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Post by ericfromnj on Jul 5, 2013 11:38:32 GMT -8
OK, so my wife told me my replacement phone is going to be a smart phone, of which I know nothing about.
One of the only things that interest me is the possibility of getting apps that relate directly to tabletop gaming.
Is there a type of phone operating system - apple or android - that has some really cool tabletop gaming apps?
Keep in mind me and technology are not the best of friends.
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Post by Kainguru on Jul 5, 2013 11:57:26 GMT -8
I've acquired a shit ton of different apps and tired them . . . Bar a dice rolling app which came in handy the day I forgot my dice (doh) . . . They all share one thing in common - They're all SHIT!!!! It's the creative use of non gaming apps that works best - like messaging . . . Less obvious than furtive note passing. Plus it's an excellent notepad for those ideas that come outta the blue . . . Or photographing 'that' building etc etc etc Oh and ProBoards has a dedicated app Aaron
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Post by Houndin on Jul 5, 2013 12:28:04 GMT -8
The only one I use is evernote, for my all my GM needs. Like Kainguru said, it comes in handy for those 'out of the blue' flashes of inspiration. Other than that, I find it useful for email, calendaring, and other mundane shit. but then again I have a Blackberry
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Post by rickno7 on Jul 5, 2013 13:08:37 GMT -8
Likewise I have found almost all gaming apps to be lackluster and unprofessional. I'd pay for one if it turned out to be... useful. Pen and paper is just too simple, quick and easy for doing things like keeping up with hitpoints, initiative, power points and the like.
Right now I use EZPDF viewer, the payed version with annotations for my PDF viewing, and I turned the page animation on. For some reason I'm more patient with the page loading if I'm watching the other one flip like a page in a book. An easily portable PDF viewer is by far the most advantageous thing about having a Smartphone/tablet with gaming.
I have made use of scenery pictures in games for the past decade. I usually would keep some form of table top easel to display them. I have not GM'd enough with the tablet, but I could see myself saving some ink color by using my tablet for such a thing.
I have a life counter for when i'm playing MTG or Zombie Dice, or anything with multiple people and scores.
Aside from that... not a lot of help from apps.
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Post by Stu Venable on Jul 5, 2013 13:35:49 GMT -8
I'll second everything stated above. I use EZPDF and Evernote. Evernote's damned handy. I like the fact that whatever I'm working on is available everywhere. EZPDF is the best pdf app I've found -- still pales in comparison to a physical book. No search function is as fast as me flipping through a book for the right section.
I don't keep a dice app installed. There are tons of them, they're small and easy to find, so I'd just download it when I need it.
I like the idea of using a tablet for visual aids.
A chat client for note passing is useful. We used IMO for the Traveller game.
If I had a million dollars, I'd make a DM screen of iPads.
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Post by Kainguru on Jul 5, 2013 13:39:22 GMT -8
A well written DM screen for iPad would make a million dollars in return. HappyJacks first Kickstarter? Aaron
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Post by ericfromnj on Jul 5, 2013 15:40:57 GMT -8
OK, thanks. Are both available for both operating systems? I could use a pdf reader rather nicely...
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Post by Kainguru on Jul 5, 2013 15:50:00 GMT -8
IOS it's built into the bookshelf app. Page turning by default and supports hyperlinks. Aaron
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nanoboy
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 142
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Post by nanoboy on Jul 5, 2013 16:33:32 GMT -8
There are dice rollers and note takers, of course, as others have mentioned. There are also some system-specific apps out there. The GURPS Calculator will do some of the basic GURPS combat calculations really quickly, making sure to ask you the right questions. Pathfinder Toolkit has the SRD built into it, as well as other features useful for that game.
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Post by Forresst on Jul 5, 2013 16:55:04 GMT -8
This is gonna sound stupid,but hear me out: Pinterest. I go, I find pictures I like, I pin them. Then I go to my game, and if I have trouble explaining a visual I like, BOOM! PICTURE!
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Post by fray on Jul 5, 2013 22:05:35 GMT -8
+1 Forresst
Yep, Pintrest is a treasure trove of great pics for gaming use.
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Post by daeglan on Jul 7, 2013 12:59:15 GMT -8
Gurps Calculator if you play Gurps and have android.
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Post by Arcona on Jul 8, 2013 1:19:46 GMT -8
Well... Diceroller is fun... especially when you shake the phone and the dice shake as they do in some apps. I also have the Pathfinder Master Tools which basically has ALL the open content pathfinder stuff in it (so basically ALL books of pathfinder) WITH a search function so its an amazing tool that is better than having to go through a dozen books to find something. I have the same app for the open content D20 stuff but those are much more limited. I guess depending on how 'open' some companies are with their IP there might be more such things available. Unfortunately White Wolf keeps everything 'closed' so no V:TM stuff. Lastly pictures are always easy to find using your phone. I tend to add 1 picture for each NPC... it wont always be an exact fit but it makes it easier to visualize
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Post by Arcona on Jul 8, 2013 1:20:34 GMT -8
Ah and also get Knights of Pen and Paper... a pretty cool game where you control the people Playing the characters on a pen and paper game...
Its not revolutionary or anything but its fun!
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Post by Stu Venable on Jul 9, 2013 8:56:21 GMT -8
This is gonna sound stupid,but hear me out: Pinterest. I go, I find pictures I like, I pin them. Then I go to my game, and if I have trouble explaining a visual I like, BOOM! PICTURE! It's never occurred to me to use pinterest at the table. I even have a pinterest account with an L5R board for visual inspiration, but I just use it for inspiration. Brilliance!
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