Good evening. I've been playing around with the early release, and I must say I'm impressed. One thing I absolutely love is the Player View section and the "Fog of World" feature. My question, then, is will I as the game master and user of this software be required to pay for the cloud sync service in order to allow my players to use the Web access?
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- The Lone Wolf Development Team
Will player's Web access require cloud sync?
- Thread starter JDCAce
- Start date
The web-based access will need to pull the data off of our server. That's necessary so that we can orchestrate all the security for ensuring individual players can only access exactly the information you've revealed to them - which is a rather complex process. So independent, web-based access for players will require the cloud service, as that's how everything gets up onto our server.
There's no requirement for GMs to utilize the cloud, however. The Player View mechanism can be fully leveraged without the cloud, exactly as you've been playing around with it. Web-based access is simply an option that some GMs will choose to leverage and others won't. Our hope is that most GMs will find the benefits of web-based access are well worth the nominal extra investment in the cloud service.
There's no requirement for GMs to utilize the cloud, however. The Player View mechanism can be fully leveraged without the cloud, exactly as you've been playing around with it. Web-based access is simply an option that some GMs will choose to leverage and others won't. Our hope is that most GMs will find the benefits of web-based access are well worth the nominal extra investment in the cloud service.
Tharmiones
Well-known member
A question that I have regarding the Webaccess, Player View while playing ect. and the Sync to the Server.
Currently our group does not use any Internet access, beside checking to clarify certain rules questions.
So if I would use RealmWorks as a GM and present all information that I want to reveal to them either by just telling them or even by showing them in the Playerview with the normal revealing.
However later after I get home will it be possible to sync it to the server so my players can have Access the information revealed to them later on as well?
For example for players that couldn't make it to the previous session? It would be a big time saver for all in the next session and also no information gets lost if the players try to sync up each other.
I hope that sync. to the server does only require a connection during sync but not while changing/revealing content.
Currently our group does not use any Internet access, beside checking to clarify certain rules questions.
So if I would use RealmWorks as a GM and present all information that I want to reveal to them either by just telling them or even by showing them in the Playerview with the normal revealing.
However later after I get home will it be possible to sync it to the server so my players can have Access the information revealed to them later on as well?
For example for players that couldn't make it to the previous session? It would be a big time saver for all in the next session and also no information gets lost if the players try to sync up each other.
I hope that sync. to the server does only require a connection during sync but not while changing/revealing content.
Presuming you mean ‘not use any access during play’, it sounds like you’ve pretty much nailed it. Basically you run your session just like you would without RW with verbal relaying of story and information, perhaps with props and maps or with Player View. During the session, or after the session, you update what information the players have learned and know and then, after you sync, the players can all view the information. You may want to go tell the players who missed the session the key NPCs, places, etc so they know what to look for in your database.
Absolutely. We’ve all been doing data entry offline.
Somehow I'm getting the feeling that "Player View" is something that is only available to the GM Client, and only on the physical machine that the client is running on (a 2nd monitor, or switch to player view, turn around the monitor).
Am I misunderstanding?
Will I (the GM) be able to set up the Player View, and display locally if I want, but also any remote players get the update as well simultaneously on their Player View screen? (whether that is via web client or separate player-install client)
Am I misunderstanding?
Will I (the GM) be able to set up the Player View, and display locally if I want, but also any remote players get the update as well simultaneously on their Player View screen? (whether that is via web client or separate player-install client)
Player View is a combination of a special tab within the main window for Realm Works, paired with a second, dedicated window. From most other locations in Realm Works, you have the option to select a Snippet or Topic which has been shared and "Show in Player View". This places a copy of the information in the Player View tab, alongside your other tabs. Once there you can size and place the information however you wish relative to other shared information, and decide which pieces are or are not to be seen by the players (you don't have to reveal everything all the time, so you can either prepare for upcoming reveals, or save information for re-use later in the session).
When you are ready, you can select "Show Player Window to the Players". At that point it will replace whatever information was visible previously with the player window, so you can show it to the players without giving away any game secrets. If you only have the one monitor you just turn it around for the players to see; if you have multiple monitors you can dedicate one for the task so the information is always available.
Currently I'm using a three-monitor setup: my primary has Realm Works, the secondary has Hero Lab and all of the PDF rulebooks I use, and the tertiary is reserved for Player View so they can always see whatever information I'm sharing with them.
Currently there is no capability for sharing Player View with remote players built into Realm Works. I'm not sure if it's being planned or not, but you might be able to accomplish something with a VTT system paired with Realm Works.
When you are ready, you can select "Show Player Window to the Players". At that point it will replace whatever information was visible previously with the player window, so you can show it to the players without giving away any game secrets. If you only have the one monitor you just turn it around for the players to see; if you have multiple monitors you can dedicate one for the task so the information is always available.
Currently I'm using a three-monitor setup: my primary has Realm Works, the secondary has Hero Lab and all of the PDF rulebooks I use, and the tertiary is reserved for Player View so they can always see whatever information I'm sharing with them.
Currently there is no capability for sharing Player View with remote players built into Realm Works. I'm not sure if it's being planned or not, but you might be able to accomplish something with a VTT system paired with Realm Works.
Wow.
I really, really misunderstood the whole intention of this system then!
Yes, I get that it is an organizational system beyond anything else out there, and for that alone I might still purchase.
But for me to be able to use the Player View portion of the software, I would have to do something like this, I think:
- Transfer snippets to the Player View.
- Switch to Player View and organize.
- View as Player, take screen shot.
- Save as PDF.
- Send email or post on my forum.
- Tell my players to check their email or forum, and pull up the PDF.
I was not expecting that - especially with all the emphasis on this being on "The Cloud" with client software.
I completely missed the statement that this software is designed only for people that play face-to-face.
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Actually, with this in mind, another - in my mind - missing feature makes complete sense now.
I was very surprised when I found out you can't reveal snippets to individual players yet. It wasn't part of the initial design.
With this knowledge, I suppose that does make sense. It is assumed that all players are sitting around a physical table, looking at the same Player View screen.
I was very surprised when I found out you can't reveal snippets to individual players yet. It wasn't part of the initial design.
With this knowledge, I suppose that does make sense. It is assumed that all players are sitting around a physical table, looking at the same Player View screen.
JackOfAllGames
Well-known member
Such a feature would be nice. We often have a friend from out of state call in and join in on our sessions (when time and internet connectivity allows). Without that though, I think the first thing I'd try is something like Google Hangout screen sharing or something similar. If the quality of the picture on that call is high enough, that would allow someone to view it remotely. Just an idea.
[edit] And you've already posted a couple apps while I was typing. I'll see what I can test over the next couple days (tonight is 40K night so I won't have time).
Once the Cloud element is available it should not be that difficult. Any snippet you mark as "Shared" will be accessible to the players. The basic steps would be:
1. Mark snippet "Shared"
2. Force a sync to the Cloud.
3. Tell your players to force a sync (if they are using their own copy of Realm Works. If they are using the web view, they should only need to refresh).
4. Tell your players which piece of data to look at.
The advantage of the Player View is that it shows the specific shared data you want them to see, when you want them to see it during the session. It's a good way to avoid using physical handouts (since the information is shared, they'll have access to it in the future just as if they placed a handout in their character folder).
I don't use VTTs myself, so I can only guess on how the programs will interact. My first guess is that if the VTT can transmit an entire desktop (common for webinar apps) then you should be able to use a multi-monitor setup where a single monitor is used for both the VTT capture and the Player View display.
If there are some specific free apps that you've used, let me know what they are and I'll see if I can test them.
Once the Cloud element is available it should not be that difficult. Any snippet you mark as "Shared" will be accessible to the players. The basic steps would be:
1. Mark snippet "Shared"
2. Force a sync to the Cloud.
3. Tell your players to force a sync (if they are using their own copy of Realm Works. If they are using the web view, they should only need to refresh).
4. Tell your players which piece of data to look at.
The advantage of the Player View is that it shows the specific shared data you want them to see, when you want them to see it during the session. It's a good way to avoid using physical handouts (since the information is shared, they'll have access to it in the future just as if they placed a handout in their character folder).
I don't use VTTs myself, so I can only guess on how the programs will interact. My first guess is that if the VTT can transmit an entire desktop (common for webinar apps) then you should be able to use a multi-monitor setup where a single monitor is used for both the VTT capture and the Player View display.
If there are some specific free apps that you've used, let me know what they are and I'll see if I can test them.
Most VTTs do not share desktops - they only share their "tabletop" visually.
Only if your session is face-to-face. These days, that's not a 100% guarantee.
Our sessions are almost never face-to-face.
Only if your session is face-to-face. These days, that's not a 100% guarantee.
Our sessions are almost never face-to-face.
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Basically, yes. With one misunderstanding. And it seems that @pyremius may share this misunderstanding as well.
You can use BOTH methods concurrently - Player View and cloud-based player access - or just one of them.
In your case, you would use Player View during the game to show the players exactly what you wanted them to see. For example, the map of the dungeon they are exploring. You could then sync after making changes and then remote players could see what you've revealed.
The important caveat here is that there is no way for YOU to remotely CONTROL what remote players are seeing - at least not in the initial launch. The Player View mechanism is local only. Any remote players accessing the material you've revealed will need to be told what they should look at, since they will be independently browsing through everything you've revealed and can choose to look at anything they want. The same would be true for any players accessing Realm Works from their own device during the game.
The big advantage of having players operate independently is that they can easily lookup details to pursue theories about the story as it unfolds.
Hope this makes sense!
That's an incorrect conclusion based on the incomplete answer you received from @pyremius.
You reveal the content within Realm Works. You sync to the server. That content is now available to your players via the server. That's the whole idea of the cloud.
The only caveat here is that you would need to tell them what they should look at, since THEY are in complete control of what they are viewing at any point in time. But they can still view everything without all the hoops you've outlined above. Just tell them to look at MapX, NPCY, and PlotZ - the things you've put onto the Player View display for the players at the table.
Allowing the GM to remotely control what the players are viewing is something significantly more restrictive for players than the current design and not part of the initial launch feature set.
Another incorrect conclusion. There is NO assumption that all players are sitting around a physical table, although that is what we've initially optimized for (since that's by far the most common play arrangement today).
The reason we didn't include individual player reveal in the initial design was simply because nobody on the Dev team plays that way. On top of that, among the Beta team (which numbers well over 100 GMs), only a handful expressed interest in the feature. So we never considered it a critical one for the initial launch and planned it for a good bit down the line. It wasn't until the Kickstarter, when lots of people said they needed individual control over who knows what, that we realized a meaningful number of GMs cared about the feature.
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Completely remote, distributed play is still very uncommon these days (albeit slowly growing). As such, our initial focus is primarily on the majority of RPG groups that play together in one physical location. Access by remote players during the game currently leverages the same cloud-based mechanisms that at-the-table players will leverage both inside and outside of the game. More specific capabilities for remote players have been thought about and are on the todo list, but it's not part of the initial launch plan.
As with all of our previous products, once we launch V1.0, the features we add are largely prioritized based on consumer demand. So if lots of users want Player View to support "remote control" during game sessions, we can look at getting that added relatively soon after release.
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It turns out I edited my answer to respond to a second question while you posted this, so you may have missed that second answer. Please re-check my post for that second answer.
My apologies for causing confusion.
I haven't found a VTT that allows you to share one of your screens with your remote players. I have, however, confirmed that Team Viewer can be used in a multiple-monitor setup. I am currently using Realm Works on an external monitor attached to my laptop, with the laptop's display being used by Realm Works for the Player View and also being shared by Team Viewer. I've got the Team Viewer client installed on my Android tablet and logged into the same session
Any information I share via Player View is displayed in real time on my tablet, just as if the viewer were sitting at my table watching the Player View monitor directly. You can also use Team Viewer for this purpose in a single-monitor environment, but you'll have to remember to turn off sharing before you close the Player View so the player's don't see all of the GM information.
I haven't found a VTT that allows you to share one of your screens with your remote players. I have, however, confirmed that Team Viewer can be used in a multiple-monitor setup. I am currently using Realm Works on an external monitor attached to my laptop, with the laptop's display being used by Realm Works for the Player View and also being shared by Team Viewer. I've got the Team Viewer client installed on my Android tablet and logged into the same session
Any information I share via Player View is displayed in real time on my tablet, just as if the viewer were sitting at my table watching the Player View monitor directly. You can also use Team Viewer for this purpose in a single-monitor environment, but you'll have to remember to turn off sharing before you close the Player View so the player's don't see all of the GM information.
The current functionality of Player View is designed with face-to-face play in mind. You can share the screen the Player View window is on over the network with various pieces of software. I have used software for the iPad and PC which caused the iPad to be a second monitor on the PC to get Player View showing on the iPad (alas, the software I used is no longer available for some reason). You can also use software such as http://join.me/ to share the screen or window remotely. join.me can be used for free.
We will be adding the web player view later which will utilize our servers or players could have a copy of Realm Works and sync to our servers to get at the content shared with them. They then gain the ability to search and navigate through the information in your campaign that has been revealed to them in whatever fashion the player wishes. This is an aspect that will support use outside of face-to-face games.
Because other companies provide solutions for sharing the player view window over the Internet, we can focus on other functionality for a while before looking at tackling this type of feature.
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