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-   -   One Hero Lab for the group (http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=49024)

Korlall April 16th, 2014 07:16 PM

One Hero Lab for the group
 
Hey there,

I bought Hero Lab and planning to buy the additional data packages. I'm the DM and the players are currently using an excel sheet for their characters but I think they would love to use Herolab as well. I know they won't buy the product with all the packages themselves.

I know the software comes with 2 licenses and we can buy other in other to use Herolab on other computers but it doesn't say really if it's intended for the same person or not...

Can I buy additional licenses and give them to my players so they can manage their characters with all the datapackages I would have bought so we could all use Hero Lab while gaming ?

Thanks

liz April 17th, 2014 10:32 AM

Korlall, thanks for asking! Each Hero Lab account (and all associated licenses) is for one person only. We outline that a little bit more in our License Terms and Conditions.

The other licenses are meant for a player or a GM that may want Hero Lab on their desktop and their laptop.

Korlall April 17th, 2014 01:13 PM

Ok so let's say as the DM I run a campaign and I allow the contents let's say from the core books plus some additionals books that I bought as additional data packages (let's say 40$ of bonus content).

I have 4 players. Me, as well as the player would have to buy Hero lab and those 40$ of bonus data for a total of about 70 $ each ? That would make about 350$ for running a 4 players game with core books and few addons. Is this what Lone Wolf Developement intended to make people pay ? That sounds pretty expensive... I guess there is something I am missing...

liz April 17th, 2014 01:39 PM

If your players are going to be manipulating their characters on their own computers, they should have their own separate Hero Lab accounts.

Keep in mind that you can use the Editor to create material as well. So, if you're playing Pathfinder and one of your players uses one feat from Ultimate Combat and nothing else, it may make more sense for them not to purchase the additional supplement and just add the feat through the Editor.

Rob explained it really well in a previous thread with someone asking a similar question:

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob
[Many groups share books], which is perfectly acceptable. The key detail here is that there is only one copy of a book, so only one of you can use the book at any given time. You need to pass it around the table. Now extend that concept to a Hero Lab license. If you put it on one laptop, you can pass the laptop around just like a book. However, if you put the same license on multiple computers, then everyone in the group can share the same copy at the same time. That's no longer anything close to sharing a book. It's now equivalent to making complete copies of the book and passing them out to everyone. Most reasonable people would consider that an inappropriate activity, and we do as well.

The Hero Lab license is setup along these lines. However, we go well beyond the limits of a single book. We provide a free secondary license to run the product on a second computer, so you effectively get two books for the price of one. You're also able to purchase up to two additional secondary licenses for only $10 apiece. So you can essentially buy two extra full copies of all the books for $10 apiece. That's a lot more generous and flexible than managing a single book. However, there is still the limitation that you can't just give the product away to others. We consider that to be reasonable.

In your situation, you might consider getting an old used laptop and putting a secondary license on it. Then you can pass that around amongst your players, along with your own laptop. That's the equivalent of having two sets of all the books available at the table for sharing, and it's all in keeping with the license.

His suggestion at the end may be a good solution for your group if you don't think they'd want to purchase Hero Lab.

Kairos April 17th, 2014 02:38 PM

In my experience, the whole group doesn't need HL. FWIW, what I do as GM is use Hero Lab as the source of truth for the game's PCs. It's like a section of my GM's binder, if you will, from back in the old days. In essence, I have my players roll up their characters, then I plug them into my Hero Lab to store and manage them. I then print out the character sheets (our export stat blocks for pbp games) and distribute these to the players who mark them up during play.

Some like this, some like to use their own pencilled-in official sheets (I play with old guys). In any event, the HL sheets help make sure everyone is on the same page. Any changes I record at the end of the session -- a couple guys just turn in their sheet at the end of the session and get a new one via email or just wait until the next game to get a fresh printout.

Anyway, that's how I use it. I've only ever gamed with one person who also had Hero Lab on his own.

ShadowChemosh April 17th, 2014 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kairos (Post 180989)
In my experience, the whole group doesn't need HL.

While this is valid way to game and I belong to a group that does this exactly its not the only way. The games I DM tend to go to high level and using HL at the game on a laptop or now iPad is GREAT! It helps speed the game up so much especially with all the different buff spells or de-buffs on characters. We play Pathfinder and you have remember all those "things" that don't stack. Well with HL you don't have to anymore. You click on the "In-Play" tab and boom make adjustments to your character.

Or heck you get poison and need to apply 5 Str Damage. Click on the Adjust tab and apply it. All calculations on the hero is redone for you. So each player in my group eventually went to laptops and then when the iPad HL app came out everyone switched to the iPad. You get faster game play and the iPad takes up so little room at the game table.

My opinion is each player using HL during the game is a MUST have now. :)

Kairos April 17th, 2014 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShadowChemosh (Post 180990)
My opinion is each player using HL during the game is a MUST have now. :)

Fair point. :)

I think it depends on your group. Most of my friends are averse to having electronics at all at the table, and spending money on software they could spend on books is against their religion.

ChrisRevocateur April 18th, 2014 07:38 AM

So, just to make sure I've got this clear: If I were to set up a server with remote desktop or an application server connected to 6 thin clients, one each for players, and a full workstation for the GM, I would need 7 licenses, even though the program is running technically on only one machine?

I've had this idea for the ultimate electronically aided RPG game room in my head for a while, and now that a question like this is coming up, even though my concept is FAR from being birthed (need a better job before I can get the capital to even get a server machine in the first place), I should ask this question and see if my idea is squashed from the start.

cryptoknight April 18th, 2014 08:04 AM

If you're legitimately purchasing a Windows Server, and the CALS for it... Hero Lab is a bargain in comparison.

cryptoknight April 18th, 2014 08:06 AM

That said, if it's only installed on 1 PC... as I understand the licensing for HL it's per Machine (i.e. friends can sit down at your PC and make and create characters with no trouble)... If you seriously setup a Windows Terminal Server in Application mode and put HL on it... it's still only installed on one PC at that point.


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