Realm Works Update and Overview

[rob]

Back in late March, we gave a sneak preview of Realm Works to a small number of industry insiders at the GAMA Trade Show. The response was extremely positive. What we demonstrated was a second generation prototype – not a full-blown product yet. Since returning, we've been working hard on the actual product, which we expect to release late this year.

We've also been wrestling with how much information to share about Realm Works publicly at this comparatively early stage. While we definitely want to get the word out about the product, we also don't want to discuss features that are still in flux and subject to major change during development. In the end, we've determined that it's prudent to provide only a limited overview of Realm Works now and unveil more details as we get closer to release (i.e. when those details become confirmed).

So what is the overall Realm Works concept? Well, at its core, Realm Works is a collaborative tool for the creation, ongoing evolution, and sharing of campaign content. As such, Realm Works is tailored first and foremost for GMs, but the dissemination of content to players and even contributions *by* players represent an integral part of the overall product concept. Some of the basic features of Realm Works include the following:

• Brainstorm new ideas and revise content as quickly and easily as typing into your favorite word processor
• Organize content in a variety of complimentary ways, making it easy to manage game content in an intuitive manner
• Manage rich content of diverse types, including text, images, maps, audio, video, character portfolios, etc.
• Access content on-demand during play, having your entire world at your fingertips for instant availability
• Quickly add notes during play, then return later to integrate them at your leisure
• Readily share select material with players for out-of-game viewing and discussion

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous major innovations within Realm Works that we're keeping under wraps right now. Nevertheless, this should give you a basic idea of the Realm Works concept. And just to be sure there's no confusion, Realm Works will be game system agnostic and is being designed to smoothly integrate with Hero Lab.

I hope this gives everyone a sense of what Realm Works is all about. We'll unveil more details in the months to come.

Until then, may the dice be with you.