Pathfinder for Hero Lab Online

[Ulfberht]

Originally Posted by vardeman

And of course it won't be supported on HLC. Because, you know... starships.

Gotta change with the times. HLC is archaic.

[thaX]

What?

No, Etools is Archaic. HLC is bound in some older processes that have been adjusted over time and can have some conflicts from time to time. The new version should have some better interaction and have a better interaction between particulars. That it was moved to Online model is frustrating to some, including me, but a newer product doesn't mean the first one was or is somehow obsolete. With the newer version, there are a lot of small things that simply can not be done as it was with the classic desktop program. (Please do not call it an App) These things may get an equivalent way to do those things, but it may never get to the point of actually being able to perform those things, either as well as the classic program, or not at all.

I don't know if it is because of the Online model, or if the new version is still incomplete with the rush to do this, or the lack of resources to get it ready. I would hope that Lone Wolf would give some thought to contacting Code Monkey to see if they could collaborate and use some of their expertise.

[cyderak]

So is Pathfinder 1.0 and 2.0 going live in August?

[Toblakai]

Originally Posted by thaX

What?

No, Etools is Archaic. HLC is bound in some older processes that have been adjusted over time and can have some conflicts from time to time. The new version should have some better interaction and have a better interaction between particulars. That it was moved to Online model is frustrating to some, including me, but a newer product doesn't mean the first one was or is somehow obsolete. With the newer version, there are a lot of small things that simply can not be done as it was with the classic desktop program. (Please do not call it an App) These things may get an equivalent way to do those things, but it may never get to the point of actually being able to perform those things, either as well as the classic program, or not at all.

I don't know if it is because of the Online model, or if the new version is still incomplete with the rush to do this, or the lack of resources to get it ready. I would hope that Lone Wolf would give some thought to contacting Code Monkey to see if they could collaborate and use some of their expertise.

This makes very little cohesive sense, any chance you could clarify what you mean. Code monkey? why?

[numbat1]

Originally Posted by cyderak

So is Pathfinder 1.0 and 2.0 going live in August?

Pathfinder 1E is currently remaining on HLC. There is a plan to port to HLO but no time frame at this point. Once that happens, if you choose to pay a small fee to port your content to HLO you should be able to use it in either system. (At least that is my understanding from the last I heard about it.)

Pathfinder Playtest (for the 2E playtest) will be supported in HLO. More on that should be available at GenCon. Hopefully, that will be a full release but I'm not sure that is what was actually promised. I think the announcement at PaizoCon (a single slide and Paizo staff making the announcement) was along the lines of more details at GenCon.

Paizo will be releasing Pathfinder Playtest at GenCon 2018 (early August) and the current plan is for the release of Pathfinder 2E (or whatever it will be called) at GenCon 2019.

I had a chance to experience some of the Playtest at PaizoCon and it was fun. There are a couple of elements I am uncertain of yet and I look forward to the Playtest in full to really experience the currently proposed system.

[thaX]

Originally Posted by Toblakai

This makes very little cohesive sense, any chance you could clarify what you mean. Code monkey? why?

The older program is still valid despite it's age, and can do all that it needs for the Starfinder game if it was to be developed for it. The newer program, which is only accessed from a online portal, has newer bells and whistles but does not, and may never, have all the functionality of the older program.

The only thing the older program can not do, as has been said by Lone Wolf, is the starship particulars. This could have been a separate program or specifically written for the alpha of this online model to test the waters.

Code Monkey did a bang up job of adjusting and expanding Etools to work with 3.5 after Fluid did half the job and fled. They were/are working on their own RPG aid that would have replaced that program, but with Herolab having taken over, I think their work combined with what Lone Wolf has planned would help speed up the development if Codemonkey could be convinced to use what they have to bolster the new product. Perhaps making permanent hires of the few that are still in the company? (They did announce that they are hiring)

[Asandir]

Code Monkey Publishing, I think now is just Mynex at this point. Originally, there were three principals, but the other two left years ago, Lonejedi and Barak I think were there user handles at the time. I just saw that Mynex has resurrected the website and is starting on new stuff, but not sure how much of a programmer Mynex is. I think Barak and Lonejedi were the principal coders at the time for eTools and they had a couple of guys that were doing the bulk of the data sets. Their new tool that they took pre-orders for, never materialized and vanished into the ether at this point. My recollections only, so take with a grain of salt.

[Toblakai]

Originally Posted by thaX

The older program is still valid despite it's age, and can do all that it needs for the Starfinder game if it was to be developed for it. The newer program, which is only accessed from a online portal, has newer bells and whistles but does not, and may never, have all the functionality of the older program.

The only thing the older program can not do, as has been said by Lone Wolf, is the starship particulars. This could have been a separate program or specifically written for the alpha of this online model to test the waters.

Code Monkey did a bang up job of adjusting and expanding Etools to work with 3.5 after Fluid did half the job and fled. They were/are working on their own RPG aid that would have replaced that program, but with Herolab having taken over, I think their work combined with what Lone Wolf has planned would help speed up the development if Codemonkey could be convinced to use what they have to bolster the new product. Perhaps making permanent hires of the few that are still in the company? (They did announce that they are hiring)

This makes a bit more sense. Starships are not the only thing, it is just one of the things. Starships fall into the category of shared resources. They mentioned things like party treasure tracking also.

Desktop apps are a dying thing, I know, that's what I have been working on for the last 2 decades. Web based HL is the future, and I am sure the standalone version will be supported for a while, but it will go away eventually. A server based model will allow more features, for example real time updates of the GM's copy of characters in the tactical console as buffs/debuffs are added.

Yes network connectivity could be built into the desktop app, but that is a lot of work on an old code base where this wasn't an original part of the design.

[thaX]

I would still want a lot of the features that are in HLC that simply are not in HLO, and may never get to be implemented because of one thing or another.

I get that a newer program is needed at some point, but putting it on a browser isn't changing that it is still a program, one that is on a server rather than one's own computer. Leasing a program is becoming more popular for a lot of other companies, for a lot more money than what Lone Wolf is charging now. I would hope that the various licenses and add on player materials would be cheaper with this compromised version of HeroLab, but I am guessing that it will be the same as it would have been on the Classic version, which is on top of the leasing fee.

[Toblakai]

Originally Posted by thaX

I would still want a lot of the features that are in HLC that simply are not in HLO, and may never get to be implemented because of one thing or another.

What features do you want that they have not stated already that they will be adding? I know there are things that are not implemented yet, but they have stated that they will be (with the "soon" caveat of course).