Opinions: Battlescribe, the Future, & You
A few days ago I woke up to widespread panic from the Warhammer and Horus Heresy communities.
Did GW shutter FW? Was there a run on injection molded plastic pelets? No, something far worse, the tool that a gross majority of tabletop communities, my self included, utilize to build lists was taken down by iOS. People were clamoring to get the word out and of course previous generations of now defunct cell phones were pulled from drawers and cubbies that still had the application installed and put into temporary service. The community held its breath and suddenly a voice unheard from in 2 years, the Battlescribe application developer reappeared with this statement:
Whelp, this is embarrassing. Apparently an expired credit card caused my iOS developer account to go down for a bit, meaning the app couldn’t be reached in the App Store.
— BattleScribe (@BattleScribe) August 25, 2022
It should be back up and running now/soon ❤
🤦♂️#warhammer #aos #wh40k
How it Works
For those not in the know, the Battlescribe application is a framework. Rules and files are uploaded from an online repository into Battlescribe which reads the data files and allows users to build rosters based on that information. There is a free version of Battlescribe as well as a premium version that is advertisement free. Up until about 2.5 years ago, Battlescribe had fairly regular updates, the Dev was accessible and kept an eye on the application, and continually made improvements. He did his part in addressing changes happening in the major games and worked with the gaming communities to add features to the application.
All was well; and then the developer vanished. Updates stopped and communication with the communities ceased and the data teams that truly make the application sing were left on their own to work around problems without support while the developer was in the wind…still collecting passive income via subscriptions. Now, this wouldn’t have been so bad had a team or developer been left with access to update the application as needed.
The Unsung Volunteers of the Battlescribe Data Team
What you, as a user, probably don’t see is the army of volunteers and gaming enthusiasts who make the application functional for players. Every unit you enter, every force org you build into, and every bit of text that is transcribed from rule books is not provided by the Battlescribe owner/dev. Keep in mind this isn’t just an application for Warhammer and Games Workshop titles. Nearly every major tabletop game has a group of people dedicated to creating data files. Volunteers put countless hours into maintaining and keeping Battlescribe data files current. Their dedication helps the community build lists, play games, and make the annoying and tedious parts of tabletop gaming convenient. Below is a statement from the Battlescribe Data Team in regards to the developer popping on to update his credit card and keep the money train rolling:
Good morning, afternoon, evening to everyone.
This is just a notice from the data teams behind the game systems that battlescribe reads.
For the last 2-3 years we have had no contact with the battlescribe Developer, they stopped all communication abruptly and to this day we are yet to have any form of communication from them. We have continued to work with an app that suffers with bugs to the best of our ability, however there is only so much we can do with broken infrastructure.
AdvertisementWe are a group of volunteers who put a lot of time into the data behind the game systems you use, this is not us seeking attention, this is not us asking for sympathy, simply we are asking you, the community to vote with your wallets.
If you have a subscription with battlescribe, cancel it. The subscription was for regular app updates which have not happened for over 2 years now. The data team does not get anything from the subscriptions or ad revenue.
This whole mess, with the app being removed from the store to the app creator suddenly coming back because his money was on the line has pushed many of the data team to almost quit, as of right now, I think a few already have.
There is currently a team within the battlescribe data discord working on an open-source alternative to battlescribe. Project Phalanx started because we didn’t want to have a repeat of what went on with battlescribe, if someone vanishes, we can still update the app for the community.
If you have any app building experience or know someone who has, please head on over to our discord server, the team is always recruiting.
AdvertisementTLDR for people. Stop subscribing to battlescribe, help support the data authors who have been working hard to make the systems you play functional, spread the word.
Thank you all for reading,
stay civil and be kind out there.
EDIT:
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Links to the BS data discord: (https://discord.gg/UrrPB3T)and the link to the GitHub page (https://github.com/BSData/phalanx)
EDIT 2: FAQ
Are there any alternatives? – Yes and No, there are a fair few alternatives that are in the process of being built, some further than others, but as of right now, there is no direct alternative.
AdvertisementIs there a timeline for Phalanx? – We don’t have anything set in stone yet, for more information check the links above.
Is there a way for me to support you? – As of right now, sharing the word around communities is it, money related support tends to get the attention of GW.
Why should I abandon Battlescribe? – I’m not saying you should, right now there is no real alternative to Battlescribe. We are suggesting that you keep an eye out for alternatives and stop subscribing to the app’s paid service.
I think the data team puts it about as plainly as they can. They are putting in the work, they are not being supported and they are the reason why we all use Battlescribe. Simply put, the developer cashing the checks is not doing the heavy lifting, and hasn’t been for 3 years. Imagine going to use Battlescribe and being greeted with 8th edition Warhammer rules. You wouldn’t use it. PERIOD. With his money on the line the Battlescribe dev has made a statement on his Twitter vowing to update and work on the app, you can see it below:
In other news, things have been quiet around here for a bit. But don’t worry:
— BattleScribe (@BattleScribe) August 25, 2022
I am alive.
BattleScribe is alive.
I just needed to take some personal time.
Expect maintenance releases on all platforms soon to keep things ticking over.#warhammer #aos #wh40k
Time will tell if our enterprising developer will actually come back and work on his creation. I guess we all know how the Primarchs felt when the Emperor of Mankind left the great crusade for Terra.
Final Thoughts
I don’t claim to know a whole heck of a lot about software development or building applications. For what it is Battlescribe has been fine. What I don’t want to support is an application and developer who has been absent, collecting income from something that is broken. At the same time, volunteers toil away to keep it functional for a larger community. Battlescribe as a framework is passable but the true value is in the work that volunteers put in to keep the game systems current.
I believe we as a community need a better option than Battlescribe; be it open source, official applications from game developers, or a licensed app. Something that hopefully doesn’t require an army of volunteers. I’d rather see those people on the gaming tables, with their families, putting time into their hobbies and pursuits, or getting paid for their work.
What do you think the best solution is?
