LFG's with Realm Works connecting to the Net

[tiggertazz]

I know this forum is more about how Realm Works can work for you or issues you are having. Though with Realm Works having the ability to share info over a network connection to iPad or other computers is there a community where you can look for games, players or GM's. I would think Lone Wolf would help promote connecting community of Hero Lab and Realm Works to build the player base more. Yet I am unable to locate a forum, Reddit or Meetup Group that helps facilitate this. Is there an interest with users or Lone Wolf or is everyone just using Hero Lab and Realm Works for there local table?

[Silveras]

Well. to clarify...

The ability to share content is relatively new.. so new that one could even say it is not fully complete. The Content Market will be a major step in that, and it is still "forthcoming".

There are legal issues around what can be shared (if you did not create it yourself completely), and so a conservative approach is warranted on that front.

Then there's "Though with Realm Works having the ability to share info over a network connection to iPad or other computers". That's not exactly the case. Realm Works can make content available to players in your game. It is not a broadcasting platform, nor is direct connection from GM to player possible. GMs send what they want the players to see to a server; players pull down to their machines what has been shown. Random people cannot just "take a look"; the GM needs to issue an invitation to the player and only the GM can create or reveal content at this time (various feature requests along that line have been made).

I said that last part because it seems like you're thinking there's more connectivity than there is. There is no client for an iPad at this time. There are plans for a future web-based access that would be the solution for non-Windows users.. but that's a future thing with no details yet.

There are folks using an IRC chat channel.. and I am sure one of them will be along with the details for that soon.

[tiggertazz]

Originally Posted by Silveras

Well. to clarify...

The ability to share content is relatively new.. so new that one could even say it is not fully complete. The Content Market will be a major step in that, and it is still "forthcoming".

I understand

There are legal issues around what can be shared (if you did not create it yourself completely), and so a conservative approach is warranted on that front. [/QUOTE]
Did not realized this considering other sites present and share content.


Then there's "Though with Realm Works having the ability to share info over a network connection to iPad or other computers". That's not exactly the case. Realm Works can make content available to players in your game. It is not a broadcasting platform, nor is direct connection from GM to player possible. GMs send what they want the players to see to a server; players pull down to their machines what has been shown. Random people cannot just "take a look"; the GM needs to issue an invitation to the player and only the GM can create or reveal content at this time (various feature requests along that line have been made).

I was not thinking that this content was open to just anyone. Only players in the game would have access.


I said that last part because it seems like you're thinking there's more connectivity than there is. There is no client for an iPad at this time. There are plans for a future web-based access that would be the solution for non-Windows users.. but that's a future thing with no details yet.
There are folks using an IRC chat channel.. and I am sure one of them will be along with the details for that soon. [/QUOTE]

From Hero lab site" Get your players in on the action! If your players are Hero Lab users (of course they are!), have them build their characters in Hero Lab and send them to you before the game. When they update their character after or between sessions, have them send you the new version, so you can keep your copy of the character updated."
Was hoping for live updating at some point since there is an option to have cloud service with Realm Works.

[Silveras]

Legal Issues: Some games are published under a license that allows sharing Mechanical content (ex. Pathfinder, D&D 3.x, etc., allow sharing of monster stat-blocks and rules elements); content like the setting (Forgotten Realms, Golarion, etc.) and adventure plots/stories are not included in that "open content". Other games (such as Traveller 5 or Star Wars d6) are not published under such a license - any sharing of their content is problematic. Even when there is a license, it usually has some requirements that must be met before the content can be shared.

If you're thinking of sites like d20pfsrd, that's an example of the open license in use. They can share mechanics, but not protected story content. Because of that, they need to sometimes re-name things that have protected names, which occasionally leads to frustration for people looking in HeroLab for the wrong name because they saw something on d20pfsrd that they want to use.

The Cloud: Unfortunately, LWD used the term "the cloud" for something most people would not think of as "the cloud". "The cloud" to many is synonymous with DropBox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive, or similar internet data/file storage services. That is not what LWD meant, and they are replacing the terminology wherever they find it in their literature in order to reduce that confusion.

HeroLab is file based - characters. monsters, and encounters are saved to *.por files that can be moved around, copied, etc., on DropBox, OneDrive, GoogleDrive, etc. Realm Works is NOT file-based. There is one file that is tied to the Windows User account... it is not movable to "cloud drives" and would not be accessible even if it could be.

Lots of people hope for live updating .. it is mentioned often in the Feature Requests forum. How soon, if ever, that might be is not known at this time. RW was designed to be for player use mostly between sessions. It has some features to do "live" showing (Player View on a second monitor seems to work), but it does not broadcast updates to clients as a VTT would. Using a VTT for immediate reveal in parallel with RW for between session access to information is a workable solution as well -- and there are requests for tighter integration with VTTs as well.

[tiggertazz]

Originally Posted by tiggertazz

I understand

There are legal issues around what can be shared (if you did not create it yourself completely), and so a conservative approach is warranted on that front.

Did not realized this considering other sites present and share content.


Then there's "Though with Realm Works having the ability to share info over a network connection to iPad or other computers". That's not exactly the case. Realm Works can make content available to players in your game. It is not a broadcasting platform, nor is direct connection from GM to player possible. GMs send what they want the players to see to a server; players pull down to their machines what has been shown. Random people cannot just "take a look"; the GM needs to issue an invitation to the player and only the GM can create or reveal content at this time (various feature requests along that line have been made).

I was not thinking that this content was open to just anyone. Only players in the game would have access.


I said that last part because it seems like you're thinking there's more connectivity than there is. There is no client for an iPad at this time. There are plans for a future web-based access that would be the solution for non-Windows users.. but that's a future thing with no details yet.
There are folks using an IRC chat channel.. and I am sure one of them will be along with the details for that soon. [/QUOTE]

From Hero lab site" Get your players in on the action! If your players are Hero Lab users (of course they are!), have them build their characters in Hero Lab and send them to you before the game. When they update their character after or between sessions, have them send you the new version, so you can keep your copy of the character updated."
Was hoping for live updating at some point since there is an option to have cloud service with Realm Works.[/QUOTE]


Silveras, thank you for the detailed input