Age of Sigmar App review - update

  Well, they did it, they updated the app so it's only fair that I update my review.

Still lame - but getting better.  Not worth the $$ yet, that's for sure.

So, the fixes that I can see are;

-- In the book section, you don't lose your place every time you open the book.  It used to start you back at page 1 every time you opened or switched back to it.  This was a major bummer.  While the advertisement says this update adds a table of contents, I can only see this table of contents on my iPhone.  It does not work on the iPad.  They also say you can "re-download" the book using a "long press gesture".  No freaking idea what that is, and nothing I seem to try will re-download the book.  So, the book is still pretty much useless for anything other than a quick read of the fluffy bits.
 <Edit - 1752MST - You can get chapters on the iPad version, you just have to delete the app and re-download it, restore your purchases and download the book again.  Crappy programming!> 

-- The new "how to paint" section is actually just an opportunity for you to buy the e-book version of the how to paint Age of Sigmar book.  There is no 'how to paint' section of the program.

-- You can now buy individual war-scrolls that you don't have unlocked from the book purchases.  Again, this is freaking annoying, since if you buy the hard cover or e-version, you have no way to tell the app and unlock them in the app unless you pay for it again.  Worthless ass money-grubbing.  But at least you can buy all the scrolls for 99 cents each.  <what a freaking joke>

-- The rules section works now.  Wow, it took weeks to un-f%&k up a 4 page pdf?  The 8 year old programmer must have gotten to that page in the objective-c programming book.

  So, where before I gave this an F-minus for shitty execution and crappy programming, I will upgrade it to an D-plus for shitty execution and crappy programming, but some fixes.

  I must still advise you to run away from this garbage.  Perhaps I should clarify, run away from purchasing books on this garbage.  Having the rules and scrolls is pretty handy overall though, so it is worth the download.

  Also, I was asked to clarify where I came from on this, so I should say that I use a couple of things for my opinion.  First, the utility of the enhanced editions of the 40k codexes.  Second, the Privateer press digital rulebooks and their War-Room apps, both of which are pretty damned decent apps overall.  Lastly, I have programmed in almost every major language since high-school (in 1982).  So, that's where it all comes from.

  See ya soon!!

Age of Sigmar - WIP 2, now with terrain

  Who knew, something like Age of Sigmar could get me fired up to paint again? 

  But it did, and I am.  Here are my Retributors, almost done except for basing and some highlighting.  I know, I'm no Duncan Rhodes :)

  I do try though.  Getting a little better at the highlighting, but I have to work on my brush control a lot!!


  I also started work on a terrain piece of my own design.  Ages ago, I cut up some foam board into little blocks on the band saw.  I was going to make a castle for a D&D game, but got sidetracked.  I stumbled on these and thought, hey, there is a ruined building in there!  It's glued down and basecoated.  Needs a bunch of paint, details and texture still, but it is a start!  Generic enough for D&D, WH40k and AoS now...

On with the pics... let me know what you think, try not to laugh to hard :)

  Going for the gold armour, green details, in case you weren't aware...  I love the citadel Liberator gold layer paint, new for the Sigmar release.  It's very smooth and VERY gold, perfect highlight for the Retributor Armor gold paint.  I guess they planned that.  heh heh he.  On with the ruins;

  Reasonably simplistic, but I think it will look good once it's painted up and debris/grass/wood tossed around.

  See ya soon!  Play more games! (thank Wil Wheaton!)

Citadel Brushes (cont) and Age of Sigmar WIP

 

  Well, it was a crazy weekend, but I did manage to get some work done on the AoS stuff.  While doing so, I got to check out the new Retributor Armour spray Paint from GW.

  Have to say, this is expensive, but it is VERY very gold colored.  With the exception of some non modeling paints, this is the best metallic spray paint I have seen.  In my time with the USAF, I have seen some very special purpose metallic sprays, but the cost of those was in the thousands of $$ per can.  Yes, this stuff is $28 bucks a can, but it is a HUGE time saver for the AoS Eternals and I like it.


  I also had the opportunity to play around more with the Citadel brushes and I am very displeased with the medium Layer brush in the range.  It could not keep a point and it splayed like nobody's business.  It was almost impossible to work with.  The other layer brushes were very good to use and held up rather well.  The glaze brush and wash brushes also did quite well.


  Anyhow, some quick WIP shots.  I'm kind of following the Duncan Rhodes method on these, but I am not taking a ton of time on them.  These are 'just for fun' models :)  I'm going with the gold armour look, but with green theme instead of the blue like the 'book' models.  The base coat will be Incubi darkness followed by some green layers.  We shall see...

Primed with Stynlyryzzzzz black and sprayed with GW Retributor Armour.  it is VERY gold in person and quite durable.  No flecking or peeling.

Terrible angle, but the troops with their wash on...

Retributors with some of the base coats and some washes on.

  Have to mention, I picked up my Apple watch on Saturday.  Very odd it is, I'm not sure if I love it, or if I just wasted a ton of $$??  time will tell...  HAH, get it?  time will tell???  Apple watch???  (I kill me...)

Age of Sigmar IOS App = junk

  Folks, you know me as the GW apologist, I freely admit it.  But I'm here today to warn you off downloading the app and then buying the book in the Age of Sigmar app for IOS.  It's just not ready yet.  In fact, it's waaaay not ready.  It seems to work ok on the phone, but the iPad version is just junk. 

  Here is the review I gave it on iTunes  (a 1 star review)

Wow, is this ever lame.  Free app, sure, but you get nothing for that. You spend the $50.00 for the book and guess what?  It's useless!  No bookmarks, no annotations, nothing to make it even remotely useful. Free rules?  Not hardly. My copy has not ever displayed the rules, not once. This is bad programming and money-grubbing to the extreme. Run, do not walk, away from this loser.  Spend your $50 on the real book.

   When you spend the $50+ for the book, you get a crappy copy of the book that does not even have the layout done correctly.  The typeface is incorrect and you get a lot of blending and overtyping, especially on the headings.  You cannot bookmark it, annotate it or anything.  Hell, it does not even have a table of contents to go to different parts.  You have to MANUALLY flip through the thing to get to pages you want.  Forget flipping back and forth through the scenarios.  The "rules" icon does not work, and never has for me.  (It does work on the phone though, just not the ipad version).

  It does load up and display the data sheets for your units, and allows you to flag sheets for the game your playing, so that is cool, but this app is not done and not ready.  There is no way to flip through your data sheets, you have to close one and open another.  It's as if they had a programmer slap this thing out in 30 minutes and then forgot about it.  Pure drivel.  

  Just remember, these are my experiences and ymmv.  The iPhone app seems to work decently, but I use the iPad app, and that is my choice of platforms. (old eyes don't like phone screens... lol)  I expected something on the order of the enhanced Codices from 40k and got junk. <sigh>

  So, take this as you see fit..

Age of Sigmar? Who dat? Hey, this is fun...

  Well damn, it's the summer 40k break at GW.  They're pushing out some kind of warhammer fantasy crap for the next few months.  Good thing since I'm traveling a while, so I can miss all this sillyness.

   Sooo, get back home and go to the FLGS and there is a new box on the shelf.  Age of Sigmar... who is Sigmar...

  Ut-oh, sounds of fun coming from a mini table, have to check it out...  Hah... just losers playing warhammer fantasy...  or... wait a minute...  no slidey trays, no masses of troops... laughter...  mirth.  What the hell is going on here???  Don't these guys know they are playing a GW game.  No laughing, no fun.   Get your noses into that 500 page rulebook and look something up.  Argue about spells and magic, damnit.

  "Hey, wanna join us, it's the new warhammer fantasy.  Just grab some models and set them down, we'll work you in."  One of the mindless fantasy players asks.

  "Sure, I'm going to read a few hundred pages of rules, scrolls and other drivel so I can join in." I reply, smug in my knowledge of 7th edition 40k.

  "Nah, 4 pages of rules.  Super easy.  In fact, you probably don't need them.  Here are some sheets for the units over there.  Grab some and lets rollllll....."

  Holy crap!  in 3 minutes I'm in the game, fighting, moving, rolling and learning a few hard lessons.  4 pages may be misleading, this game has some serious mechanics hidden in 4 pages.

  Yes, I picked up the new Age of Sigmar box, and yes I am building the minis.  Why?  It was fun.  I mean crazy kind of fun.  Very easy to learn, but I think mastering it will be a stretch.  There are holes in the rulebook... big ones, big enough for trucks to drive through, but maybe they meant for them to be there?  Like no prohibition from shooting and fighting in melee in the same turn?  Did they mean to allow that?  It sure seems like they did.  Units have some interesting special abilities and hero's have a real impact.  Things interact in really weird ways.

  The game has no points, no endless hours of list building, net-listing and perfectly balancing.  Just grab some models and get going.  The guy with more "stuff" is the attacker.  The game is supposed to be scenario based, and that might be interesting going forward.  I also see some situations where people will take advantage of the no points and beat up the unsuspecting fluff player.  But that is self correcting, don't play with jerk-offs.

  This is NOT your father's Warhammer Fantasy.  In fact, I can see where this is going to royally piss off the Fantasy players that have a big investment in the game.  It is stripped down to the absolute most basic miniatures game and I'm not sure that is good in the long run.  Time will tell.

  I see GW putting this out there as a pusher gives you your first few bags.  Get ya hooked then suck ya in.  I can also see that this game may scale up or down pretty well in the long run.

  But for now, check it out.  It really is strangely fun.  It is also a gateway drug, use it wisely :)