Questions and wanted features thread!

[manticore]

I've been using Hero Labs/Pathfinder for several months now and I have to say that I love it. I've even converted a couple of my players into using. My problem is that I would like to try d20Pro at some point, but a lot of people between my 2 groups are old grognards and rather resistant to change. I even get the occasional gripe about using my laptop for anything.

From what I have read so far, it looks like something that I can really use for my campaigns, since they tend to be sprawling over time (still working on integrating a campaign that starts on Golarion and works its way through Rifts Earth and Phase World). I guess my only question is, since I would like to use d20Pro at some point, whether the group likes it or not, how might this integrate with that program? I understand they are made by 2 different companies, but there seems to be a lot of popular support for that product.

Also, so when can we sign up for the beta???

[rob]

Originally Posted by manticore

I guess my only question is, since I would like to use d20Pro at some point, whether the group likes it or not, how might this integrate with that program?

I don't have an answer to that question yet. We've been working closely with the d20Pro team regarding solid Hero Lab integration, so it's highly likely that integration with Realm Works will also be good. But we haven't worked out the details yet, let alone tested anything with them yet, so it's too early to say anything definitive. We'll let everyone know once we've had a chance to nail down the details with the d20Pro guys and verify everything will work well.

[PetriWessman]

One feature I'd love would be the ability to show stuff (images, typically) on another monitor with minimal hassle. The typical use case would be a laptop/netbook for the GM, and a small external monitor visible to the players. It would allow you (as the GM) to show the players all sorts of handouts, monster pics or whatever, without needing cumbersome paper prints or such.

[rob]

Originally Posted by PetriWessman

One feature I'd love would be the ability to show stuff (images, typically) on another monitor with minimal hassle.

That's exactly what we envisioned as a common use, so that's part of the design.

[McTaff]

Originally Posted by rob

That's exactly what we envisioned as a common use, so that's part of the design.

http://forums.wolflair.com/showpost.php?p=46622&postcount=23

It goes so much further than a simple "can show a picture", too. At the flick of a 'switch', to be able to throw up a screen saver image while you hurry to organise something for them to look at, or having a combat tracker with initiative order (as in my previous post) the possibilities are endless. As lok as RW will be able to output pictures (jpg, gif, tif, raw, etc), have a limited video capability (mov, mp4, wmv) etc, and still have the flexibility to show a lot of information in a tidy and easy way, it'll be a winner.

Hey, I have a clipboard with an "embarrased DM" logo I printed up that I put in front of my DM screen while I'm working on something unexpected in the campaign. I have folders and folders full of pictures that I have to find, hand out and re-catalog after ever session. This feature of RW will make my life easier (and cheaper because i don't have to keep printing stuff).

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One more suggestion - but a big one: How about a map tracker?

Whenever my party go for a dungeon crawl, I give a graph paper mathematics book to one of the players and describe the number of squares they need to sketch out. What would be nice if there was a 3D map tracker that allowed the DM to (if they wish) designate down to even a 5-foot-square by 5-foot-square resolution, what the party sees

(I envisage a minesweeper like grid that I simply drag the mouse over and click away the "fog of war" for them which then shows on their screen they can see.

The advantage is that you can beforehand (or on-the-fly) designate areas as "dark" or "treacherous footing" or "under guards and wards" or any number of conditions, and therefore get the radii of pre-cast/permanent/just-been-cast spells correct and be able to, at a glance, tell the party if they can see where that lightning bolt comes from. Nothing worse than getting halfway through the battle, the party are carving up some relatively easy foes, only to realise they were supposed to have been under a darkness spell or something that would have made the battle much more difficult. This way, at least, on my screen I'd be able to see what conditions are active, and what radius they have, and where the creatures are.


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Obviously, having a battlefield tracker to go with it would be epically awesome, so I can move my creatures around that are invisible, or out of sight, and each creature can nicely have it's hitpoints and conditions easily tagged, along with the party as well.

Oh the possibilities.

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Are these the sort of things we will see in a post-release RW?

[Noctivagus]

This might represent a small portion of the gaming audience for RW, but will there be forum output support for those of us who primarily play games on play-by-post forums? I'm thinking simple BBCode output that will copy nicely into the forums, complete with a customizable check box form to select exactly what information to copy.

Also, is it too late to request a built-in espresso maker? And a milk steamer. That would really, really help with my writing. And besides, there's so many cool features coming up in this program that I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask, you know? :P

Really looking forward to this!

Thanks!
Steve

[Maidhc O Casain]

Originally Posted by Noctivagus

This might represent a small portion of the gaming audience for RW, but will there be forum output support for those of us who primarily play games on play-by-post forums? I'm thinking simple BBCode output that will copy nicely into the forums, complete with a customizable check box form to select exactly what information to copy.

I second this - almost all of my gaming is PbP these days. (I second the espresso maker request as well!)