(Dropdown menus use red to indicate unavailable options.) The various sections also keep track of how many points/choices you have left, and flag when you “overspend.” I like these aspects of the UI–which are shared by HLC–but wish there were more instructions, or a video for how to use it. Hovering over nearly anything brought up information, such as what a Skill did, or the prerequisite/s for a Talent in red.
Items in the dropdowns were easily clickable. Once we figured that out, we could move from Religion to Abilities to Skills, etc. Clicking just anywhere on them wouldn’t work you had to click just the right spot on the button, very firmly, to get the dropdown. “ not as intuitive an interface as it should be.” So we played around some more and discovered that many of the buttons (notably the +/Add buttons) weren’t very sensitive.
(Learning new software is the weakness 9 out of 10 supervillains would try to exploit, if I were a superheroine.) EBT’s take was the UI might be the issue. He registered for the demo and we both tried making the same Starfinder PC to see if we could pin down what was giving me trouble, since I might have been missing something, or maybe it was a quirk of my system. So I asked Empty Bacta Tank, one of my fellow gamers, for a hand. My husband, who is familiar with the Pathfinder user interface (UI) for HLC, couldn’t even figure it out. I’d click on the + button to add, say characteristic scores–but nothing. However, I couldn’t get into any of the dropdown menus to add the missing stats. I couldn’t get past picking a character name in any of the 3 generators! I got lists of what I hadn’t done for character creation, helpfully coded red for Most Important “errors” and yellow for Less Urgent. Unfortunately, it got frustrating quickly.
Each time you login, you have the option of creating a Pathfinder 2e, Shadowrun 6e, or Starfinder character. You will need to register (or enter your current username and password, if you already have an account).
(You can buy the full version, for one of those 3 games, for US$34.99, plus monthly online service fee, from this same page.) The FAQ link is at the bottom of the page, as well.
You also cannot upgrade characters beyond Level 1. Surf to this page and click for access to the demo, which allows you to make, but not print, characters for Pathfinder 2e, Starfinder, or Shadowrun 6e. I like D&D Beyond and HLO seemed to be a similar concept–allowing players and GMs access to characters and other game materials on any device with an internet connection rather than, as with HLC, being limited to 1 or 2 devices. So when I saw Hero Lab Online (HLO) on Lone Wolf Development’s website, I decided to check out that demo version. However, the two platforms are distinct, and the ability to move characters between them is very limited.I like the demo version of Hero Lab, now called Hero Lab Classic (I’ll call it HLC here), for Mutants & Masterminds 3e, and my husband has been using the full (paid) HLC for Pathfinder 1e for a long time. Game systems and content unlocked for Hybrid game systems is available equally on both platforms. New Hero Lab users receive both access through the Online platform and a Classic license for use on the desktop.Įxisting Classic users can add Online access or continue using the desktop product. Hybrid game systems offer support for both the Online and Classic forms. These game systems, and the content from various supplements for the game systems, are purchased as add-ons to the core product, unlocking the material permanently. Demo versions of each are available ( Online and Classic). Hero Lab Classic is a desktop product that runs locally on the computer, with iPad support for two games. Hero Lab Online is a web-based product that provides access through the browser on nearly all modern devices.