Realm Works Bug Fix Beta Release (Build 255)
 

We have a new bug fix release of Realm Works available (build 255) to fix the import validation error people were encountering with export files exported with build 254 (specifically, "Encountered validation error for the import XML: The 'format_version' attribute is invalid - The value '4' is invalid").

We are releasing this as a beta release initially, so you may continue using build 254 if you prefer. However if you encountered this issue, please give the new build a try and verify that it resolves the issue.

Even if you didn't previously encounter the issue, we encourage you to install the new build as we'd like as many people as possible to do so in order to acquire more reputation for our new code signing certificate which I explain below.

Release Notes:

• Fixed a specific validation error which prevented export files exported with build 254 from successfully importing.

PLEASE NOTE: We recently renewed our digital code signing certificate, and since this is the first public release to use the new certificate, it has not yet acquired enough reputation with anti-virus software such as Windows Defender or Avast to avoid being flagged as potentially harmful to your computer, even though it is perfectly safe. We need more people to install the software in order to acquire reputation for the certificate :) So from Windows Defender you may receive a message along the lines of "Windows Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting". If you click "Show Info" or "Show More" it should reveal a button labeled "Run anyway" that you can click to bypass the warning. Similarly, other anti-virus software might initially sandbox the installer or the new version of Realm Works itself. However, this is nothing to worry about. You can either let the sandboxing run its course or manually abort it and you should be able to install/use the new version of Realm Works afterwards.

NEW BETA BUILD: The new build can be downloaded from this link: https://www.wolflair.com/download/rw...55_install.exe

Note that in the unlikely event that you run into any new problems with the new build, you can safely revert to build 254. To do so just close Realm Works and run the installer for build 254 available here: https://www.wolflair.com/download/rw...54_install.exe

If you choose to revert to build 254 after installing 255, you will receive a warning message about the older version possibly not working with the newer database. However you can ignore this warning in this particular case as there are no changes to the database between these two versions, so it is safe to revert.

Thank you very much for releasing a fix. I am very happy that we are not forgotten and some soul in the lair is working on RW even if on maintenance releases. Let’s hope the spring bring more to it. :)

Thanks for the bug fix!

great. +1

Yeah! We can still have hope!

Did a Custom/Partial export, then an import to another realm and hit an exception.

Went through the process of reporting the issue via the UI.

Not sure this is related to the new version -- doing more testing.

There used to be a way to drop the exception to a text file, but I don't seem to see that anymore. Am I missing something?

Alternatively, is there anyway to get more detailed error info? For example, if a topic is triggering the error, it would be very helpful to know which one it was.

I know it's doubtful to get new debugging instrumentation implemented, but I'm kind of pipe dreaming that a hidden switch would already be present...

Later.

Resolved... there were some odd artifacts in the realm I was trying to import into. Starting from a clean realm worked fine.

Take care

-=Janrith

Do you plan to push this update officially and out of beta?

Same question I had

I had to go back to 253 because of problems I had after updating to 255.

Any progress on validating this build for production use?

There's a bug in this build that also breaks imports (in a different way) so they shouldn't. As of a few days ago no updates on it (link below).

http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=63665

Any word on the update? It's 6 months since this was posted. I still can't export my realms and I don't want to download the beta due to some people losing their realms. I don't have months of work to lose I have years.

You can manually backup the database file, and then try version 255. If you have to revert back to 253 you should be able to also revert the database file.

Realms are not lost (afaik) but import functionality is not working on 255.
I have no way of reverting to 253 on my own I suppose. Maybe it works with server access which I still have to check.

I was able to:

1. uninstall
2. wipe the %AppData% Realm Works folder (%AppData%\LWD Technology, Inc\Realm Works)
3. then re-install 253
4. sync all down from the cloud

Then was able to create new export files from my source realms and import to my target realms.

I think you should be good to revert.

I opened a case detailing the issues on January 10th. I asked for an update later and received an update on February 12.

10 days ago, June 16th, I asked for another update and have not received a response.

Raise a ticket in the HLO forums. At least that way they might read it. I'm willing to bet it's been 6 months since a developer popped there head in here with any intent of helping us.

I recently put in a support ticket to ask about fixing the import/export bug and about the broken HL integration.

I was informed that because of the current high demand on LW resources from developing HLO and keeping up with the release schedule of PF2 material they don't have the manpower right now to track down and fix these bugs in RW.

And daplunk is correct - I've brought up RW and HLC issues in the HLO thread and gotten some response and information. Part of that information was that Rob is really only monitoring the HLO forums. And it's been a minute since he chimed in there as well.

I also sent ticket asking if they plan to release the .255 out of beta, and had the same answer. To be honest, I HOPE their business situation improves faster and at least to give some love to RW on the burning issues.

255 is broken anyway, so that would't be useful at all.

This is what I suspected. I applaud those of you still here and keeping the hope alive, but by any meaningful measure RW is dead IMHO. The fact they are still selling the current build when it is broken saddens me. They are not even fixing critical errors, so it is a matter of time until the natural changes in tech and software make it truly dead. I can't imagine a circumstance where I would buy another LWD product at this point. They handled this badly from day one. After all the hours I invested in data entry, I am hesitant to go that route again with another service, my faith has been shaken severely, so I am waiting to see if any of the new campaign management products can establish a winning track record.

Just my opinion, but I believe that their business situation is a direct result of perpetually "biting off more than they can chew." It seems to me that from the moment they got the contract for PF1 from Paizo, the release schedule of new material has been right at the upper limit - and often over the upper limit - of what they've been able to keep up with. This has resulted in a constant pressure to push new content out the gates, and that content has often been released in an incomplete state with the disclaimers that it will be completed at a future date. (And to be fair, they did eventually get pretty much all of the Paizo PF1 stuff wrapped up).

That stayed the same with Realm Works, and has not changed with HLO and PF2. Some of us demand the shiny new toys from Paizo, and some demand the previously released material to be finished up, and some demand that HLO be further developed, and some demand Shadowrun stuff, and some demand...

And I freely admit that I'm on that list of "Some demand" people. Mostly what I want is for them to hire enough coders - temporarily at least - to squash the critical bugs in Realm Works so that we have a stable, relatively bug-free build for what it should already be able to do. Calendars is a bitter pill to swallow, but I could live more easily without them, if I could only integrate with HL again and import/export reliably.

Their answer to having more than a mouthful to chew on (again) appears to be to spit out the stuff that's no longer actively producing revenue and to focus on the things that are making money now. With apologies, of course, to those of us who paid them a total of $170,748 in the kickstarter, plus money for content after release, and those who purchased the product after the kickstarter was over, and did not - quite - get what we paid for. We got apologies, but no fixes so far.

I don't even pretend to know enough about the business side of their business to know whether this is impossible or whether it's possible but would eat into their profits too much, etc. Doesn't really matter. Our choices appear to be between choosing to find a way to be happy with what we've got and remaining bitter that we didn't quite get what we paid for.

And wow - that ended up being a LOT more than I started out to write :D

I am in complete agreement. I will forever be wistful for what might have been, but I am fine with the product as it stands.

I just can't believe they have left critical bugs like the import/export and HL integration languish like this.

I don't think you have the whole story. First, Rob the owner and main developer, was very sick for two or three years if I remember correctly. Second, there was a decision made as to the direction realm works needed to change which forced a near complete rewrite of the program after two to three years of development. Third, I suppose is the fact that the first two problems caused other problems and delays with all their products. Throw in the fact that some of us are epic level forum bitchers and things just kind of spiraled from there. Yes, I believe that LWD made a business decision in order to save their company. And, I know it sucks that development of RW has been suspended. But I do hope that they will someday return to further development of Realm Works. I'm just betting we are going to have to wait a few more years.

I also continue to hold out hope that they will return to RW, and I continue busily entering my homebrew world into it. But even if they don't they really should fix the bugs and make the existing features stable.

I do remember - vividly - the issues regarding Rob's health, and changing direction for RW. But their ability to keep up with the never ending barrage of Paizo releases affected more than just RW, it goes back to before the RW kickstarter - there were many Pathfinder releases for HLC that were noted for a long time as "not fully implemented," even as new supplements continued to be rolled out (also, sometimes, not fully implemented).

And my response from support regarding fixing just these two critical RW bugs was (and I'm paraphrasing here), "we've got too much on our plate right now, we're a small company and all of our manpower is focused on keeping up with PF2 and developing HLO. We'd like to get to it, but even if we can it will be a long time."

Further "evidence" of this can be found on the Shadowrun boards, where there has been deafening silence regarding Shadowrun releases/fixes for HLO, and in how long it took to get the new version of Savage Worlds tested and rolled out for HLC.

As much as I have enjoyed and benefit from RealmWorks and still use it to a degree, I don't see how they come back to it. Too many competing products being actively developed.

Frog God Games just put their Lost Lands setting into World Anvil and I'm gobsmacked. It is a wonderful experience. For building your own worlds WA is pretty darn good as well.

Where it severely lacks is that you cannot easily integrate third-party content into your own world and campaigns. Lone Wolf Development struggled with this issue for years with Realm Works and it is so disappointing that just after they solved the issue, they had to give up on the project.

As I start to run my campaigns using other tools and fire up less and less, I just don't see myself going back to RW. Maybe if HLO brings enough revenue they can take what they learned with RW and build an online tool that integrates with HLO, which can compete with other campaign management solutions, but they lost their edge and it will be hard to catch up to the point where I would want to make ANOTHER costly and time-consuming change of campaign management tools to go back to them.

I agree totally with your sentiments. I am not sure where I am going to invest, but it won't be LWD. They have destroyed my faith in them. Please don't misunderstand, I think Rob and the crew are all great people and wish them well, but my RW experience makes me lack trust in their promises and ability to follow-through. In fact, I hesitate to put that much work into data entry with any application at this point. For now I use basic Google files for my in-person game and use the VTT for all else.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, rather than responding in all the various related threads related to the last few RW builds 253-256, I've opened a new thread which I intend to be a central place for me to respond to these issues and provide information:

https://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=65964

An important note discussed in more detail in that thread is that we've now reduced the required build to access the server back down to 253 (with caveats). Also, if you experienced import/export issues in builds 255-256 that were not present in build 253, please take a look at the instructions there. Thank you!

I was trying to import some odd artifacts in the realm always starting with the clean realm.