An Update from Rob

[dungeonguru]

Originally Posted by Grey Mage

What you will NOT be able to do if the servers go away permanently is create new realms. Consequently several people are taking the precaution of creating a few 'blank' realms (just in case).

Which is a great suggestion. I would like to see some sort of workaround or registry/configuration hack posted for this eventuality.

Realm Works was just becoming viable for me to use consistently again - I love what Farling was doing with the export tools for "if" I wanted to compile my campaign info into a large document I could put on my dropbox or even *ugh* print into a binder for the players that are techno-illiterate.

[BJ]

Originally Posted by Grey Mage

You can start without a connection to the internet.

What you will NOT be able to do if the servers go away permanently is create new realms. Consequently several people are taking the precaution of creating a few 'blank' realms (just in case).

While there are no plans to ever take the servers away, if LWD decided to do so the dependencies on the server would be removed and the software rereleased so that users could still make use of the program for as long as their computers supported it.

[ibecker]

Originally Posted by BJ

While there are no plans to ever take the servers away, if LWD decided to do so the dependencies on the server would be removed and the software rereleased so that users could still make use of the program for as long as their computers supported it.

Thanks, BJ! I'm still holding out hope that Realm Works will be taken up again by LWD, but I'm naturally nervous about continuing to work with a program that may be EOL. I appreciate the commitment to make sure that the program will, at the very least, continue to be usable in its current form.

-Ian

[timgray]

Originally Posted by Knightblde

I just spent 3 days and $100 with World Anvil. Amazing people. Clueless as to GM tools. Somebody sell your IDEAS to them. They have an incredible community and a good start. No idea what it means to have a system you can USE at the table. They are too much polish, not enough paint.

Sadly until they offer an application I can use on my laptop I wont give them a dime. no interest in online only anything. I am in enough places with no internet access or completely consumed internetrunning games that I can not use anything online.

Honestly even cell service at most conventions is useless, so online tools are useless for anyone that runs games at the conventions. Gencon it's impossible to get any bandwidth in the convention center.

[Ualaa]

You don't need online access to use Realm Works, it has a run offline option.

I do most of my work on the desktop.
Then sync to the cloud.

Even if the cloud were not an option, I could backup my database.
And then from that saved backup, transfer the file to the backup location on the laptop.
And restore from backup (the file that was originally backed up from the desktop) onto the laptop.

Assuming the cloud works at home, sync the laptop from the cloud.
The gaming laptop is now up to date, and doesn't need the cloud to run Realm Works.

If you have online access, you can create new realms, but you shouldn't need that at the gaming place/convention.
If you have online access, you can sync your changes from the laptop to the cloud.
If you don't have online access, you can just boot your laptop at home when you do, and sync the information there, for retrieval from your desktop system.

You don't actually have to sync while you're at a place without internet access.
Do it ahead of time and then do it after the fact.
Or just export the database from the most recently used machine and transfer that file to the less recently used machine and then restore database from there, getting the newest version on the other device(s).

[Farling]

Originally Posted by Ualaa

You don't need online access to use Realm Works, it has a run offline option.

I'm fairly sure he was talking about World Anvil.

[flyteach]

I beg to differ about bandwidth at Gencon. I'd had no problems with bandwidth including HLO for multiple 5 hour sessions EXCEPT when the HLO server itself was down or extremely slow.

[tkarn]

Originally Posted by BJ

but the Realm Works desktop product will not see further development at this time.

I'm sad to read this.

[Farling]

Originally Posted by flyteach

I beg to differ about bandwidth at Gencon. I'd had no problems with bandwidth including HLO for multiple 5 hour sessions EXCEPT when the HLO server itself was down or extremely slow.

Maybe the difference is between using your cell phone for the internet and using the hotel/building's wi-fi?

[flyteach]

@Farling, I'm not sure what you mean. I was in the the convention center for 11 hours each day and 5 hours on Sunday. @timgray stated it was impossible to get bandwidth and I'm saying I had no problems with bandwidth.