Hero Lab support?

[Roadie]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Licenses are one-time for Hero Lab, aren't they?

Yes.

They also actually just got rid of the yearly thing for Army Builder and it's one-time now too (including for any existing licenses).

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

• Easily scalable text for reading onscreen.
• A click on a trait and it should open the PDF to the right page for the definition
• Different ways of organizing skills and advantages. I want multiple skill boxes.
• Nicely flowing text from page to page for the printed version.
• I want to control what information is shown and what isn't. Do I want to see the TL printed out next to the skill? Do I want to see the HP threshold table?
• I want the program to be cross-platform and to automatically sync between my computers so I can work on things at different places.

This is a pretty good list.

Off the top of my head, I would add:

• pre-included statblock output in assorted formats (BBcode, HTML, wikitext, etc)
• at least some ability to script properties of traits (e.g. "costs more/less if you have this other thing", "counts as this other thing for prerequisites", calculations for Wealth and Enhanced Move, etc)
• campaign options per-character (the different rules options in Powers/Supers, for example)
• Hero Lab-style portfolio support (save multiple characters, including minions/pets/etc, in a single file, and easily move gear and such between them)
• the ability to hide or grey-out-but-leave-selectable traits that are inappropriate for a character (Innate Attack skill for someone with no Innate Attacks, Mana Enhancer for a character with fantasy/magic settings turned off, etc)

The other main thing would be the handling of extra "character" types, like armies from Mass Combat, spaceships from, well, Spaceships, and so on, and some ability to select other characters to base derived traits on (like spaceship piloting rolls).

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by lexington

GCS has a library of traits to input. In my experience it works well to write up the character sheet but you still have to go calculate damage by hand in most cases.

Except for one odd case, I've never found a problem with the calculated damage.

The odd case was an innate attack that was ST based. That one I still haven't gotten to work right.

I think I'll go through the calculated damage and check if it is correct.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Except for one odd case, I've never found a problem with the calculated damage.

The odd case was an innate attack that was ST based. That one I still haven't gotten to work right.

I think I'll go through the calculated damage and check if it is correct.

I've always had trouble with making sure damage came out correctly once a character had a bunch of equipment, skills, and advantages that affected their attacks. Weapon Master, understandably, doesn't actually do anything in GCS and I had to go digging through the files to see how to represent its effects. I seem to recall Boxing and Karate having glitches, but those may have been fixed.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I'd like a version of GCA that is as stable as Hero Lab, and that has the in-game tools. That's about it.

You want a version that's more stable than HeroLab. One fellow had his version crash on him just before play started today. Apparently related to a bad update.

Another player had his do it last night and he fixed it by transferring all his characters to a cloud. Then deleting and re-installing HeroLab. The guy today had more trouble getting it back.

Me? My piece of paper upon which I make marks with a pencil worked fine. :)

I mean it's fine if everybody else wants an app to do things I do low techishly but I really don't understand what they need one for.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

You want a version that's more stable than HeroLab. One fellow had his version crash on him just before play started today. Apparently related to a bad update.

It's never crashed on me. As opposed to GCA which crashes at least once every time I use it. I'll take "sometimes crashes" over "always crashes".

Me? My piece of paper upon which I make marks with a pencil worked fine. :)

You aren't of the lost character sheet persuasion, I gather?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It's never crashed on me. As opposed to GCA which crashes at least once every time I use it. I'll take "sometimes crashes" over "always crashes".

You aren't of the lost character sheet persuasion, I gather?

No, that's what gaming backpacks are for. The character folder goes in the backpack when the game ends and comes out again next session.

When I need to update the sheet for experience gained I put in a new sheet but keep the old one for some time for record-keeping purposes. Even if I forget to update (very rare) I still have the old sheet.

Keeps me from showing up without my dice or my pencil or several other items of practical or superstitious use.

Since I don't try and use GCA at the table its' very minor hiccups don't impact actual gaming. I've never had to delete it and re-install it over any issue either.

[Balor Patch]

Originally Posted by lexington

I've always had trouble with making sure damage came out correctly once a character had a bunch of equipment, skills, and advantages that affected their attacks. Weapon Master, understandably, doesn't actually do anything in GCS and I had to go digging through the files to see how to represent its effects. I seem to recall Boxing and Karate having glitches, but those may have been fixed.

Weapon Master works fine if you can tolerate it being based on the skill used, not than the weapon used. That's how Boxing an Karate are supposed to work so you shouldn't have a problem there. (You can always go into the skill and adjust things at the Features tab.)

Striking ST (one weapon only) affecting all attacks is still an issue.

[Drone 5]

Old Thread, new post.
Considering that GCA 5 has been underdevelopment for over 5 years now with no release date in site, I think it would be a good idea IF SJ Games to a look at Hero Lab again.
Don't get me wrong, I love GCA - BUT......
Many know issues have not been addressed in years! and I mean years!!!!
There is no quality control on the data files.
It is being worked on by a single person- he moves, changes life style or job, drops dead - where are we then?
I realize too that GURPS at not at the forefront of SJ Games. It is obviously not a big money maker for them, The big thing too, there is no forward technology thinkers at SJ Games or else GCA would be big and powerful, MAC users would not have been left out. Look at how long it took them to realize the PDFs are the way to go - they were basically that LAST to adopt this and still they are far behind the others. It is their business and they have the right to run it the way they see fit. Sorry for the apparent rant, I am just so disappointed.

[MrTim]

Originally Posted by Drone 5

Look at how long it took them to realize the PDFs are the way to go - they were basically that LAST to adopt this and still they are far behind the others.

I always thought of GURPS as a relatively early adopter of the PDF format, and I don't know in what way they're lagging behind the others now that they've decided to work with OBS.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by MrTim

I always thought of GURPS as a relatively early adopter of the PDF format

Before WotC ever got comfortable with it, that's for certain. 4e has basically always been available in PDF.