[Use White glue, instead of modelling glue?
]
Welcome aboard! In the past, GW has had a way of letting things get out of hand, before reigning things back in. I expect that 8th edition will be such a stroke.
I can't recall if it was 3-4 edition, or 4-5 edition, there were codices where complete and total customization of armies seemed to be the idea. Everyone had every weapon / upgrade imaginable. And then they cut it back. Made things more streamlined, everyone lost a bunch of options. That is hopefully happening again. Unbound, multi-FOC, multiple source army building... what it does is make it legal to run an army comprised of a few models from each Faction. Yay, I'm power-gaming! What-have-you. Allies lets you buy two half-forces, neither of which comprises an army in its own right...
8th Edition: No multi-source armies! The cries go out! "But I can't play either of these forces at a size I want,
unless I buy more models! My models aren't a cohesive force, I'll never play 40k again!" But then people realize that they're pretty much pot-commited. So they go out an buy a few more units, and they buy a few more special weapon duders. And yes, all those PF Sergeants that
everyone used in 5th edition became mostly useless in 6/7th edition, so they bought some new dudes without combat upgrades, or made some Power Sword guys because getting plinked in a challenge because you strike last is not good.
GW lets you play whatever you want, for a while. They're in the business of selling models, not games, according to their public policy. But all of a sudden, game balance is important to them again, so while you might have bought hundreds of dollars worth of candy to play with, now you need some veggies if you want to play the game still. So people go out and buy veggies... you know... the models that aren't as fun, but you need them to fulfill win conditions [IE: Troops in 5th edition, with a Transport.] so you buy them. Except now, you've got two half-armies. So you do that for two armies, not just one!
So anyhow, I hope you'll see a less loosey-goosey edition the next time around. Based on 6-7'ths turn around, that should be in a few months.
I'm personally pot-commited to 40k. Too many years and too many paycheques into it to go elsewhere, and my gaming group is much the same. I currently have a near-weekly matchup with a friend that likes White Scars and a pair of Knights. I'm playing a lot more 40k lately than I have since high school, and it's a frustrating experience to say the least. I'm desperately hoping that 8th, when it comes, brings some structure back to the game. I keep trying to find a way to play, "the way I like" within this framework, but am having a great deal of difficulty so far. I'm considering some 3-Codex options of Imperial Guard, Inquisition, and Blood Angels to see if I can coble together a Frankenstein's Monster of dead parts to make a working whole. *shrug*
It's hear-say and slander, but I hear that other games are easier to get into, financially, and that they have rising popularity because the companies treat them a little less like money-sponges to wring out at their leisure. So if you aren't deep into 40k yet, you might be interested in other Table Top games. Just throwing it out there. 40k can still be fun, just depends on your expectations.
*** Which is not to say you shouldn't give 40k a shot! Just keep your options open, is all I'm saying. Eldar are rumoured to be getting a new dex in the foreseeable future, so if you're buying models, maybe keep it towards things you like, and would use regardless of if they're good or not. Poke around here a bit, the Eldar are a pretty active board here. ***