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I agree with the last post that interface capability would be The answer.
Hero Lab I think is a great tool for the player ( I'm enjoying using it) but it lacks some the features necessary to be really useful for the dungeon Master.
I do want realm works to be supporting the story-based role-playing elements but part of that story takes place in how smoothly and efficiently you run a battle encounter, matter of fact the better and more efficient you handle the encounter the more role-playing takes place in the evening.
The difference between awesome games and average games is this: average game a small amount of time is spent role-playing most of the evening spent resolving a battle encounter lost in tedious rules and rolls.
Awesome games most of the evenings players lost in the role-playing element still experiencing the same encounter but it running so smoothly and efficiently that it facilitates greater role-playing and doesn't bog down.
To accomplish that and use the rule system like Pathfinder you need a encounter management tool, If it needs to be a separate program so be it but having an simple integration with the two current products is paramount.
I'm still not clear on how hero lab and realm works integrate currently, eagerly awaiting realm works.
The features that make combat manager that are so useful:
1. A file that holds all the player characters together as a group
2. The file that holds all the monsters for a particular encounter together as a group, with a quick summary of their stats.
3. A quick and efficient way to line them up in an initiative roll
4 a quick and efficient way to track the monsters hit points
5. An easy way to assign experience points to the encounter.
the rest of the stuff although useful is not essential
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