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zeepee
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 23

Old June 1st, 2022, 06:22 AM
When will we see some focus on basic features still missing from Pathfinder 2E/Herolab Online...?

It has now been several years since I personally moved from Herolab Classic and Pathfinder 1st Edition to Herolab Online and Patfinder 2nd Edition, I can see my early access membership/license started the 28th of August 2018, so almost four years ago.

As of today, we are still missing basic features, like the possibility for casters to add spells from either 3rd party publishers or a custom one. If you want to houserule any part of one of the existing spells from the core books, then tough luck, there is no way to change the text or stats, there is not even at note field as a last attempt option.

Same goes for all melee classes, barbarians, champions, fighters and maybe some clerics, who wants to use a shield and the new Shield Block ability that came with Pathfinder 2nd Edition. Again tough luck, as there is no easy way to manage the current damage and hit points that the shield has. Besides a custom note field in the submenu of the specific shield, there is no easy way to manage this.

I opened a support ticket over a year ago (Case: 267883) where I wrote the following:

“Hi Lone Wolf Development,

I would kindly ask to you to consider some much needed improvements for players using Herolab Online for their Sword and Shield melee classes (champions, fighters, clerics and many other class combinations which choose to use a shield) in the Pathfinder 2nd Edition system.
As you probably already know, one of the new features of that system introduced a "Shield Block" mechanic, which give you an ability to block incoming damage at a cost of possible shield damage, which are used a lot in combat, in weapon and shield builds of the champion and fighter.

Currently, there no good way to see or keep track of the shields current/remaining hit points during play, HeroLab Online don't even display how many hit points the different shield types have, as its not included in the stat blocks. Hardness which are used to calculate the damage you subtract from incoming blows are not visible in the play tab and can only be seen if you open the shields submenu.
If you play a champion, you have the option to choose a Divine Ally at level 3, which can be a shield ally, which bolsters both the hit points and hardness of the shield, in HeroLab Online only the changes to the hardness value are displayed (hidden in the shield submenu).
Furthermore, you can't mark the shield as being broken or destroyed (although you can un-equip it).

That leaves the free text Notes field under properties of the shield, the only option of keeping track of all information regarding your shield (current status, current/total hit points, bonuses etc.). Which also means that every round, where your shield takes any damage or gets repaired, you have to go into a submenu of the carried shield, in order to manually type in any changes.

Please please please, consider to improve on this, so we can see all critical information of the shields (hardness, hit points, any bonuses from shield ally etc.), statuses like broken/destroyed, directly in the play tab without the need to go into a submenues.
Adding +/- buttons beside the shield, to easy add or subtract hit points from the shield in the play tab, would also be a huge improvement.

Please consider this, as it is much needed.”


The response back I got, was that you would try to push this near the top of the priority list, as there had been multiple requests for this.
Apparently that never happened, as we are almost at the same place today, we got the ability to see the rest of shields stats, including hit points now, but that’s it.


We struggle in our games weekly, because these features are missing. Most of my "caster" players have stopped using the spell section all together, they don’t want to keep track of their spells on multiple platforms/systems. "The melee" players with shields hate that they have to use the custom note field buried in a submenu every round their shields take any damage, or are repaired afterwards. So they have also started to handle this away from Hero Lab.
I get that you want to cater to Online players, with Campaign Theater and integrations to Foundry VTT, dice rollers etc. However, know that you will end up losing users like me, that still plays with a local group, that just wants a digital character manager, that works well doing play.
I am slowly giving up on this platform and are now eagerly awaiting the new Pathfinder Nexus Character Manager from Demiplane, which I hope will solve our needs, because Herolab Online still does not, and judging from the recent newsletter-mail it looks like most of the focus are now on a Rule Vault, instead of giving us features that the old Hero Lab Classic + Editor did.

I will save you from a rant about missing features like the possibility for the GM to give his players custom items or just the possibility to add anything to the armor, weapon, feat, or gear lists aka homebrew stuff, that the players of the campaign, can choses from.

Hope your focus will shift soon...


/Zeepee

Last edited by zeepee; June 1st, 2022 at 07:33 AM.
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haibane
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Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 81

Old June 8th, 2022, 01:12 PM
I will say at the very least it would be nice to see some follow up on months or year old tickets. There are definitely some concerns with the lack of development or improvement in herolab as I too use it for the same fashion as you. Their Campaign Theater is currently useless because it doesn't really do anything, but outside of that its mostly an okay product that is better than the free options. It's just not a great option currently.
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Shadowfoot
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 100

Old June 9th, 2022, 12:27 AM
Useless? I use Campaign Theatre extensively in my game.
I also logged a bug causing a significant issue and it was fixed within hours, so for that I am really thankful.

🎲 Pathfinder 2e GM

Need spawns invention, but imagination gives rise to need. — Logic of Design
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dacoobob
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 305

Old June 9th, 2022, 01:22 PM
my experience with LWD bug reports is they go one of two ways: either it's fixed immediately, or it's ignored forever. nothing in between.
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haibane
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Old June 14th, 2022, 09:55 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfoot View Post
Useless? I use Campaign Theatre extensively in my game.
I also logged a bug causing a significant issue and it was fixed within hours, so for that I am really thankful.
How do you use it? I’d love to find a good use example.
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Shadowfoot
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Old June 15th, 2022, 12:45 AM
I play in an in-person game GMing Age of Ashes using my iPad in a bar. I create all the encounters (usually) ahead of time. (I wish the GM content was available.)
I only use the dice roller for secret rolls and NPC initiatives. Physical dice are used for all other rolls. Damage is tracked, with players seeing NPCs as thirds, allowing them to see undamaged, 67-99%, 34-66%, 1-33%, and zero. It lets them track each other without additional discussion. They love seeing the enemy going to red. Conditions show, and they know which is slowed etc.

🎲 Pathfinder 2e GM

Need spawns invention, but imagination gives rise to need. — Logic of Design
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haibane
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Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 81

Old June 15th, 2022, 06:39 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadowfoot View Post
I play in an in-person game GMing Age of Ashes using my iPad in a bar. I create all the encounters (usually) ahead of time. (I wish the GM content was available.)
I only use the dice roller for secret rolls and NPC initiatives. Physical dice are used for all other rolls. Damage is tracked, with players seeing NPCs as thirds, allowing them to see undamaged, 67-99%, 34-66%, 1-33%, and zero. It lets them track each other without additional discussion. They love seeing the enemy going to red. Conditions show, and they know which is slowed etc.
Oh that’s neat. I wish there was a good guide on how to do that. I checked it out after your post, and I couldn’t find how to get it going. For now I’ve been using Foundry as my tracker, but this might make more sense for in person.
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Dami
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 1,082

Old June 15th, 2022, 11:41 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by haibane View Post
Oh that’s neat. I wish there was a good guide on how to do that. I checked it out after your post, and I couldn’t find how to get it going. For now I’ve been using Foundry as my tracker, but this might make more sense for in person.
This might be handy (from LW on setting up a Campaign)
https://info.wolflair.com/xwiki/bin/...rst%20Campaign

Current RPG's: Pathfinder (GM), Pathfinder (Player), Gamma World (GM, Pathfinder homebrew).
HeroLab: 3.5 & Pathfinder. HL User Files for PF: Greyhawk Setting, Gamma World (WIP).

DM and player of D&D since 1980.
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haibane
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Old June 16th, 2022, 06:12 AM
Thanks. Not really. It doesn’t cover how to get dice rolls etc going. Is there no initiative tracker?
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mototom
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 327

Old June 16th, 2022, 09:11 AM
There is. From the stage, select Start Tactical Mode from the upper left corner. That rolls initiative for everyone onstage. You can then modify initiative numbers if you have players roll for themselves. Then choose Confirm and Start to begin the first round.
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