Feature requests for upcoming Fifth edition:

[EightBitz]

Originally Posted by TheScrivener

I definitely understand the frustration - I think the nickel and diming is a bit excessive as well, but there is a difference between having access to the text and the extra convenience of the data files. If people are willing to pay for it, they'll sell it.

Also, remember this is intellectual property we're talking about. You don't "own" the content, you have a license to download the PDF. You own your physical book, but that doesn't mean you can legally copy and send it around to everyone everywhere.

Catalyst wisely knows that loading DRM on their books means they wouldn't sell as well. HL, though, doesn't operate on the same margins or economies of scale, and their products would be much more vulnerable for piracy. Hence, to pay for the content deals and ensure they can keep coming out with updates, this is what we pay. If you don't like it, vote with your dollars and maybe we'll see a change.

Here's how I see it. LWD is a commercial organization using the intellectual property of other commercial organizations to craft their products. Naturally, in order to do this in any manner that is above-board, LWD has to pay for rights. If they then took the content that they paid to license, and gave it to us for free, they would go out of business. The alternative would be to not offer the content. I don't like either of those options. I like having Hero Lab, I like having a variety of game systems available for it, and I like having expanded content available for it. That means I have to pay my part to cover their licensing costs, to cover their labor costs, and to cover their profit.

No, I don't resent them making a profit, because "loving your craft" aside, there are real-world concerns at hand.

For any data package or expansion package they release, I could do the work myself, if I really wanted to invest in learning the ins and outs of the authoring kit. But with the time it would take me to learn the craft, then craft each individual package, spending twenty bucks here and five bucks there is, by comparison, a pittance.

That being said, I can only speak for myself. Each person has to decide for themselves what's worth how much.

[Mmurphy]

I agree with EightBitz. LWD needs to make a profit. Some might say they make too much of a profit, I cannot agree or disagree since I do not know what (if any) profit they make and I try to avoid making statements of fact.

To add to what EightBitz said, everyone wants Wal-Mart prices but high Union wages. This is not a possibility so I too will pay for the data package when it is released; unless they charge too much in which case I will stay with the pen and paper method. I doubt I will stay with pen and paper as $20.00 here and $20.00 there for a HOBBY does not bother me. If it is too much for someone else, then stay with the pen and paper. Having Hero Labs is not a requirement to play.

[jbearwillis]

I agree with both EightBitz and Mmurphy, I'm an old time gamer who paid for hardbacks that cost 20 dollars back in the day, Now they are now anywhere from 45 to 90 dollars depending on how big the company is. Paying an extra 20 dollars here and there to make my game prep much easier, is a no brainier, at least to me. especially with how games have become so much more evolved. Companies need to make money, especially smaller one. Just to make ends meet, For most companies in this industry do not get rich off making these game, it's a labor of love for most, but they need to pay the bills and feed their families. I don't have the greatest job or make a lot of money, but I also don't have the time to sit for hours writing down all I need to do to make characters or work on my games like I use to, so to me hero lab is a god send and is worth the price I pay for someone to put all that data in and do the work for me. I now first hand how much time it take to make just a data file for a game that already has all the mechanics setup for it is. " I created the High-Space data file and have been working on Atomic-Highway game system which is a very basic game and it's not easy. I have supported Lone wolf - I have all the system so far for hero lab and all the supplement data as well and it was well worth it. I will continue to support them because I understand the sheer volume of what it takes just to do the basics, let alone a major full game system. It's not as easy as a lot of people seems to think it is. So all I have to say is " I bow to all the hard work Lone Wolf and the community does to keep this hobby alive and making it so much easier for over worked gamemasters who don't have the time themselves. Thanks for all your hard work and effort!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Vilhjalmr]

The problem is the retrospective adding up of prices. It always looks intimidating. ALWAYS.

But, of you get something, then slowly buy and add to it as the pieces come out, it seems much more sane... Then at the end when you have all the pieces, you look back and gawk. "I spent HOW MUCH MONEY???"

I put off buying Hero Lab for the longest time because I was looking at it in this all-or-nothing way.

Finally I decided to give it a spin, and I haven't regretted it at all. I ONLY picked up the data packs I needed, and never once thought it was too much to pay for the convenience I got from it.

If the price tag is still intimidating, maybe open up to your gaming group on the idea of divvying up the price and making it a resource for the group to use? I know since buying it, I've had a player or two chip in for data packets that they wanted to incorporate.

All I'm saying is that in general, you're looking at an extra $10 or so on top of the book you buy, and in return you're pretty much getting a streamlined way to use that book without having to paw through the crunch time and time again. You pay for convenience, and you get it in spades.

[d20Maverick]

Since this thread is only a week old, I don't feel too terrible about resurrecting it. I apologize if this is a thread necro, though.

Any way, I would like to see "Spell Drain" added to the Condition Monitors, since it cannot be healed through normal means like other physical and stun damage can.

Also, a Recoil Tracker on the Tactical Console would be fantastic.

[Fedifensor]

This isn't specific to SR5, but I really would prefer a better Journal, that allows rows to be inserted in the middle. I entered a few Missions characters, and it's frustrating to miss entering a module or Lifestyle row and have no easy way to fix the problem.

[TheMaskedFerret]

Can we get Contact Categories added as something you can Edit? Or can you add an option to the ContactCat tag group for CMP Contacts?

[rob1bynum]

Can you please allow us to change Priorities to use the Street Scum rules? (Example: C C D E E)

[TheMaskedFerret]

Originally Posted by rob1bynum

Can you please allow us to change Priorities to use the Street Scum rules? (Example: C C D E E)

From another Post:

Originally Posted by Mathias

In the help menu, check the "Shadowrun (5th) FAQ" link, and take a look at the "Future Plans" section there - you'll see that this is already on the to-do list.

[d20Maverick]

I'd like to request Essence Retention - lock the essence once the "Advancement" button has been clicked, as you currently do with karma. It can go down as more augmentations are installed, but it shouldn't go back up (as evidenced by the line, "When it’s gone, it doesn’t come back" on p. 52).

For example, let's say I have a military decker who began play with an implanted datajack and implanted Renraku Tsurugi cyberdeck, but after a series of very profitable runs he wants to upgrade to the Sony CIY-720. He doesn't want the new cyberdeck stuffed back inside him but want to keep it out where he can repair it without having to see a street doc to open him up so that he can get to it. So, he has the implanted cyberdeck removed, freeing up 0.4 essence. However, he doesn't get this essence back, so HeroLab should still see him as having 5.5 essence, even though only 0.1 essence is now being used. The other 0.4 essence can be reused later (if, say, my decker decides he really wants a standard-grade rating 2 Cerebral Booster to make him an even better decker), but he never goes "back" to 5.9 essence, he will (from the time he is locked for advancement) forever more be at 5.5 essence or less.