If you have not seen this yet you should take a second to look at it. Surfacescapes a new technology from Microsoft could change the way D&D and other role playing games are played and viewed. This might be the first time technology has really helped roleplaying. From the standpoint the online rpg games have taken people away from the game this could help bring them back. This is a step in the right direction for using Technology to make a roleplaying experience even better.
3 comments:
I really feel that more technology does not equal more fun. I have ran games entirely from my head with not so much as a book at the table, from a spiral notebook, and from laptops. I found that in games where I used the laptop more heavily I was spending most of my prep-time formatting documents rather than writing content for my game.
This table blurs the line between table top RPG and computer game quite a bit. Lets say that the program that runs the virtual table top can be programed with AI to help the DM manage all those monsters, how long until you've replaced the DM and are playing a computer game. With internet connectivity you can play with people who aren't physically there and all of a sudden DnD has literally become an MMO.
Generally the only tech that makes it into my games is the notes I sometimes type out in Word. I often don't even use maps or minis.
This, however, could be a nice addition to a game. I'd be more likely to use something that actually keeps the game feeling like the style I play in now. If could bring up a map, character and monster representations on a flat panel, lying in the middle of the table, I'd use it.
Katalos I think what keeps this from becoming an mmo is money. Most DMs work for free or small fees such as cheetoes. For this technology to replace the DM would mean that someone is paying someone to create the content. Creativity has a price and for most DMs seeing there creating come to life is more than enough reward.
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