Quick Update on Hero Lab Online from GenCon

[Toblakai]

After reading the FAQ:



Referring back to an older post I had replied to:

Originally Posted by Parody

- HLO is online only, requiring an active connection to use. (They already said this.)
- HLO stores all information online. No portfolios in or out.
-- Side Effect: If you stop your subscription you lose access to your data.
- HLO is a closed system. No data files. No authoring kit. No custom outputs.
- Desktop Hero Lab is now in maintenance mode.

1. Online only but looks like it will have a view mode!
2. Portfolios can come in and out!
2a. You don't lose access to your data!
3. Not a closed system!
4. Not in maintenance mode! (just no Starfinder, maybe)

So looks like the sky isn't falling!

[BJ]

Originally Posted by Toblakai

After reading the FAQ:



Referring back to an older post I had replied to:

1. Online only but looks like it will have a view mode!
2. Portfolios can come in and out!
2a. You don't lose access to your data!
3. Not a closed system!
4. Not in maintenance mode! (just no Starfinder, maybe)

So looks like the sky isn't falling!

Hooray! Good thing, falling sky sounds painful, not sure I could make my Dex save right now.

[Parody]

Originally Posted by Toblakai

1. Online only but looks like it will have a view mode!

We'll see; view mode is a "planned" feature, and printing is in the "near future."

Originally Posted by Toblakai

2. Portfolios can come in and out!

"Our goal is..." and "Transferring characters will be a multi-step process" are answers that do not inspire confidence. Again, wait and see.

Originally Posted by Toblakai

2a. You don't lose access to your data!

Glad to see they're allowing some form of export without a subscription. The form of export is what we'll all want to see, though.

Originally Posted by Toblakai

3. Not a closed system!

The comment on Facebook was that you'll eventually be able to do what you can do with the editor in Hero Lab, so this one's a mixed bag. How mixed will have to be figured out by the folks who have experience with creating complex data files, once Hero Lab Online has gotten to that point. (That definitely doesn't include me. I was able to make a weapon modification once upon a time, but never could figure out how to share parts of a description between items. Similarly, my playing around with making a Paranoia XP system never went anywhere. :)

Originally Posted by Toblakai

4. Not in maintenance mode! (just no Starfinder, maybe)

"No new systems are planned for Hero Lab Classic" (paraphrased from a post on Facebook) is maintenance mode to me.


I'm one of the folks that play in places with poor or no cellular access and no WiFi (game stores, conventions, people's basements) so for me a tool like this is a tough sell. Thankfully I don't plan on playing Starfinder any time soon and that's the only announced game system, so it doesn't matter all that much for now. It's what we end up with a couple years down the line that'll be important.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by Parody

"No new systems are planned for Hero Lab Classic" (as posted on Facebook) is maintenance mode to me.

The use of the suffix "Classic" usually refers to a version of a product that isn't going to be maintained as much as it previously was.

If they'd named it something like "Hero Lab Desktop", then that would indicate that support will continue as it did before.

It is going to be interesting to see how the Pathfinder Community Pack gets converted. It seems obvious that they aren't using the same data file formats for online and offline versions, otherwise Starfinder would be launched on the desktop version as well.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by Parody

I'm one of the folks that play in places with poor or no cellular access and no WiFi (game stores, conventions, people's basements) so for me a tool like this is a tough sell. Thankfully I don't plan on playing Starfinder any time soon and that's the only announced game system, so it doesn't matter all that much for now. It's what we end up with a couple years down the line that'll be important.

It isn't just poor or no WiFi which is the problem; it is the fact that open/public WiFi networks are easily hackable that makes them unwise to use on a regular basis.

[Alewis]

These new features don't seem worth the inconvenience of needing a connection. As your products sole purpose is convenience I don't think this was a wise move.

Maybe I'm missing some key features because you've communicated this launch so poorly but as I understand it, the main draw is shared party resources? This requires everyone at the table to have HLO? That's so rarely going to happen that this is a waste of time.

[jphealy]

I'm upset by this announcement. I really love your work with HeroLab and have readily spent a good bit on Pathfinder products.
Could the devs shed some light on what these features that Starfinder has that need online functionality that Pathfinder doesn't have? Having played both they are not apparent.
I'll be honest without that clarification this feels like a naked cash grab and all the new online features are detriments from mine and my players points of view

[BJ]

Originally Posted by Parody

"No new systems are planned for Hero Lab Classic" (as posted on Facebook) is maintenance mode to me.

I haven't found this specific sentence on Facebook, and if I do I will fix it, but I did see where one of our staff said:

"Hero Lab for the desktop isn't being abandoned for legacy systems, but moving forward the plan is to support new game systems, starting with Starfinder, through the Online platform exclusively."

That isn't accurate.

We intend to keep using the term "Classic", however we are NOT abandoning the Classic model entirely. We aren't even saying we won't add new systems. Once migration of Classic systems to online occurs people will actually have access to their data packages in both Classic AND Online in many cases. We are even actively looking at at least two systems for Hero Lab Classic that we've been in meetings about over the last few weeks and are not yet at liberty to discuss openly, as nothing is final yet.

We understand new things can be scary and Hero Lab Online isn't for everyone. We encourage you to try it and continue reading the info coming online about how it will work in the weeks ahead. Ultimately the decision to use it or not is up to you and we respect whatever decision you make, Hero Lab Classic will still be there for your use regardless of if you choose to interact with Hero Lab Online.

[Noven]

Originally Posted by BJ

I haven't found this specific sentence on Facebook, and if I do I will fix it, but I did see where one of our staff said:

"Hero Lab for the desktop isn't being abandoned for legacy systems, but moving forward the plan is to support new game systems, starting with Starfinder, through the Online platform exclusively."

That isn't accurate.

We intend to keep using the term "Classic", however we are NOT abandoning the Classic model entirely. We aren't even saying we won't add new systems. Once migration of Classic systems to online occurs people will actually have access to their data packages in both Classic AND Online in many cases. We are even actively looking at at least two systems for Hero Lab Classic that we've been in meetings about over the last few weeks and are not yet at liberty to discuss openly, as nothing is final yet.

We understand new things can be scary and Hero Lab Online isn't for everyone. We encourage you to try it and continue reading the info coming online about how it will work in the weeks ahead. Ultimately the decision to use it or not is up to you and we respect whatever decision you make, Hero Lab Classic will still be there for your use regardless of if you choose to interact with Hero Lab Online.

Just not for Starfinder.

[BJ]

Nope. Not for Starfinder at this time.