Multi User Access

[Cweord]

Can the Herolab DB cope with concurrent connections?

If so, how hard would it be to add a password system, so that you could have a gm password that accesses the entire file and then individual passwords that can have profiles assigned to it (so that players can control more than one profile if they have a critter pet or NPC).

Might be an easy way to enable multi-user access with out a server client scenario, and give the GM the ability to monitor the player profiles during gameplay.

[Mathias]

This is something we've previously discussed amongst ourselves, and we'd like to add in the future, but it is not currently available.

The closest you could come right now would be to use a shared file system (dropbox, for example), and have everyone save their characters regularly so the GM can open the most recent versions.

[RavenX]

I require my players email me their character portfolios and I DL them and keep them stored on my computer. Any changes they wish to make after that have to go through me once I hit the lock button on the advancement tab. I don't let them lock their details in case they did something wrong or that is outside the limitations my campaign imposes.

Drop box is not a bad idea though.

[Canis]

Maybe let the GM password protect the lock/unlock feature on a portfolio?

[Cweord]

That was my thought - I am trying to keep the battles to one portfolio, but I don't want my players to have access to the NPC's profiles - hence the idea for a locking system.

I have a network, so if concurrent connections work, I can have everybody open the same file - it just needs the password system.

[RavenX]

To be honest, My players have to send me the portfolio. I lock it and manage it after that once I am certain the character is legal for play.

I print the sheets & I have a sanctioning Embosser that I use on the printed sheets to produce a seal on them that my players can't forge. I initial their sheets and put a date stamp on them before they can even use them. This keeps them from being able to modify the final character sheet. Once printed and sealed They have to email me new purchase requisitions so I can do the dice rolls for them or they will do the dice rolls at the beginning of a game session in front of me. I then put the item into hero lab, and the game date the item is available as the name of the item. (I will make a note if a glitch or critical glitch ocurred on the dice roll), and we often RP out the consequences of items that suffered glitches.

[_Pax_]

... do you truly distrust your players that much, RavenX ...?!?

[Canis]

Originally Posted by _Pax_

... do you truly distrust your players that much, RavenX ...?!?

Yeah I was thinking that too :oD

[RavenX]

Originally Posted by _Pax_

... do you truly distrust your players that much, RavenX ...?!?

I do yes, and for good reason, I have caught enough players Illegally modifying sheets. I used to be an RPGA judge, and you'd be surprised how much people try to pull a fast one on you. Back then we did not have Hero Lab to manage the character sheets, so we had to spend a fair amount of time checking over the player comp sheets at the start of every event. I have done this stuff for over 20 years, people do try to cheat, especially unfamiliar faces. My core group of players are fairly trustworthy people who would not cheat, but I run my games in a public location and we randomly add new players all the time. I had a group of 35 players going for a zombie apocalypse World of Darkness chronicle at one time. When you deal with a large number of players, you can't be too careful. My group usually has 4 - 5 regular players, and they don't cheat and are fairly good about the games. It is the random new people I scrutinize carefully until they become familiar to me. I have a nice little collection of d20s I confiscated at RPGA tournaments from players, all of them missing a 1 and having a second 20 in its place.

So yes I am a bit paranoid especially with new people in the group. I have to be as it is part of being a good judge. It is a different ballpark when you are dealing with people you don't see on a regular basis coming out to your games. If it wasn't for people being dishonest I could trust everyone, but the world doesn't work that way my friends.

[thedarkelf007]

I can understand doing this myself, but that is only if you have the time to manage. A multi-user one that tracks changes would simplify things as you can see what they have changed and approve / reject changes as needed.