Hero Lab Online

[Tekwych]

No interest what-so-ever in an Online only system. I want something that runs on my device and stores my data in my storage systems. I also need something that is system agnostic, I can not use RW as it requires Windows and can not be ported to other systems.

[Exmortis]

Originally Posted by Farling

Several times LWD have said that the HL and RW development teams are completely independent.

And this kind of response is why we have the issue.

IF they have money for developers on a totally new project, then they had resources to assist where RW is dreadfully behind. I know the next statement, more does not always equal faster, but we are not looking at a large team here.

I am not against the idea of HLO, I am wondering why those resources couldn't have been used to help RW meet is deadlines...Years later. Or update HL, however if HLO is the next logical step in its evolution, that great, but does not change my statement or sediment.

[Toblakai]

Originally Posted by Tekwych

No interest what-so-ever in an Online only system. I want something that runs on my device and stores my data in my storage systems. I also need something that is system agnostic, I can not use RW as it requires Windows and can not be ported to other systems.

HeroLab is not system agnostic currently, HeroLab Online will be system agnostic though.

Or by "System Agnostic" do you mean it needs to run on "my system"?

[Tekwych]

Originally Posted by Toblakai

HeroLab is not system agnostic currently, HeroLab Online will be system agnostic though.

Or by "System Agnostic" do you mean it needs to run on "my system"?

System Agnostic is the ability for the app to be run natively on any Operating System. This will require separate compiles and installers but offer the best system performance all around. The output of the app must be transferable from one OS to another without modification.

Hero Lab and Army Builder both meet those requirements but Card Vault, which seams to have been abandoned, does not.

While Realm Works is, theoretically, an online system the framework it is based on is proprietary code that requires the Windows OS to function properly. You can not use RW unless you first emulate Windows. This will always cause performance issues.

This best User Interface experience will always be when every native function of the users chosen GUI just work and the app becomes an extension of that GUI, not some skewed or perverted amalgamation that does not fulfill the desires of the publisher or the user. Proper use of generic code and allowing APIs to do their job in the compile allow for an app that, while taking about 15-20% longer to develop, will reach 100% of the platforms out there and be as much as 40% more efficient to maintain.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by Tekwych

This best User Interface experience will always be when every native function of the users chosen GUI just work and the app becomes an extension of that GUI, not some skewed or perverted amalgamation that does not fulfill the desires of the publisher or the user. Proper use of generic code and allowing APIs to do their job in the compile allow for an app that, while taking about 15-20% longer to develop, will reach 100% of the platforms out there and be as much as 40% more efficient to maintain.

A lot of random percentages in there matey

HL doesn't reach 100% of the platforms out there since there is no linux variant (or Android).

Also, testing across many different OSes requires way more than 15-20% extra work since build and test environments are required for each of those environments. Maybe you were thinking 15-20% per additional OS that is required to be supported?

[Silveras]

Originally Posted by Tekwych

While Realm Works is, theoretically, an online system the framework it is based on is proprietary code that requires the Windows OS to function properly. You can not use RW unless you first emulate Windows. This will always cause performance issues.

Realm Works is NOT what any reasonable person would call an on-line system.

The user experience is 100% a windows desktop application.

The server features are such a small proportion of the application's use, I'd say it represents less than 5% of a typical user's experience.

[Tekwych]

If you just write the code needed for your app. Leave all UI, printing, saving, etc to the APIs and CSS then a single code base can be run through a modern compiler and get three or more finished apps on the other side.

You are right, no Linux bit there are at lest two compilers that will take Macintosh code and recompile to Linux if it is well written.

If RW is that much a windows product then it makes my point even more. The frameworks that were chosen to build RW only forced limits onto who could buy and use the product while offering no advantages in the long run. Front end coding was reduced (unless you hire developers that are experienced in cross platform) while maintenance time and cost actually go up as you try to chase another companies maintenance schedule. And this while some potential sales are lost through unsupported devices.

[Toblakai]

Originally Posted by Tekwych

Blah blah blah

So where's my android version then??

[Farling]

Originally Posted by Tekwych

If you just write the code needed for your app. Leave all UI, printing, saving, etc to the APIs and CSS then a single code base can be run through a modern compiler and get three or more finished apps on the other side.

With these sorts of systems, a massive amount of coding goes into the UI. The core app here is mostly just a database.

[Tekwych]

Originally Posted by Toblakai

So where's my android version then??

Android is, far and away, the most costly in time and resources for us to support because of poor maintenance of the OS and number of version in large scale use. When corners have to be cut Android is always the first to go.

Originally Posted by Farling

With these sorts of systems, a massive amount of coding goes into the UI. The core app here is mostly just a database.

Exactly. And with proper coding a database can be read on any stream unless you cut corners and use a framework that is propitiatory.