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<blockquote data-quote="labyrinth" data-source="post: 3396715" data-attributes="member: 48530">While PCGen is free, the data files for WotC material are no longer available from CMP, so those files have to be created. The net result is that PCGen is only &quot;free&quot; in terms of DOLLARS. There is also the question of TIME. My time is valuable to me, so I'm going to use a tool that is EASIER and FASTER to create the data files I need. I also prefer a tool that makes it easy for me and others in my group to share the data files we've created. Since I have to create the files myself, the extra one-time cost of $30 for a tool that saves me vast amounts of time in creating the data files I need is money well-spent. I use the $30 amount, since that's what most of the non-free tools cost. If using PCGen takes me an hour longer to learn and then create data files, I'm better off with another tool. For me, the easiest tool so far has been Hero Lab. It took no time at all to learn the basics. Admittedly, it took me longer to learn in-depth how to create specialized data files than two of the other tools I tried, but not much longer. Most importantly, it has allowed me to implement things the other tools couldn't readily support. Besides, the Hero Lab UI is MUCH more to my liking than the other tool options, but that's just a personal aesthetics thing.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="labyrinth, post: 3396715, member: 48530"] While PCGen is free, the data files for WotC material are no longer available from CMP, so those files have to be created. The net result is that PCGen is only "free" in terms of DOLLARS. There is also the question of TIME. My time is valuable to me, so I'm going to use a tool that is EASIER and FASTER to create the data files I need. I also prefer a tool that makes it easy for me and others in my group to share the data files we've created. Since I have to create the files myself, the extra one-time cost of $30 for a tool that saves me vast amounts of time in creating the data files I need is money well-spent. I use the $30 amount, since that's what most of the non-free tools cost. If using PCGen takes me an hour longer to learn and then create data files, I'm better off with another tool. For me, the easiest tool so far has been Hero Lab. It took no time at all to learn the basics. Admittedly, it took me longer to learn in-depth how to create specialized data files than two of the other tools I tried, but not much longer. Most importantly, it has allowed me to implement things the other tools couldn't readily support. Besides, the Hero Lab UI is MUCH more to my liking than the other tool options, but that's just a personal aesthetics thing. [/QUOTE]

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