New update - v3.98 (beta)

[Colen]

Hi everyone,

In the run-up to working on M&M3, I went through my to-do list and implemented a whole bunch of requested features that could be useful in both the old and new editions. Given the sheer number of changes I made, I'd like to get a second (and third, and fourth) opinion before I "go live" with v4.0 of the M&M files. I don't want to accidentally break something and not be able to fix it for a while, so I'd like you guys to beta test the files for me.

You can download the beta version of the files here:

http://www.wolflair.com/download/hp/mutants_beta.hl

(Note: This requires Hero Lab 3.6c, which we also released today.)

Please take this for a test drive and let me know if anything is broken. I'm particularly interested in features that are working in the current version (v3.8) but are broken in this new version. (If you run into any of those that seriously impede your progress, you can just download the old v3.8 version from the updates mechanism and use it until I get stuff fixed.)

Here's the full list of changes that were made this release:

Enhancements & Changes

* Added an "NPC Power Level Scaling" feature. This can be found at the bottom of the Abilities tab (for NPCs only), and allows you to "scale" an NPC up or down one or two level at a time. NOTE! This is an approximate scaling process, so perfect results are not guarenteed - we recommend you scale an NPC up or down as a guideline, then tweak appropriately to achieve the results you want.
* Dynamic alternate powers now work! You can now choose the number of ranks to apply to each dynamic alternate power, and Hero Lab will verify that you haven't spent too many points on powers overall. The number of ranks allocated to each power determines the effects of the power, and can be adjusted up or down on the Powers tab.
* Added History Tracking for all traits. Mouse over an ability score bonus, saving throw, or skill, and you'll see a breakdown of everything that's currently affecting it, like bonuses from feats and powers. (Note that this doesn't include conditional bonuses that only apply under certain circumstances.)
* Added History Tracking to power point tallies. Mouse over any "power point tally" value, and you'll see a complete breakdown of what you spent points on.
* Added a "Stacks With" power extra, which lets you choose another power that this power stacks with. When a power is active, any powers it "Stacks With" are given a rank bonus equal to the rank of the stacking power. This is intended for when you have two versions of a power on the hero, one of which boosts the other when activated.
* Chained powers now correctly calculate their cost for the purpose of alternate powers. This means that you can add a power like super-speed, then go in and add alternate powers to the chained "Quickness" and "Speed" powers. You can even make the alternate powers dynamic!
* The Super-Speed power now chains in the Improved Initiative feat, instead of modifying your initiative value itself. This means you can modify the rank of improved initiative on the power, for an extra cost, if required.
* Being a construct now correctly adds a "Immune to Fortitude Saves" power costing 30 points, instead of making the Fortitude save cost -30 points, since this way is how it's represented in statblocks.
* Equipment is now displayed at the bottom of the Feats summary panel, instead of on a separate Equipment summary panel. This makes better use of the available space, both horizontally and vertically.
* Added "Throwing Distance" to the Special tab.
* Inactive powers are now greyed out on the Powers summary panel.
* A new "Reset" button appears on the Condition tab for each hero, allowing you to reset all conditions at once.
* Sidekicks, Minions, etc of NPCs now calculate their power level independently of their parent NPC.
* Added an option to display a hero image in printed statblock output.
* Added an option to include background details in statblock output.
* Added an option to hide feat descriptions in printed output.
* Added house rules for 2 and 3 skill points per power point spent.
* The Power Point tally breakdown is now printed on character sheet output.
* Movement powers now always appear in the specials list, even when they're not active. (If so, they're displayed in greyed out text.)
* You can now replace the Time & Value Progression Table and the Extended Range table with your own values in the editor, up to 50 ranks.
* Alternate power costs are now broken out separately on the Edit Power form.
* Top-level powers (i.e. powers which aren't alternate powers) are now activated by default when added. Alternate powers are still turned off by default.
* Added an Image tab for HQs, Vehicles and Mechas to specify images.
* Mousing over your toughness save, defense bonus, or attack bonus on the Abilities tab or Abilities summary panel will now display the maximum trait bonus for this power-level, and any trade-offs that are possible.
* An error message is now displayed if you don't cap your Toughness Save / Defense Bonus and Attack Bonus / Save DCs, since failing to do those can result in an underpowered character. You can turn the message off by selecting the "Hide Power Level Cap Errors" optional rule. (The message doesn't show up on printed output.)
* Added a condition for Total Defense, and the Improved Defense feat bonus now applies when you activated it.

Bug Fixes

* Fixed the spelling of the Japanese language.
* Certain skill bonuses (the Disguise bonus from Morph, Intimidate from Growth and Stealth from Shrinking) should not be capped by the power level limit.
* Equipment quantities now show up in output.
* Fixed an unclosed [b] sequence in statblock output.
* Corrected the description of the Disguise Kit.
* A number of items were not flagged as being from the Mecha & Manga supplement.
* Some Chi Sense options were incorrectly appearing for Super-Senses instead.
* Corrected the descriptions of "(Saving Throw) Protection" and "(Strength Bonus) Strike". Also, "(Strength Bonus) Strike" may no longer take the Mighty power feat.
* Sidekicks, Minions, Duplicates etc no longer get Hero Points.
* Fixed some cases where hit points were not displaying correctly.
* Only top-level heroes may now take the Minions feat.
* Dynamic alternate powers now correctly display as costing 2 points (the display used to be wrong, although the correct amount was being charged).
* All "Damaging" power extras now interact correctly with partial ranks by lowering the save DC of their parent power.
* The "Affects Others" extras now correctly make their power Touch range.
* HQs and Vehicles can no longer take other HQs and Vehicles as equipment.

[Nigel Fogg The Wayfarer]

First off, thanks Colen. Love that list of things, how can I not since some of my stuff is there. lol So certainly I'll give it a whirl....or so I thought! <<cue dramatic music to co-incide with the crash of thunder and the flash of lightning>>

Anyway, now I'm feeling stupid as I've downloaded the "mutants_beta" file and placed it into Hero Lab\Download. Booted HL, no change. Removed the "mutants" file and try with m_b there. Nope. Renamed m_b to just "mutants" and again no joy.

So, I put the m_b file into Hero Lab\Data\Mutants and no change. Removed the "mutants" file and try with m_b there. Nope. Renamed m_b to just "mutants" and again no joy.

I've now put the original "mutant" files back and removed the m_b file.

I am using HL Version 3.6c.

So, what am I doing wrong?

Nigel Fogg, aka The Wayfarer

[Colen]

Just download the file (it should be named mutants_beta.hl) and double-click it. Hero Lab will launch and offer to import the file for you, just like it does when you download it from the updates mechanism.

[Nigel Fogg The Wayfarer]

Originally Posted by Colen

Just download the file (it should be named mutants_beta.hl) and double-click it. Hero Lab will launch and offer to import the file for you, just like it does when you download it from the updates mechanism.

Thanks Colen, that worked. Guess I try to overcomplicate things when it is late at night. lol

I found one pre-existing character is now mysteriously 4 points over budget....going to pen, paper, & calculator check to check the math of the old character. If that comes out right then the cost of something must've changed between old and beta HL. I'll let you know what I find.

I see Jumping shows up in Specials and on the printout and I love the addition of throwing distance. Would it be possible to have the baseline (non-Speed) running values (MPH & ft/round) show up as well?

Please ignore the attached JPEG, that was before I found where you talked about the "off button" in the Configure Hero settings. Might I suggest that that be an optional "on" button instead?

Nigel Fogg, aka The Wayfarer

[Nigel Fogg The Wayfarer]

Originally Posted by Colen

Here's the full list of changes that were made this release:

Enhancements & Changes



* Added History Tracking for all traits. Mouse over an ability score bonus, saving throw, or skill, and you'll see a breakdown of everything that's currently affecting it, like bonuses from feats and powers. (Note that this doesn't include conditional bonuses that only apply under certain circumstances.)

.

When mousing over the Ability scores (actually the bonus modifier below the score) gives an incorrect result: if you have an Ability (STR, CON, WIS, etc.) of 10 or 11, etc., the breakdown is showing "user (+10)" or "user (+11)" not "user (+0)" or "user (+1)" etc. If you've dropped an Ability to say 8 it shows "user (+8)" not "user (-2)"

Nigel Fogg aka The Wayfarer

[Duggan]

I ran into a couple of issues briefly trying it before running off to work, although I'm not entirely certain what's triggering them. First off, the "power caps" check does not seem to be handling a character meeting caps by specialization. So, my guy with a +12 Strength bonus, 4 ranks of base attack, 2 ranks of attack focus (melee), and 1 rank of Attack Specialization (Unarmed), I believe he was being marked as not meeting his caps by two.

Secondly, and I wish I'd had a chance to zip up the file and send it, but I do have one character, Ubik, who somehow goes from costing 120 pp to costing 125 pp if I checkmark his Combat Powers container.

[Colen]

Can one of you zip up a file and send it where you get the chance? I checked the core archetypes and none of them had a problem, but it sounds like I missed something - it'll be a lot easier to track it down with a solid example that was already entered.

Thanks!

[Shadowchaser]

Can we have that 'Power Level Cap' warning turned off by default? I mean, it seems like it's indicating a 'broken' character when I haven't even built one. I'd rather it only showed up if I asked it to.

Just me, others can vote yea or nay, obviously

Edit- Well, I figured out where the check box was the third time looking for it. Sorry.

[atlarman]

Colen thats an awesome list of fixes thanks and i dont mean to confuse things but i was reading through your list and got completely lost when i read the warning about capping saving throws and powers and such could you please pm me and explain? ty in adavance- also i read that strike strength bonus no longer takes mighty as it reads now the mighty feat says in order 4 str bonus to apply i need the str strike bonus to apply to all the traits so so should i now remove mighty from my current strike powers and just keep str bonus strike?

[atlarman]

Also i noticed that as hero lab works now no warning is displayed when save DCs from powers etc exceed the pl limit (I.E. save DC max = 20 for PL 10) i was wondering if this was by design (consideing the core book clearly states that this is the rule- then immediately states that its up to the gm to enforce it or not-(paraphrazing there- Ive found out the hard way that strictly enforcing this cap seriously enhibits power rank (ie max pwr rank= no more then 5 at PL 10 in order to meet the save dc cap. )as i said HL doesnt violate me for going over that line...fine by meI caught it myself lol I was only wondering if this was an oversite or done by design to allow gm leeway?

ONE MINOR thing ID LOVE TO SEE= some images of the mayjor animal types for heroes who may have "pets"