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Until they decide to run a gritty realistic Paranoia LARP...But then everyone will have GMs then!Nah, don't worry too much about that. Until we have AI smart enough to GM games, the two can't get very close. And when AI is smart enough to GM games, we'll all have bigger worries.*gloomy look*
It's the beginning of the end - computer games and RPGs moving ever closer...Bring back the twentieth century, I say. :(
The Computer is your friend.
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just want to point out... there is a third party app that reads herolab on Android.
What app?
Chief Technical Officer
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I'd just like to point out that Trapdoor's platform prioritization choices are not in any way driven by Paizo. If they had brought us the exact same app and said it would debut on Android with iOS coming later, we'd have licensed it just the same.
And if you're wondering why so many developers prioritize iOS over Android, try Googling "develop for Android or iOS first". I just did, and here's what I found in the first 10 results:
• 5 didn't make a clear recommendation. A few of these said "if you value X, choose Android; if you value Y, choose iOS." A couple of them want you to hire them as a consultant to answer the question for you.
• 4 suggested to me that they would recommend iOS first in most cases.
• 1 wouldn't load for me, but the excerpt Google displayed suggested they were probably in the above category.
• 0 suggested to me that they would recommend Android first in most cases.
If I were to sum up what I read across these 9 pages in one sentence, it would be this: Android might have the numbers, but most agree that development is more complicated, and iOS is where most of the money is.
Thanks for doing the research Vic.
Also, any news on the Paizo Game Table/VTT endeavour? Has it been cancelled?
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Chief Technical Officer
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Thing is, Paizo uses Apple devices in-house. Not necessarily exclusively, but they're basically a Mac shop. So it's natural for an organization that has already made the Apple/not-Apple decision to continue to make Apple-centric decisions.
Publishing has always been mainly Macs, and finance always been Windows. The tech team is shifting away from Macs, and our convention point-of-sale system, which has always been Mac-based, is soon going to be Surface-based.
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Thing is, Paizo uses Apple devices in-house. Not necessarily exclusively, but they're basically a Mac shop. So it's natural for an organization that has already made the Apple/not-Apple decision to continue to make Apple-centric decisions.Publishing has always been mainly Macs, and finance always been Windows. The tech team is shifting away from Macs, and our convention point-of-sale system, which has always been Mac-based, is soon going to be Surface-based.
Fair enough. No disrespect intended.
FYI, Lenovo has also released a decent competitor to the Surface, if you're interested in options. It's an exciting time, given that there are now "tablets" with real operating systems on them.
It's also reasonably priced.
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Until they decide to run a gritty realistic Paranoia LARP...But then everyone will have GMs then!Nah, don't worry too much about that. Until we have AI smart enough to GM games, the two can't get very close. And when AI is smart enough to GM games, we'll all have bigger worries.*gloomy look*
It's the beginning of the end - computer games and RPGs moving ever closer...Bring back the twentieth century, I say. :(
For most of us who played Paranoia, the satrical silliness of it was it's main draw.
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Thing is, Paizo uses Apple devices in-house. Not necessarily exclusively, but they're basically a Mac shop. So it's natural for an organization that has already made the Apple/not-Apple decision to continue to make Apple-centric decisions.Publishing has always been mainly Macs, and finance always been Windows. The tech team is shifting away from Macs, and our convention point-of-sale system, which has always been Mac-based, is soon going to be Surface-based.Fair enough. No disrespect intended.
FYI, Lenovo has also released a decent competitor to the Surface, if you're interested in options. It's an exciting time, given that there are now "tablets" with real operating systems on them.
It's also reasonably priced.
I would think that the latest revelation of Lenovo's putting malware in their notebook BIOS would give pause. IBM is getting rid of their Lenovos for Macbooks.
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So on the topic of Playbook For PRD (sorry to digress from the tech discussion), I got it, I installed it, I tried it out.
Pros:
*Slick interface, step-by-step character creation - a curated and guided experience, rather than the non-curated, mostly-guided experience of Hero Lab.
*Customizable interface. Being able to get rid of sections you don't use and not have them clutter up your screen is great.
*Integrated GM and Party tools - but I'm the only one in my group who has the app, so I'm not able to test them out yet. Still a pro, however.
*In-App store has a few things (PRD Monsters 1 & 2 and an adventure) for free.
Cons:
*The dice roller. This is the BIGGEST con for me, and it's an important one. Hero Lab puts a dice roller on literally everything you could ever want to roll, does your math for you, and checks it before it hits your screen. The Playbook dice roller is an in-app module that you have to call up separately, and requires you to either remember what your numbers are going in to the roll, or requires you to position your roller on the screen in such a way as to keep your numbers in clear view. No bueno.
*The pay-to-play system. With Hero Lab, if you buy the base app, you get the Pathfinder core rules for free. All of them. Everything you need to build and play a character using the core rules and then some. If you want more books, you simply pay the price to load them into Hero Lab, and they show up in your app. Not so with Playbook. Playbook has broken the PRD core rules out into three modules - Levels 1-4 (free), Levels 5-12 (paid), and Levels 13-20 (paid). The app will let you play up to level 4 for free, and then you literally have to pay to play.
I find this unacceptable in terms of pricing and gatekeeping for the game. An additional $9.99 per level set is far too pricey for most people, and I can foresee a lot of issues arising from this.
*No way that I can find to integrate house rules. Though I may just be a little slow on the uptake, here.
***
Overall, I think they have a good app - and I can really see this being used for long-distance gaming, assuming that the party function can be used when you're not all in the same room. If the app allows the game to be played long-distance, I will use it weekly to get some new players into my game. Period, end of discussion.
The upcoming "forge" functionality would appear to enable a large amount of extensible content into the game. This might be where house rules come in. So I'm looking forward to seeing that.
All in all I think they have something, here, but those price points, along with the dice roller and the lack of house rule abilities still put Hero Lab firmly in the front of this particular pack, for me.
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So on the topic of Playbook For PRD (sorry to digress from the tech discussion), I got it, I installed it, I tried it out.
Pros:
*Slick interface, step-by-step character creation - a curated and guided experience, rather than the non-curated, mostly-guided experience of Hero Lab.
*Customizable interface. Being able to get rid of sections you don't use and not have them clutter up your screen is great.
*Integrated GM and Party tools - but I'm the only one in my group who has the app, so I'm not able to test them out yet. Still a pro, however.
*In-App store has a few things (PRD Monsters 1 & 2 and an adventure) for free.
Cons:
*The dice roller. This is the BIGGEST con for me, and it's an important one. Hero Lab puts a dice roller on literally everything you could ever want to roll, does your math for you, and checks it before it hits your screen. The Playbook dice roller is an in-app module that you have to call up separately, and requires you to either remember what your numbers are going in to the roll, or requires you to position your roller on the screen in such a way as to keep your numbers in clear view. No bueno.
*The pay-to-play system. With Hero Lab, if you buy the base app, you get the Pathfinder core rules for free. All of them. Everything you need to build and play a character using the core rules and then some. If you want more books, you simply pay the price to load them into Hero Lab, and they show up in your app. Not so with Playbook. Playbook has broken the PRD core rules out into three modules - Levels 1-4 (free), Levels 5-12 (paid), and Levels 13-20 (paid). The app will let you play up to level 4 for free, and then you literally have to pay to play.
I find this unacceptable in terms of pricing and gatekeeping for the game. An additional $9.99 per level set is far too pricey for most people, and I can foresee a lot of issues arising from this.
*No way that I can find to integrate house rules. Though I may just be a little slow on the uptake, here.
***...
Hiya Jemstone. Thanks for the feedback and apologies on the delay in my response! We just released Playbook for Pathfinder last week to kick off PaizoCon and we've made a few changes to pricing. Namely that we've gotten rid of the level packs and have moved to a subscription model. It's $1.99 for a month and $19.99 for a year. We did a lot of research and talked to a lot of gamers about what they wanted and everyone agreed the level packs weren't ideal. You also get a 1 month free trial when you make a new account so you can check out the tools.
All of the Pathfinder rule books are being converted and will be available in the app. Yep, all 21. And the new stuff, too. We'll be adding them over the course of the coming months. Soon, we'll be able to know which books you've *already* purchased from the Paizo store and as those books become available in Playbook, they'll be unlocked for you in the app. So no double purchasing!
As for the dice roller calculating rolls, we didn't want to automate everything. We still really like rolling physical dice but wanted to put a dice roller in (to be quite frank, when we were working with WoTC, that was an absolute must have for them - we built it and left it in there). We have always been very aware of not turning the app into a video game and this dances the line for us! That said, we are looking into a few places to include rolls on your character sheet (mostly in combat scenarios). Also, we've got a few partners that make KILLER dice apps. We want it to be slick and sexy, physics, maybe even that satisfying sound bite of the clunk clunk on the table ;) For people that WANT to use it, we're going to make it a great experience. For those that want to roll physical dice, they can keep on doing that without any requirement to ever use a dice roller.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions :D
Hey hi!
I'm glad to hear that there have been revisions to the pricing scheme, and I'm glad to hear that the need to purchase the books in the app will be mitigated by our real-life purchases. That's a terrific tool.
What sort of accommodations do you think can/will be made for House Rules or Custom Rulesets, out of curiosity?
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Hey hi!
I'm glad to hear that there have been revisions to the pricing scheme, and I'm glad to hear that the need to purchase the books in the app will be mitigated by our real-life purchases. That's a terrific tool.
What sort of accommodations do you think can/will be made for House Rules or Custom Rulesets, out of curiosity?
Hi hi! We'll be supporting home brew tweaks and some house rules with the release of The Forge which will allow GMs (and players if they want!) to create custom creatures, monsters, traps, treasure, encounters etc. The Forge is the final module of Playbook for Pathfinder and we're hoping to have it released later this year. That said, The Forge won't be able to completely replace the Pathfinder ruleset with your own home brew rules. You'll be able to tweak and customize but not fully replace.
The reason for that is because the programmatic difficulty of doing a full swap is....daunting and our engineer has told us multiple times (perhaps with his voice raised...) that it isn't possible to do, OR (and maybe this is more important), to do well.
If Playbook for Pathfinder launches into orbit in popularity and adoption, then we can get some more brilliant engineers on board to make it happen!
Great to hear! :)
So... if someone were to release a 3pp class/ability book, what are the odds we can see that in Playbook?
And how do I convince you to work Playbook for other game systems (Savage Worlds, Cyberpunk 2020, etc.)?
Great to hear! :)
So... if someone were to release a 3pp class/ability book, what are the odds we can see that in Playbook?
And how do I convince you to work Playbook for other game systems (Savage Worlds, Cyberpunk 2020, etc.)?
Being that we can publish books pretty darn fast, eventually the odds are good. Also, with The Forge, you'll be able to add your own home brew adventures and campaigns, publish them *just* to your gaming group with the option (eventually) to publish to the world.
Classes and abilities are a little bit more challenging because of "reasons" (like engineer burnout). That said, if you've got a specific publisher in mind that you really love and want to see in Playbook for Pathfinder, let us know and we can either contact them or re-contact them. We're open to working with whoever wants to work with us given that they're compatible with Pathfinder.
Re: other game systems. We've got a few companies we're working with toward that already - and we would LOVE to get Savage Worlds, Numenera, 13th Age, etc. It's a matter of timing and patience. Things often move slowly, especially as con season starts ramping up. BUT! We're always working on it. And as Playbook becomes more widely known, things will get easier ;)
END RANT!
So I just updated the app, and I find that I'm a little concerned by the fact that even to access it past the login screen, I must choose a subscription option.
Even at the 1.99 option, I know that this will discourage my players.
Would it be feasible to somehow work pricing options so that you can choose "trial mode" or "player mode"? Trial Mode, of course, being "here's your 30 day trial, after this you need to pay if you want to run a game," and Player Mode being one that enables you to be a player, but not a GM?
The ability to build characters and play the game without hitting a paywall is a big incentive for my players. And, I suspect most others.
(I mean, I could be wrong!)
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So I just updated the app, and I find that I'm a little concerned by the fact that even to access it past the login screen, I must choose a subscription option.
Even at the 1.99 option, I know that this will discourage my players.
Would it be feasible to somehow work pricing options so that you can choose "trial mode" or "player mode"? Trial Mode, of course, being "here's your 30 day trial, after this you need to pay if you want to run a game," and Player Mode being one that enables you to be a player, but not a GM?
The ability to build characters and play the game without hitting a paywall is a big incentive for my players. And, I suspect most others.
(I mean, I could be wrong!)
If you were right, than Lone Wolf Development would have closed it's doors, years ago. Either you consider something valuable enough to pay for it, or you want someone to work for you for free.
If you were right, than Lone Wolf Development would have closed it's doors, years ago. Either you consider something valuable enough to pay for it, or you want someone to work for you for free.
Fair point about LWD, but with Hero Lab, I can print PDF's off of the app for use by my players and those do not require them to have a paid copy of the app. As well, I can provide those characters in Hero Lab file format directly to their apps and they can use them without a sale-point. This is what I refer to when I talk about a "Player Mode."
I'm absolutely, 100% willing to pay for the product. I'm saying that I don't know that it is a benefit to my players to require them to pay for a "Player Mode."
I'm also concerned about needing to pick a subscription option just to use the trial. It feels backwards. Usually it's "here's your free trial, enjoy it for 30 days," then "Your 30 days are up, please choose a subscription option to continue."
Again, I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying, these are the concerns that came up in my group during our adoption of Hero Lab. I'm not saying my experiences will be everyone's. Just that this is what I've seen, so it is on my mind.
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If your players see no value in paying this minimal level of cash for the software then yeah you're right, it's not for them. Software development takes time and money. Companies are not charities. If you're not willing to pay the cut-rate prices being quoted here, then use something free and s+!*ty or write your own. The time that Rachel Bowen has spent responding to your queries in this thread has cost her more in money (in time-value terms) than you are complaining about spending with her company in the first place.
You're putting words into my mouth, and I would appreciate it if you would stop.
At no point have I, as you put it, complained. What I have done is offer input and asked questions. I've tried to be constructive and offer examples of potential concerns. As the only person in this thread to actually write a review of the product, which I will add was predominately positive, I think I've earned the benefit of the doubt.
I know the software development process. I've done extensive research in to in-app purchase price points. I understand that Rachel's time is money, and I appreciate her feedback tremendously. I'm very glad to have her presence here on the thread.
I'm offering concerns and asking questions that I have faced in my day to day business life, as well as my gaming life. During my groups adoption of Hero Lab, price point issues were raised - not because people wanted things for free, but because some of my group simply couldn't afford some of the price points that came about from the main Hero Lab installation. The fact that they could run the app in "player mode" was a big boon for them.
Not everyone can afford subscription rates, be they $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year. Your assumption that someone who can't or won't pay the fee is looking for "something free and sh*tty" is simply incorrect. The assumption that someone can simply "write their own" is also simply not feasible for some people.
You're free to disagree with me, and I encourage it if you do, but please do not claim that I am doing something I am not.
All of that being said, as I have previously stated, I see a lot of potential in this application, and I would like to see it succeed. I'm really happy to see the change in how they're handling level packs, and it's fantastic that they're offering a refund and credit to the users who already bought in to the game on those packages.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what Trapdoor comes up with where Playbook is concerned.
I'm with jemstone.
A very low one-time fee for player options and the current subscription for GM's would be nice.
I'm just throwing out numbers (for the player access) as I don't know the costs, but I think:
-1$: core access. (Core Rulebook, ARG, APG)
-3$: per additional ressources (per hardcover)
Alternatively, I can see a system that charges per character-space.
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as a player I'd gladly pay 1$ per character with a limit to the books I got as PDFs from Paizo
I'd up that to 3$ if I can design a character all the way to level 20 and print it out at any level any time. Then I would feed all my 10 spare characters into the app in one go, tweak the ponit buy and traits to the specific DM, and be ready for PC death at any session.
as a DM I'd think long and hard about any subscription plan.
Real Life keeps interfeering with my campaign design, I'm not so sure that in 30days trial I could figure out how much help the app would be.
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There is a one month free trial for everyone who signs up with a new account. When you launch the app an make an account, you'll see the "Choose an Adventure Key" window. Then it says: xyz@gmail.com to start your FREE one month trial, select a subscription from the options below.
We went around in circles with Apple on this - we wanted everyone to just have a free trial right out of the gates but they force you to choose a subscription before you can actually start a free trial.
Ahh the joys of app development!
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So I just updated the app, and I find that I'm a little concerned by the fact that even to access it past the login screen, I must choose a subscription option.
Even at the 1.99 option, I know that this will discourage my players.
Would it be feasible to somehow work pricing options so that you can choose "trial mode" or "player mode"? Trial Mode, of course, being "here's your 30 day trial, after this you need to pay if you want to run a game," and Player Mode being one that enables you to be a player, but not a GM?
The ability to build characters and play the game without hitting a paywall is a big incentive for my players. And, I suspect most others.
(I mean, I could be wrong!)
There is a one month free trial with every new account! See post below :)
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Fair point about LWD, but with Hero Lab, I can print PDF's off of the app for use by my players and those do not require them to have a paid copy of the app. As well, I can provide those characters in Hero Lab file format directly to their apps and they can use them without a sale-point. This is what I refer to when I talk about a "Player Mode."
I'm also concerned about needing to pick a subscription option just to use the trial. It feels backwards. Usually it's "here's your free trial, enjoy it for 30 days," then "Your 30 days are up, please choose a subscription option to continue."
As a play or a GM you can print anyone's character sheet for free - you don't need a subscription to do that. For instance, you're the GM - you've got access to each of your Player's character sheets through your subscription to the app (EVEN if your players just rolled up a bunch of characters during the free trial then never paid for a subscription after that - they can still edit and build those characters, they just can't make new ones) - you can print those character sheets, send them in an email, share them over AirDrop.
As a player, the cool thing about subscription is that you can make as many characters you want and you can also use the Party module which allows you to send secret messages, receive secret messages from your friends or the GM and the GM can also share maps, text and treasure with you. So subscriptions aren't mandatory or necessary for players, it just allows them to use more of the features in the app.
Also, like I said before, Apple wouldn't allow us to circumnavigate their subscription "policy". Other services like Spotify are able to do this because they're on multiple platforms. As we aren't yet, we sadly have to plow on through the red tape!!
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Rachel, thank you so very much for your feedback in the thread. It's really positive and I appreciate it a lot (I know others do, too).
There is a one month free trial for everyone who signs up with a new account. When you launch the app an make an account, you'll see the "Choose an Adventure Key" window. Then it says: xyz@gmail.com to start your FREE one month trial, select a subscription from the options below.
I wasn't given this option after I updated the App. Is this potentially because I already had it installed, and therefore it thinks I should have already had my 30 days?
The app spent a goodly amount of time "preparing user" and then dropped me right to the subscription screen. From what you're telling me, this is not expected behavior.
I'm willing to bet that it's because I had already signed up when I first made my original review of the App, up-thread.
We went around in circles with Apple on this - we wanted everyone to just have a free trial right out of the gates but they force you to choose a subscription before you can actually start a free trial.
Ahh the joys of app development!
Oh man, don't remind me.
As a play or a GM you can print anyone's character sheet for free - you don't need a subscription to do that. For instance, you're the GM - you've got access to each of your Player's character sheets through your subscription to the app (EVEN if your players just rolled up a bunch of characters during the free trial then never paid for a subscription after that - they can still edit and build those characters, they just can't make new ones) - you can print those character sheets, send them in an email, share them over AirDrop.
BRILLIANT.
This is exactly the answer to my concern I was hoping you'd provide. Thank you. :)
As a player, the cool thing about subscription is that you can make as many characters you want and you can also use the Party module which allows you to send secret messages, receive secret messages from your friends or the GM and the GM can also share maps, text and treasure with you. So subscriptions aren't mandatory or necessary for players, it just allows them to use more of the features in the app.
Even more good news. Is there a way to put this into the App Store write-up? I know they limit your descriptive text space, and in-practice research shows that the shorter your app description, the more likely people are to download it. Catch-22. :(
Also, like I said before, Apple wouldn't allow us to circumnavigate their subscription "policy". Other services like Spotify are able to do this because they're on multiple platforms. As we aren't yet, we sadly have to plow on through the red tape!!
Yeah, the company I used to work for had numerous apps on multiple platforms, but we still had to deal with a ton of red tape. I don't envy you.
Honestly, given the costs for software development, I kind of wonder if your sub models are a little on the low side. While I personally can and will buy a year's sub when next I get some money (ah, unemployment in Silicon Valley... :( ), I do wonder if you could afford a BIT more in terms of perks-for-pay. Maybe later down the line add some new bells and whistles for some extra cash insertions. Something to consider.
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as a player I'd gladly pay 1$ per character with a limit to the books I got as PDFs from Paizo
I'd up that to 3$ if I can design a character all the way to level 20 and print it out at any level any time. Then I would feed all my 10 spare characters into the app in one go, tweak the ponit buy and traits to the specific DM, and be ready for PC death at any session.
as a DM I'd think long and hard about any subscription plan.
Real Life keeps interfeering with my campaign design, I'm not so sure that in 30days trial I could figure out how much help the app would be.
As a Player, for $1.99 per month, you can roll up as many characters as your heart desires. You can take them all the way up to level 20 and print out your character sheet at any level, at any time. And yes, PC death spares totally possible! You can even duplicate characters to have more than one ready to go.
As a player, for $1.99 per month, you also get access to the Party module. I personally really like this part. It allows me to join an adventuring party with my group and then I can message back and forth things like initiative rolls, secrets, the merits of stealing from corpses...you get the point. I'm also able to view stuff my GM sends me because I'm part of an adventuring party. This can be anything from a text description of the tower we're exploring or part of a map.
As a player who uses their one month free trial to roll up as man characters as possible then cancels their subscription the day it starts, you'll STILL be able to access any character you've created. AND you can print, share and email that character. You just can't make any NEW characters or make changes to the character.
Without a subscription, a player won't be able to use the Party module or be in an adventuring group through the app (meaning you won't see stuff the GM shares with other players who do have a subscription - you'd just do it the old fashioned way :)
Basically, subscription allows users to enjoy all the perks and cool things about Playbook. It allows all of the sharing, messaging and access to programmatic features of the app - all the ones that took hundreds of hours of engineering time and the big bucks to develop ;)
I hope this helps!! I'm here to answer questions, geek out and generally be available. We're in this for the long haul - no question is too obtuse or weird. HIT ME! But not really please....
I was just a little put out that 99% of the comments I've seen about this product are negative s@+~posts about people wanting Android versions.
I mean, maybe that's an indication that people want this product, but it's just a foul taste in my mouth.
Well, when they announce something you may or may not want, but tell you it's only going to be available on a mechanical platform you don't use... it's going to elicit some griping.
It's like finding out the next video game in a series that you love is going to be exclusive to (insert console you don't own here).
Dammit Kingdom Hearts!
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Rachel, thank you so very much for your feedback in the thread. It's really positive and I appreciate it a lot (I know others do, too).
My pleasure! Happy to be here :)
I wasn't given this option after I updated the App. Is this potentially because I already had it installed, and therefore it thinks I should have already had my 30 days?
The app spent a goodly amount of time "preparing user" and then dropped me right to the subscription screen. From what you're telling me, this is not expected behavior.
I'm willing to bet that it's because I had already signed up when I first made my original review of the App, up-thread.
Hmmmm. If you can humor me, load up the app again and when you get dropped into the subscription screen, read the text from the very top. I know it's small and kinda doesn't really pop out....regardless, if you sign up for the subscription, it will automatically start your free trial - you won't get charged and if you do, just tell me and I'll kick some ASS.
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I'm with jemstone.
A very low one-time fee for player options and the current subscription for GM's would be nice.
I'm just throwing out numbers (for the player access) as I don't know the costs, but I think:
-1$: core access. (Core Rulebook, ARG, APG)
-3$: per additional ressources (per hardcover)Alternatively, I can see a system that charges per character-space.
So $1.99 per month gets you pretty much everything as a player or a GM. This includes access to the core rules and all of the integration that makes Playbook super cool (i.e., searching grappling and being able to pull it up in about 3.5 seconds). It also features fully linked information throughout the character sheet - so if you've forgotten what Fortitude means or what the Agile Maneuvers feat does for you, you can just tap those words in your character sheet and get the full description. Pretty, pretty good.
Additional resources will be priced accordingly as per Paizo guidelines. BUT. What's really cool is that if you've purchased a rule book (PDF or Print) or adventure on the Paizo.com store, as those books become available in Playbook, we'll give you credit for them. No double purchasing.
Hmmmm. If you can humor me, load up the app again and when you get dropped into the subscription screen, read the text from the very top. I know it's small and kinda doesn't really pop out....regardless, if you sign up for the subscription, it will automatically start your free trial - you won't get charged and if you do, just tell me and I'll kick some ASS.
Yeah, I get "Initializing User, Please Wait," then dropped to the "Choose An Adventure Key" screen, which has the 1 month and 1 year options available.
So what I see here is "choose the sub option and we'll get started."
Is that expected behavior?
As I said, I'm going to drop a year's sub on this once I get a little more money, so hopefully soon. :)
Full disclosure: Android user, haven't tried program but curious
Is there an option to print out your character in monster stat-block format or export as text?
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searching grappling and being able to pull it up in about 3.5 seconds
this is Pathfinder, should be about 3.75 seconds :o)
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Ahhhh ladies and gentleman, I misspoke - please forgive me!
As a player, if you do not have a subscription, you can no longer make edits to your character sheet. This is because editing your character sheet ties into the rules system and that's kinda what you're paying for. For instance, if you're a rogue and you level up, you do that in your character sheet with the app - it automatically gives you all of your skill point options, all of your multi-classing options, knows what you get when you level up to 2 and knows all the options. So this is a huge part of what makes Playbook so convenient. I'm so sorry for that slip up!
You can, however, in theory...although it seems quite clunky...make a ton of characters, each at a certain level and roll it that way...there are options!
My apologies again!
Yeah, I get "Initializing User, Please Wait," then dropped to the "Choose An Adventure Key" screen, which has the 1 month and 1 year options available.
So what I see here is "choose the sub option and we'll get started."
Is that expected behavior?
As I said, I'm going to drop a year's sub on this once I get a little more money, so hopefully soon. :)
Hmmmm this is really weird. You should be getting the text that talks about the free month trial. Would you be willing to screenshot what you see when you get the "choose the sub and we'll get started" and send it to rachael.bowen@trapdoortechnologies.com ?
That way we can figure out if there's an issue. :)
Rachel,
While not your target audience right now (Herolab user, Android user, refuse to isimmilate into the iCollective.) I want to compliment you on your quick replies and customer service feedback here.
Thanks Matthew! Had to take the weekend off but I'm back :D
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Yeah, I get "Initializing User, Please Wait," then dropped to the "Choose An Adventure Key" screen, which has the 1 month and 1 year options available.
So what I see here is "choose the sub option and we'll get started."
Is that expected behavior?
As I said, I'm going to drop a year's sub on this once I get a little more money, so hopefully soon. :)
Hmmmm this is really weird. You should be getting the text that talks about the free month trial. Would you be willing to screenshot what you see when you get the "choose the sub and we'll get started" and send it to rachael.bowen@trapdoortechnologies.com ?
That way we can figure out if there's an issue. :)
Absolutely. Expect it in a few minutes. :)
I looked at the webpage, but haven't installed it yet. The website is pretty, but very light on details.
Hey JCG. Thanks for the feedback on the website - one of the challenges that we've had is describing what the app does to non-gamers. Maybe what we've done in keeping it light is not get enough info for our core audience. I'll send that feedback up the small chain and see if we can get some more details put in.
Onto your questions!
What is your distinguishing feature that gives you a competitive advantage over existing character apps like HeroLab or a full VTT like Roll20?
GREAT question. Playbook is a tool meant to be used specifically AT the game table (virtually or in person). Eventually, it will have full, programatic integration with ALL Pathfinder rules and rulebooks. I say eventually because there is a TON of content to convert into the platform and it will take time to do so. 21 Rulebooks, I think?!
So essentially, it's an eBook platform with a toolset built around it. We are not just a character generator or a stat/map/character management tool. For instance, there are tools for the GM that allow her/him to track combat encounters including monster stats, add or subtract monsters on the fly depending on the skill level of the party, reference your players character sheets and print them out as necessary. GMs can also create adventuring parties and pass secret messages to individuals or share map/adventure info with the whole group.
I'm a player, I've never GMed nor do I have the desire to. I'm also not a role-player. I'm a console gamer :D What I really like about using Playbook at the table is ALL of the information that I don't know or care to know about my character is available for me to brush up on, right from my character sheet. I usually play rogues or rangers and when I forget what Sneak Attack or Trapfinding does for my character, I can simply tap those words: Sneak Attack, and read the full description from the core rulebook. When I level up, Playbook walks me through all the choices I have. It adds chosen skill ranks, hit points and Talents. It even allows me to multi-class if I want to. This is one example of what I mean when I type that Playbook is fully, programmatically integrated with the rules and rulebooks.
For those of us who use technology at the table, there are about four or five apps that folks use in tandem to run games. Playbook incorporates all of those apps into one interface to be used at the table.
Also worth mentioning that Playbook for Pathfinder is an app...on a mobile platform. Meaning that it will continue to grow and expand - new features are already planned and will be tested and added into the app when they're ready. We aren't saying that Playbook is 100% feature complete NOW. And really, it may never be 100% feature complete because we intend to continue improving and supporting it UNTIL THE END OF TIME!!! Our founder, Chris Matney, says: Playbook won't be complete until I have my five boxes full of homebrew adventure content converted into Playbook. We have development milestones planned for the next 12 months and we'll start on another planning cycle after GenCon. Android, Web, PC and maybe even Mac Native....muahahaha. Okay! Onwards!
Explictly what Paizo content does the subscription to the app give you access to? If you wanted to use a feat in splat book XYZ do you have to purchase access to that splat book in top of the sub? Personally I'm not a fan of subscription apps.
Hokay. Another good questions. Subscription basically unlocks all the programmatic features of the app - rulebook-integrated character creation and management, unlimited characters (make as many as your heart desires), GM tools like combat tracking, map/info sharing, secret messaging, adventure party management, note taking etc. More features are going to be added in short order that make the subscription even better :) So getting back to your explicit question, subscriptions allows you access to all those tools AND reader access to the core rulebooks. If you want to use a feat in splat book XYZ, yes, you would need to purchase access to that splat book on top of the subscription. BUT - if you have already purchased a bunch of splat books, adventures, etc from Paizo, as we convert that content into Playbook, YOU WILL HAVE FREE ACCESS TO IT! We hate buying stuff twice as much as the next guy. It is going to take us some time to get all the Pathfinder content into the app but we will!!
Because of what I mentioned earlier -- the fact that Playbook will be a continually updated, LIVE application -- we're not able to easily peg down a "one off" cost for the app. We surveyed a lot of GMs and Players. We know how many pain points and bad experiences the community as a whole have had and we're not trying to create a walled garden, so to speak. Any content you purchase through Playbook will be accessible without a subscription - we'll never take away access to what you've spent money on. Subscription grants access to the integrated toolsets which we have 'blood/sweat/tears' created. No subscription simply means you can't use those tools. I hope that makes sense!
Although we do have some really cool plans for neat, 100% non-critical in-app purchases in the future, most IAPs will be Pathfinder adventure/splat/rulebook content. The difference between a PDF version of Rise of the Runelords and a Playbook version of same adventure is that the latter will be fully integrated into the toolset. So it will be searchable, linked, shareable (by the GM like I mentioned before), I feel like I should really end this rant and answer the next question.
Is this the same app WotC severed ties with recently? If so, using the subscription model what happens if Paizo decides to end the relationship? What are users left with?
Hah. Yes, tis us! We're like phoenix's or...butterflies...or perhaps cockroaches?! We SURVIVE! I digress. The circumstances of our partnership with Paizo are VERY different than our previous partnership with WotC. Paizo has been incredibly wonderful to work with because they understand the role that technology has to play in the future of table top gaming. They get it - they get that we're forging a new path and heading into uncharted territory. I don't really know how to answer your question specifically in terms of what would happen if Paizo decided to end the relationship but I can tell you that we would take care of our users. For instance, when we changed to the subscription model, all users who had previously purchased level packs were sent iTunes gift cards, reimbursing them for those purchases. Knowing Paizo, they wouldn't leave you in the lurch either. If the partnership became unworkable, I'm sure we would figure out a way to honor our collective users.
Someone mentioned PFS scenarios in the thread? Are there plans for making PFS scenarios available though the app? If so in what type of format? Just a readable PDF-like experience or actually have all the encounters built into an VTT like interface?
Yea. PFS. There are MANY plans for PFS! And we're really excited about them. So yes, PFS scenarios will be available through the app. The format will be as Playbook-integrated content, just like other content in the app. The only PDF-like thing about it will be the reader view. The scenarios will be linked to relevant rulebook info, have images, maps, etc. They'll all be "built in" as you say but into the Playbook interface...hope that's clear!
Woooooo! Keep em coming!
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wait so in a small number of words
why would I want this instead of herolab
or in addition to herolab
Yea. PFS. There are MANY plans for PFS! And we're really excited about them. So yes, PFS scenarios will be available through the app. The format will be as Playbook-integrated content, just like other content in the app. The only PDF-like thing about it will be the reader view. The scenarios will be linked to relevant rulebook info, have images, maps, etc. They'll all be "built in" as you say but into the Playbook interface...hope that's clear!
A feature I've always been interested in is an option to select the number of players and their levels, or just the APL and player count, and automatically only display the encounters scaled for the appropriate tier and player count, including actually applying all appropriate templates to creatures. Are any features like this in your plans?
Additionally, are there plans to port this to desktop operating systems or just mobile?
wait so in a small number of words
why would I want this instead of herolab
or in addition to herolab
Sry. TLDR? Both GMs and Players can run a Pathfinder game from the same app. The tools are made to decrease prep time, rules lookup time and increase play time. The app is designed to be used at the game table, virtually or in person.
is there a place where we can see people using this and playing pathfinder with it
like a twitch stream or a youtube video
Sry. TLDR? Both GMs and Players can run a Pathfinder game from the same app. The tools are made to decrease prep time, rules lookup time and increase play time. The app is designed to be used at the game table, virtually or in person.wait so in a small number of words
why would I want this instead of herolab
or in addition to herolab
Free access to Paizo books (if you bought them from Paizo)!