D&D 5E Dear WotC: D&D 5, Hero Lab, and the OGL

[Ruin Explorer]

It's funny. For the vast majority of my play experience I prefer physical books. But once or twice a year, I attend a convention. And having all of my necessary rule books available on an iPad instead of lugging 2 or 3 books just so I can play makes a huge difference in my con experience. Huge enough that I buy pdfs, or use character management apps, when available.

Thaumaturge.

We meet at various places around London, depending who has room free and so on (babies, spouses, in-laws staying over etc. all cause realignments of the best place), so I am going to have to lug whatever books we need with me (two of my players might have PHBs if I'm lucky, but that's it, so I still probably have to lug DMG, MM, maybe a setting-book or add-on book or three), and good god, NO. With 4E and the DDI I have it down to maybe a laptop (always one or more of those at any house) and a tablet (with my adventure, maps, etc.) on, and the 4E Rules Compendium. Oh and my battlemat, which is pretty huge (but light), but I was hoping 5E would let me dump that!

So yeah, I "ain't never going back!" to book-lugging mode. I will seriously just play another RPG. (DEALBREAKER!!!! Is that what we're supposed to yell? But seriously, no, no, no, and no to lugging books).

I'd probably feel differently if we all always met at my flat, but we don't, so I don't!

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

We meet at various places around London, depending who has room free and so on (babies, spouses, in-laws staying over etc. all cause realignments of the best place), so I am going to have to lug whatever books we need with me (two of my players might have PHBs if I'm lucky, but that's it, so I still probably have to lug DMG, MM, maybe a setting-book or add-on book or three), and good god, NO. With 4E and the DDI I have it down to maybe a laptop (always one or more of those at any house) and a tablet (with my adventure, maps, etc.) on, and the 4E Rules Compendium. Oh and my battlemat, which is pretty huge (but light), but I was hoping 5E would let me dump that!

So yeah, I "ain't never going back!" to book-lugging mode. I will seriously just play another RPG. (DEALBREAKER!!!! Is that what we're supposed to yell? But seriously, no, no, no, and no to lugging books).

I'd probably feel differently if we all always met at my flat, but we don't, so I don't!

I have to agree for similar reasons. Much of my later time playing 3.xE and almost all of my time so far with 4E has involved running my games in a different country and, as any frequent traveller knows, one of the fundamental keys to enjoying travel is making sure you carry as little as possible.

Running from PDFs or similar files and from a laptop and/or tablet is simply the way I prefer to DM.

 

[BoldItalic]

I will hold off on my response until someone ends their response with...

"...36 years and counting."

This Herolad thinggy, does it come on punched paper tape? 'Cos my PDP11/35 only reads the 8-hole kind, not the old 5-hole Ferranti tapes.

... 37 years and counting ...

Dang! Missed it!

 

[Bugleyman]

I really, really hope WotC wises up and releases the rules in PDF. Not doing so would simply drive players who prefer PDFs into the arms of competitors.

 

[Jester David]

I wouldn't mind Hero Lab support. Since the software is already there, getting the content available should be quicker and easier than having to build everything including the UI from the ground up, as is the case with Project Morningstar.
And I already own HeroLab so adding a second game should be significantly cheaper.

 

[Morrus]

I think part of the issue with these posts is the language folks choose to use. Saying WotC needs to "wisen up" etc. just sounds like it needs to be said in Comic Book Guy's voice. Same with pronouncements that a game will fail if a company doesn't do what the poster thinks they should do. I think good points can be made without snootily implying one's mental superiority to what is, after all, a company containing a wide variety of people.

 

[Agamon]

I use HeroLab for PF when I play that, but it doesn't have the greatest UI. It's just been the best of a bunch of not that wonderful choices. The pics we've seen of Morningstar look both nicer and user friendly...though the proof of that will be in the pudding, so we'll see. Morningstar will be more than just a character generator, too. I know HL has a simple combat tracker, but I can't say I've found it all that useful.

 

[Agamon]

I think part of the issue with these posts is the language folks choose to use. Saying WotC needs to "wisen up" etc. just sounds like it needs to be said in Comic Book Guy's voice. Same with pronouncements that a game will fail if a company doesn't do what the poster thinks they should do. I think good points can be made without snootily implying one's mental superiority to what is, after all, a company containing a wide variety of people.

I've said this before, but I like to read such posts in the voice of Craig from Parks and Rec. I tend to only take such writings as seriously as they deserve that way.

 

[mips42]

As a player of D&D for a number of years (some of those numbers are bendy) I, too, prefer physical books to electronic media. It's all I can do to sit and read a pdf but, give me the book and I can sit and read for hours.
I think I just hurt my old.


* Fan of Chainmail for 42 years and counting...

 

[Agamon]

I must say, I far prefer my flintlock cannon to this newfangled breech loading artillery. Loading a weapon from the rear? How barbaric!


Veteran of the Battle of Waterloo for 199 years