Player Edition Questions

[adzling]

It does work way better than putting it on the player's second screen attached to my laptop, agreed!

However having it on a player's tablet or phone would be far superior.

Here's hoping web-view comes soon and is not gimped!

When using text heavy clues and similar, make a handout. Find a good font for it befitting the style of the campaign (or handwrite it), add some stains and tears to make it look old (there are a number of nice tips for just this on the net). Works way better than having it on screen in my opinion.

 

[Exmortis]

Now, all this said, so many applications now offer live updates. We are so used to software like Google Apps, Office 365, web apps that save as you type, or at least when you tab to the next field, that I really would hope that someday RW way of updating and synchronizing content is modernized.

Of course and LWD has the R&D budget and team size of Google or Microsoft to call upon to meet those product feature.

 

[Chemlak]

Not to mention that one of the set-in-stone design requirements for RW is to absolutely not require permanent online presence.

Would I drool over live-sync? Darn right I would.
Is it a priority for me? Not on your Nelly. I'll leave my sig to tell you all what is.

 

[MNBlockHead]

Of course and LWD has the R&D budget and team size of Google or Microsoft to call upon to meet those product feature.

Well, no, and I understand this. That said, a whole generation of computer users who spend most of the computer time in web applications that work in this manner are going to expect this kind of functionality. For them, RW's learning curve will be even higher.

I would think that with the web version coming out, LWD will eventually get to the point where most of the work can be done online and take advantage of new web tech (Rob alluded to this in a post where he discussed the changes in web tech being among the reasons for not started with HTML from the beginning, but I'm too lazy to look it up and link to that post here).

At that point, the PC version will be for synchronizing for off-line use and, perhaps, for some power-user features that may be hard to replicate online.

 

[MNBlockHead]

However from your notes web-view is going to be purposely gimped?!?!
Do you have a reference to any postings by Lonewolf on the extent of such gimpitude?

See this thread:

http://forums.wolflair.com/showthread.php?t=52359

I hesitate to post the thread or discuss it because it is out of date and LWD had not made final decisions on feature sets, etc. We'll find out soon enough. Also, first, it is important to point out that LWD is not proposing in anything I've read to "gimp" anything. They are offering a FREE player view. If you have the cloud subscription, you can reveal content to your players without players needing a player license. BUT the free-for-players view will be limited. How, exactly, it will be limited as compared to the paid player's version, remains to be see.

My understanding based on other threads is:

1. Those with the GM version will have features that will allow them to run games from the Web version. Whether those features will be available in the initial release or what all those features are, their has not been a definitive announcement yet.

2. The player view will have two levels. For GM with cloud subscriptions, they will be able to offer free access to some of their content, but there will be limits on how much content the players can see and what they can do with it. To what extent the free-for-players web view will be limited remains to be seen.

3. For the players who purchased the players version, if I remember correctly, they will have access to more content and additional features.

There was a lot of back and forth between users and the developers on what would be fair in terms of what the various options offer. I think many GMs felt that the given the cost of the cloud subscription, they should be able to share all of their content to their players without the players having to pay and players who pay for the players view would have more tools, such as journals, rather than limited access to content. Others felt that it would be fair to limit the number of realms that free players would have access to, but they should have access to all revealed content for the realms they have access to. I don't think any GM would be particularly happy with only being able to share a subset of a realm to players without making the players purchase the player version.

Ultimately, LWD will need to balance the need to make money with keeping users happy.

My personal preference would be that the GM, who pays cloud subscription, should be able to reveal all content for all realms to players on the web version without players having to pay. But free players would only be able to view content and would only be able to view it on the web. If players want offline access or additional features, such as journals, personal notes, etc., they will need to buy a players license.

If the costs of allowing unlimited players to access unlimited content makes that model economically unfeasible, then my second choice would be that a player can sign up for a free account but would be limited to a single realm and would only have online access. But for that realm they would have access to all content and the full on-line feature set.

In the end, however, it doesn't make much difference to me as I don't think my players are going to use any player view. I am more interested in what I can do online as a DM.

 

[liz]

I think there's some misunderstandings about what player access is going to look like on the web. Rob addressed that awhile ago here, but I'll reiterate the key points.

1. Free Player Access - There will be a free level on the web, which will allow players to view a limited amount of information. This level will target players that just want to see the information needed to play in that game session.
2. Web "Player Edition" - With this paid level, players can view all revealed content just like the desktop version. In fact, anyone with a desktop license will have access to the features on the web. They have a Player Edition *account*, which is what controls access to features, just like on the desktop. The reason "Player Edition" is in quotes is because we may change the name.

The important point is that desktop Player Edition won't become useless once web-access releases. Many users will find it still useful, especially if their game space doesn't have internet access. Also, their desktop license unlocks the full player web-access, so it's a win-win.

I hope that clarifies things a bit!

 

[MNBlockHead]

Thanks for the clarification Liz. Still uncertain how the limitations on amount of information shared in the Free Player Access will work.

 

[liz]

Thanks for the clarification Liz. Still uncertain how the limitations on amount of information shared in the Free Player Access will work.

That will clarified even more in the next month or two.

 

[the_redbeard]

Thanks for the clarification Liz. Still uncertain how the limitations on amount of information shared in the Free Player Access will work.

Yeah, I know that this won't be answered but here is a conundrum of mine:

- One of the specific reasons I want player web access is to easily provide them with my house rules for character generation. So I would want a number of topics of those options and general info to be available.

- I'm guessing here: but I am interpreting that the free web access would be limited to a number of topics linked to an event for the next adventure.

- If so, could I also create a "character generation event" that would have links to my house rules for character generation and basic world info. Then I would switch back and forth between that 'character generation event' and whatever event is the next generation as the set of limited topics available.

I'm just guessing of course.

But it would be really troubling to not be able to have character generation house rules available (old school gaming always has death as a possible consequence). I was hoping RW would be the sole repository of the campaign and that I wouldn't need another service.

 

[Parody]

Since I like to take stabs at things: if they had to choose something as a free limiter, it might be "every topic that had something new revealed in the last closed game session". But who knows? :)

Regardless of how it works, it's an easy issue to solve for the low low price of $6-10 per player.

 

[rob]

@the_redbeard: The model we have mapped out should theoretically allow you to accomplish what you've outlined. It depends on the specifics of what you are seeking to setup, so no promises. But it would likely work.

 

[adzling]

xclnt thanks.

Option 2 would solve all our issues at the table and beyond

I think there's some misunderstandings about what player access is going to look like on the web. Rob addressed that awhile ago here, but I'll reiterate the key points.

1. Free Player Access - There will be a free level on the web, which will allow players to view a limited amount of information. This level will target players that just want to see the information needed to play in that game session.
2. Web "Player Edition" - With this paid level, players can view all revealed content just like the desktop version. In fact, anyone with a desktop license will have access to the features on the web. They have a Player Edition *account*, which is what controls access to features, just like on the desktop. The reason "Player Edition" is in quotes is because we may change the name.

The important point is that desktop Player Edition won't become useless once web-access releases. Many users will find it still useful, especially if their game space doesn't have internet access. Also, their desktop license unlocks the full player web-access, so it's a win-win.

I hope that clarifies things a bit!