sentry0

The HERO System Mobile app is now officially an open source project under the Apache 2.0 license. 
 
I have decided to put this project into the public domain primarily because I want to ensure the code will be available for anyone to do with it what they want.  I have always been a bit of an FOSS fanboy at heart and in practice and want to offer the project up as such.  I don't make money off this project and I have no plans to charge for the app, so there is little point in keeping the code to myself.
 
Get the code here - https://github.com/sentry0/hero-system-mobile.  The code is reasonably clean and hopefully understandable but there's always room for improvement.
 
For people who are interested in contributing, feel free to grab the code, write your feature, and submit a PR.  I'm happy to help out and get your environment up and running, answer design decision choices, and offer any general assistance I can.  
 
Tinkerers welcome   

Have you considered requiring that all of these Multiforms must take an Endurance Reserve without a REC.  Once the reserve is depleted, they revert.
 
You may have to do some handwaving but it may work like you want it to.

Have you considered requiring that all of these Multiforms must take an Endurance Reserve without a REC.  Once the reserve is depleted, they revert.
 
You may have to do some handwaving but it may work like you want it to.

Have you considered requiring that all of these Multiforms must take an Endurance Reserve without a REC.  Once the reserve is depleted, they revert.
 
You may have to do some handwaving but it may work like you want it to.

I ran a table for first time HERO players the other week using nothing but the BR and it went completely fine.  I count that as a successful test of the design philosophy behind the BR in my mind.  
 
I liked it so much that I plan on running like that for the foreseeable future with that group.  The Encyclopedia Heroica is there if you need it but honestly, the BR is a very solid product as is.
 
And yes, edition snobbery is a poison on the forums.  I like all the editions of HERO that I played but I like 6th the best.  That said, I wouldn't suggest you come back from 2nd or 4th to 6th unless you personally feel like it.  I'm not here to bash players for liking an edition and my eyes almost roll out of my goddamn head when I hear someone ripping on edition y because reasons.

I'm skeptical that going backwards in time to release Champions 2 would attract anyone to the game who isn't already here.  Building a KS is hard work and many of them fail.  I personally wouldn't consider contributing to one for HERO that doesn't move the system forward.  The game has evolved over the years and is at a better place than it was, I'm not interested in paying money for a less capable version of 6th. I'm not one of these people who believe that 6th is a bad iteration of the game, I actually believe it's been a very good mechanical step forward but packaged to fail.  If you want a stripped down version of 6th you can use the BR and it would still be more capable out of the box than second.
 
I'm also not interested in backporting rules from successive editions.  I have zero interest in jumping through hoops to make a power that can easily be made on 6th.  So sell me on this idea that spending the time, money, and effort on this KS would attract anyone other than grognards who are probably already here.
 
As for the suggestion that the newer editions are built with programming in mind?  Highly doubtful.  I'm hip deep in revising my app right now to read from HD character sheets and there are many, many exceptions to rules that make writing the code problematic.  There are much easier system to code for like OpenD6... which coincidentally, I have.  My OpenD6 app includes tools to architect world's and build characters as well as play the game.  It was significantly easier to build a more functional app for that system than HERO.  If HERO was built for programmers in mind than shouldn't it be easy to code for?
 
The assertion that later editions were built by mathematicians for not other reason than to be pedantic about math falls flat for me too.  Balance is hard and a continuous process.  Anyone who plays MMOs or online video games that are actively supported by developers will get this.  Again, I like 6th and see it as a natural evolution to the game at this point.
 
Lots of things were simpler 40 years ago but the reality is that modern gamers are different now.  They have different expectations about how games should work and feel.  They like apps and tools to build characters with.  They like using tablets and phones at the table.  So tell me again why releasing Champions 2 would attract these players?  Because they can kill a tree to make a character and be unsure of the math?  Right.

I'm skeptical that going backwards in time to release Champions 2 would attract anyone to the game who isn't already here.  Building a KS is hard work and many of them fail.  I personally wouldn't consider contributing to one for HERO that doesn't move the system forward.  The game has evolved over the years and is at a better place than it was, I'm not interested in paying money for a less capable version of 6th. I'm not one of these people who believe that 6th is a bad iteration of the game, I actually believe it's been a very good mechanical step forward but packaged to fail.  If you want a stripped down version of 6th you can use the BR and it would still be more capable out of the box than second.
 
I'm also not interested in backporting rules from successive editions.  I have zero interest in jumping through hoops to make a power that can easily be made on 6th.  So sell me on this idea that spending the time, money, and effort on this KS would attract anyone other than grognards who are probably already here.
 
As for the suggestion that the newer editions are built with programming in mind?  Highly doubtful.  I'm hip deep in revising my app right now to read from HD character sheets and there are many, many exceptions to rules that make writing the code problematic.  There are much easier system to code for like OpenD6... which coincidentally, I have.  My OpenD6 app includes tools to architect world's and build characters as well as play the game.  It was significantly easier to build a more functional app for that system than HERO.  If HERO was built for programmers in mind than shouldn't it be easy to code for?
 
The assertion that later editions were built by mathematicians for not other reason than to be pedantic about math falls flat for me too.  Balance is hard and a continuous process.  Anyone who plays MMOs or online video games that are actively supported by developers will get this.  Again, I like 6th and see it as a natural evolution to the game at this point.
 
Lots of things were simpler 40 years ago but the reality is that modern gamers are different now.  They have different expectations about how games should work and feel.  They like apps and tools to build characters with.  They like using tablets and phones at the table.  So tell me again why releasing Champions 2 would attract these players?  Because they can kill a tree to make a character and be unsure of the math?  Right.

I am rolling out the 1.2.10 beta4 build as I type this.  This is a big build in terms of features and bug fixes.  I added in a number of large-ish missing features and fixed a couple of gnarley bugs that was causing the app to straight up crash.  
 
What's new and been fixed in this build:
Added support for built-in templates other than Superheroic Added support for user created custom templates Added the equipment tab Added support for Multipower slot types (Fixed and Variable) Enhanced Perception is now aware of the show secondary characteristics flag Fixed a couple of bugs with Compound Power The Language skill now calculates its cost correctly Fixed a bug with loading multiple characters one after each other Keep checking the post at https://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/98754-hero-system-mobile-20/?do=findComment&comment=2740009 to see the status of the rollouts.

I am rolling out the 1.2.10 beta4 build as I type this.  This is a big build in terms of features and bug fixes.  I added in a number of large-ish missing features and fixed a couple of gnarley bugs that was causing the app to straight up crash.  
 
What's new and been fixed in this build:
Added support for built-in templates other than Superheroic Added support for user created custom templates Added the equipment tab Added support for Multipower slot types (Fixed and Variable) Enhanced Perception is now aware of the show secondary characteristics flag Fixed a couple of bugs with Compound Power The Language skill now calculates its cost correctly Fixed a bug with loading multiple characters one after each other Keep checking the post at https://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/98754-hero-system-mobile-20/?do=findComment&comment=2740009 to see the status of the rollouts.

I'm skeptical that going backwards in time to release Champions 2 would attract anyone to the game who isn't already here.  Building a KS is hard work and many of them fail.  I personally wouldn't consider contributing to one for HERO that doesn't move the system forward.  The game has evolved over the years and is at a better place than it was, I'm not interested in paying money for a less capable version of 6th. I'm not one of these people who believe that 6th is a bad iteration of the game, I actually believe it's been a very good mechanical step forward but packaged to fail.  If you want a stripped down version of 6th you can use the BR and it would still be more capable out of the box than second.
 
I'm also not interested in backporting rules from successive editions.  I have zero interest in jumping through hoops to make a power that can easily be made on 6th.  So sell me on this idea that spending the time, money, and effort on this KS would attract anyone other than grognards who are probably already here.
 
As for the suggestion that the newer editions are built with programming in mind?  Highly doubtful.  I'm hip deep in revising my app right now to read from HD character sheets and there are many, many exceptions to rules that make writing the code problematic.  There are much easier system to code for like OpenD6... which coincidentally, I have.  My OpenD6 app includes tools to architect world's and build characters as well as play the game.  It was significantly easier to build a more functional app for that system than HERO.  If HERO was built for programmers in mind than shouldn't it be easy to code for?
 
The assertion that later editions were built by mathematicians for not other reason than to be pedantic about math falls flat for me too.  Balance is hard and a continuous process.  Anyone who plays MMOs or online video games that are actively supported by developers will get this.  Again, I like 6th and see it as a natural evolution to the game at this point.
 
Lots of things were simpler 40 years ago but the reality is that modern gamers are different now.  They have different expectations about how games should work and feel.  They like apps and tools to build characters with.  They like using tablets and phones at the table.  So tell me again why releasing Champions 2 would attract these players?  Because they can kill a tree to make a character and be unsure of the math?  Right.

I ran a table for first time HERO players the other week using nothing but the BR and it went completely fine.  I count that as a successful test of the design philosophy behind the BR in my mind.  
 
I liked it so much that I plan on running like that for the foreseeable future with that group.  The Encyclopedia Heroica is there if you need it but honestly, the BR is a very solid product as is.
 
And yes, edition snobbery is a poison on the forums.  I like all the editions of HERO that I played but I like 6th the best.  That said, I wouldn't suggest you come back from 2nd or 4th to 6th unless you personally feel like it.  I'm not here to bash players for liking an edition and my eyes almost roll out of my goddamn head when I hear someone ripping on edition y because reasons.

I ran a table for first time HERO players the other week using nothing but the BR and it went completely fine.  I count that as a successful test of the design philosophy behind the BR in my mind.  
 
I liked it so much that I plan on running like that for the foreseeable future with that group.  The Encyclopedia Heroica is there if you need it but honestly, the BR is a very solid product as is.
 
And yes, edition snobbery is a poison on the forums.  I like all the editions of HERO that I played but I like 6th the best.  That said, I wouldn't suggest you come back from 2nd or 4th to 6th unless you personally feel like it.  I'm not here to bash players for liking an edition and my eyes almost roll out of my goddamn head when I hear someone ripping on edition y because reasons.

It is currently on the App Store and the Play Store.  
 
This version I'm working on will probably be in development for a bit more but I think I will open up the beta to the general public.
 
I'll put up some links to join the beta in this thread tomorrow when I have a beta build ready.

It is currently on the App Store and the Play Store.  
 
This version I'm working on will probably be in development for a bit more but I think I will open up the beta to the general public.
 
I'll put up some links to join the beta in this thread tomorrow when I have a beta build ready.

I liked keeping the target number constant, it meant the calculations were all focussed on the same thing, was the result greater than 10.  (I had made a deliberate decision to go greater than 10, reducing the chances of success from 62.5% to 50% on an unmodified roll).  If I wanted to keep the same result profile as in RAW then the result would need to be at least 10.  There is merit in everything remaining constant - there is never a question of "What do I need to roll?" it is always the same.

The last campaign I ran (the only 6th Edition campaign I've ever run) was roll high for everything.
 
It worked fine. Better than roll under in my opinion (because I don't like roll under systems in general).
 
When I switched the TFT characters over to HERO this time around I hemmed and hawwed about rolling high because that is my preference, but in the end stuck with roll under because that is how TFT also worked.

I did it in a game I ran for D20 lovers.  I customised a character sheet and told them that the test for success was to beat 10 on a modified roll.  So roll + levels and bonuses - difficulty and penalties. 
 
In combat, OCV is a bonus as are skill levels and sundry situational modifiers; DCV is the difficulty with range etc providing penalties. 
 
With skills, the difficulty was 10.  I treated every improvement to base skill as a plus on the sheet, so Stealth 11 or less was listed as Stealth on the character sheet; Stealth 13 or less was listed as Stealth +2.
 
Worked a treat, everything was about beating 10, rolling high was always good.
 
However, to show the fickleness of gamers, not one of them complained about Runequest when looking to roll under a percentage to hit and roll high for damage....
 
Doc

I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at but my app is designed to work with HERO Designer and not step on either Hero Designer or Hero Combat Manager's toes.  I develop the app for free and give it away to a marginalized gaming community as a way of giving back.

I recently introduced HERO to a table and the feedback I got was that rolling low for everything except damage was weird. 
 
It wasn't a math issue, just honest feedback I got from the table about consistency.  

So rather than a re-issue of the First Edition for the 40th Anniversary,  you would suggest a re-issue of the Second Edition Boxed set, with the Viper adventures, Dice, Map sheet, and such?  Seems eminently plausible as 2nd Edition as I remember, wasn't that different from First Edition... was it? 

But I think a possible solution to the whole complexity issue is to have new players come up into Hero the way it was done in the past.  introduce the complexity in stages, rather than dropping 6e on them.  If they like Hero, they may climb the ladder themselves. 
 
But in all seriousness, the way to get more players is to get more players into F2F situations and play. I don't see a lot advocacy for  itinerant GMs  putting up flyers in FLGS or other venues, offering to run. Almost all RPG players started as visitors to someone else's table.
 

I feel like I need to echo ScottishFox's last post... D&D starts innocuously enough but quickly degenerates into a soup of modifier addition, rules, exceptions to the rules you just learned, spell interpretations, and don't forget GM house rules.  The more levels you get get the worse it becomes and the more laborious actually playing it becomes.  Sure at first level it seems pretty damn easy but it spirals out of control quickly once you get a few levels under your belt.
 
My GM literally has a flowchart that we use to tell if our rogue can use his backstab.  And it's not a trivial flowchart...
 
I don't think a canned adventure with pre-gens is a magic bullet but I think it's one giant leap forward from where we are.  Actually breaking down the characters and showing you how to build would be another huge step forward for new players.  It's giving a man a fish and teaching them to fish... best of both worlds.  Put it in the HoC and make it "Pay What You Want" to get the best effect.
 
Someone needs to step up and do it... maybe a collaboration between people on this board needs to happen.

I hear what you're saying but I've always been a DIY kind of GM.  Although I certainly appreciate a good setting book crammed with NPCs and plot seeds to use as a playground.
 
HERO is great system for DIY, I've gone on the record stating my fondness for the setting books like Turakian Age... it fits in nicely with my mentality.  Weaving in player backgrounds into the world and giving people freedom to explore their characters in a big sandbox is where it's at for me.  I also realize that not everyone appreciates this style of play and there is plenty of demand for canned modules.
 
Hopefully the Hall of Champions will provide some cool adventures for those types of GMs.

I was introduced to Heroes way back in 3rd edition when a friend of mine was running a Heroic level campaign based on Star Wars. Since then I fell in love with the system.
 
Then in 2004, I found myself playing a little MMO called City of Heroes. Since that time, I wanted to set up a campaign based on CoH using Heroes. But I never found the right group who was willing to play in this type of setting. Now, the group that I’m in are willing to try (currently playing Starfinders with a bit of Scion thrown in) playing this system. (One player already made his character)
 
So I’m excited to see how my two great Super Hero loves is going to work 

Something in the title of this thread spoke to me.
    My history with Champions is so bound up with my real life that one couldn’t exist without the other.  Around 35 years or so ago  I was a guy in my 20’s and a girl I liked said “you like comics, I play a game that’s kind of a D&D for comic books.”  “Come see if you like it.”  So I went.  If she said  “Hey, every Saturday night we cut off our own heads, wanna come along?”  I would have gone.  I knew a couple of the people vaguely and I did have fun. The next two decades or so just kind of flew by.
  Some of that group and others that I met along the way became the best friends I’ve ever known. Others became enemies.  A very few are closer to me than my own brothers. I became Godfather to the children of the “kid” I first got to know when driving him in to Boston to play after inviting him to join our group. He’s a man now of course and a Captain of Firefighters. (a REAL Hero)  He met the lovely woman who would become his wife over a Champions game.
   The games came and went. GM’s and players did the same. Some friends have passed away, and when we remember them we always end up saying that they’ve just gone ahead to save us the “good table” in a room with a blackboard to put up a Dex Chart.
   Time and circumstance has spread us across the map although we stay in pretty constant touch. And I myself haven’t picked up a set of dice in a decade or more, but I think about those days often. Times both spent at the Game table and away, love and laughs and inside jokes we now have to clean up so we can explain them to the kids.
   Thinking about the title of this thread made me want to say to those who created this sometimes silly game and may have thought this a small accomplishment in a big world....Thank You for what it’s meant to the life of just this one player. 

I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at but my app is designed to work with HERO Designer and not step on either Hero Designer or Hero Combat Manager's toes.  I develop the app for free and give it away to a marginalized gaming community as a way of giving back.