Feedback from completely new user

[Mrakvampire]

For some time already I'm searching a software that will help me organize my games. Previously I for short period of time used something called Masterplan, but it's tied to D&D 4 ed, and as I play Pathfinder I quickly ceased to use it.

So, I've heard about Realm Works. Several month ago I purchased it, but only now decided to give it a try.

And I'm dissapointed.

Point 1. It's way too complex. Ok, maybe for some people it's good thing, but as it's my personal feedback - it's bad for me. I look at this mess of an interface and... ask myself - will it actually help me? will it actually help me organize my campaign? My first impression is that my notes in word format are easier to comprehend that scores of unintuitive windows, icons, types of text, etc.
Maybe if I'll spend hundreds of hours to master all its features it will shine... Maybe... I don't know, but frankly speaking, I don't have so much free time and that I have I'd better use on actual game.

Point 2. Ok, ok, let's assume I've spent a lot of time to master all the features of this software. But the thing is - it doesn't scale well.
All I need - is simple tool that will help me organize encounters of rather straightforward module, let's say Rise of the Runelords.
I need only 3 parts for every encounter - Name (with CR if combat), Text to read to players, Text for me. What I see now when I double click on encounter (plot point)? A lot of sublines, whose names use 40% of space on my screen. I don't need 8 (eight!) subtopics that should be filled, and are difficult to assess when I need to present encounter. All I need is click on plot point to be able to quickly assess all information for this encounter, similar to how it is presented in pdf/paper format of the module.

This post is a feedback only. Maybe it will be useful for GMs like me, that consider paying ~50 USD for this software. I don't want to start discussion with this feedback or to 'attack' developers - they've made obviously good and complex piece of software, it's just not for me.

[rob]

I'm sorry to hear that your experience with Realm Works was unsatisfactory. Unlike a narrowly focused tool such as Masterplan, our objective with Realm Works is to create a tool that fully supports highly complex worlds and campaigns while also being very useful for smaller games. This presents a significant challenge, since some users will want all the bells and whistles, others will want none of them, and still others will want to pick and choose the ones that they like. It sounds like you fall into that middle group.

One of the most powerful aspects of Realm Works is that you can configure it in virtually any manner, tailoring it to your game and style. By default, content starts out with a rich and diverse set of options that you obviously consider overkill. For users like yourself, you can quickly go in and turn off the aspects that you don't want or need. Or you can custom create a structure that exactly fits your play style and preferences, with as much or as little to fill in as you want.

Yes, it takes a little bit of time to get familiar with Realm Works and tailor it the way you like, but that's true of any powerful piece of software. And compared to the amount of time GMs invest in prepping for games, it's a comparatively small investment that pays huge dividends once you're over the initial hump. Your assertion that it takes hundreds of hours to gain benefit from Realm Works seems quite exaggerated to me, but I'll let other users chime in with their assessment of how long it took them - I'm probably not a good gauge of that.

The most troubling reaction I have to your post is that you may have hamstrung yourself getting started with Realm Works. It sounds like you may not have watched the videos we created to get new users up to speed quickly. They are available alongside the documentation from within the product. There are also some great videos put together by users that offer additional examples and insights into putting Realm Works to use. Those resources can be invaluable in getting a handle on the product and making it work for you instead of being the complicated mess you experienced.

For prospective users who might read this thread, the videos are freely available, so you can take a look at how Realm Works operates before plunking down your hard-earned cash. There are also users here on the forums who are happy to show others what they've created and provide some pointers on how to get the most out of the product quickly. And we also offer a 60-day money back guarantee on all of our products, so there's no risk if you decide you don't like Realm Works after taking it for a spin.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on Realm Works. I'm sorry you didn't like it, and hopefully this thread will provide some helpful pointers to new users that allow them to avoid having the same experience. Lastly, if you are still within the 60-day period, please open a support ticket and request a refund.

[Teresa]

Perhaps it will be easier for new users when the market place is ready and you buy the modules and worlds and what not? They will jump into a ready made world so the hassle of the creation (and its complication - being able to choose everything sometimes seems unbearable) will be shortened.

Just my 2c

[MNBlockHead]

Mrakvampire, I had a similar reaction when I first bought the program. It does have a bit of a learning curve and it really shines when used for on-going campaigns and world building. One of my complaints with other products I've used is the limitations I had to work around. RW allows me to customize it how I want. I am only using it for one campaign right now, but it can support any system or genre.

For those who don't intend to use it for world building, it may be over kill, but as Teresa pointed out, once the content market is available, you'll be able to buy adventures with everything filled in, providing an exceptionally powerful way to quickly prepare for game sessions. The CM will also make it much easier to figure out to use it for your own created content as you can copy the organization of content you purchase. For now, unfortunately, you will want to view the videos, go through the manuals, and read the forums. I think you'll find the forums particularly useful as there is an active user group willing to help new users.

Personally, I'm glad I took the time to get to know the software. I've found it an invaluable GM aid.

[Kairos]

The single most useful video for me was the one on the multiple ways to get started entering content. Confronting a wall of topics and categories is daunting, but starting with maps made more sense to me: I started to build my topics from pins placed on a map. This made more sense to me, and got me rolling.

[MNBlockHead]

@Kairos I also started with a map. I know how I wanted my campaign to kick off, so I created a Known World topic, add the map and stuck a pin in the village where the campaign would kick off. Then I filled in the topic for the village, including a map and stuck pins into the various building creating locations for them.

The next thing was to use the Storyboard to map out the first adventure and created scene tops from that, which autolinked to the locations they occurred at because I had already created topics for the important locations.

[MNBlockHead]

Hmm...I almost hate responding to this post because it bumps up a thread with a thumbs-down icon to the top of the board.

[rob]

Originally Posted by MNBlockHead

Hmm...I almost hate responding to this post because it bumps up a thread with a thumbs-down icon to the top of the board.

What @whump said. It's valuable for prospective new users to go in with both eyes wide open. If this thread better prepares a new user before diving in, then that's a good thing in the long run - both for the user AND for Realm Works' success, since we want users ultimately saying good things about the product. And if this thread ends up scaring off a few prospective users who aren't prepared to make an investment in the learning curve, that's also a good thing overall, since those prospective users probably weren't going to take the time to really have a great experience with the product.

[Dervish]

I have a love hate relationship with Realm Works. I love the depth you can get with the data structures. However like the OP i believe Realm works is too busy and in a couple of cases i have had to alter a catagory/topic structure to work with my thought process.

[Mystic Lemur]

Originally Posted by MNBlockHead

Hmm...I almost hate responding to this post because it bumps up a thread with a thumbs-down icon to the top of the board.

I like to read negative reviews. It tells me what somebody thought was the worst possible thing about the product. If I read a bunch of 1-star reviews and think "That doesn't sound so bad" then I usually am more inclined to buy than if I see a lot of generic 4,5-star reviews.

What I took from his review: 1) He prefers running from the adventure book with paper notes. 2) He isn't the type of user to think programs like Photoshop or the Gimp are worth taking the time to learn. 3) He stopped using an incredibly useful program (Masterplan, a program I used previously) because he couldn't get past the focus on 4e to see the incredibly useful things the program could still do (link plots, maps, combat and trap statblocks, etc. All of which Realm Works does better, I have to say). Basically, he isn't the same type of user as me, and his bad experience isn't likely to impact my purchase of the product if I were on the fence.