• Please note: In an effort to ensure that all of our users feel welcome on our forums, we’ve updated our forum rules. You can review the updated rules here: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=5528.

    If a fellow Community member is not following the forum rules, please report the post by clicking the Report button (the red yield sign on the left) located on every post. This will notify the moderators directly. If you have any questions about these new rules, please contact support@wolflair.com.

    - The Lone Wolf Development Team

Feature requests for upcoming Fifth edition:

dhyde79 said:
ok, I'm going to chime in here, as a prospective customer...
that's a TERRIBLE answer. if that's a measure requested by specific publishers of specific games, lock their data, in this case, Shadowrun, they release their PDFs faster than their hard copy books, the PDF's are searchable, copy and pasteable, and, in the end, if I'm so inclined, I can take the PDF, and email it to everyone in the world, and while I'm breaking the law, they don't set their books up to stop me from doing so, because they realize, that making it harder on their targeted market to utilize the product as they need for their games, means their market is far less inclined to purchase their product at all.

I'm right there on the threshold with that very idea for this software. using Shadowrun as an example...
To use your software, I have to buy the license ($30) and then buy "additional" data packs/licenses, to use books that I've likely already purchased (otherwise those data packs would be unnecessary, and pointless to purchase because I won't have the rules from the books to distribute amongst my players) so, I'm looking at a total of $95 in add ons, to fully utilize this software, which is another $30, so, I'm going to spend $125 to use this software to manage characters after having spent the following to have the PDF versions of the books:
--break--
I'm supposed to pony up another $125 to have a program that keeps my characters organized, and then it doesn't let me copy and paste my stuff anywhere I want, because I might be trying to pirate the content that I already own? c'mon now, be logical.

as a GM, I can see how handy the NPC's could be...shoot, could even use em as starter characters or idea points for new players...pick the one that sounds cool to you then go flesh it out type of deal...
Click to expand...

Good points. Thanks!
I like the point that if it isn't locked down in the PDF, then it shouldn't be locked down in the Hero Lab Module.

I will say that as a GM, after seeing the new Encounter Builder, I'd pay the $100 if there was a fair sized Shadowrun searchable user data base of shared material available and there was good support for customizable character sheets/Combat NPC sheets/Combat Logs (which a good user data base would certainly help).

The Tactical Console is nice but not practical for everyone so having customizable NPC combat sheets is important to a GM (who need different levels of information on the sheet depending on the particular NPC and the GM's experience with the rules).

Personally I'd like to have the option to buy the PDF/Hero Lab module or PDF/Hero Lab module/Hardcopy as a package deal.

You get the PDF right away and the Hero Lab module and Hardcopy arrive when they are ready.

Eventually it would be nice if when you got the PDF/Hero Lab module combo, there were integrated. You could click in Hero Lab a weapon, vehicle, or gear and add the illustration from the the PDF to the Hero Lab Sheet. Or being able to click on a button in Hero Lab and open the relevant PDF up and jump to that section of the rules. Although given the complete entries in Hero Lab it isn't really needed. Being able to pull an illustrations in to a PC/NPC file for a weapon, NPC, Critter, or vehicle would be a big help to the GM.


As far as the searchable user data base, build it and they will come.
Put out some freebie material to show how easy it is to pull material from the user data base in to Hero Lab and off you go.

Certainly a discount for Hero Lab 4th Edition owners would be nice. Maybe a free module like Run and Gun for those who upgrade.
 
Last edited:
SR4 Material in Hero Lab SR5

Will there be some way to import Hero Lab Shadowrun 4th Edition NPCs in to Hero Lab Shadowrun 5th Edition?

Even if all it did was use a quick and dirty conversion system and put any thing that it didn't recognize in to Personal Details as text, it would be a real aid to GM's converting their campaign to 5th.

Just having the fields that easily translated (contacts, PC/NPC picture, Background text, and so on), loaded in to the SR5 Hero Lab character file would really help.

And it would provide an instant large base of PC/NPCs for a GM to work with.
Of course converted NPCs would be a great thing for a Hero Lab Shadowrun 5th Edition user data base.
 
Mathias said:
We have not announced any discounts for Shadowrun 5.
Click to expand...

The e-mail newsletter I got suggests otherwise:

"Looking forward to using Shadowrun 5th edition in Hero Lab? Once Shadowrun 5 is available, you can buy Hero Lab at our online store for $29.99, which includes one game system of your choice. If you’re already a Hero lab user, you’ll be able to add Shadowrun 5th Edition to your license for only $20 once we release it in the upcoming weeks."
 
That's the case for all game systems in Hero Lab, not specific to Shadowrun 5. The price to purchase Hero Lab, which comes with any one game system is $29.99, and to add any other game system to that is $20/system.
 
dhyde79 said:
[snip ...] please, please tell me that I can output characters direct to HTML format so that I can set my output folder as a directory that's localhost served for quick access to everyone/anyone's data as the GM...(and yes, I mean I don't want to have to go through your software to look up something about a character)
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, you can output characters to HTML, XML and plain text.
 
dhyde79 said:
for a total of $329 in buying the actual sourcebooks...so, on top of the say $650-750 I've paid for my collection (most are hardcopy AND PDF), I'm supposed to pony up another $125 to have a program that keeps my characters organized, and then it doesn't let me copy and paste my stuff anywhere I want, because I might be trying to pirate the content that I already own? c'mon now, be logical.
Click to expand...

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.
 
TheScrivener said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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.
 
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.
 
Last edited:
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.
 
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 said:
Can you please allow us to change Priorities to use the Street Scum rules? (Example: C C D E E)
Click to expand...

From another Post:

Mathias said:
rob1bynum said:
Can you allow the Priorities to be changed to reflect the Street Scum rules? (An example is Priorities C C D E E)
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
 
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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top