Player View

[Acenoid]

Hi there!

Somewhere I'd read that it's recommended to prepare the next session in RW, by opening windows etc. Showing Images from within RW to the players is taking too much effort, since the topics have to be revealed.

It would be better if the player window could be set into a certain mode that works like this:

a) add context menues to topics / snippets / IMAGES: "reveal in player window & refresh", "reveal in player window close other & refresh", "clear player view & refresh"

b) I can put ANY topic / image / snippet into the player view.

Then I would show with one single click a certain portion / image or snippet in the player view on the fly.

What do you think about that?

 

[Vargr]

Can't entirely see for me exactly what you describe, but I suppose that those extra options wouldn't hurt.

I haven't really had any problems with the way it works now.

 

[rob]

The suggestion takes two separate forms...

First, you can setup tabs with different content for YOUR reference during play. Key scenes, NPCs, storyboards, and the like can be pre-loaded into tabs for instant access during play. You can also now setup a custom view that contains the two-dozen topics that you expect the PCs to interact with, putting everything right at your fingertips.

Second, you can setup Player View with different content for disclosure during play. Yes, you need to pre-reveal topics and maps in order for this to work, but you can reveal the topic without revealing any snippets, and you can reveal maps without revealing any regions within them, so the only thing that ends up truly pre-revealed is the name (which can be customized to ensure nothing important is disclosed). Once a topic or maps is pre-revealed, you can add it to Player View and then hide the window showing that content. You can then size and arrange the windows within Player View prior to the game. During play, all you need to do is click the button on the window to show/hide the various windows to present what you want to the players.

Hope this helps!

 

[Acenoid]

Hi!

I will definitevely try out your suggestion. Since the GM version is the only version active in the group, the names are unproblematic.

At the moment, I click on "open external" for images and turn around the laptop. This is the quickest way I could find now adays, without spending time to structure screens or something. The idea is to really have a quick way "this information to the player screen -- now, no if's no but's".

 

[Gord]

I might just be missing it but it would be really nice if the tab setup could be saved along with the realm. I usually work on the main desktop machine and set things up there very naturally since it just happens while I am working. When I switch to the laptop and sync to play, all the tabs are the same as they were the last time I played. Of course, with all the other last minute things to do, I always forget about this and have to spend time fixing it.

 

[Vargr]

At the moment the RW settings are stored locally and not transferred in the synch.

I don't know if an automated synching of this might cause problems between two different machines such as different monitor sizes, number of monitors, etc.

 

[adzling]

It is annoying, and was very confusing at first, that you have to reveal the topic to show any snipped within to players. It's cumbersome and can be confusing (especially for noobs).

Now that I'm used to it, it's not terrible. Its just another thing that annoys me about the interface. So I can live with it, its just not optimal.

Point of reference: I have a laptop that I use for my editing/ viewing and when in session I connect a secondary display (tv flat on it's back) to display content for players.

 

[kbs666]

It's actually very useful. You can pre-reveal the snippets in a topic that you want revealed when the topic finally does come up, for instance an NPC's gender, species and other attributes readily apparent visually, and not need to be looking for buttons in the interface when the time comes. You simply reveal the topic and everything else is revealed automatically. I use it all the time to speed up game play.

 

[ShadowChemosh]

It's actually very useful. You can pre-reveal the snippets in a topic that you want revealed when the topic finally does come up, for instance an NPC's gender, species and other attributes readily apparent visually, and not need to be looking for buttons in the interface when the time comes. You simply reveal the topic and everything else is revealed automatically. I use it all the time to speed up game play.

Yep exactly what I do also. Same logic applies to rooms that are being explored.

As I enter the room details into RW I reveal the "read aloud text" and other use information that players will easily find. Depending on how hard the "treasure" in the room is I will reveal the treasure snippets. During the game then as the players get into the room its a single button press to reveal the whole topic.

 

[rob]

I might just be missing it but it would be really nice if the tab setup could be saved along with the realm. I usually work on the main desktop machine and set things up there very naturally since it just happens while I am working. When I switch to the laptop and sync to play, all the tabs are the same as they were the last time I played. Of course, with all the other last minute things to do, I always forget about this and have to spend time fixing it.

Basically, what @vargr said. Additional concerns center on the fact that a machine used for putting content into RW and setting up a realm will often NOT be the machine on which the content is revealed during play. The assortment of tabs that a GMs wants open during entry and prep will typically be very different than the set of tabs for running the next game session. So we've kept the two distinct from one another.

If there's enough demand, we could potentially make it configurable, so you might consider adding this to the requests forum.

 

[Farling]

Syncing the player view would also not work for perhaps the majority of users where the screen size is different between their preparation machine (e.g. desktop PC) and the GMing machine (e.g. laptop). The position and size of windows would have to be different in this case.

 

[MNBlockHead]

Out of curiosity, for those of you who prep your player view, how much stuff are you sharing? My main use of the player view is for throwing up maps. I'll prep a small number of maps (an area map and one or more local and/or battlemaps and open up additional maps as they progress through the adventure, closing those no longer needed. I find things can become sluggish or unstable if I have too many items open at once and I don't find it that hard to put up a new map.

Also, personally, I find it more difficult to juggle lots of items in the player view than to just add items from encounters as needed.

 

[adzling]

I often show around 5-8 items at once.
They are a combination of photos, images, maps and text based material.

 

[Lexin]

I show text based stuff, particularly when players ask me how to spell something (which I'm bemused by - why does it matter if you spell someone's name correctly in your own notes?), maps and pictures.

My #1 use is maps.

 

[Parody]

(which I'm bemused by - why does it matter if you spell someone's name correctly in your own notes?)

Because if it's spelled correctly but you can't pronounce it, you can at least spell it/show it to the GM and they can probably figure out who you meant. Paizo (to pick on one company) tends to have horrible messes for NPC names, resulting in things that are difficult to both spell and pronounce. There's no way I'd get some of those right three or four sessions (== two months) later.

 

[Vargr]

I don't prepare player views at all.

My gaming style is pretty free flowing and improvised to a certain extent (I know exactly what I want to happen, but it might suddenly happen in the alley in stead of in the house or the encounter might take a different turn), so I find and reveal things as the flow dictates.

 

[MNBlockHead]

I don't prepare player views at all.

My gaming style is pretty free flowing and improvised to a certain extent (I know exactly what I want to happen, but it might suddenly happen in the alley in stead of in the house or the encounter might take a different turn), so I find and reveal things as the flow dictates.

Do you find that RW slows things down for you? I think that is what the OP's original concern was. Personally, I find it easy to review and show in player view on-the-fly if I already have the topic open. The issue for me is that their is a lag in opening new tabs and also the search could be a little snappier. If I have to search for, open, review, and display in player view a topic, that will create a noticeable lag.

So, I tend to prep by:

1. Creating a session-specific view so I have an uncluttered navigation pan showing only those topics that I am likely to need during that session.
2. Have several tabs open for topic that I know will be access frequently.
3. A couple maps that I know will be needed, put into player review, that just need to be toggled on during the game.

 

[Vargr]

@MNBlockHead:

No, I don't find that RW slows down my play. Au contraire.

Generally I might have a few tabs open on the right persons and places (mostly because I just read up on things right before my players arrive) and I wring the rest from there.

Often I have stuff open in players view from last or last-last session

 

[Lexin]

Do you find that RW slows things down for you?

Only if I haven't prepped properly by doing the things you suggest - having the screens I'll be using in a specially created section and opening the ones I'll mostly need in tabs in advance.