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Post by rothgar1969 on Jan 30, 2014 5:36:58 GMT -8
I listen to several RPG podcast and a few actual plays and one reoccurring theme is the negatives that technology brings to the table. Now a couple of weeks ago I ran my first game (Pathfinder, running Wrath of the Righteous) and technology was used to a very satisfactory result. I kept track of initiative with a app on my ipad, and had a small portable bluetooth speaker for mood music, fir which I used an iphone app called DMDJ, which worked perfectly. If a rules question came up (and it did) I pulled ip another app, the PRD which is the OGL content in one place and very searchable. I had NpC's on the Hero Labs app on my ipad (this thing is amazing, and even better, free!!) in case I needed them. Lots of technology, and no distractions at all.
Thats not to say I didn't do my GM homework. I had 9 pre-gens ready when I walked in (which was fortunate because I had two surprise players, both RPG virgins), my encounters drawn on the chessex mat, and beasties stat blocks printed out (again, I love Hero Labs). Technology did play a part in my prep and it made the grunt work much easier,
Anyway, what do all you Jackers think about this as a topic.
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D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
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Post by D.T. Pints on Jan 30, 2014 7:48:27 GMT -8
Someone was just on the podcast talking about this exact topic...hmmm....(but actually did a rather shitty job of actually describing how the technology might work).
Robin Laws is actually developing a game to be played at the table using tablets where all the "crunchy bits" will be handled by the mechanical brains. Unless the players/GM want to get under the hood and tweak the mechanics themselves. Sounds like the future....
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Post by Kainguru on Jan 31, 2014 3:00:29 GMT -8
Technology - I love it. Of the recent developments : OneNote - organises my campaign notes and I just print off what I need Any Paint Program - print off disposable battlemats. Write on them etc and throw away when done Campaign Cartographer - used for years. Overland maps can be tweaked and if you spill beer . . . Print off another one A plethora of web links to random fluff generators for those times you have to wing it Introductory film trailers to set mood and tone. Music - especially free sample sites for loops and sound cloud Calculator on phone cause I'm lazy Webcams etc with roll20 and G+ because, well, Jackercon Aaron
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Post by heavymetaljess on Jan 31, 2014 6:08:01 GMT -8
We've had a long standing rule of no technology at the table. My boyfriend likes to print out all his notes and is totally okay with running games like that. Me? Not so much. I NEED to have access to everything easily and a tabbed browser is easier than a tabbed 3-ring binder for me.
I am currently using a combination of Google Drive and Springpad to organize my campaign and without it, I wouldn't be able to handle the unpredictable nature of my players. I have tables of unusual combat situation rolls, their character sheets, NPC character sheets, play lists, cultural documents, past game notes, future game notes, images for inspiration, tavern menus, etc. all ready to go. I can adapt to anything they throw at me because everything is at my finger tips. To have all of the same information in paper form might require more than one 3-ring binder - which would be useless to me.
My players have come to love me having the laptop at the table. I'm a much better GM because of it and they get to have music that is specific to what they're doing instead of a random playlist of Blind Guardian and Falconer on someones MP3 player. They especially love the background dog panting loop. It helps them remember their NPC dog friend is around... which I really need them not to forget.
... still can't believe they really think he's just a dog. I need to get out my clue-by-four.
P.S. Realm Works. I seriously need them to wrap that shit up. So many delays and I just get angry every time it gets pushed out. It really seems like it would allow me to get down to just one program.
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Post by guitarspider on Jan 31, 2014 6:34:15 GMT -8
Think you have to take what helps you. I don't even want all the information heavymetaljess apparently has access to, I know it would just distract me and bog me down. If I can't keep it all in my head and a one or two sheets of paper, there's too much stuff in the game. If it helps someone else, hey, great.
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D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
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Post by D.T. Pints on Jan 31, 2014 9:17:13 GMT -8
Yep. Which is why I love it all tabbed out on the computer. Many sessions will go by and I won't even have glanced at it in game...but to have it there when my brain starts to short out is very helpful. Names, locations, shops, especially when trying to flesh a city out in game. "Uh...theres a bar and uh...blacksmith....and uh magic shop? zzzzz....."
Black swan publishing has great resources that are often $1.00. Names, treasures, and such with titles like "What's that shiny thing like anyway?" very helpful.
Having said that most of our face to face games really just use dice, paper and pencil. With some definite music selecting going on. However I would like to see our real world group play a future game and involve tablets and pda's and such.
Gaming via G+ has made me appreciate so much more the "how" information is distributed. Handouts and such via texts, tweets, and videos I feel just make the immersion more possible.
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Post by Luckstrider on Jan 31, 2014 18:22:37 GMT -8
Technology - I love it. Of the recent developments : OneNote - organises my campaign notes and I just print off what I need Any Paint Program - print off disposable battlemats. Write on them etc and throw away when done Campaign Cartographer - used for years. Overland maps can be tweaked and if you spill beer . . . Print off another one A plethora of web links to random fluff generators for those times you have to wing it Introductory film trailers to set mood and tone. Music - especially free sample sites for loops and sound cloud Calculator on phone cause I'm lazy Webcams etc with roll20 and G+ because, well, Jackercon Aaron How does printing your maps work?
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Post by Kainguru on Feb 1, 2014 0:38:43 GMT -8
Which ones? For CC3 select an area and zoom in then export to PDF: that maintains the resolution. The next version of CC promises to fix the direct printing. For battle maps - just scale your grid so each 5ft square prints at 1inch. Then print it as a poster and trim the border. How fancy depends on how much effort you put into each map - again I use CC and then tidy up in photoshop. They're still rough but they're better than a piece of paper and a few pen scribbles . . . With CC you can alter how different things look so you can reproduce your master map and make it look hand drawn for example. Plus with likes of CC you have layers which you can hide ie GM's layer, population density layer etc etc what ever you want. The beauty is not having to redraw the map each time for each use. Aaron
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Post by rothgar1969 on Feb 1, 2014 5:23:07 GMT -8
It's been years since I messed with CC but from what I remember it is a damn good mapping program. Not free mind you, but you get what you pay for.
When Realmworks gets released I will be trying it out. Unfortunately, I don't own a laptop so I will be using it on my desktop (Lone Wolf needs to get bigger so they can develop their mobile apps more)
If you add in projectors, surface devices and upcoming technological improvements we may be looking at gaming getting pretty close to cyberpunk levels.
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