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Quick Update on Hero Lab Online from GenCon

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rob

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Hey folks,

GenCon is crazy busy this year, but I wanted to take a moment to fill everybody in on an important announcement we made today and to answer two big questions that have been raised.

Let's start with the latter. The purchase model for Hero Lab Online will not be changing in any substantive way. Users will still purchase game systems and data package add-ons on a one-time basis, just like they do now. The only difference will be a low-cost, annual "subscription" fee to keep the servers running. That fee should be in the roughly $2/month range, and it will be the same price regardless of how much content you've purchased via the one-time model. The initial purchase of HLOnline will include a core game system of choice (just like the desktop today), plus 6 months of server access.

After Starfinder is solid and stable, we'll begin bringing the game systems from the desktop product to HLOnline. When that occurs, desktop users will have the OPTION to migrate over to HLOnline. Migration will incur a nominal, flat charge, which we anticipate will be in the $20 range. This amount will be the same, regardless of how many game systems and add-ons the user may own. It will also include 6 months of server access, which will represent a roughly $12 value. So the actual migration cost should be less than $10. And it's entirely optional. Users who wish to continue using the desktop product are free to do so.

And now for the important, new announcement...

In late September, we'll be launching Hero Lab Online for Starfinder as an Open Beta. We'll start out with a limited number of users and then increase that number in the weeks that follow. Character creation should be complete at launch, but starship creation and certain other features may not be fully in place at that time. As is customary with an Open Beta, everyone that participates will need to purchase the product to continue using it once the Beta period concludes.

Sign-ups for participation in the Open Beta will begin at some point in September. Stay tuned for complete details. They will be posted prior to the sign-up period and will appear in our newsletter, on our support forums, and across our social media feeds.

NOTE! I hope I've addressed some of the key questions being raised. Feel free to ask further questions. However, please do not expect any replies until after we get home from GenCon and get our legs bag under us, as we are up to our eyeballs right now with the show. We'll do our best to get you answers later this coming week.

Thanks for your patience and support!

-Rob
 
I think the big question many of us want to know is will this be an online only service? Is an active internet connection required to use it or will there be offline accessibility?
 
Also cross platform support. Realm Works could be a great product but with no ability for it to be run natively on a Mac I will never know.
 
Thanks Rob, a few questions:

What are the benefits of the online product vs the current desktop offering?

Will there continue to be a client installed on my device, or will the online offering be browser-based?

Will data files continue to be developed for both desktop and online products?

Will the desktop product continue to be developed?

Will Starfinder be available to the current desktop product?
 
And if I switch to HLO, but later change my mind about paying the $2/mo, would I still have access to use HL locally?
 
Currently, with the installed Hero Lab, I have 5 licenses. Enough to share with my players and myself while playing at the table.

How will these multiple licenses work with HLO? Will it be 5 concurrent logins? So it wont matter what computer its being loaded on? Just how many can connect at one time? Or has the additional licenses option gone away.. or another answer I can not foresee.

Cant wait to try out the Open beta! From what I could tell, it looks amazing.
 
rob said:
After Starfinder is solid and stable, we'll begin bringing the game systems from the desktop product to HLOnline. When that occurs, desktop users will have the OPTION to migrate over to HLOnline. Migration will incur a nominal, flat charge, which we anticipate will be in the $20 range. This amount will be the same, regardless of how many game systems and add-ons the user may own. It will also include 6 months of server access, which will represent a roughly $12 value. So the actual migration cost should be less than $10. And it's entirely optional. Users who wish to continue using the desktop product are free to do so.
Click to expand...

Is this migration a one-way action, or will those who migrate still be able to use the desktop tool as well as the web app?
 
So, if I understand this correctly. We will still be buying game systems and addon "books" as we have done in the past with Hero Lab. Then on top of those purchases we will have to pay about 24 dollars a year to use Hero Lab Online?

Also, what kind of offline usage possibilities are there going to be with the new HLO system.

Lastly, you mention a migration / transfer system for Hero Lab desktop users. When a user completes this migration / transfer will they still be able to use Hero Lab on their desktop with all of their currently owned content along with having this content on Hero Lab Online or will all of their currently owned and transferred content be only usable on Hero Lab Online.
 
UttiniDaKilrJawa said:
So, if I understand this correctly. We will still be buying game systems and addon "books" as we have done in the past with Hero Lab. Then on top of those purchases we will have to pay about 24 dollars a year to use Hero Lab Online?
Click to expand...

To piggyback on this, will there be a discount for paying for extended periods at a time?
 
My question:

how does the Realm Works interaction work with HLO? Can the online version produce portfolio files for RW? And can I jump to the webapp from RW as I can now to the desktop version?
 
Will the desktop HL be phased out for the web based program or will Starfinder come to the desktop as well? I really don't want to be forced to move to an online only platform but I don't want to be left behind either.
 
I REALLY hope this isn't web-app only. I like having the software available, and recently got an iPad because of how perfect the app is at the table.
 
Due to the number of players I have to manage in my games, I don't really have web access when I am running them. So, like others, I really hope there is an offline mode and is not web application only.
 
nightpanda2810 said:
I REALLY hope this isn't web-app only. I like having the software available, and recently got an iPad because of how perfect the app is at the table.
Click to expand...

If I would hazard a guess (and this is only a guess), I would say that it would work a bit like a cloud service with sync'ing upon making a successful connection. Once sync'd you'd be able to work offline like normal. Then, once you are done, you make a successful connection and then re-sync any changed files/portfolios.

This would work similar to how they tried to integrate dropbox into the desktop version of Hero lab.

I can understand the nominal fee to keep cloud servers in service.

How will this work with things like Development environments?

One last question: Can multiple people access the same environment server-side.
 
Quintain said:
If I would hazard a guess (and this is only a guess), I would say that it would work a bit like a cloud service with sync'ing upon making a successful connection. Once sync'd you'd be able to work offline like normal. Then, once you are done, you make a successful connection and then re-sync any changed files/portfolios.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming/hoping this is how things will work moving forward.
 
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