Player View not Dynamic?

[frostbyte000jm]

I get the GM must Sync and Players must Sync. I am not using this as a VTT, I am using it as a tool to work with VTT. I even use this at a live table and everyone has their computers in front of them.

There has to be a better way than: Save work, exit to Launcher, Run Sync, Tell players to Exit to Launcher, run Sync, Everyone loads back up into Realm.

If there was a way to Sync without Exiting to the Launcher, that would be awesome. So, they give us a button or key stroke.

Expectations: I press Sync, it should save, Load progress bar window, return to Realm.

The players will have the same button. This way I can say to the players, I just loaded it, and they press "Sync" and now see it.

 

[MNBlockHead]

I agree. If they want the player version to be successful, they need to make synchronizing easier. I understand it will likely never be "live" but having to exit a realm to sync is something I hope they will eventually be able to change. As you say, it would be great if both the GM and Players version has a Sync this Realm button on the Share or Manage ribbon.

 

[kbs666]

There is no reason that you couldn't sync as described and it would make player edition significantly more usable at the table. Although keep in mind for all but the most trivial of realms syncing takes a while.

 

[Farling]

I don't get the need for instant Player updates of the entire realm.

The player sync option is for them to peruse the campaign during down-time (and maybe as a refresher immediately before the next game session).

The Player View from the GM edition is used during play to highlight important things going on during the game session.

I don't see much social interaction if everybody is sitting reading the latest downloads from syncing with the server during a game session.

 

[daplunk]

It would enable them to enter the VTT market and increase their customer base.

Obviously not by providing a VTT product but a better product to share the campaign information.

 

[Bidmaron]

I don't get the need for instant Player updates of the entire realm.

The player sync option is for them to peruse the campaign during down-time (and maybe as a refresher immediately before the next game session).

The Player View from the GM edition is used during play to highlight important things going on during the game session.

I don't see much social interaction if everybody is sitting reading the latest downloads from syncing with the server during a game session.

You are assuming everyone is sitting at the table. If that is the case, I would heartily agree. But life has forced my group geographically apart, and you cannot do the second screen for guys in another location.

 

[daplunk]

Screen share with Skype. It 'could' be done.

 

[Bidmaron]

Screen share with Skype. It 'could' be done.

It is not practical if you are using a VTT because it must funnel through the same upload throttles most residential ISPs invoke on folks.

But you are right that I misspoke because it 'could' be done. I should have said it was impractical.

 

[frostbyte000jm]

I am not interested in using Realm Works (RW) as a VTT. Fantasy Grounds (FG) or Roll20 (R20) do a fantastic job of being a VTT. I use both RW and FG together, even in my live games. We all have our Laptops in front of us where we keep our character stats and stuff. We are software developers, of course we have our laptops.

I use FG for things like: Stats, rolls, Dungeon style reveal mapping, and things alike.

I use RW for things like: Organizing people, places, things, clues, downtimes, backstories, game history, world maps, and things alike.

It would be ideal to me if RW could be live. I could display an NPC picture to the players while we are at the table instead of loading that pic to FG and then displaying it on the big screen. But really that is a nice to have. I could also do screen sharing and this is easily fixed, it is a little clunky, but doable. Most things for RW can wait till after the game for me to upload.

There are times where a clue matters while the players are making a decision and they need to see all the data together before piecing out what to do next. I use this thing called Fronts from Dungeon World to help the players keep track of what is going on. I would like to update their Fronts so when they are making decisions they can see all the data up to date.

Also, this happened last week (I have been using RW for a while, but now my players are using it so I am making noob errors). I loaded something last game, but forgot to click the dot. The next game one of the players was like “Who was that girl we spoke to last week in Beliard.” The player click Beliard and she was not shown. I was like “Oops. Here we go.” There was a lot of data on her that was revealed. Sure I could have read it all, but it would have been 100X easier if I could press Sync, and the players press Sync and w/in 3 minutes they had the data. We could have even taking a quick drink break while it loaded.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

I absolutely agree that the current procedure for syncing is clunky. I don't have a need for live syncing, but to streamline my workflow it would be awesome to have a sync button on the ribbon within the Realm (for both Player and GM button, I imagine).

I'm not a programmer, so I have no idea how hard this would be...

 

[Grgbobe]

One of the reasons I want the players to see things in (at least near-) real time is so they don't have to capture everything I'm saying...they can just see the snippets I reveal and they can take fewer notes. I can't tell you how many times play has come to a screeching halt as I relate info to my players and they try to put it in their notes..."what color was the floor again?"; "what did that stuff smell like?" etc. etc.

And they all type at different speeds...and want to capture different things...and I want them to be able to reference something from room #2 while they're in room #5...this tool (Player Edition) shouldn't merely be about catching up/reviewing info offline.

So, it would be nice to at least have a smoother sync so my players can concentrate more on paying attention than capturing notes. Maybe my guys are different in that they want clarity (and I do, too), but I doubt it...

 

[Farling]

And they all type at different speeds...and want to capture different things...and I want them to be able to reference something from room #2 while they're in room #5...this tool (Player Edition) shouldn't merely be about catching up/reviewing info offline.

THis is why computers can be distracting at tables. If everyone is trying to type what you say, then they are not picturing the scene in their heads for their own imagination.

If they know the notes will be available later in RW, then they can concentrate on the here-and-now. If they forget what was in the room two rooms ago, then they can have their characters go and have another look.

 

[Vargr]

I agree - I would love a button inside my realm, that I could press and it would do all the synching work (with appropriate requesters where relevant) and shortly after return the realm to me.

Live updating ("pushing"?) is not high on my priority list.

 

[Grgbobe]

THis is why computers can be distracting at tables. If everyone is trying to type what you say, then they are not picturing the scene in their heads for their own imagination.

If they know the notes will be available later in RW, then they can concentrate on the here-and-now. If they forget what was in the room two rooms ago, then they can have their characters go and have another look.

I think you missed my first paragraph or I didn't convey my message clearly. If I could update Player Edition in near-real time, my players wouldn't need to take notes...my snippets would yield that information and alleviate their need to type. Also, some things you say as a GM are very pertinent to the player's next action...I want them to be able to review my comments very quickly because not everyone has an eidetic memory.