Status of the Website
By the time you are reading this the website will have migrated.
Some issues came up with the software the webhost group used and our ability to provide all of the features we wanted, namely how to do the submissions & databases to hold them. An old friend of mine offered a solution and has since ported the website over to this new site and we started working in the background bringing it being fully functional (or at least having as many of the features as we can implement at this time). We could accomplish stages 1 & 2 on the old site, but beyond that was "interesting".
Stage 1 was a website with a functional store (to sell HJfor4e plus books, etc) and a searchable forums with the capability of doing polls (because I can't easily search Facebook).
Stage 2 was Membership subscriptions and an optional subscription for access to booklets from my Work In Progress library (for feedback and much needed funds).
Stage 3 is to create submission forms and have them feed into the databases. My goal for HJfor4e was for it to be largely member driven, we me only contributing 1-2 articles per issue at most and the rest coming from fans. The means I conceived to do this was to create searchable databases and allow members to submit items to them via forms, and then have access to the databases. The materials would pull from HM4e plus creations by myself & fans. Databases wouldinclude: Magic Items, Spells (Mage, Cleric, etc), Equipment, Drop-In Encounters, & so forth, and eventually Character Vault & NPC databases. Articles could also be submitted via forms and be a separate "database".
Stage 4 will be supporting organized play and include some of the main "features" including the Character Vault and a tournaments "database", as well as a number of other things I have planned. Creating a Heroes & Henchmen character sheet on Roll20 (compatible with HM4e) ties into this stage as well, and we are looking into whether this, or some other method, is the best means to establish the Character Vault.
Not mentioned in those, but planned, and Drop-In Lairs (aka, like mini modules), Campaign Project Arcs, points & leveling, and author access (aka, workspace for authors and option to gain member feedback).
So that is what is happening in a nutshell including some of the plans. For more ideas & specifics check out various posts and polls on the Heroes & Henchmen and ARGHive groups on Facebook, the Amalgamated Research Gaming Hub company page on Facebook, as well as the forums.
-D.M. Zwerg, aka "the Dwarf"
Stage 1 – a website with a functional store: now active again sine the migration. Currently requites member level 0 (aka, free “Observer” account) totrack and access uerchaces. Purchases are now permanent access to downloads vis links.
Stage 2 – Membership subscriptions w. Whip Bin access: ready in background, only waiting on NDA.
Stage 3a – submission forms: 2-3 forms already created and waiting on finalized Assignment of Rights agreement button (spells, monsters).
Stage 3b – have them feed into the databases: currently under development & testing .. thanks to a volunteer who can alter this if he wishes to be named.
Stage 3c – article submission: yeah, I plan to work on that this week.
Stage 3d – pulling items from databases & searchable: IIRC the admin volunteer may be working on that as well.
Stage 3d – Drop-In Encounters: considering database vs wiki-style for this.
Stage 4 – Organized Play: in works
Stage 4a – Character Vault: not yet started
Stage 4b – adventures: first couple in works
Stage 4c – Roll20 Character Sheet: in the works, but on hold as working up website ( Heroes & Henchmen character sheet on Roll20 (compatible with HM4e))
Stage 1 & 2 – complete
Stage 3a – submission forms: spells, monsters, and articles complete (next is equipment & magic items)
Stage 3b – monster database is up, but has missing fields. Auction_God has given me a tool to help fill in those fields and I will try to update at least one monster per day.
Take a look at the Creatures menu .. feedback appreciated! 🙂
I have to check to see if the Monster Submission form is a direct feed.
Stage 3c – new submissions via the Submission Forms get emailed to me, so I can drop them into the magazine.
Stage 3d – Drop-In Encounters: considering database vs wiki-style for this (likely next after monsters more complete and after a couple of ARGH-PA databases are up and running.
all else as per last update
Stage 3 – Assignment of Rights finalized, and Monster Database is up. Auction_God is working on a character sheet for a VTT as with all that is going on that seems higher priority for now, then additional databases will be the next task.
Stage 3d – the monster database is searchable.
Stage 3d – Drop-In Encounters: we are still considering database vs wiki-style for this, as well as looking at Discord as a platform for a forums.
Stage 4 – Organized Play: in works, mostly on Facebook & Discord at this point.
Stage 4a – Character Vault: working on VTT character sheet as a potential means for Character Vault access & storage.
Stage 4b – adventures: we are actively looking for adventures. We are writing a couple intro ones as well as looking at adapting some of our own old tournament adventures and trying to get past tournament writers to submit for “Heroes & Henchmen” RPG version release (aka, fully HM4e compatible).
Stage 4c – Roll20 Character Sheet: the current active project (Auction_God is doing a HM4e one for Roll20 similar to the old Goldenrod one people voted for, and a HM4e fan is working on one for Fantasy Grounds as of early May)
So that is the update for this quarter 😉