Running same campaign for my kids?

[wurzel]

Originally Posted by AEIOU

The other functionality that will probably work better for running different groups using the same content could be described as "master realms" for universal info and "child realms" for unique info. The master realm would contain all the universal information your world contains for all campaigns you run in it. The child realms would be updated with new info from the master realm as it is added but reveals would be specific to each child realm. Additionally, the child realms can change, evolve, add information, morph the setting, level mountain ranges, kill NPCs, add towns, etc that are unique to each child realm. This way you can have different groups that all start within the same setting, major world updates are copied automatically to all child realms, but each campaign is unique.

Are you sure about this "inheritance mechanism" of master and child realms? Automatically updating child realms sounds really good, but it is a dangerous thing to do. Think of a major npc like a queen or archmage or whatever. You kill her in one of the child realms, but afterwards she marries in the master realm, and this information is copied so you have a zombie wedding? One possibility to tackle this problem is not to copy topics that have been changed in the child. But this way you can easily introduce inconsistencies into your realms. A new castle is built on a mountain top. Unfortunately some mad god levels the complete mountain range in the master realm, and this changes the world forever. But there is a now floating castle on top of a vanished peak since you didn't change the mountain range, you just created a castle... you could think of many examples like that, not all of them as simple as those above.

I will be glad if there is finally a chance to just copy realms. Automatically updating master realms are a feature I will believe in as soon as I see it working.

[Viking2054]

I believe Rob said in a past post, don't ask me to look it up, that when you copy or merge realms you will be able to decide if the copied realm is a 'stand alone', or a 'linked realm'. What I term 'linked realm' is similar to the 'master realm' AEIOU mentioned, at least that is my interpretation. Anyway, a linked realm will pull in any changes you make to the 'Master Realm' while the 'Stand Alone Copy' will not. So, when you copy a realm you will get the option to choose how it behaves. The Master Realm/Linked Realm is I believe a single directional update from the Master Realm to the Linked Realm. Changes made to the Linked Realm do not affect the Master Realm while changes made to the Master Realm do affect the Linked Realm. I assume this would only happen after a sync though.

Hopefully Rob can come along and correct any misinformation I may have put out there.

[AEIOU]

Hopefully Rob can come along and correct any misinformation I may have put out there.

Or that I may have mis-remembered. It's been a while since this was last discussed.

[Vargr]

Well, for what it is worth, I remember it is AEIOU describes it. Wurzel does have some good points as to the pitfalls.

I guess this only demonstrates that Realm Works is a far more complex monster than we might realise as users, because we simply skate away on the smooth surface of the GUI.

I hope LWD can solve the problems Wurzel mentions so we can get what AEIOU described.

EDIT:
I tried using my feeble search-fu to dig up something about this topic (master/child realms). Not with much success, I am afraid.

There is an honorary mention here: http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...=master+realms a few posts down by rob. But not as detailed as envisioned by AEIOU and me.

I myself talk about it here http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...alm#post225899.

I couldn't find anything more specific from Rob's hand. Then again, my search-fu is not very strong so others might get different results.

More edit:

I succeeded in finding these more illuminating threads:
http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...t=master+realm
http://forums.wolflair.com/showthrea...r+realm&page=2

[Farling]

Originally Posted by wurzel

Are you sure about this "inheritance mechanism" of master and child realms? Automatically updating child realms sounds really good, but it is a dangerous thing to do. Think of a major npc like a queen or archmage or whatever. You kill her in one of the child realms, but afterwards she marries in the master realm, and this information is copied so you have a zombie wedding?

If the two campaigns are completely independent, then my suggestion would be to have the master realm contain only the pure original campaign details. Then create a child realm for each actual player campaign. This then means that any changes that occur in one campaign will never be seen by the other campaign.

(Of course, this is purely hypothetical advance planning.)