Version 2.8 of the Shadowrun files are now available. Runner's Companion!

[Mathias]

Version 2.8 of the Shadowrun files is now available from the automatic updates within Hero Lab.

This update adds much of Runner's Companion as a new package that's available for purchase. The package costs $9.99. There's also a bundle available - Arsenal, Augmentation, Street Magic, Runner's Companion, and Unwired, for #34.99, a 30% savings over purchasing those packages individually. Many of you already own this bundle, so the Runner's Companion content is a free update for those who do.

Runner's Companion will be released in three phases. This is phase 1. It includes the gear from the Survival Tips chapter, the Metavariants and Changelings from the Advanced Character Concepts chapter, and the New Qualities, Advanced Contacts, and Advanced Lifestyles chapters.

Phase 2 will be the rest of the Advanced Character Concepts chapter - Drakes, HMHVV Infected, Sapient Critters, Shapeshifters, AIs, and Free Spirits.

Phase 3 will be the Alternative Character Concepts chapter.

We're arranging the release of this book like this so that we can get as much content from this book available to our users as soon as it's completed, without making those of you who are interested in the qualities or the advanced lifestyles system wait for the sapient critters or the karmagen system to be completed. Phases 2 and 3 will be released as soon as possible.

For those of you who have purchased the bundle, we've added a small bit of the content from Unwired as a preview of that package - we've got the qualities (except for Paragon), the Full Immersion lifestyle, and the sample technomancer networks.

For those of you who've purchased the PDF #2 bundle, the Safehouses pdf has been added as a free update to that bundle.

This release also fixes a number of bugs.

Here's the full change list for this release, copied from the FAQ:

New Releases!

• Content from Runner's Companion is now available! You can purchase this by choosing "Purchase Data Package" from the License menu. This can be purchased individually, or you can purchase a bundle containing this, as well as the Arsenal, Augmentation, Street Magic, and the upcoming Unwired package - the bundle is a 30% savings over purchasing each book individually. The full Runner's Companion package will be released in three different phases, so that we can make as much material as possible available to use as soon as possible after it's ready. The second phase will include everything else from the "Advanced Character Concepts" chapter (this phase included Changelings and Metavariants, but not any of the other options). The third phase will be the "Alternative Character Creation" chapter.
• For those who have purchased the "Shadowrun Basic Suite" (the bundle of the 5 core supplement books), a little bit of content from the upcoming Unwired package has been added as a preview: the qualities (except for Paragon) from pgs 36-38, the Full Immersion Lifestyle from pg 38, and the Sample Networks from pg 144.
• Content from Safehouses has been added to the existing Pdf package #2. This is a free update for everyone who already owns this package.

Enhancements & Changes

• Lifestyles can now have guest costs added in, and can be made permanent. If you are purchasing a permanent lifestyle, you should buy only one of that lifestyle, and make sure to press the "Customize" button or double-click the item, rather than the "Add" or "Add and Close" buttons. On the form that pops up, check the "Permanent Lifestyle?" box.

Bug Fixes

• Skilsofts and Autosofts were not generating their skill ratings correctly.
• The Qualities from Way of the Adept no longer require the user to calculate the number of power points they apply to, and now determine from among all the adept powers they allow, which combination of discounted powers would provide the greatest total discount.
• Some machineguns were missing their belt feed options.
• The Additional Clip was not offering a selection of which ammo type was currently selected.
• Buying off Negative Qualities was not functioning properly.
• The attributes of a sprite were adding Rating *2 to their values, instead of Rating.
• The high Velocity weapon mod was reversing its test for whether it was valid for a weapon - it was being marked as legal for weapons without Full-Auto capability and not legal for weapons with Full-Auto capability.
• Errors were being reported on the Iron Will and Melanin Control adept powers.
• Skills on a Spirit that used the Magic attribute were adding twice their Force to the skill's rating to calculate the dicepool.

Data File Authoring

• Added an Enemies tab to the editor.
• Added a Faction tab to the editor.
• Added a Lifestyle Quality tab to the editor.

[billgates]

Errors were being reported on the Iron Will and Melanin Control adept powers.