GM Directions Request

[zarlor]

The GM Directions is a nice feature but I would really like to not just be able to add them, but to have it available as a selection from the "Change Snippet Type" menu. That way I can just convert those snippets which I currently have has just Text snippets or whatever into GM Directions where appropriate.

[Zaphod Beebledoc]

+1 to that!

[rob]

Go to the "Tools" menu next to a text snippet that you want to change. You can convert it there. There's also a keyboard shortcut to accomplish this, which should be noted on the menu option. Note that conversion only applies to TEXT snippets.

[Dr_Automaton]

The GM Directions snippet isn't bad, but it would be nice if it would display similarly to text-only snippets outside if Edit mode (instead of differentiating itself as a locked text box).

The other issue I have with it is that while it can be used to lock down individual snippets, it doesn't address the issue of GM-only topics. I know the idea is to use RW to share game data with players, but I image a number of GMs will also want to input Adventure topics that shouldn't be revealed to players directly. For example, I create a Quest topic called "Mystery of the Jade Monkey" but will only expose a Named Object topic called "The Jade Monkey" to the players, and only then in the second act of the adventure once they learn of the object's existence. "Mystery of the Jade Monkey" is a topic for my eyes only.

[zarlor]

Originally Posted by rob

Go to the "Tools" menu next to a text snippet that you want to change. You can convert it there. There's also a keyboard shortcut to accomplish this, which should be noted on the menu option. Note that conversion only applies to TEXT snippets.

That's right were I was looking at, "Change Snippet Type" under the "Tools" menu, but I see now that it's under the "Text Content" menu there, which makes virtually not sense. So at least it's there someplace but I'd still suggest moving it to the "Change Snippet Type" menu instead. "Text Content" is... well, a rather odd selection to place it under, IMHO.

[rob]

It's completely unrelated to the "snippet type", so that's not the right way to classify it. You can add GM directions to ANY snippet of any type. The only thing that's limited to text snippets is fully converting a snippet from revealable to GM directions. It doesn't make sense to convert a tag-based snippet or an image (for example) to GM directions.

If you have a suggestion for a better title than "Text Content", please suggest it. However, it's wholly inappropriate to think of GM directions as a "snippet type", so that distinction needs to be clearly maintained.

[zarlor]

Actually I can see a need for an image to be classified as a GM direction (a master overview, for example, of something that would never otherwise be shown to player as their maps meant for player view might be specific areas of an overview map and information to reveal would contain less information). Personally I think it may be better to not bury the conversion under another menu, though. Maybe but it right under the "Add GM Direction" entry or have a separate GM Direction menu would be my thought. As a GM I may not use that often, but when I want to use it I think it might be nice to have it pretty noticeable.

Then again under normal conditions I'd probably not need to convert snippets to GM Directions very often. I suppose I probably need it more now only because the things I have which would be considered directions are currently all snippets so it's probably not a big deal one way or the other (at least now that I found it).

As for not thinking of it as a snippet type, that's going to be very hard, especially for someone who has not read this thread. The reason I say that is pretty much everything we enter into Realm Works is some kind of "snippet" of information. GM directions seem to me to be a special type of snippet that is simply not revealable. I think the only other way to make it so it is not a snippet would be to make it a modifier to a snippet instead. What I mean by that is just like you can click the dot next to a snippet to reveal it having the ability to essentially make that dot go away is what really sets apart a GM direction, IMHO. So perhaps a right-click menu on the dot (which you may need anyway once player-specific reveal comes about) could have a selection for GM Direction to simply change how a snippet is presented would really do the trick. That may also partially address Dr. Automaton's concern above since you could arguably make it so a topic text is not visible even when the underlying snippets in that topic might be made so. Of course that might be waaaay too much coding for what you want to accomplish for now.

[Dr_Automaton]

Originally Posted by zarlor

I think the only other way to make it so it is not a snippet would be to make it a modifier to a snippet instead. What I mean by that is just like you can click the dot next to a snippet to reveal it having the ability to essentially make that dot go away is what really sets apart a GM direction, IMHO. So perhaps a right-click menu on the dot (which you may need anyway once player-specific reveal comes about) could have a selection for GM Direction to simply change how a snippet is presented would really do the trick. That may also partially address Dr. Automaton's concern above since you could arguably make it so a topic text is not visible even when the underlying snippets in that topic might be made so. Of course that might be waaaay too much coding for what you want to accomplish for now.

From a user's perspective, I think this would be a better way to go. It's nothing critical, but it would be a nice addition somewhere down the line.

[rob]

It's also possible to have a snippet consists of BOTH revealable content AND GM directions, so it's not just a toggle. Consider a situation where something happens only if the PCs trigger it in some. Then you could have a text-based snippet that spells out what happens in a way that is suitable for revealing to the players. In addition, you can have GM directions that outline the circumstances and/or criteria for triggering the event, details about how to present the information, and even noting any implications of triggering the event. It's all one snippet, so moving it around in the topic treats it as a self-contained unit instead of having this information spread across multiple snippets that can inadvertently become separated from one another.

We'll take a look at how best to present this and potentially tweak things in a future update.

[AEIOU]

This goes back to my suggestion to make the GM an option for reveals when clicking the bubble. I'd really like to choose which players can see each item. AND I'd like to be able to choose GM from that same list which makes it unseeable be all but GM. Simplify the interface. If some things could indeed be revealed to both GM and players, then add GM and GM-only as two separate options. That way we can tag things the players may not know about and we can tag things the players will never know about.