Pricing of Web Version for Players

[Davout_1806]

Could someone clarify this for me? Obviously work is being done on a web version. My question is, will there be a free non-trial web version for players?

Thanks.

[MNBlockHead]

If the DM subscribes to the cloud service the players will have access to a free Web version. If you want to share your realm with your players without subscribing to cloud services, the player will need to purchase a players version.

The Web version is limited in the amount of content that can be shared. You will not be able to share the entire realm. The exact limitations on the free Web version are to be announced.

For more information, read the following thread:

http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...layers+version

[Viking2054]

Originally Posted by MNBlockHead

If you want to share your realm with your players without subscribing to cloud services, the player will need to purchase a players version.

I don't think you can share your realm at all without a "cloud service subscription" at least after the subscription that comes with the initial purchase runs out. My understanding is that the DM in order to do any sharing is going to have to be able to sync to the cloud service.

Unless your talking about Player View at the table with two monitors hooked to the GM's computer.

[the_redbeard]

Personally, I'm hoping that they'll be able to do everything EXCEPT enter their own journals. Otherwise I'm starting to get buyer's remorse, personally. There's a lot RW does that no other program does but I'm not sure how much I need it.

[MNBlockHead]

@Viking2054, you are correct. I rushed out my response without taking time to put my thinking cap on. Without a cloud subscription, the only way you can share is through the integrated player view functionality (displaying player view on another monitor during hte game). In the developer's words, from the thread I linked to above:

5. Access to anything via the web will fundamentally require cloud service. This applies to GMs wanting to access their content via the web and players accessing revealed content via the web. Without the cloud service, GMs will have access via the desktop application and can move their data between computers through the use of backups. In addition, the only means of sharing content with players without cloud service is through the integrated Player View mechanism.

[MNBlockHead]

@the_redbeard, if you bought RW primarily as a way to share information with your players, then yes, I think that the cloud subscription cost is rather steep if you are limited in what you can share with the players. The limitations should be on the players. Give players who buy the software cool tools, including journals, that makes them want to buy the player version rather than just accessing content with the free Web version.

It doesn't matter much to me as I didn't buy RW to share content. I bought it to make world building and campaign management easier. None of my players have the player version.

I think that this is LWD's challenge. How to make the player version compelling enough that players want to pay for it. Limiting the Web version, especially considering the cost of the cloud services to the GM, as a way to make the player view more attractive, seems shortsighted to me.

But I don't want to leave on a negative note. The developers have been VERY open with the community. They are still hammering out details, so we don't have all the answer yet, but overall, I'm optimistic. I want them to find the right balance and make lots of money so that they can continue developing a product I've come to rely on.

[Davout_1806]

Originally Posted by MNBlockHead

It doesn't matter much to me as I didn't buy RW to share content. I bought it to make world building and campaign management easier. ...

I bought it for both. It's easy to organize content for my campaign and easy to mark what to share. But if I can't share everything via the web version (I was aware of the need to pay for the cloud service, which I'm willing to do.) I have to agree with the_redbeard about buyer's remorse.

Thanks for the link MNBlockHead, I'll go read that.

[Acenoid]

Well hopefully you could pass the realm data around... and the player version just displays the necessary files? But... no probably that won't work

[AEIOU]

Data storage and serving costs money. If you want to share data with players, it makes sense that you need to pay for the cloud service in order to do so. How else will bandwidth and server maintenance be paid for?

[Davout_1806]

Originally Posted by AEIOU

Data storage and serving costs money. If you want to share data with players, it makes sense that you need to pay for the cloud service in order to do so. How else will bandwidth and server maintenance be paid for?

Who are you asking your question of? If it's towards me, please refer to http://forums.wolflair.com/showpost....60&postcount=7 where I explicitly state "(I was aware of the need to pay for the cloud service, which I'm willing to do.)"