Third party Starfinder character creation tools?

[Bidmaron]

Well, it wouldn't exactly go away anymore. There are some add-ons folks have created that let you take an RW export file and make it into html or pdf. It won't work with copyrighted stuff but will do great with your own in-house material.

As for the cloud fee -- it is suspended until the full-blown content market becomes available. As to when that will be, well, that is the source of much frustration over there. They are blaming delays on Paizo sync setup delays.

[Full Bleed]

Well, it wouldn't exactly go away anymore. There are some add-ons folks have created that let you take an RW export file and make it into html or pdf. It won't work with copyrighted stuff but will do great with your own in-house material.

So, if I'm understanding you, I wouldn't lose the content because it can be exported into one of those other formats? But the functionality of the actual program does still rely on their cloud, correct? I have no interest in purchasing copyrighted material for it, so that's a non-factor for me. I saw it as a strictly organizational tool but can't see spending time organizing everything into their complex format/structure and then not being able to access it accordingly. I still see no reason they should have ever made the program reliant on their cloud.

As for the cloud fee -- it is suspended until the full-blown content market becomes available. As to when that will be, well, that is the source of much frustration over there. They are blaming delays on Paizo sync setup delays.

Oddly enough, the lack of a fee is a selling feature for me. But if it's "coming soon" it's a moot point.

[Bidmaron]

No you do not need the cloud at all. However you do need to hit their web site for license validation (same as most applications of FG). You can work locally though. You only have to have cloud if you want their cloud backup and to access content market

[ChumSlinger]

I don't mind paying a small subscription fee for Hero Labs online but the StarFinder content needs to be paid for separately ($34.99) and I found it buggy and, in my opinion, cumbersome. It also appears to be the only content available right now for Hero Labs Online. (they do offer three months of server access when you buy the SF license)

[Topdecker]

We totally do, here's our doc's look at the section for Output sheets. We are also transitioning to using Freemarker for the template system.

I had looked at PCGen, but was on a Surface Pro and java doesn't seem to scale UI's at all (which made using it more than difficult). Is there an easy way to scale the UI?

Thanks!

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[Nylanfs]

Was it using a 4k screen? If so this might help.

Right click PCGen app, Select Properties, then Compatibility, then turn on Override High DPI scaling

[Topdecker]

Was it using a 4k screen? If so this might help.

Right click PCGen app, Select Properties, then Compatibility, then turn on Override High DPI scaling

I will give that a try, thanks

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[daplunk]

Competing with yourself by making a SECOND character generation program while offering NOTHING to your existing customer-base is just so obviously flawed that a cranial-rectal inversion is surely in progress. I mean their head has to be WAY WAY up there.

This would be true if they were the most popular character generator on the market. They aren't though. Sure in Pathfinder circles it's the most popular character editor but that's due to the complexity and sheer amount of content that's available for Pathfinder. Looking at the numbers from various sources (Fantasy Ground, Roll20 ORR Report) only about 15%-20% of people are playing the system where they are popular. Making it web based was an intelligent choice as it opens them up to practically anyone playing a game system that they support. They stand to massively increase their market share if they can pull this off.

Yes they will lose some loyal customers along the way. People hate change, so they will have considered that. The overwhelming success of DnDBeyond shows that people are open to this model though.

Honestly I'm super hopeful they can turn it into something successful. I love Realm Works and that tool needs the cash influx to get its development back on track.

[Bidmaron]

Daplunk what are you saying is the most popular generator? The only other contender I know about is pcgen.

[daplunk]

Daplunk what are you saying is the most popular generator? The only other contender I know about is pcgen.

There are many many character editors on the market. Different game systems tend to have differed favoured solutions. This is where Hero Lab should have the advantage. Their's is one of the few tools (PCGen being the other one) that can be configured to support nearly any game system. But they only support PC and IPad's and have not been able to penetrate the large amount of the market that don't game on those OS's.

Consider the impact they could have on the whole table-top market if they can successfully pull this off. Offer licensed support for multiple game systems on the one tool across basically any OS. Once the tool is used and trusted the word of mouth will spread and continue to spread even as players change game systems. Implement the API as they are talking about and the VTT crowd will likely flock to it too. Then the players can take their characters with them outside the likes of Fantasy Grounds and Roll20 but have the tool interact directly with the VTT during play.

Hero Lab Classic is holding them back. Sadly, because I love it. But I cannot see how Hero Lab Online is a bad move for them.