Storm of magic - most badly designed book ever?

[Wildeybeast]

So, my SoM book came this morning and it is shiny and new and exciting. The rules look ovepowed but fun and simple, some nice new artwork, everything is hunky dory. Then I sat down to read it this evening and realised GW had made a mega balls-up. The cover is the most stupidly designed thing I have seen in a long time. For those who don't have it, here is a picture http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat640009a&prodId=prod1250231a
The front cover folds out, to reveal a handy spinner. Great and very useful. Except when you actually want to sit and READ THE BOOK. Then you have no front cover to hold and an A3 sized back cover flopping around all over the place, getting in the way and making the damned thing rather difficult to hold. Clearly designers at GW only use their books as handy gaming reference charts, and not for their original purpose of BEING READ. I'm probably griping over a relatively minor thing here, but when they have made what is otherwise a great book, I can't believe that no one got hold of the finished product before printing and went ' hang on, this thing is bloody awkward to hold'. Why not just have the spinner inside the front cover which opens normally, rather than this crazy, double back cover system?

[Chronowraith]

I agree although for different reasons. The floppy spinner cover didn't give me any issues, it's the little nub that's left on the front that prevents page turning that I felt was unnecessary. That little bit of hardcover makes it exceptionally irritating to look things up for reference while playing a game since you have to be flipped 3/4 of the way through the book for it to stay open.

[eldargal]

Its a bit awkward to read in bed, but on a flt surface it isn't too bad. I can appreciate the problem if you wanted to reference things during a game, but that is why I type up cheat sheets and keep the book only so my opponent can check things if they want to.

[joescalise]

They book is a little strange, but I like the spinner in the book. I am just scared that it is going to break and they only way to do anything about that is to destroy the book.

[wittdooley]

I agree quite a bit on the cover. I just don't get why they didn't use the exact same cover, but flip it so the cover part was behind the pages. I guess, perhaps, that wouldn't have allowed the spinner to lie flat.

I was really pleased with the magnet in the cover, however. But I won't like, I'd have preferred the spinner to simply be a separate piece.

[fuzzbuket]

its fine cover is too OP anyway :P

[Wildeybeast]

I assuming having the spinner flat is their justification, but I tried it with the spinner vertical and guess what? - it still spins and it defies gravity by not always pointing down. Its a great little spinner they have there, its just in a stupid place. And I agree Chronowriath, the little stub cover is also immensley irritating. It just feels like they thought this would be a great novelty way of designing something and never stopped to wonder why no one had tried it before.

[wittdooley]

I sometimes feel like GW doesn't put things through the "practical use" test.

[eldargal]

So, I guess I'm the only one who can sit and open and close the book for hours and be amused by it?:rolleyes:

[wittdooley]

So, I guess I'm the only one who can sit and open and close the book for hours and be amused by it?:rolleyes:

Oh no, the magnet might be my favorite part. My wife made fun of me mercilessly yesterday because I was doing just that.

[Wildeybeast]

I agree entirely, opening and closing it is fun, as is flicking around the spinner whilst you browse through. I just get annoyed that I can't get down to the serious business of reading the thing without arraning myself in a complex yoga position :D