Recent content by labyrinth

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    Looking for Opinions on various RPG Tools

    All of us have standardized on using Hero Lab in one group, where I'm using it as a player. I'm also using it as a DM in another game. As player, Hero Lab does everything it advertises quite nicely. However, I'm not a big fan of the Hero Lab character sheets. Fortunately, I bring my laptop to...
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    Interview with Scott Rouse, Chris Perkins & Bill Slavicsek

    It's standard practice in the software industry to continue support for an outdated version for between 5 and 7 years. And the last time I checked, the DI sure looked like software to me. The definition of "support" does NOT mean that new content should continue to be created - new content would...
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    Interview with Scott Rouse, Chris Perkins & Bill Slavicsek

    WotC has some very bright people, so I find it very hard to believe that they would not have recognized exactly what you outlined they should have done. That means they should have done so. They didn't, which leads to me to believe they may very well be in the deep trouble you mention. Combine...
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    My Opinion of WOTC's Digital Initative and the current events

    Amen, brother! The DI needs to be complementary strategy to the the traditional methods. It's way late in coming, and sorely needed. What blows my mind is how Wizards is throwing out everything that has worked through the years. They are betting the farm on an unproven approach that has glaring...
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    My Opinion of WOTC's Digital Initative and the current events

    My sentiments exactly. Take a look at Hero Lab. It's interface is as clean and intuitive as those you mention, plus it provides a bunch of stuff that is invaluable in a TRPG but irrelevant in a CRPG. Take the original D&D 3rd system. Now look at all the extensions and retrofits that have been...
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    HeroLab

    I don't doubt you at all. I do know that at least 50% of the players in our area were using bootlegged copies of AB2, and that was with the local store riding hard on anyone found to be a pirate, so it would have been higher otherwise. That's just this area. We really have no idea on this...
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    HeroLab

    It was 2WS-Steve who said he didn't think he had to jump through hoops. And he was specifically referring to the wizard with the direct internet connection, so all he did was enter a license number, enter an email address, and click a few "Next" buttons. I don't view that as jumping through...
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    HeroLab

    Man, you sure have an axe to grind. And you also don't seem interested in fully reading a post that you already know you'll disagree with. I said two things in my post about the Hero Lab licensing: (a) that users DO need to activate the license (see the last sentence) (b) that a DIRECT internet...
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    HeroLab

    Er, you did notice that I said you do NOT need to hook your computer directly to the internet to activate the license, right? I've been using Army Builder for many years. About a year ago, I lost my system to a disk crash. Restoring Army Builder was one of the easiest things to re-install. I...
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    HeroLab

    Apparently, my experience and Steve's have been a good bit different from each other. Based on my experience, I think Hero Lab is a vast improvement on both of the above counts. Since the demo is free and lets you fully utilize the editor, it's probably worth making your own assessment.
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    HeroLab

    Wow! That's not been my experience at all with the product. Since almost everything is handled through NON-script mechanisms, and the longest script I've had to write was maybe 10 lines, I've had no problems. Most scripts I write amount to applying an adjustment to a skill, an attack bonus, or...
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    HeroLab

    So if a tool were missing, say, one template out of dozens, your definition would be that the tool "doesn't support templates"? The implication of that assertion being "not at all"? Sheesh. That's a pretty inaccurate way of portraying something, IMHO. All or nothing (aka black or white) doesn't...
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    PC Gen data sets

    If you run out of patience, you might want to give Hero Lab a try. I haven't tried adding either of the above two classes yet. However, I've had zero trouble adding the ones that I HAVE tried. Before you add new classes, add some other stuff to get the hang of it, since classes are the most...
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    HeroLab

    How is the licensing system "nasty"? It took me less than a minute to get the product activated. And, unlike lots of other software products I regularly use, they were nice enough to include a free second license to put the product on TWO computers. So I put it on my home computer and my laptop...
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    HeroLab

    Hero Lab has got the best interface of any of the tools available. It's fast and reliable, which is more than can be said for quite a few of the alternatives. I've been using their Army Builder product for YEARS, and it's been a wonderful tool. Since the company has been around for a long time...
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