having any DRM. You are mistaken

 tauist wrote:

 Lord Damocles wrote:
GW will take digital rules from you without warning, and then you won't have them (even if you paid for them).

They can't do that actually, I'm not aware of their epubs having any DRM. You are mistaken

Even the 'old' last-edition apps for AoS and 40k are still available.
If you download every FAQ and downloadable from WarCom, you will have everything as of that point.
Even WH Digital stuff does not go dead after a set date. They take stuff off sale, but every ePub codex and rulebook I bought from there is still listed for download.