Share via LAN?
 

I read this in the FAQ...

"Only the GM needs to purchase Realm Works, and the GM can then show revealed information to the players during the game."

How? By having my players all get up and come look at my laptop screen? That doesn't seem feasble. The only way that they could see revealed info on their individual laptop screens is to have the player edition right? Which leads to this question..

Assuming my players all have the player edition and I have the GM edition, and we are all sitting at the same table, do we HAVE to use the cloud to update information? Or can players see my changes via a LAN?

If I decide I don't want to pay for the cloud as a GM how can I share info with my players at at the table?

A second monitor, a projector, or showing them your screen when you have it pulled up are the first things that come to mind.

How do you show them things now?

Marker and vinyl gaming mat. Sometimes we use map tools as a VTT but its not great. If I need to show them a picture or something I have to just hold it up if it is in a book, or just describe it to them if not.

I seem to recall a person or two asking about a LAN solution during the Kickstarter. I think David mentioned that it might be something the devs could look into, but as far as I know, it's not even a twinkle in LWD's eye at this point.

I (and Others) have tabled this several times even prior to Realm Works. I finally just gave up hoping. The thought (and thread) can be traced back as far as 2010 which reads as below.
October 18th, 2012, 04:24 PM
August 23rd, 2012, 12:08 AM
February 20th, 2011, 04:26 PM
September 23rd, 2010, 04:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shayd3000

"I was playing with the Tactical Tool last night, checking out how it was handling initiative and stuff and started thinking to myself - wouldn't it be cool if this were tied into the payers sheets that were using it live? That is, currently, if my players are using their own copy of HL on their own laptop, my tactical display is only showing me a static copy of their character given to me prior to the game starting. If mine was linked in to theirs (via local network) then what I see would always be the most current version of their character with correct stats based on condition, encumberance, etc. I could also then set conditions on them myself, heal or take away hits, etc. A tall order, but cool to think about."
Originally Responded by Rob
"Colen and I were just discussing this capability last week. We nailed down a way to do this that should work extremely well. Now we just need to carve out the time to add the functionality. Our #1 priority for the next feature "update is customizable output, so this probably won't make it into the very next release. However, the solution is mapped out and should definitely be added next year."
For what its worth
DLG

@DarkLordGalen: I think some clarification is critically necessary here...

1. The subject of the discussion back then was HERO LAB. This particular thread is all about the new REALM WORKS product. They are completely different things, so the back-and-forth we had back in past years was all about HERO LAB and had absolutely nothing to do with Realm Works.

2. The dialog referenced by @Dr_Automaton was all about Realm Works (during the Kickstarter) and the desire of some users to allow all the logic of the cloud server to live on their local computer so that they could run all the same basic "Player Access" behaviors directly from the their computers over a LAN during the game. There was absolutely nothing discussed regarding Hero Lab in that conversation.

3. As is often the case when trying to run a TINY company, we ran into issues with some of the other things we were striving to do with Hero Lab and had new opportunities arise which caused us to re-prioritize where we focused our energies within the Hero Lab team. So we didn't end up getting the distributed, networked access for Hero Lab into place like we had hoped. It's still absolutely on the todo list. However, that's HERO LAB and has nothing to do with Realm Works, which is the focus of this forum.

If you wish to bring up the idea of networked access for Hero Lab, please do so within the HERO LAB forums. That's where the discussion belongs, as all it's going to do here is confuse everybody that's assuming the conversation is all about Realm Works. You'll find the main Hero Lab discussion forum here:
http://forums.wolflair.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43

Thanks!! :)

Wow.. Rob.. my friend.... didn't mean to, as they say in this neck of the woods, "pet yer fur in the wrong direction" :)

And your right, some clarification was needed, HOWEVER, while the two are differing softwares, and from a programmers perspective, they are stand alone. My point has less to do with the thread origin (which you are correct was Herolab) and more to do with LAN integrations, which was the question at hand(of which Herolab AND Realm Works are progressing toward)This determination of progression is also based on past verbiage (here and elsewhere) and programming within Realm Works that it is intended to interact and work together with HeroLab.

So, while each part of the whole may utilize the mechanics of a LAN differently, it is (hopefully) still the intent to LAN integrate all parts. That is the point I was conveying.
OR to Re-phrase,
That it has been LONE WOLF's intent (since 2010) that Hero Lab AND Realm Works (as of the Kickstarter) would at some point be able to be utilized in a LAN environment.

True, and I didn't imply there was.

Also True and I myself have said as much, that a small company (and a large one for that matter) has to prioritize things that best help their business model.
Already have, as noted earlier.

IF this has confused anyone, that was not the intent. My apologies if this has occurred within the community.
The intent, as noted above, was to convey that LoneWolf Development was looking at several LAN options for all their softwares including the new addition Realm Works. BUT even with the hiring of additional personnel from the kickstarter funding, they have also increased their work load for their business model success arc and it will take time based on past performance thru-put. And for those of you that complained about the release date slides, that wait for features could be days, months, or years. Only you can decide if its worth the wait.....
As for myself I own 12 Registered copies of hero lab and 1 of Realm Works, and can say even with delays, it is worth the wait.