War Room FAQ (the return!)

[Cambrian]

I skimmed through this thread and might have missed these so my apologies if I have:

On tier lists:
• Will it also allow the user to view the tier lists much like they are in the "Forces of " books? (outside of list creation)
• Will it update with NQ tier lists as they are released?

More generally:
• Will the app have a rules glossary?
• If so will the app have links to rulings related to individual rules?
• Will the app have a list of scenarios with related rules?
• Will the app have functions like the deathclock/turn timer?

Also only loosely related to the app:
Is there plans to allow NQ to be purchasable in a digital format through the iStore/android market place? If so will it be at a cost cheaper than the printed form?

[edavis]

I am sure this has already been answered somewhere and I was unable to find it. Does anyone know if you have both Android and Apple devices if you will have to buy the app/content twice? Or will they be able to share between the two. I would like to know because I don't always have my IPad with me and well my phone is small and I am old. Will it be a in app purchase or through the store (Not that in app avoids the store)?


Thanks

[Quizboy]

According to the FAQ it's all saved to an external account, so you'll have access to everything you've bought on any device where you're logged in. Like the Kindle app and store

[edavis]

Wow really that is pretty cool. Not sure how that works with the Apple/Android app market policy, but hey if it does awesome. Hope that is how it works out. I know game apps for cross platform have had issues. Maybe it doesn't apply to content.



Thanks

[Necra-Chi]

You would get device specific app for free, for each of your devices, but your content, or at least the unlocking of your content is online, and the tracking of games is online. Another good reason why some features could not be made available for free in the standard App i suspect.

[zionson]

The card decks update on the model's release date, as per the FAQ above...

That's terrible. This means you can't build lists with proxies even for home use. This makes War Room less useful as a list-building app. I should hope cards would be available upon book release, and just be disabled or flagged for tournament play (could have a red overlay until the model is finally released).

[PG_malfred]

That's terrible. This means you can't build lists with proxies even for home use. This makes War Room less useful as a list-building app. I should hope cards would be available upon book release, and just be disabled or flagged for tournament play (could have a red overlay until the model is finally released).

You could just put in a points equivalent until its release.

[The Happy Anarchist]

My only issue is that if my opponent isn't using WarRoom how can they keep track of what's damaged without being able to see their cards, and how does this interact with Death Clock? If it's my time wasted every time I check how much life is left on an enemy warjack/beast, what is the incentive for my opponent to move quickly? Or is it their time taken while they call up that model? I can also see an issue if your opponent isn't comfortable handing you their iPad, or worse yet, if someone drops someone's device.

The incentive is that if it is taking time out of your turn, you pass the clock to them and it is taking time out of their turn - like everything else with deathclock. That said, from the little we saw in the video it looks much faster than pulling out cards or searching through them. You sit there with the list on the screen, you select the model from your list and the card pops up. Another button press of some sort brought up the damage marking part. Given how long I have seen some people search for cards, or even the time or two that I couldn't see a card right in front of my face for whatever reason, this could easily be faster than cards.

No it really isn't, for me at least. But now we are talking about a phone screen, that you can't read across a table because of glare and the viewing angle on lcd screens. Not to mention that at most one card will be displayed. Add to that that if I want to look at his cards I have to fuddle with the warroom system to scroll through them all, eating up time on the clock. If Warroom becomes a legal substitute to cards at tournaments then I will be forced to deal with a digital equivalent when the standard cards work just fine. It's a deal breaker for me to be forced to deal with a cumbersome digital gizmo just because you need to get your geek on.

It looked very easy to me. The list is up, you tap on the model/unit whose card you want to view and bam, there it is. Seemed like exactly the opposite of cumbersome to me.

As far as battery power goes, that is a major concern for me. I am wondering how much it can be managed though. I have what may be a solution though. Instead of just leaving it open and viewing the whole time, just have it out and ready, then lock the phone so the screen is dark. A simple swipe/button press and it should come up as normal and you can view the card/mark damage. I wonder how much that may be able to keep battery use at a minimum. Obviously not a timer replacement there, as a timer would need to be up the whole time, but for the cards/damage marking that could work easily.

[Trygle]

Yeah it's more of a minor annoyance.

Still... Not hyped for this anymore. I am gonna have to make or find an alternative.

[Taslon]

Your app looks awesome an the bulk pricing has me sold, now of we can just hear about collections and such I'll be happy

[Vicomte Athos]

The alternative is akin to someone asking to see one of your cards, so you hand them your whole deck and make them search. Glare is a problem on card protectors already, and phones generally have IPS displays so viewing angles aren't a problem.

Do you put your cards in single sleeves and stack them? No, you put them in 9-sleeves and keep them flat. 9-Sleeves also have almost no glare to them at all unlike super polished deck protector sleeves. This app opens more door for cheaters then it closes. Add in battery issues (what happens when you phone battery dies mid tournament, how do you proceed?) and you have something that creates more problems then it solves. Having your cards out in the open in a flat 9-sheet is by far the easiest way to prevent shenanigans in regards to record keeping, that way it's easy to monitor and openly visible.

Warroom in casual play or for list building cool, that's fine by me. But it should be banned in the SR rules, it's going to cause more problems then it solves.

[Lanz]

Warroom in casual play or for list building cool, that's fine by me. But it should be banned in the SR rules, it's going to cause more problems then it solves.

They've already officially accepted the product, though. Maybe we'll have to wait and see what happens. PP will likely drop official support if it really does end up this bad.

[edavis]

You would get device specific app for free, for each of your devices, but your content, or at least the unlocking of your content is online, and the tracking of games is online. Another good reason why some features could not be made available for free in the standard App i suspect.

I am reasonably sure that in app unlocks have to pay a percentage to the app store to be in compliance with the developers program. Not sure how they are gonna get around that if they have to pay the percentage to both app markets to be in compliance. Oh well that is for them to figure out and comply with. I just have to give them money. I know for a fact that Apple defends this policy very aggressively , and am sure Android market is the same, since that is how they monetize the market to justify the distribution infrastructure.

I am sure they have already figured it out, if they have committed to it.

[Jakal]

I am reasonably sure that in app unlocks have to pay a percentage to the app store to be in compliance with the developers program. Not sure how they are gonna get around that if they have to pay the percentage to both app markets to be in compliance. Oh well that is for them to figure out and comply with. I just have to give them money. I know for a fact that Apple defends this policy very aggressively , and am sure Android market is the same, since that is how they monetize the market to justify the distribution infrastructure.

I am sure they have already figured it out, if they have committed to it.

Actually the way the apple policy works if you have the ability to purchase from within the app the Apple gets it's 30%. That's what the comixology apps do. If you have no way to purchase from within the app then apple lets it go. That's what the netflix, kindle and nook apps do. You just log in with your account and can access your content, but you have to purchase through the website and there are no links from the app to the store.

In neither of those cases do you need double unlocks as any comics you buy through the iOS store are available on any of the other platforms they support, the only difference is who does the payment processing and if it's the store/market of the platform you're currently accessing it through they get a 30% cut.

[Stanislav]

I am glad to hear that the app is to be available on the Kindle Fire. I don't own one yet, but as far as a tablet-type device, it is definitely the cheapest (although I understand it's functionality is severely limited as opposed to the iPad and Galaxy tablets).

Before I go busting out the Amazon Credit Card, can someone point me to the post where Simon or Will commented on it's compatibility? I have perused these threads but it seems to be eluding me.

Thanks

[Antigonus]

Technical question - will the Android version of War Room install to the SD Card, as opposed to being stuck on the phone/tablet itself?

[BigHoot]

Will we be able to use the App in "game mode" without a connection? Kindle Fires, for example, only have WiFi. Well, if I am in a store that doesn't support WiFi, will I be able to at least keep track of my own battle damage and such without being able to connect to the cloud?

[Jakal]

Will we be able to use the App in "game mode" without a connection? Kindle Fires, for example, only have WiFi. Well, if I am in a store that doesn't support WiFi, will I be able to at least keep track of my own battle damage and such without being able to connect to the cloud?

From the first post

Will War Room require Wi-Fi™ to create and join games? Will Bluetooth® or field communication be supported?
The only time you need to be online is to update content or play multiplayer. All other functionality works locally with the latest updated data on the device. Multiplayer use will require an online connection, whether Wi-Fi or from your phone’s service provider. Because we’ll be offering War Room on multiple platforms, no Bluetooth or near-field communication is supported.

[Trygle]

I am glad to hear that the app is to be available on the Kindle Fire. I don't own one yet, but as far as a tablet-type device, it is definitely the cheapest (although I understand it's functionality is severely limited as opposed to the iPad and Galaxy tablets).

Before I go busting out the Amazon Credit Card, can someone point me to the post where Simon or Will commented on it's compatibility? I have perused these threads but it seems to be eluding me.

Thanks

Here are the only things that have limited me on my Kindle.

1 RAM/Space
2 Amazon


That's really it.

I love my device, and 7 inches is surprisingly decent.

[Tossy]

A question:

Will the cards be updated with the errata'd text when they happen as well?

This also goes for the rules reference?

[Quizboy]

2 Amazon

It looks pretty easy to root with a little help from XDA, if the limitations are a problem. The advantage of such a popular bit of hardware is that there'll always be so many people tinkering with it, so you've got unbricking utilities, what looks like a solid Cyanogen 7 ROM, easy rooting via Android Debug Bridge, even a (beta, semi-) functional Ice Cream Sandwich port. I'd grab one myself in a second (for that price!) if they'd sell the thing in the UK, just to play around with.

[Entil_Zar]

Question:
Will the prices on non-US-App-Markets be converted correctly to local currency or will there be just a swap of the icon $ to ? (1:1)

[Hatdecoy]

Yeah it's more of a minor annoyance.

Still... Not hyped for this anymore. I am gonna have to make or find an alternative.

The alternative would be the physical cards, I think.

[trebormills]

Im sorry to say the more I find out about it the less I like it at the moment.

I feel PP have tried to do an excellent job with this and also are trying to do good however something just doesnt click for me. I await getting my hands on it to see if it is just the doom of the new at work. It seems like IT for the sake of it rather than an excellent tool for me right now. Of course im sure loads of folks will be super excited by the deck in a device thing.

Please ensure it has all that iBodger had and more- it would appear that you are trying

[George Spiggott]

I was surprised to see that the Prime/Primal models were not used as the basis for the free cards. Is Prime/Primal no longer considered to be an introductory product. It will be difficult to judge the usability of the app based purely on the battlebox models.

Secondly. Will Kayazy models be available as part of the Mercenaries deck?

[j78]

How much memory is the app expected to use, and will there be an option to turn off factions on my phone to save space?

[Phalanx]

So from my understanding blackberry products are going to have some sort of android market capability soon (though also from my understanding essentially what needs to be done is the program recompiled before being usable on a BB device, though no other changes are required) so will this be usable on BB devices such as the playbook? I do have an android phone, but I also have a playbook that I recently managed to get really cheaply due to the sales on it so I was wondering if this will eventually be usable on it.

[urtho]

Do you put your cards in single sleeves and stack them? No, you put them in 9-sleeves and keep them flat. 9-Sleeves also have almost no glare to them at all unlike super polished deck protector sleeves. This app opens more door for cheaters then it closes. Add in battery issues (what happens when you phone battery dies mid tournament, how do you proceed?) and you have something that creates more problems then it solves. Having your cards out in the open in a flat 9-sheet is by far the easiest way to prevent shenanigans in regards to record keeping, that way it's easy to monitor and openly visible.

Warroom in casual play or for list building cool, that's fine by me. But it should be banned in the SR rules, it's going to cause more problems then it solves.

I do put the cards in 9 individual sleeves, and then place them flat in a line on the table, where they may move about. Also no card page I have seen is antiglare, I am sure there are some out there, but I have had more trouble trying to see a page than trying to see individual cards across the table.

That however is slightly off topic.

On topic, I am glad to see there is a bulk purchase price. I for one will not buy new video games at $40-60, but I plan on buying this day one.

As has come up in this thread though, I do wonder if the app will be approved on the iOS market given the outside purchase rules in place there. Will be interesting to see if it becomes a problem.

[jandrese]

Do you put your cards in single sleeves and stack them? No, you put them in 9-sleeves and keep them flat. 9-Sleeves also have almost no glare to them at all unlike super polished deck protector sleeves. This app opens more door for cheaters then it closes. Add in battery issues (what happens when you phone battery dies mid tournament, how do you proceed?) and you have something that creates more problems then it solves. Having your cards out in the open in a flat 9-sheet is by far the easiest way to prevent shenanigans in regards to record keeping, that way it's easy to monitor and openly visible.

Warroom in casual play or for list building cool, that's fine by me. But it should be banned in the SR rules, it's going to cause more problems then it solves.

Heh, I'm the only person at my LGS who uses the 3x3 sheets for the cards (I even have a system as to what goes where). Literally everybody else uses the individual card protectors.

[CeltKhan]

Heh, I'm the only person at my LGS who uses the 3x3 sheets for the cards (I even have a system as to what goes where). Literally everybody else uses the individual card protectors.

Not everyone, jandrese. I laminated mine.

[PPS_Simon]

Answers to a few questions!

Does War Room feature a collection manager?
No, this is not a feature of the core War Room app.

How soon will cards for new models become available?

New cards will become available ont he day of their corresponding model's release or upon release of the expansion book in which it is included, whichever comes first.

Will League model cards be kept active indefinitely or only during the duration of that League?

League model cards will remain indefinitely available via War Room but will still only be legal for use during their corresponding league.

[jandrese]

Heh, no proxies from NQ stats for you!

[Valander]

Answers to a few questions!

Does War Room feature a collection manager?
No, this is not a feature of the core War Room app.

A little disappointing, but maybe for version 1.5.

[edavis]

Can't wait to see the new app. Hope it is super quick responsive. be nice not to have to wear my glasses to read the rules Based on what I am reading the updates will be faster than Ibodger, another nice side product of being company supported. Also wanted to thank whicken for ibodger that didn't have those features, but got me into Warmachine way more than I would have been. I had bought two battle boxes to play with and largely because of Ibodger I know own 4 factions. To show thanks I have created a petition page to show support for Whicken and say thanks for all the hard work. In many ways what he wrote was the framework for the app Privateer is making and providing Privateer with valuable incite in creating a app that represents a valid need. Thanks to both PP and whicken.

[Trygle]

<off topic>
Easy to root, but the main problem is having the new OS play nice with the current line of apps I want.

Personally I just want someone to create a custom mod that provides full access and control over the apps I want :P

OH... and the Amazon OS is surprisingly nice.

</off topic>


Still this app seems suited for tablets rather than phones though. I can't imagine running this app on my Nexus

[PG_Cloud-Gatherer]

Heh, I'm the only person at my LGS who uses the 3x3 sheets for the cards (I even have a system as to what goes where). Literally everybody else uses the individual card protectors.

I don't like the card protector sheets because you can't just flip over one card to read the back. I use individual sleeves (penny sleeves inside toploaders, usually), but I don't keep them in a stack. I spread them out along the back edge of my deployment zone.

[correlation2]

I used to use single sleeves until I had like 500 cards I felt like swapping through at random. That's when I put them into the 3x3 pages.

[lance.stucker]

I only have one issue about war room and ive been reading and NOBODY has addressed this consern yet and i hope others will read this thread. Touch screen phones get messed up when my hands get sweaty from being nervous or anxious. I had this problem from previous games when i use a timer on my phone, during mid game my hands were sweaty and I spent minutes trying to turn off the timer and reset it for my turn... If anyone else sees this as a problem, please address pp. I would hate to be in a tournament when time matters and i came adjust my hit boxes cause i have sweaty hands. Thanks for reading. I love the app, I want it just to study all the factions.

[correlation2]

That's... a pretty legitimate concern.

Props dude.

[Lanz]

handy handkerchief?