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    - The Lone Wolf Development Team

HL for the iPad

C

Canis

Well-known member
I just saw the news letter, and at first I was stoked! Then I noticed you said that the first release would be Playable Character sheet for Pathfinder, with more capabiltiy following on later.

I was wondering, wouldn't a playable character sheet only version of Hero Lab be capable of running other game systems?

I only ask because, in all honesty, I'd much rather be able to use my iPad to play all games via HL than have the ability to create characters and use the tactical console for one game...

Keep up the good work though!
 
There are a lot of variables involved here. One critical detail you may not realize is the implication of migrating the product from a desktop to the tablet platform. Because of dramatic differences in how the UI will be need to operate, we have to re-design significant chunks of the UI for the tablet. Each game system has its own UI behaviors scripted separately from other games, so each game system will require significant time to re-work its scripted UI.

Consequently, it's vastly better to do one game system completely before starting on any others. We'll be able to learn from it and refine the process at each evolutionary point in the game's development. This means we'll do a better and faster job on successive games, instead of having to go back and fixup all games every time we discover something that needs to be refined as we integrate new UI functionality.

The bottom line is that, if we were to do just a playable character sheet of each game system first, it will take us significantly longer to get everything done and will assuredly result in a lower quality end product. I can wholly understand the interest in having us do it that way, but it's just not an optimal approach from the standpoint of either efficiency or quality.

Hope this explanation makes sense. :)
 
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Personally I've very very disappointed that you guys decided to go with the iOS first instead of Android. I understand why you made that decision, but it doesn't change the fact that I will refuse to use Apple, and that I already own a few Android devices. I really REALLY hope that you guys decide after implementing the Pathfinder stuff on iOS, that you'll look at implementing it on Android before going to other game systems.
 
I'm thrilled you made the decision to start with iOS. Now I just have to wait for the MnM 3e system implementation.... May have to get the Pathfinder dataset so I can play with it before then.
 
I love my Macpro, can't stand IPads, oh well. I'll just bite my tongue and wait till the Android tablets can use Herolab.

EK
 
cryptoknight said:
like forever...
Click to expand...
It'll definitely feel like it. I know the Lone Wolf guys work hard, and I love what they have made for us. I know that they can only do so much really, they aren't a big company with tons of programmers that can just churn this stuff out, but considering how impatient I feel about getting Android supported, I almost wish they were (but I never actually would want that, I just wish things could move faster).
 
Yeah for the tablet.

Yeah for iOS.

I understand why Pathfinder is first. Will wait mostly patiently for Shadowrun. Come on Shadowrun. Shouldn't the AI's do the work for you? :)
 
I am very happy to see progress for Hero Lab toward a tablet application. I also will have to wait until it makes it to an Android platform.

I was thinking, wouldn't it be easier to make a "tactical console app" for both platforms? I know I would buy that app in an instant. It is easy to transfer HL character files to any tablet ipad or android.

Then work on full blown version of Hero Lab for the tablet market.
 
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I agree with Scargap. The only thing I really want for my Xoom is the Tactical Console. Preferably one that will load decent sized Shadowrun combats faster than the 20 minutes my dual core 4 GB Ram laptop takes.
 
cryptoknight said:
I agree with Scargap. The only thing I really want for my Xoom is the Tactical Console. Preferably one that will load decent sized Shadowrun combats faster than the 20 minutes my dual core 4 GB Ram laptop takes.
Click to expand...

20 minutes? i dunno, but it sounds ot me like something is wrong with your computer.

both my mac and pc load combats in a very short time. both of them have dial code and 4MB RAM. What else are you running when you're doing this??
 
Scargap said:
I was thinking, wouldn't it be easier to make a "tactical console app" for both platforms? I know I would buy that app in an instant. It is easy to transfer HL character files to any tablet ipad or android.
Click to expand...

A critical piece of the Tactical Console is to apply changes to the participants in a given combat, such as conditions, in-play adjustments, etc. Doing that requires that the entire Hero Lab engine exist on the platform so that all the proper calculations can be applied while observing all the proper rules for stacking and the like. If we don't have that, we have little more than a PDF viewer. So this isn't a viable solution. :(
 
cryptoknight said:
The only thing I really want for my Xoom is the Tactical Console. Preferably one that will load decent sized Shadowrun combats faster than the 20 minutes my dual core 4 GB Ram laptop takes.
Click to expand...

That sure sounds like something is seriously different on your Xoom. How large are the portfolios you're loading (i.e. how many characters)? And what's the CPU on that device?

To my knowledge, those are the two biggest factors when loading for use in the Tactical Console, but Colen is the expert on that.
 
I think I'd rather see the move towards a web based UI for the character sheets and tactical console. That way you can run HL on a computer somewhere, and connect to it with various devices (from tablets, laptops, phones, etc). One HL installation could easily handle all the data for the whole party, PLUS NPC's, monsters, etc - while letting the lower powered portable devices stick to just displaying and handling UI.
 
rob said:
A critical piece of the Tactical Console is to apply changes to the participants in a given combat, such as conditions, in-play adjustments, etc. Doing that requires that the entire Hero Lab engine exist on the platform so that all the proper calculations can be applied while observing all the proper rules for stacking and the like. If we don't have that, we have little more than a PDF viewer. So this isn't a viable solution. :(
Click to expand...

I would be happy with a cut down tactical console that would import ac, cmd, cmb, name, character class. Then be able adjust intiatives for each character and keep track of character order.

It would save me a whole lot of typing :)
 
Fuzzy said:
I think I'd rather see the move towards a web based UI for the character sheets and tactical console.
Click to expand...

The big problem with a purely web-based approach is that everyone *has* to have an internet connection. There are still many gaming venues, especially large Cons, where internet access is unavailable, horribly slow, and/or expensive. So a purely web-based model is hamstrung out of the gate due to this limitation. We're using a hybrid approach with our upcoming Realm Works product, and we're looking at hybrid solutions for future use with Hero Lab as well.
 
Scargap said:
I would be happy with a cut down tactical console that would import ac, cmd, cmb, name, character class. Then be able adjust intiatives for each character and keep track of character order.
Click to expand...

You don't want access to any other info at all? And you don't want to fold you changes back into any saved portfolios?

How many others here would prefer something like that?
 
rob said:
You don't want access to any other info at all? And you don't want to fold you changes back into any saved portfolios?

How many others here would prefer something like that?
Click to expand...

Not I. In fact Id rather have the portfolio data than tactical console. for the most part i find the character sheet and the ability to do adjustments the most useful vs the tactical console....
 
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