Questions: The Path Forward

[BigSkyRPG]

So I realize devs are in a crunch to pound bugs and release content market, etc.

Can anyone answer the following questions about future direction for Realm Works?

1. Is there an intention to add the ability to print any screen (topic/article) from within realmworks at some point?
2. Is there an intention to add a bulk import feature (spreadsheet, etc.) of some sort?
3. Is there any intention to release an API or open up mod support for features that are missing?
4. Is there any intention to include spellcheck?
5. Is there a "Hot List" anywhere that shows what features are being slotted for the future, etc?

Thanks in advance.

 

[kbs666]

1) To the best of my knowledge no. That is all tied up with the CM and controlling IP.
2) Import by XML is how that is going to be done. Import from spreadsheet is simply nonsensical without some intermediary transformation being done first or requiring the spreadsheet being in some very specific format which is the equivalent of the XML in the first place.
3) To the best of my knowledge, and I've asked about this one several times, no.
4) Another no at least in the short term. However there are plenty of tools that will give you spellcheck in RW. The thread on spellcheck in the suggestion forum details several.
5) Not really. The Features forum includes some long and active discussions of the features most desired by the forum community and replies from LWD about a few that may not be practical.

 

[Silveras]

RE; #5
Based on past experiences and what LWD has said, once the Content Market is released, there will be some form of questionnaire/ survey for the user community to express interest in the features LWD feels are practical.

Their current working mode is to have ONE major project/ feature in development (currently the Content Market) and to work in smaller enhancements/features as the developers have time between parts of the major feature.

The survey provides guidance to LWD, but does not by itself determine "what's next". It is one of many factors that LWD will weigh when making decisions about what to work on.

 

[EightBitz]

So I realize devs are in a crunch to pound bugs and release content market, etc.

Can anyone answer the following questions about future direction for Realm Works?

1. Is there an intention to add the ability to print any screen (topic/article) from within realmworks at some point?
2. Is there an intention to add a bulk import feature (spreadsheet, etc.) of some sort?
3. Is there any intention to release an API or open up mod support for features that are missing?
4. Is there any intention to include spellcheck?
5. Is there a "Hot List" anywhere that shows what features are being slotted for the future, etc?

Thanks in advance.

I want to clarify that, As always, I am not speaking in any official capacity here.

1a) They've indicated in the past that they eventually plan to include web-based access to Realm Works. They haven't said this explicitly, but one imagines that with web-based access, one could use the browser's print feature to print a given topic, article or screen.

1b) For now, you can use my RWExport script to convert your .rwoutput files to HTML or Word format, and print from there. The latest version is 1.5: https://github.com/EightBitz/RWExport/tree/Version-1.5

2) As far as official, published content, LWD's offerings will most likely come through the content market.

3) I wouldn't count on anything. This is a specialized, proprietary product, and databases are temperamental beasts. Developing a stable, reliable API without risking the integrity of the database would likely be as large of a project as Realm Works itself.

4) I don't know, but for now, you can use my script to export to Word and spell check there. It's not ideal, but it works. The script creates an organized Word document with proper headers for topics, sections and subsections, so it should be quite simple to correlate spelling errors in word with their respective topics and sections in Realm Works.

5) They have posted priorities before. I think highest on the list are a) ongoing important bug fixes, as they're reported, b) the content market, and c) custom calendars. Somewhere in there is web access for players followed by full web access for players and GMs.

If you're interested in my script, but don't want to RTFM, Daplunk has posted a video for creating exports and a video for using my script.

Creating Exports: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfL2gGSBBqQ
Using my script: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJjkFnrNEw

 

[Lanmalchior]

1b) For now, you can use my RWExport script to convert your .rwoutput files to HTML or Word format, and print from there. The latest version is 1.5: https://github.com/EightBitz/RWExport/tree/Version-1.5

I don't know how printing can't be an important feature. I was deciding if I was going to buy this or not and until I saw you made a work around I wasn't going to just because of the lack of printing. The lack of a spell check is really annoying too and I'm a good speller, but when you are use to it everywhere it can really slow things down when you are unsure of a letter in a word. A lot of us gamers tend to have a bit of OCD and I don't know about you, but spelling areas drive me batty. Sometimes I'll get the self doubt and switch over to google a word and that risks being distracted from writing. It really breaks things up for me.

 

[kbs666]

You can install any of a variety of programs that will add spellcheck all of your programs.

For instance tinyspell
http://tinyspell.numerit.com/#download

 

[daplunk]

1. Is there an intention to add the ability to print any screen (topic/article) from within realmworks at some point?

Personally i see Realm Works as a move away from print media so this is not something I need or want. I would wager that most people wont need it once the web view gets released and they can run on a tablet. So much functionality and therefore reason for using RW is lost in physical print IMO.

2. Is there an intention to add a bulk import feature (spreadsheet, etc.) of some sort?

I would personally love this and it's apparent that members of the community have already figured this out. The game systems make this immensely advanced though as they are all configured differently and therefore need to be handled differently. I wouldn't want LWD focusing on this any time soon. We are in a status of constant change currently which would mean making this now would just generate more on-going work for the already stretched team.

3. Is there any intention to release an API or open up mod support for features that are missing?

See above. Until RW stops changing constantly this would just cause unnecessary work for the Dev team. It's hard enough for them to keep pumping out updates without breaking something due to the thousands of ways we all do things differently without adding something like this to the mix.

4. Is there any intention to include spellcheck?

Yes please, this is necessary. I have played around with 3rd party spell checkers that do work but I found them to be a distraction and less productive versus just doing an EightBitz Export and looking for things that needed to be fixed.

5. Is there a "Hot List" anywhere that shows what features are being slotted for the future, etc?

The big ones we know about... Content Market > Web View > Journals > Custom Calendars (not necessarily in this order)

 

[Farling]

2. Is there an intention to add a bulk import feature (spreadsheet, etc.) of some sort?

I would personally love this and it's apparent that members of the community have already figured this out. The game systems make this immensely advanced though as they are all configured differently and therefore need to be handled differently. I wouldn't want LWD focusing on this any time soon. We are in a status of constant change currently which would mean making this now would just generate more on-going work for the already stretched team.

There is no "automatic" way to do bulk import, since there's no simple way to say how you want your CSV (or other) data to be translated into which snippets within which topic types.

 

[MNBlockHead]

Regarding spell check, I don't get the need for application-specific spell check. As others have said, install a universal, program-independant spell checker on your system. Better yet, get a word-expander/universal macro program like PhraseExpress, ActiveWords, or TextExpander and get both universal spell checking, along with powerful automation features.

Asking for spell-checkers to be added to everything is just asking for more bloat. Spell-checking is something better handled at the OS level and you can be sure to have the one that works for your language and custom vocabulary sets.

 

[Farling]

Spell-checking is something better handled at the OS level and you can be sure to have the one that works for your language and custom vocabulary sets.

Isn't it best to be handled at the school-level?

 

[kbs666]

Regarding spell check, I don't get the need for application-specific spell check. As others have said, install a universal, program-independant spell checker on your system. Better yet, get a word-expander/universal macro program like PhraseExpress, ActiveWords, or TextExpander and get both universal spell checking, along with powerful automation features.

Asking for spell-checkers to be added to everything is just asking for more bloat. Spell-checking is something better handled at the OS level and you can be sure to have the one that works for your language and custom vocabulary sets.

I could see wanting spell check specific to RW because I use a lot of made up words in RW. I add them to my spell check's dictionary but would rather keep them strictly in RW. But it is a fairly minor concern.

 

[daplunk]

Yeah RPG's and spelling are not two things that work well together. Be it fantasy names or just abbreviations for maps.

This is why i didn't like the 3rd party spell check. It kept going off for heaps of stuff i didn't care about.

That's going to be a significant challenge for RW should implementation be made. It would need to work like Word with the ability to quickly and add words to the dictionary.

A whole heap of work. It would be nice to have yes, but I don't absolutely need it.

 

[EightBitz]

1b) For now, you can use my RWExport script to convert your .rwoutput files to HTML or Word format, and print from there. The latest version is 1.5: https://github.com/EightBitz/RWExport/tree/Version-1.5

I don't know how printing can't be an important feature. I was deciding if I was going to buy this or not and until I saw you made a work around I wasn't going to just because of the lack of printing. The lack of a spell check is really annoying too and I'm a good speller, but when you are use to it everywhere it can really slow things down when you are unsure of a letter in a word. A lot of us gamers tend to have a bit of OCD and I don't know about you, but spelling areas drive me batty. Sometimes I'll get the self doubt and switch over to google a word and that risks being distracted from writing. It really breaks things up for me.

I know what you mean, but if you've ever taken a creative writing class, one of the exercises you are encouraged to learn is stream-of-consciousness. You just start writing. You don't worry about punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentences, anything. You just write for as long as you can, whatever ideas come into your head, whether they make sense or not. You don't stop and think. You just keep writing.

It takes a bit of practice, because we have it drilled into our heads to check our spelling, check our punctuation, check our grammar. But you practice. You may never get GOOD at it, but you'll get BETTER. And when you're writing like this, it's best to do it with no spell checking and no grammar checking, because all those squiggly lines will distract you even more than your spelling errors.

 

[EightBitz]

I know what you mean, but if you've ever taken a creative writing class, one of the exercises you are encouraged to learn is stream-of-consciousness. You just start writing. You don't worry about punctuation, spelling, grammar, sentences, anything. You just write for as long as you can, whatever ideas come into your head, whether they make sense or not. You don't stop and think. You just keep writing.

It takes a bit of practice, because we have it drilled into our heads to check our spelling, check our punctuation, check our grammar. But you practice. You may never get GOOD at it, but you'll get BETTER. And when you're writing like this, it's best to do it with no spell checking and no grammar checking, because all those squiggly lines will distract you even more than your spelling errors.

This is also the reason I still sometimes prefer writing with just a paper and pen. It's the purest form of writing. No distractions. I know I don't have to worry about spelling, because I know I'll fix whatever I need to fix when I type it in, and that liberates me to just write.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gytPchkiwII

 

[Strategon]

So I realize devs are in a crunch to pound bugs and release content market, etc.

Can anyone answer the following questions about future direction for Realm Works?

1. Is there an intention to add the ability to print any screen (topic/article) from within realmworks at some point?
2. Is there an intention to add a bulk import feature (spreadsheet, etc.) of some sort?
3. Is there any intention to release an API or open up mod support for features that are missing?
4. Is there any intention to include spellcheck?
5. Is there a "Hot List" anywhere that shows what features are being slotted for the future, etc?

Thanks in advance.

It's humorous to me how the notion of imports and spellcheck are made to sound like they are utterly ridiculous ideas. It is generally a common practice to include basic text editing features when the bulk of your program is centered around writing text. Since Realm Works uses WinForms controls from third party vendors like Dev Express, this would not have been a big deal. In fact, I would consider it ridiculous not to include it.

As to the import option, whether that be spreadsheets, XML, etc.. virtually any database software supports this. As to individual customization, RW would only support their initial schema for bulk uploading-problem solved. While I like realm works for what it does, there are some pretty big flaws that I hope will be addressed by being integrated into core functionality and not exotic work-arounds that your average user will fill incredibly intimidated to learn and use, even with DAPlunk's fantastic videos.

On the subject of printing, this is a common feature of modern apps. It's silly not to include it and it severely limits the program. I would print handouts, quests, lore sheets, item sheets, etc. My home games are almost exclusively digitized with a custom built game table and tv for maps with a VTT to display them. All of my content is developed in digital tools like Realm Works and others that I am using to compensate for missing features. That being said, I would still print out many things to hand to players and it would be spectacular to handle it all in one place instead of duplicating it in several places.

API - I could take it or leave it.

Hotlist or Backlogs (Scrum) is a common feature in development teams. Most software companies have some sort of a development items list with varying degrees of detail that they release to stakeholders. This is not unreasonable as it helps to manage expectations and keeps said stakeholders in the loop in an organized way.

Out of all Project types, software development has notoriously high failure rates(cost vs. features vs. time). Agile is reducing this somewhat, for those teams that embrace it; however, it still remains a very risky business, due to all of the "risks" involved in development. LW devs have been struggling for months now (most recently) to deliver a core feature that has been touted all of the way back to the Kickstarter. I think some irritation with this is warranted.

That being said, I still like RW and use it every week even through the annoyances of missing features that should be basic features in any modern program.

 

[kbs666]

As a programmer, I have to ask how would anyone assign a spreadsheet to a realm directly? Any scheme that works is just putting an XML file in a spreadsheet rather than using tags and will almost certainly be more complicated to parse. So, since every modern spreadsheet will save to XML why not stick to what works and makes sense?

 

[adzling]

printing is sorely needed and it boggles my mind that its not available.

better ways of sharing content in general (live updates to the web/ realmworks player edition, PDF export etc) are a huge oversight and a missed opportunity.

Realmworks should be the core of the gaming experience as it holds all the content for the game.

total shame really

 

[EightBitz]

As a programmer, I have to ask how would anyone assign a spreadsheet to a realm directly? Any scheme that works is just putting an XML file in a spreadsheet rather than using tags and will almost certainly be more complicated to parse. So, since every modern spreadsheet will save to XML why not stick to what works and makes sense?

The answer to that depends on a few things. I don't think the answer is always going to be the same in every case, but my answer is thus:

I've been working in Powershell. Powershell has an "Import-CSV" command. If I include a line that says something like:

$ItemList = Import-CSV $filename

Then each column header is automatically interpreted as a field name. So say the column headers in the CSV file were "name,description,school,subschool"

Then I could process that information in the following manner:

foreach ($Item in $ItemList) {
   $Item.name
   $Item.description
   $Item.school
   $Item.subschool
}

Mind you, that's just listing the values, but my point is that it's that easy and that direct to access the information.

If I use Excel to export that CSV to XML, then accessing those fields isn't QUITE as simple and direct, at least not for me.

For you, things may be different. You may have a superior knowledge of how to process XML. You may be working in a scripting or coding environment where importing CSV files isn't so simple and straightforward, so it's easier to work with XML.

But for me, in Powershell, so long as I have a CSV with column headers, it's quick, easy and direct to work with that format.

 

[Silveras]

kbs666 is correct. There are people who are employed full-time to create and maintain import processes from spreadsheets to databases.

An import process requires one of two situations:

1) The input is in a known and pre-determined format (such as the XML schema provided by LWD).

- or -

2) A human with knowledge of, and direct access to, the database prepares an import process unique to that input which maps the columns to the proper data elements (which, when done, turns into #1 because now the file is a recognized format).

EightBitz, your process still requires you to map the columns in your source file to the XML. You're acting as what is called a "pre-processor", taking the raw input file and pre-processing it into the accepted XML format. Then the Realm Works import process accepts it as in the case 1 above.

If someone hands you a new file, you need to start over with reading it in, comparing the columns to the XML, and so on. That's the part that some people suggesting "import" or "suck in a spreadsheet" are expecting to happen by itself.

 

[EightBitz]

kbs666 is correct. There are people who are employed full-time to create and maintain import processes from spreadsheets to databases.

An import process requires one of two situations:

1) The input is in a known and pre-determined format (such as the XML schema provided by LWD).

- or -

2) A human with knowledge of, and direct access to, the database prepares an import process unique to that input which maps the columns to the proper data elements (which, when done, turns into #1 because now the file is a recognized format).

EightBitz, your process still requires you to map the columns in your source file to the XML. You're acting as what is called a "pre-processor", taking the raw input file and pre-processing it into the accepted XML format. Then the Realm Works import process accepts it as in the case 1 above.

If someone hands you a new file, you need to start over with reading it in, comparing the columns to the XML, and so on. That's the part that some people suggesting "import" or "suck in a spreadsheet" are expecting to happen by itself.

Maybe I misread it, but I thought kb's question was generally in regards to "Why would ANYONE pull data from CSVs when they can just export the CSV to an XML?"

When you say that I have to start over with every new CSV file, yes. But that's also true if that file is exported to XML ... unless there's something I'm missing, which is quite possible. But what I see is that XML files can have different configurations just as CSV files can have different configurations. Within my scope of knowledge (which I readily admit is limited), there is nothing about exporting a CSV file to XML that makes it automatically easier to import or transform for import into Realm Works.

If the question was more specifically about why LWD doesn't offer some sort of option for bulk import, that's an entirely different question than the one I was answering.