Using Realmworks to organise things as a player

[Happydevil43]

Hi guys,

I woke up this morning with an almost brilliant idea.... not sure how practical it is yet...

Has anybody ever used Realmworks to organise information as a player?

not as a player view, but either during game play or after wards to track, where did we find that information, who was that guy, what quest did he send us on ?

I am playing in about 2 different groups and sometimes its hard to keep track of things were we are at... etc.

Any thoughts ?

 

[Silveras]

Players cannot add content. Only one person, the owner of the Realm (presumably the GM) can add content. If a player has the GM version (basically a GM account; the software is the same), the player can create a Realm in which he/she can do all the data entry. It will not be the same Realm as the GM... and the GM can't also use the Realm for revealing information. I have done this in game where the GM did not use Realm Works.

That said, the point of Realm Works (to some extent) is for the GM to reveal information to the players... and they use their copies to check it, especially as a reminder between sessions. There is a User Notes function, which I have not played with, that should let you make your own notes as a player (but others cannot see them, if I understand correctly).

 

[kbs666]

User notes is one of those features that is badly in need of some work. Some of my players tried to use it as their journals for my campaign and came away quite unhappy. It's been long enough now that I really don't remember what their complaints were precisely but I certainly haven't seen anything about user notes in any recent patch notes.

 

[Happydevil43]

Players cannot add content. Only one person, the owner of the Realm (presumably the GM) can add content. If a player has the GM version (basically a GM account; the software is the same), the player can create a Realm in which he/she can do all the data entry. It will not be the same Realm as the GM... and the GM can't also use the Realm for revealing information. I have done this in game where the GM did not use Realm Works.

That said, the point of Realm Works (to some extent) is for the GM to reveal information to the players... and they use their copies to check it, especially as a reminder between sessions. There is a User Notes function, which I have not played with, that should let you make your own notes as a player (but others cannot see them, if I understand correctly).

I know the players mode cannot create content, But I am talking about creating a standalone realm that I can add to, while we are playing or just after it, and then exporting then information to HTML/Word to give to the rest of the guys, or posting it to our facebook group account.

The GM doesn't use RW at all, he prefers paper and making things up on the fly.

I am just looking for a way to collate information as we go. Sometimes you get snippets (pun intended) of information in a quest, and with our playing group, trying to remember what we had for lunch is at best a struggle. I try and take notes etc, but sometimes it might be 2-3 weeks before we play again, and the first question is always..."so does everybody remember where we are?"

The thought of people, places and incidents, quests, just seemed to fit.

 

[salcor]

For my group I use Obsidian portal for the players journals, but I copy it to realmworks and share it through Realmworks.

Salcor

 

[daplunk]

Yeah i have considered this. I setup a magic book already for player view. I think it would be handy as a player. I was considering playing a Firbolg who was new to the civilised world and documents everything.

https://youtu.be/WYOdbUyRB-U?list=PLV5XWfKkFpk6_sDYWWKwvP8zs_qVSrzoM

 

[Happydevil43]

Yeah i have considered this. I setup a magic book already for player view. I think it would be handy as a player. I was considering playing a Firbolg who was new to the civilised world and documents everything.

https://youtu.be/WYOdbUyRB-U?list=PLV5XWfKkFpk6_sDYWWKwvP8zs_qVSrzoM

Hey that sounds like Cronk... the Bloodrager!... Really annoys the mage, when he tries to cast buff spells and Cronk says "No Mr GirlyMan... Cronk can do himself!"... in the worst possible Arnie accent you can imagine.

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

I've done this - it works brilliantly!

I own the GM version. AFAIK none of my GMs use RealmWorks (I play pretty much exclusively PbP), so for the games I'm in I create a Realm and use it to keep up with everything we find out, monsters we encounter, etc. In many cases I can copy/paste entire posts where something interesting happens, and then carve it up into snippets and place them into appropriate places. The auto-linking and other features make it like a note-pad on steroids.

As long as I remember to actually enter the data.

 

[Happydevil43]

I've done this - it works brilliantly!

I own the GM version. AFAIK none of my GMs use RealmWorks (I play pretty much exclusively PbP), so for the games I'm in I create a Realm and use it to keep up with everything we find out, monsters we encounter, etc. In many cases I can copy/paste entire posts where something interesting happens, and then carve it up into snippets and place them into appropriate places. The auto-linking and other features make it like a note-pad on steroids.

As long as I remember to actually enter the data.

Do you do it in game or after ?

 

[Silveras]

I know the players mode cannot create content, But I am talking about creating a standalone realm that I can add to, while we are playing or just after it, and then exporting then information to HTML/Word to give to the rest of the guys, or posting it to our facebook group account.

The GM doesn't use RW at all, he prefers paper and making things up on the fly.

I am just looking for a way to collate information as we go. Sometimes you get snippets (pun intended) of information in a quest, and with our playing group, trying to remember what we had for lunch is at best a struggle. I try and take notes etc, but sometimes it might be 2-3 weeks before we play again, and the first question is always..."so does everybody remember where we are?"

The thought of people, places and incidents, quests, just seemed to fit.

In that case, all you would need to do is to upgrade your license to GM. What you can do in a Realm is basically determined by what license you have (Player or GM) and your role in that Realm.

A player license is always a player anywhere. A GM license can create a Realm and be the owner .. so the GM for that realm; or the GM license holder can be invited to act as a Player in another GM's Realm.. at which point he is limited to Player activities there.

 

[craghammer]

Hi guys,

I woke up this morning with an almost brilliant idea.... not sure how practical it is yet...

Has anybody ever used Realmworks to organise information as a player?

not as a player view, but either during game play or after wards to track, where did we find that information, who was that guy, what quest did he send us on ?

I am playing in about 2 different groups and sometimes its hard to keep track of things were we are at... etc.

Any thoughts ?

No problem!
As long as you have a GM version, just go ahead and add content you learn about as a player. Keep either two realms to keep your content or, as I do; We play in Forgotten Realms, so I've added tons of common stuff (most of the Sword Coast and the North is in) about locations, NPC's, the gods, and have a Storyline for our campaign - where I am a player. So I use RW as my library of stuff for the campaign I'm in. Works swell!

In the Storyline of our campaign, i add topics and snippets for all "custom" NPC's, locations, quests and all that is specific to our campaign, and update the common world topics as we move along if there is some "new" knowledge - and you can tag that as custom content too.

So for you case, create two storylines and go forth and work that realm

 

[Vargr]

I have done it for a Star Wars campaign I was a player in.

I entered most of the data while we played (actually I made notes in the User Notes during play and if I had the time also added the relevant data as topics).

It worked well and I could most of the time immediately make the connections and tell the others (including the GM); such as when the other players asked: "Hmm, where did we hear that name?".

But it does take time and RW is not fast enough for taking notes out of the very confusing and multi-faceted discussions that take place at the table, so sometimes things just had to be finished after the game.

Oh, and I took pictures of maps and other stuff placed on the table and included it later.

 

[Happydevil43]

Its a cunning plan that cannot possibly fail.

I'll create the realm tonight before bed, but probably wont have time to get it populated from the notes I do have before tomorrows game session.

As its a public holiday here tomorrow, we have planned an all day session, 10am to 11pm.... breaks for pizza and coke runs, before coming back on Saturday to do it again... Game on!

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

Do you do it in-game or after?

Well, since I play via Play by Post there really isn't "during" or "after" as there aren't defined sessions. So technically, I guess it would all be classified as "during." When the GM makes a post (either in-character or out-of-character/metagame) that seems pertinent I put in a topic or a snippet to add to a topic we've already discovered.

This lends itself very well to play-by-post, as the text is already there for me to copy/paste, and then I just have to carve it up as necessary to put it where it belongs in my Realm.

 

[kbs666]

I know some people really love play by post but in my attempts at it the length of even short adventures involved significant player attrition. However if you could get players to stick to it I'd think player edition would work amazingly well for play by post. The GM could reveal what ever was relevant to each post he made and sync afterwards. Each player could sync when checking the forums and therefore see the most up to date details of the realm.

 

[Silveras]

I know some people really love play by post but in my attempts at it the length of even short adventures involved significant player attrition. However if you could get players to stick to it I'd think player edition would work amazingly well for play by post. The GM could reveal what ever was relevant to each post he made and sync afterwards. Each player could sync when checking the forums and therefore see the most up to date details of the realm.

Unfortunately, when I mentioned before that my players refused to even try Realm Works after I gave them licenses... I was talking about a Play-by-Post type of game.

I agree that it would, indeed, have been a nearly perfect match.. except for the players' attitude.

 

[kbs666]

LOL!

I can't get my players to use it for in my in person game and you can't get them to use it for PbP. Sometimes I wonder if we're wasting our time on all this world building and adventure design. Maybe the players would be perfectly content with set piece encounters with nothing actually tying them together, sort of the Michael Bay school of GMing.

 

[Silveras]

LOL!

I can't get my players to use it for in my in person game and you can't get them to use it for PbP. Sometimes I wonder if we're wasting our time on all this world building and adventure design. Maybe the players would be perfectly content with set piece encounters with nothing actually tying them together, sort of the Michael Bay school of GMing.

I'm pretty sure mine expect me to remember for them.

They're fond of suggesting... "Can I make an Intelligence check to see if my character remembers [x] ?" for everything.

More seriously, though, that makes me concerned about the potential growth of the market for Realm Works. Players using electronic tools are increasingly looking for "free" tools that are "web-based" ... meaning a) immediate updates, b) no cost to them, c) nothing to be installed, and d) no cost to them. If Realm Works' financial plans are based on selling player licenses, that may not work unless the player side is immediately updated by the GM's actions (and the GM needing to close the Realm to sync makes this all but impossible) and is either fully browser-based or is an App (rather than a full application).

 

[Happydevil43]

More seriously, though, that makes me concerned about the potential growth of the market for Realm Works. Players using electronic tools are increasingly looking for "free" tools that are "web-based" ... meaning a) immediate updates, b) no cost to them, c) nothing to be installed, and d) no cost to them. If Realm Works' financial plans are based on selling player licenses, that may not work unless the player side is immediately updated by the GM's actions (and the GM needing to close the Realm to sync makes this all but impossible) and is either fully browser-based or is an App (rather than a full application).

I guess for our group this is a non issue. I am the only one out of all of us using RW. A couple have looked at it, and then said, "oh you have to put the stuff in yourself...umm no.".. that may change when content market is open.

Most of my players use Ipads (apart from that one guy who is holding onto the dark ages by using paper!), so unless RW makes an app for players like they did with Herolab (or even better a connector in Herolab?) , I can't see it being adopted at least for my group.

 

[kbs666]

I guess for our group this is a non issue. I am the only one out of all of us using RW. A couple have looked at it, and then said, "oh you have to put the stuff in yourself...umm no.".. that may change when content market is open.

Most of my players use Ipads (apart from that one guy who is holding onto the dark ages by using paper!), so unless RW makes an app for players like they did with Herolab (or even better a connector in Herolab?) , I can't see it being adopted at least for my group.

It already connects to HeroLab. Pretty seamlessly if you ask me. You can store portfolios in RW, including entire encounters, and use those to launch the tactical console to run combats.

Here's the video I did on using HL and RW to run combats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBXnZGMohIc