My prediction is that the software will replace the missing errata.

Eventually RAC (Rules as Coded) will replace RAW.

Looks interesting, but how about a cross platform version? I'm on a mac 90% of the time.

We'll be able to output a standard text "statblock" for a character, and at some point (hopefully soon) we are going to add simple XML output. The simple XML output will let you output a character to a simple XML file, which will be easy to read in with any XML-friendly programming framework.

We don't currently have any plans to source our own artwork, but we'll hopefully be able to include some of the "official" Catalyst shadowrun artwork with Hero Lab, so you'll be able to use it for your own characters.

Ok so D&D/Pathfinder/M&M I get, SR4 I get.... Savage Worlds and Cortex maybe... Call of Cthuhlu? WOD?... I don't follow why y'all have these as a pdf is all you need. Do people actually buy Herolabs for CoC or WOD? or is just an additional feature for the 3.X crowd who plays more than 3.X?

We do regular releases for the other games we support, usually monthly if not more often. These releases fix bugs, add new features and sometimes include new supplemental content for the game.




The initial release will only cover the core book (technically speaking, the SR4 anniversary edition book). We'll be releasing addon packages for each of the supplements following the initial release. However, if you only use a few things from a supplement, it should be easy to add those on a temporary basis using Hero Lab's integrated editor - new weapons, cyberware, qualities, etc.




Like I said before, we're not interested in shutting down any free character creators. We can use Hero Lab's infrastructure to create a tool that outdoes the free ones - there are free character creators available for the other games we support, yet people still want to use Hero Lab. Why? Because it makes character creation easier, more accurate, and provides a better user experience. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)




Using Hero Lab's editor, you'll be able to add new races, weapons, qualities, vehicles, and more. You can also replace existing weapons with your own versions (e.g. "In my game, the AK-97 does 8P damage instead of what the rulebook says"). Hero Lab has a powerful engine that lets you write simple scripts to make those new qualities, weapons etc affect other parts of the character when taken.

A Mac version is in development now, and we'll hopefully be able to release it around the same time as the Shadowrun data files (no promises, though - it's still relatively early in development). If not, Hero Lab works great under virtualization tools like Parallels or VirtualBox.




Even with the relatively simple games, there's still math to keep track of, and rules you can break. Hero Lab handles both of those issues, so it still has value even for games that aren't as complex as Shadowrun / D&D / etc. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Why not just commission this? There are any number of really good character artists on Deviantart, and commissioning -always- captures a character better than some random found picture. (And when I've seen [and myself offered] sketches as low as $3-$5 money isn't really an excuse) Plus I hear there are a couple of artists around here who are more than happy to draw character art, I believe Squinky does it for free even in his spare time.

If you're into coding, you can also add in house-ruled stuff to the games as well (something I've been doing with my Hero Labs Pathfinder). For instance, I've added in some feats and prestige classes and it's not terribly hard as long as you can follow the code.

As outdated as it is, I still use Daegann's simply for ease of use.

Awesome, thanks for letting me know. I'll give it a shot under Parallels in the meantime.

So when is the projected release date? If it was mentioned I did not see it, sorry.

Java would be best to do it in, because everybody on mac, windows and linux can use it . .

We haven't announced a release date yet, but we hope to release the Shadowrun data package around the end of this year / start of next year.




Hero Lab is written in C++. Java has some advantages (like being able to run on multiple platforms), but we can replicate those in C++; Hero Lab apparently runs fine on linux under Wine, and we're working on a mac port right now.

Not only that, Java has some disadvantages too; it's slower than C++, and something written in java will probably never work on the iPad. Once the mac version of Hero Lab is complete, we're going to be working on an iPad version, which will be the next best thing to playing Shadowrun while running a character creator on your commlink. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Marry me.

*ahem* Sorry, I don't know what came over me...

"if" there was interest in doing a linux version most C++ programs are not that difficult to change. Usually just some headerfiles but maintaining the fork is probably more trouble than its worth. I love KDev though.

[edit] unless your using a windows only library like direct x

I have used hero machine. As you said, it's not perfect. My main issue with it is the lack of weapons and the clothing styles.

As for comissioning some work.. sure, I don't mind it, but I like to talk to teh artist in person and go voer teh sketch together, so it captures what I see in my head when it comes to the character.

Well there's always conventions in that case, -or- catching someone doing commissions over livestream, which effectively works the same way (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (Although personally I have never had a problem with giving a -good- description, then doing the sketch-approval method.)

I'm not particularly impressed by Lone Wolf because of the false impression they created back with the Army Builder software that I bought years ago. There was next to no support for it and the instructions for coding it were byzantine and nigh-unreadable for someone without a degree in computer programming - definitely not the easy to use product that they claimed. Once burned, twice shy.

We offer free demos of all our products - you're welcome to download and try them out with full functionality, other than being able to save or print (and you can still print preview, to see what the printed output looks like). Once you're confident that you like the product, you can make a purchase.

We've also had many, many people compliment us on how easy to use our products are compared to other tools. Adding your own content is always going to be more complex than simply using what's already there, but you can try all that out before you buy.

Finally, we also offer a no-questions-asked refund within 60 days of purchase, in case you buy it and discover you don't like it. Of course we can't please everybody, but I don't know how we could make it easier to try our products before you shell out money for them.

Will you include documentation of cases where RAW is confusing and you had to pick one interpretation over another?

Yeah, I still feel like there is going to have to be some situation where the rule-pope comes out and interprets the gospel for us.

Generally in those situations we'd email Catalyst and ask "Hey guys, how does this work?" to get a final answer on how Hero Lab should handle it. If necessary, we can include notes about any contentious stuff in the data file FAQ, so that if people complain we have somewhere to point them. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Uh, aheh, I'll just say, good luck with that.



-karma

Anime conventions, if you're into that normally have tons of starving artists. I got a professional to do my Exalted character as a bust for a mere 15$