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sentry0

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Hmmm, that's really strange, I load characters all the time but from my local storage.  Have you tried loading from local storage on your phone?  

 

One thing you may want to try is clearing any loaded characters...open the drawer and go to Settings click on the "Clear" button next to the Loaded Character option.  

 

I haven't tried loading from Google drive personally although I've heard it works...I'll test that later today after work.

 

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I just loaded some files into my Drive folder and it looks like they're not actually selectable for me.  You can browse to them but you can't actually press on them.  There may be a permission issue with loading from Drive.

 

I would definitely try loading it from your phone directly until I can dig into this more.

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Final note, it looks like I have to add in special handling just for iPads in order to open files.  My bad, a case of not RTFM on my part.

 

I'll get that code in for the next build, should be soon...tonight or tomorrow is my guess.  Until then your iPad will be unable to load a character I'm sorry to say.  

 

Apologies for the confusion and frustrations this has caused you.

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On 3/4/2018 at 10:19 AM, sentry0 said:

I built the "Cruncher" tool last night...lets you calculate power costs on the fly :)

 

Should be available next build.

cruncher.png

Cruncher looks good. Looking forward to it.

 

Prehaps also an END Cost indicator with the cruncher, for full END and half END (and maybe double END, if that is not to much).

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I just put in a fix for Google Drive access and some experimental code for iPad file access.  As of the current release (1.0.4) the only way to load a file is to do it off your local phone for Android/iPhone.

 

I plan on pushing the patch later tonight or tomorrow morning.

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12 hours ago, steriaca said:

Prehaps also an END Cost indicator with the cruncher, for full END and half END (and maybe double END, if that is not to much).

 

That shouldn't be too bad to put in.  I'll see about getting it in.

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First of all I am glad to hear that you found the problem I was having w/ my iPad and could reproduce it.

 

I did get it to open up an exported file on my Android phone where the file was on my Google Drive.

 

One additional feature request is to include Equipment for characters that are Heroic level characters.

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35 minutes ago, bluesguy said:

First of all I am glad to hear that you found the problem I was having w/ my iPad and could reproduce it.

 

Technically, I've only been able to simulate the issue.  I don't own an iPad so I'm stuck with using Apple's Simulator tool for xcode which has obvious differences from the real thing.  The iOS app is in review right now so once it's approved I would *really* appreciate it if you could let me know if it's working on the real thing.

 

Quote

One additional feature request is to include Equipment for characters that are Heroic level characters.

 

Tabs now only show if there's something to display, ie. if you don't have Perks then the Perk tab won't render...it's an attempt to save some screen real estate.  I loaded up that file you linked the other day and the Equipment tab is there for me...let me know if it doesn't show up for you.  This only applies if you're running the latest build (1.1.0), prior to this there was no equipment tab.

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I was really excited to this this on Google Play, thank you for writing this wonderful program. I hope to use it in my future campaigns.

 

On ‎3‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 2:19 PM, sentry0 said:

That's something that could be added in later, Cassandra was the mad architect behind the current tool and she only plays 5e :)

 

On ‎3‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 4:37 PM, Cassandra said:

I don't have the 6th Edition of Champions.  As someone who started with the 1st Edition I found that the 5th Edition was the ultimate evolution of the system.

 

I strongly second the suggestion for a Sixth edition compatible generator.

I find it irrationally irksome that this Newly Released program prominently features a function for generating characters that aren't compatible with the Most Recent edition of the ruleset it was designed for...

Between the use of Elemental Controls in every single character I've seen it generate, and the fact that the 5th edition format you used for Characteristics omit entries for certain vital Characteristics (such as Combat Values), this feature is completely useless to anyone who isn't currently running a 5th edition game and/or isn't intimately familiar with 5th edition (or at the very least has access to the source material). That is still admittedly a significant portion of our GMs, because of the system's dwindling and ossified user base. Regardless, this is especially noteworthy because most of the other 5th edition sources that a 6th Edition GM (like myself) is forced to use, such as from The Ultimate Vehicle, or source books on VIPER and UNTIL, can be used in 6th edition without any modifications and only a cursory knowledge of the differences between 5th and 6th (such as can be learned from the PDF included with Champions Complete) assuming their Total Costs aren't relevant; because all the data you need (such as Combat Values, BODY, STUN, defenses, etc...) is still there, just located elsewhere in the stat-block.

At the very least, you could make the current generator far more usable to 6th edition GMs by adding entries to the Characteristics tab to display those vital statistics which were Figured in 5th, but are Primary in 6th (such as Combat Values), and are currently omitted from the sheet generated by the App.

 

I recognize that the reason a Fifth Edition generator was released first is because it was written first, by someone who only uses Fifth Edition, and largely for their own purposes (as opposed to being made specifically for this product). However I argue that in hindsight the generator should have been converted to Sixth Edition before either version was included in a program that uses The HERO System Sixth Edition's logo on it's splash screen. Then both could have been released at the same time (with due credit to the original designer and whomever did the conversion work) so that the inclusion of backwards compatibility would have made the product look better, instead of the inclusion of a feature with a lack of compatibility with current editions making the product look worse.

 

Since the ship has sailed on that possibility, I instead hope you are willing and able to convert and release a sixth edition compatible generator soon. For better or worse your product will be the first exposure tens of thousands of people have to the HERO System (I expect "Hero" is a common search term on Google Play for reasons other than HERO), many of whom, if their interest is piqued, are more likely to purchase Champions or Fantasy Hero Complete to try it out than a bullet-proof rulebook (because I also expect most of them already have Pathfinder Core Rulebooks in case they need a breastplate) such as the Fifth or Sixth edition rulebooks (assuming they were equally available).

 

My complaints aside. Thank you again for this product. I've gave it 5 Stars on Google Play, and I'll be testing it at my next Champions session this week.

PS: I just downloaded the update and look forward to playing with the Cruncher! I think it will be invaluable when building characters. I usually have to use my calculator App, and adjusting the values to find a breakpoint is sometimes a pain.

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14 minutes ago, Cantriped said:

I was really excited to this this on Google Play, thank you for writing this wonderful program. I hope to use it in my future campaigns.

 

 

 

I strongly second the suggestion for a Sixth edition compatible generator.

I find it irrationally irksome that this Newly Released program prominently features a function for generating characters that aren't compatible with the Most Recent edition of the ruleset it was designed for...

Between the use of Elemental Controls in every single character I've seen it generate, and the fact that the 5th edition format you used for Characteristics omit entries for certain vital Characteristics (such as Combat Values), this feature is completely useless to anyone who isn't currently running a 5th edition game and/or isn't intimately familiar with 5th edition (or at the very least has access to the source material). That is still admittedly a significant portion of our GMs, because of the system's dwindling and ossified user base. Regardless, this is especially noteworthy because most of the other 5th edition sources that a 6th Edition GM (like myself) is forced to use, such as from The Ultimate Vehicle, or source books on VIPER and UNTIL, can be used in 6th edition without any modifications and only a cursory knowledge of the differences between 5th and 6th (such as can be learned from the PDF included with Champions Complete) assuming their Total Costs aren't relevant; because all the data you need (such as Combat Values, BODY, STUN, defenses, etc...) is still there, just located elsewhere in the stat-block.

At the very least, you could make the current generator far more usable to 6th edition GMs by adding entries to the Characteristics tab to display those vital statistics which were Figured in 5th, but are Primary in 6th (such as Combat Values), and are currently omitted from the sheet generated by the App.

 

I recognize that the reason a Fifth Edition generator was released first is because it was written first, by someone who only uses Fifth Edition, and largely for their own purposes (as opposed to being made specifically for this product). However I argue that in hindsight the generator should have been converted to Sixth Edition before either version was included in a program that uses The HERO System Sixth Edition's logo on it's splash screen. Then both could have been released at the same time (with due credit to the original designer and whomever did the conversion work) so that the inclusion of backwards compatibility would have made the product look better, instead of the inclusion of a feature with a lack of compatibility with current editions making the product look worse.

 

Since the ship has sailed on that possibility, I instead hope you are willing and able to convert and release a sixth edition compatible generator soon. For better or worse your product will be the first exposure tens of thousands of people have to the HERO System (I expect "Hero" is a common search term on Google Play for reasons other than HERO), many of whom, if their interest is piqued, are more likely to purchase Champions or Fantasy Hero Complete to try it out than a bullet-proof rulebook (because I also expect most of them already have Pathfinder Core Rulebooks in case they need a breastplate) such as the Fifth or Sixth edition rulebooks (assuming they were equally available).

 

My complaints aside. Thank you again for this product. I've gave it 5 Stars on Google Play, and I'll be testing it at my next Champions session this week.

PS: I just downloaded the update and look forward to playing with the Cruncher! I think it will be invaluable when building characters. I usually have to use my calculator App, and adjusting the values to find a breakpoint is sometimes a pain.

 

 

I'm deeply hurt.

 

Just kidding.

 

What is the difference between 5th and 6th editions?

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Arg... okay, one final note: On both Google Play and in the program itself you note that the HERO Generator is for generating a "5e character". I would suggest replacing that with generating a "character using The HERO System Fifth Edition" or generating a "Fifth Edition HERO Character". The feature should cite the proper name of the ruleset and edition it is compatible with without assuming that the user will know the same acronyms you do. An average (I.E. generally stupid because this is the Internet yo) user might think the feature makes 5th edition D&D characters as that is the system most commonly associated with the terms "5th" and "5e", and rate the product poorly because he doesn't even know HERO is a thing.

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30 minutes ago, Cassandra said:

 

 

I'm deeply hurt.

 

Just kidding.

 

What is the difference between 5th and 6th editions?

I did admit it is an irrational response.

In terms of raw differences there are lots of threads that can point out all the exact differences, but the summary from a "use-during-play perspective" is this:

 

When using a 5th Edition Asset in 6th Edition most of the sheet can simply be used as is except:

Total Costs are almost always wrong (for numerous minor reasons), but the ranges things fall into are about the same. For example, an Agent or Normal Person in 5th and 6th edition still have basically the same Combat Values, Defenses, Attack DCs, etc (I hear they were typically lower in 4th, but that isn't currently relevant). So I have to rebuild anything for which knowing what it is actually worth matters, otherwise any cost changes are irrelevant as it works better if NPCs simply have as many points as they need.

Comeliness can be ignored, or converted into levels of Striking Appearance if the Asset has a noteworthy value.

Combat Values are located next to DEX (and EGO) as a statistic figured by it, instead of on separate lines. Your BODY is also mixed in with your Primary Characteristics in 5th, instead of located near your STUN and END like it is in 6th.

You double Inches to calculate Meters because 6th edition abandoned hardcoded map-scaling.

Some Powers have different names, but work the same. Use and adjudicate them as their sixth edition equivalent (you can find lists of the name changes in the PDF that comes with Champions Complete, and IIRC there is an article describing the changes in the 6th edition rules as well.

Some Powers are so different they cannot really be used as is. Entangle to create Walls, Healing to Regenerate, and Force Walls all changed significantly enough to make it worth taking time out of game and converting them to their 6th edition equivalents before hand. Entangle, in particular, just doesn't work the same as it did in 5e regarding how it interacts with Area of Effect.

Elemental Controls were replaced by a Limitation called Unified Power that serves the same mechanical function; you can just treat them as Unified Powers and try to ignore the irrelevant framework notation.

 

Because I run Champions Compete instead of The HERO System Sixth Edition I also have to make the following changes:

Ignore Classes of Minds (in a rebuild this would always save a Mentalist from an older edition points, but since it generally wasn't counted against the dice of effect given them, I just apply the appropriate limitations mentally, such as Mind Control Xd6, Only Vs. Human Minds).

Implode Skills (in a rebuilt this would always save the character points, so again, I just mentally apply the appropriate limitation, such as Animal Handler, Only Vs. Horses...)

 

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44 minutes ago, Cantriped said:

I did admit it is an irrational response.

In terms of raw differences there are lots of threads that can point out all the exact differences, but the summary from a "use-during-play perspective" is this:

 

When using a 5th Edition Asset in 6th Edition most of the sheet can simply be used as is except:

Total Costs are almost always wrong (for numerous minor reasons), but the ranges things fall into are about the same. For example, an Agent or Normal Person in 5th and 6th edition still have basically the same Combat Values, Defenses, Attack DCs, etc (I hear they were typically lower in 4th, but that isn't currently relevant). So I have to rebuild anything for which knowing what it is actually worth matters, otherwise any cost changes are irrelevant as it works better if NPCs simply have as many points as they need.

Comeliness can be ignored, or converted into levels of Striking Appearance if the Asset has a noteworthy value.

Combat Values are located next to DEX (and EGO) as a statistic figured by it, instead of on separate lines. Your BODY is also mixed in with your Primary Characteristics in 5th, instead of located near your STUN and END like it is in 6th.

You double Inches to calculate Meters because 6th edition abandoned hardcoded map-scaling.

Some Powers have different names, but work the same. Use and adjudicate them as their sixth edition equivalent (you can find lists of the name changes in the PDF that comes with Champions Complete, and IIRC there is an article describing the changes in the 6th edition rules as well.

Some Powers are so different they cannot really be used as is. Entangle to create Walls, Healing to Regenerate, and Force Walls all changed significantly enough to make it worth taking time out of game and converting them to their 6th edition equivalents before hand. Entangle, in particular, just doesn't work the same as it did in 5e regarding how it interacts with Area of Effect.

Elemental Controls were replaced by a Limitation called Unified Power that serves the same mechanical function; you can just treat them as Unified Powers and try to ignore the irrelevant framework notation.

 

Because I run Champions Compete instead of The HERO System Sixth Edition I also have to make the following changes:

Ignore Classes of Minds (in a rebuild this would always save a Mentalist from an older edition points, but since it generally wasn't counted against the dice of effect given them, I just apply the appropriate limitations mentally, such as Mind Control Xd6, Only Vs. Human Minds).

Implode Skills (in a rebuilt this would always save the character points, so again, I just mentally apply the appropriate limitation, such as Animal Handler, Only Vs. Horses...)

 

 

By Combat Values are you talking about OCV, DCV, and ECV?

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1 hour ago, Cassandra said:

 

By Combat Values are you talking about OCV, DCV, and ECV?

Yes. As in Offensive Combat Value, Defensive Combat Value, and Ego Combat Value (or Offensive and Defensive Mental Combat Value respectively in Sixth Edition).

Sixth edition removed the distinction between and concept of Figured Characteristics in an attempt to make the core system simpler mathematically speaking I suppose. So things like your Combat Values, Defenses, etc, are always and only purchased separately from the Characteristics that they used to be based on. This has an irrelevant impact (to my argument currently) on the point costs of characters adapted during play. The changes were accounted for in changes made to the number of points characters start with (a Low-Powered Superhero is built on 240+60 CP for example), but the assumptions behind character design didn't change. So two Low-Powered Superheroes (one from Fifth and Sixth respectively) will generally be equally matched despite being built on different numbers of their edition's points. That makes it easier to use old assets once you get used to the fairly minor changes in format between the two editions, and softens the blow of converting if that matters at all.
 

1 hour ago, Cassandra said:

Each Hex is 2m.

 

COM is important to those of us with high COM.

Hexes/Inches were the base unit of measure in fifth edition, with those units typically being equal to 2 meters across. In sixth they abolished those codified assumptions of scale, and measured everything in actual Meters instead; using 2m Hexes as the suggested, but not assumed map scale. Ergo why one must double the Inch/Hex values of fifth edition assets to determine their sixth edition equivalents.

 

Yes COM is important if you have a high or low COM, but for those with NCM levels of COM its impact is negligible. However, for levels in excess of "normal", Striking Appearance absorbed all of Comeliness's mechanical effects in sixth edition. So in play you can mentally convert their excess COM into the appropriate amount and form of Striking Appearance. 

 

1 hour ago, Cassandra said:

My next project is working on "Normals" and lowered powered "Heroes".  They'll make my Superheroes look really powerful.

I would very much like that. Sheets for Normals have the most forwards compatibility of any fifth edition assets, besides vehicles maybe. This is doubly true if you make reference to existing commonly used equipment. Stuff more likely to appear in both editions, like the bog standard firearms, melee weapons, and body armor that can be found in any HERO System core rulebook.

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Wow, so I'm hearing a lot of passion here for the inclusion of the H.E.R.O. tool in its current form, and that's great but as is common, there are reasons as to how things come to be.  Essentially, I'm not a graphic artist and when I started this project I reached out to the publishers and asked for permission to use their branding including the logo for the app.  They were cool with this as long as I wasn't turning a profit off of the backs of the HERO System contributors, and this aligned nicely with my own ambitions for the project.  That's why the app looks the way it does and is branded the way it is...I'm a terrible artist and publishers are kind :)

 

I love this game and want to add value to the current ecosystem by providing tools and services for free to my fellow HERO-philes.  I want more people to play this game and fall in love with it like I and many of us have - lets be honest, this community's size pales in comparison to the 800lb dungeon crawling gorilla.  I want to help change that.  To that end my app is free to use, ad free, and respects the users privacy, and will remain that way.

 

I'm telling you all this because I want to make my own intentions crystal clear.  

 

Now, to answer why I didn't do 6e random characters at launch.  Primarily, it's because the Champions Character Card kickstarter went live when I was developing this tool.  If I were to include a random 6e character generator I would run the risk of directly countering my express goal of not harming this community or company.  The reality is that this is a business and DoJ needs to make money, and the inclusion of a random 6e character tool in my app undermines the bottom line for DoJ.  Secondly, Cassandra's excellent work was 5e originally, as we all understand...no need to rehash that.

 

In summation, I will make the wording clarifications on Google Play and the app store because I think you're on point with people potentially being confused about what 5e vs 5th edition HERO means.  I will not be adding in a random 6e character generator though for the reasons I outline above.  The only thing that would change my position would be a request from the publishers themselves.

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Thank you for telling your reasions for it. Now, we have to do the conversions to 6ed/"whatever" Complete ourselves. No biggie.

 

Any plans to add hit location charts to this? Also, anything which would make the app frendly to more than just Champions players?

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11 minutes ago, steriaca said:

Any plans to add hit location charts to this?

 

Well, the damage tool will roll hit locations for you if you tell it to.

 

Did you just want the reference available to you when you gamed?  I could add it to the "Combat" tab of the character tool.

 

Quote

Also, anything which would make the app frendly to more than just Champions players?

 

I'm not sure what else that would entail...did you have any ideas?

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