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View Full Version : Computers/PDAs at the gaming table



Bassikpoet
2008-10-24, 09:00 AM
Do you allow computers or PDAs at the gaming table?

Personally, I think that if it distracts them, they can't bring it. However, sometimes an online dice roller will save so much time. Disintegrate, I'm looking at you.

Tangential question: Do any of you DMs out there use your own computer at the table?

Gerrtt
2008-10-24, 09:06 AM
Considering that right now my computer is my gaming table, yes.

However, under normal circumstances I would say no a player having a computer at the table.

streakster
2008-10-24, 09:10 AM
Why not? Dice rollers are greatly convenient, and a computer character sheet is much more useful than a paper one.

I'd say no to the net, though.

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-10-24, 09:10 AM
My groups have everyone's personal laptops open, with tabs for the SRD, online char sheets, and searchable PDFs of the books. None of us use a dice roller, though. Gathering up 20d10 for damage is so much more fun.

goram.browncoat
2008-10-24, 09:11 AM
We usually have one computer at the gaming table. It is used mostly by the DM.

A PDA per player for dice rolling could be handy at high levels though. Why dont calculators have a 'd' operator. Itd be so neat if i could just go 3d6+2=14

Ravens_cry
2008-10-24, 09:13 AM
Our Party Leader and DM Wrangler ( he has been role playing longer then I have been out of the womb) uses a computer to keep track of party treasure and items. Also, He uses the online PDF of the Pathfinder Beta (which we are playing), so he uses it to update his character,and keep track of the rules.

AKA_Bait
2008-10-24, 09:19 AM
I allow them, so long as they are being used for gaming. I've found it's less distracting for a curious person to look up something on their computer than to pull out the book and do so. It's also handy for me as a DM so that I don't have to print out everything I plan to use, particularly because I use a good number of the cool homebrew mosters people come up with over on that forum.

That said, only a few of the folks I play with use laptops during play. I had used a dice roller myself for a while but decided I preferred just rolling real dice. As a player, I pretty much decided I don't need access to it, so I don't use it but I don't mind if others do.

Smeggedoff
2008-10-24, 09:22 AM
I keep a textpad document open to make notes, track my inventory and spells etc.
in one of my old groups one of the players constantly spent his time on a game boy or surfing the internet, we kept having to shout at him to take his turns

use responsibly basically, at the gaming table technology is a privilege, not a right

Erom
2008-10-24, 09:22 AM
My gaming table usually involves one spreadsheet monkey (a player, the wizard) with a computer, the DM with a computer, a rules encyclopedia player with the books, and everyone else just with their character sheets and dice.

The computer is just too helpful a tool to pass up, even if it does chew up a lot of table real-estate.

potatocubed
2008-10-24, 09:25 AM
My new group has one guy who tracks his character on the computer. Everyone else just uses pen and paper.

It bugs me a little, since it obscures my view of the player in question, but it hasn't been a distracting problem so far.

kladams707
2008-10-24, 09:27 AM
W/ the discovery of online character sheets, my computer's saved my life in terms of updating.

As others have said, only for gaming and so long as they aren't distracted.

valadil
2008-10-24, 09:29 AM
Our DMs sometimes use them, but players generally stick with books. We pass a calculator around if needed but most of the time we can stick with math in our heads.

Personally I don't like computers at the game table. I find that they put up a barrier between people who are supposed to be interacting. The one exception I'll make to that is the situation where each player has a computer and they're using AIM or some such to speak covertly.

Kurald Galain
2008-10-24, 09:39 AM
In a word, no. Too distracting.

kjones
2008-10-24, 09:54 AM
I have two groups.

For the first, I allow laptops. Some of the players like to keep their character sheets online, and I encourage this, because paper copies tend to get lost, destroyed by soda, etc. Some of them use lots of splatbooks, and they favor PDFs to having to lug the hard copies around. Additionally, one of them keeps a spreadsheet for tracking treasure. I suppose I could forbid them Internet access, as they don't really need it, but I trust them to not let computers be a distraction.

I used to allow the other group to use laptops, but have since forbidden it. That group confirmed my worst fears about laptops - those who had them were constantly chatting on AIM (not about the game or anything), going on Facebook, playing flash games, doing homework, and generally just not paying attention. It got to the point where only two players were ever paying attention, and if I wanted anyone else to listen to me, I pretty much had to throw dice at them. I finally put my foot down, and I'm glad I did. Now, if they want splatbooks, they have to bring them, and if they want their character sheets online, they have to print them out, but the game is the better for it.

So, it really depends on the maturity of your group, but don't be afraid to put your foot down for the sake of the game.

SilverClawShift
2008-10-24, 10:10 AM
Everyone in my group has a laptop we use for gaming. Setting up our laptops is the first thing we do at the start of a session.

For our DM, having a laptop is critical, for a variety of reasons.
He keeps a huge database of monsters and races at the ready, so if he needs to change a pitch or alter the tone of things quickly, he's got all the necessary baddies ready to fling at us.
In the same vein, he keeps all of his NPCs there, along with a hoarde of "miscellaneous" NPCs he can drop into any given situation as needed, so if we randomly pester a shopkeeper, we find out that the shopkeeper is actually fleshed out (not because he was ready for us to talk to THAT shopkeeper, but because he had a name, face, attitude, history, and dialogue ready to drop into the fray).
He also keeps a database of terrain/planar/misc rules. High level campaign? One of the PCs just decided to planeshift everything to the elemental plane of fire? Need to know everything there is to know about blinking and waking up in a bed of lava? No problem *click*.
Maps? Campaign notes? Evil plans for us that we're not privy to? Got it covered. He also keeps copies of our characters (we send him when we level, or change gear, or what have you).

Basically, our DM always seems like he's one step ahead of us, cause he's actually FIVE steps ahead of us.

For we the players, it's pretty darn important too. It's easy to keep your character sheets digitally. We type up the info on whatever classes we're playing, so we don't need the books when we level. We also type up the spells we know, and manage our spellbooks digitally (both the actual spellbook, and the spells memorized for the day and what have you).
The biggest thing though, is that we all use MSN messenger as a chat program during the session. We change our names on it to our character names.
It lets the DM send us notes (if there's something only one character knows, he can just tell that one person). We can ask the DM stuff in secret if we're not doing something with the entire group (it's come in handy before). It also lets us whisper to each other without the other players (or the DM) automatically knowing what we said.

In general, it's handy to have. We still roll actual dice, and we usually have a map printed out for the table, but it'd suck to go back to gaming without my lappy.

adanedhel9
2008-10-24, 12:47 PM
Yes. As a DM, I find that a laptop is nearly indispensible - SRD, campaign notes, name generators, spreadsheets for calculating XP and treasure, maps, and important images all at my fingertips. I have character sheets, houserules, and campaign notes stored in a wiki. One of my players regularly brings his laptop and another uses his iPhone to access this info during the game.

As a player, I usually have a laptop nearby, but I get along with lots of printed character info.

Glyde
2008-10-24, 01:07 PM
pdfs and the SRD save a lot of table space. I bring my laptop to gaming sessions. It also is great for keeping track of NPCs and dungeon maps instead of scattered pieces of paper.


Though I wouldn't use a dice roller. Half the fun from Sphere of Ultimate Destruction is finding 36 6 sided dice

kjones
2008-10-24, 02:46 PM
Yes, those of you who use electronic dice are committing sacrilege of the highest degree.

You can have my dice when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.

arguskos
2008-10-24, 02:55 PM
I allow computers, but I am beginning to regret it. They are just too distracting to several of my players (including one that can't even remember how to roll attacks, it's not that hard!!). I had to tell one of my players to, "Put the physics down damnit" during combat more than once.

I, as the DM, keep my notes on the computer, so I bring mine, merely because I have so much info to keep track of.

If I ever banned computers, I'd still bring mine, but then it seems like I am being unfair to the players, so odds are I'll not ban laptops. *sigh*

-argus

Erom
2008-10-24, 02:56 PM
Tablet computers would be wicked for gaming. All the goodness in a more portable booklike format that wouldn't get in the way of the gameflow as much. Of course, it's not like tablets are very common...

Ooh, ooh, even better, the whole table is a tablet! Haha, that would be awesome, and probably require a government grant to be able to buy/develop.

valadil
2008-10-24, 03:02 PM
Ooh, ooh, even better, the whole table is a tablet! Haha, that would be awesome, and probably require a government grant to be able to buy/develop.

Microsoft is already developing table surface computers. I think the application they had in mind was for bars and restaraunts though.

Tsotha-lanti
2008-10-24, 03:26 PM
My laptop is my GM screen.

Nothing that distracts the players (magazines, comics, cell phones, puzzles, rulebooks for other games) should be allowed, but hell if I can be assed to police 25-year-olds.

monty
2008-10-24, 03:54 PM
About half of one of my groups brings laptops every time, and it's rarely a problem. Well, except, oddly enough, the only girl in the group, who has a habit of playing WoW during combat when it's not her turn. Slows things down a lot.

adanedhel9
2008-10-24, 05:06 PM
Tablet computers would be wicked for gaming. All the goodness in a more portable booklike format that wouldn't get in the way of the gameflow as much. Of course, it's not like tablets are very common...

This is exactly what I do - I chose a convertible tablet specifically for DMing. Except last time I forgot my props that let it sit at an angle that's comfortable to use, so I just opened it up like a normal laptop for the night.

A surface computer as a game table would be pretty cool - it'd be even cooler than the projector game tables that I've seen around. Of course, a surface computer is pretty cool no matter what purpose you put it too.

Ravyn
2008-10-25, 12:06 PM
My group would usually have three computers open at any one time, usually because it was easier for us to carry pdfs than actual books. Didn't seem to slow things down too much.

Then again, in my game everyone's on the computer. We can't help it; it's the only way to get to session.

Ka'ladun
2008-10-25, 01:13 PM
As a DM, I always have my laptop. Everything, monsters, maps, NPCs, etc, is stored in the dnd folder, with it further organized by campaign. I only use computer dice rollers though when I forget to bring my dice.

InaVegt
2008-10-25, 01:34 PM
A PDA per player for dice rolling could be handy at high levels though. Why dont calculators have a 'd' operator. Itd be so neat if i could just go 3d6+2=14

Programmable calculators FTW (I use a TI-84+ m'self)

monty
2008-10-25, 01:36 PM
Programmable calculators FTW (I use a TI-84+ m'self)

Love the 84. I took the time to write a die rolling program in TI-BASIC. Makes it a lot easier when I toss out a disintegrate or something.

InaVegt
2008-10-25, 01:53 PM
Love the 84. I took the time to write a die rolling program in TI-BASIC. Makes it a lot easier when I toss out a disintegrate or something.

I had done the same, then I had to nuke my TI because my TI-ASM program screwed up something.

Yes, I had to nuke my calculator, in the same vein you nuke a PC.

I had all sorts of fun stuff as well. v.v

Temp.
2008-10-25, 02:50 PM
Back in highschool--when we were all convinced that public D&D would be social suicide--my whole group played bookless: using calculator programs for dice and notes scrawled in the margins of math notebooks for our source references. Nobody could ever know that half the school lacrosse team was camped out in the library for D&D, we thought. Really I doubt we convinced anyone, but the secrecy was half the appeal.

Now my group uses computers regularly. This is partially due to convenience (d20srd.org is a hell of a lot easier to navigate than the PHB/DMG/MM), partially due to the fact that between the six of us we have maybe four legally-obtained rulebooks; two of which aren't written for editions we play (We have Serpent Kingdoms, Sandstorm, the 3.0 PHB and the AD&D PHB).

cloneof
2008-10-26, 01:11 PM
As I`am the only one who in my D&D group has actually read the rules, I feel actually not the need for one.

Making distracting noise and such :smallannoyed:.

seedjar
2008-10-26, 03:30 PM
I'm all for it. I don't have money to spend on stuff like dice and minis. (In fact, a green d4 is my preferred mini for my present character.) I always had my PDA with a dice roller and d20srd.org on the browser, and then when I got a Wii we got in the habit of using d20srd.org on the TV instead. I plan to use my laptop's TV out for digital maps and other goodness once my group finds time to meet regularly again. I think the only way it could be a problem is if players are easily distracted or don't have the discipline not to peek at books without the DM's consent. My group was always pretty trusting in that respect - anybody can pick up the Monster Manual, but it's expected that you're looking up stats for a summon or something and not trying to get a hint on the baddies' special abilities.
~Joe

newbDM
2008-10-26, 04:07 PM
Tangential question: Do any of you DMs out there use your own computer at the table?

Yep.

Some programs I use for my campaigns:

DM Secretary (http://barncatsoftware.org/) to organize and plan my games.
Fractal Mapper 8 (http://www.nbos.com/products/mapper/mapper.htm) to map my worlds and moons in my homebrewed Spelljammer sphere.
Inspiration Pad 2 (http://www.nbos.com/products/ipad/ipad.htm) to make custom tables for my games.
iTunes to play and sort my background music and battle music.
www.d20srd.com (http://www.d20srd.com)
www.dmtools.org (http://dmtools.org/) for quick and easy encounter and NPC stats. Also helps me sort and organize my own self made stat blocks.



As a player I use a number of adobe acrobat auto calculating character sheets. They work wonders, and I can just print them out afterward! Plus, my handwriting sucks...

Laurellien
2008-10-26, 04:15 PM
As a DM, I find that a laptop is essential. I have all of my books, campaign notes, NPC stats etc. on it, and it allows me to read up spells or monsters without the PC's being able to see which book I'm going to. I usually just have the DMG and PHB with me as for them, it is easier to browse the book than the SRD.

As far as letting players bring them? I'm fine doing that just as long as the players aren't low enough to use the books to read up on their opponents (which by and large they are not). I find that it is easier to play a complex character with multiple source-books if you have those books to hand. I require hard copies of character sheets, and I also forbid internet access (unless it's for the srd) and I also forbid computer games.

As a player, I find that a laptop is a very useful accessory. I can look at multiple parts of the core books with the SRD, can store modified monster statistics (crucial for an augment summoning druid with plenty of summons and an animal companion). However, I can still get by on the books I have, provided that my character has nothing out of the books that I can carry with me.

AslanCross
2008-10-26, 04:42 PM
I DM using my laptop. In general my players don't use their laptops since they're fine with their character sheets.

That said, distraction is a big issue in my games and I'll definitely ban them if they do distract my players.

Defiant
2008-10-26, 04:54 PM
No electronics except if they are computers for the sake of easy rule look-up (and then, no gaming or messaging allowed... I once had a guy actually play WoW during a session!). I use a computer (my own usually) and appropriate another person's computer for the sake of the map.

So the set up is me at the head of the table with my computer and then a computer at the other end of the table that everyone can see. I have a wireless mouse to control the far computer that shows the battle map for everyone.

Triaxx
2008-10-26, 08:00 PM
I always bring my computer, though it's not always on the table. It's certainly faster than bringing my entire bookshelf.

One of the other players always brings his tablet PC for the DM to put maps on, whoever that may be. Much easier than constantly erasing whiteboards or paper maps. GIMP makes great for altering positions. Build a grid on the background and you can then put walls and other things on it without much trouble. Change levels? Easy, turn off the current level layer, and turn on the next level layer. We can even put down cones, and Areas of effect to see who and what get caught in them.

skywalker
2008-10-26, 10:04 PM
I use a laptop as both a DM, and a player.

As a player, it's much easier to use auto-calculating character sheets in excel. I got so used to using Timpani for 3.5, now I serach vigorously for the latest sheet for 4.0.

Also, the standard reasons, PDFs are much easier than hard copies...

I also keep notes on how much damage we've done to a certain monster, when it dies, etc, so that if we fight it again, I can have a rough idea of how much more it needs. Every previous DM has been ok with that. My current DM thinks it's kinda a stretch but he's ok with it because I play a warlord(who would probably stay on top of those sorts of things). Also, I sometimes keep the Monster Manual open(tho I don't use the info I have) to keep the DM honest. He actually likes this. Plus, I'm the DM sometimes so it's not such a big deal for me to do that. I'm cool with him keeping it open, etc.

As a DM, it's easier to keep track of some things, like others have said.

Of course, where we play D&D, there's no internet access, so that's not an issue. One other player also keeps his character on the computer. He's also actually the DM's jukebox for various background noises and soundtracks. I have seen someone play WoW during a game before, I found that supremely annoying :smallsigh:

horseboy
2008-10-27, 01:11 AM
My laptop is my GM screen.

Nothing that distracts the players (magazines, comics, cell phones, puzzles, rulebooks for other games) should be allowed, but hell if I can be assed to police 25-year-olds.
+1 this, except we're a bit older.
Where we play we have to have an extension cord for the one laptop for GM use, and I'm not sure if anyone but me and the other GM has a laptop, so it's not a big deal.

Heliomance
2008-10-27, 08:01 AM
I use my laptop for gaming. I have it to one side rather than in front of me, so it doesn't form a barrier, and apart from a few eye-rollings as I need a seat near a power socket, it's not been a problem. I have a ton of sourcebooks on there, and I love Heroforge. Generally, if someone needs to look up an effect that's not in core, it's me that gets asked.

Lord Tataraus
2008-10-27, 08:36 AM
Computers are banned (with a few exceptions) to the players, and surprisingly not by me (though I enforce it). The majority of the group decided to ban computers except for players after a number a instances where it was just too distracting. The only time I do allow a computer is for one-shots are extremely short games and only two of my players are allowed to use it. Actually, I probably would allow it for one other, but he wouldn't use it anyway. I do not allow dice rollers, as a CS major I know those things are not reliable and some of the guys are probably tech-savvy enough to manipulate them even more, besides, you can't beat rolling 14d10s to blast a vampire's head off with a big-game hunting rifle, and paper character sheets are easier to manage than online ones for the same reason real books are better then pdfs, also it clears up the gaming table a lot.

JMobius
2008-10-27, 09:34 AM
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to most diplomatically approach asking people to stop playing games and other such non-relevant activities whilst playing?

We want to have laptops, as they're a godsend with such a rules and spreadsheet intensive system as D&D, but want to avoid people booting up WoW.

Who_Da_Halfling
2008-10-27, 10:25 AM
The simplest way to do it is to turn off your wireless router or some other method of blocking internet access to the players. As far as I know, WoW is really boring without Internet.

I personally use a computer (at first because I didn't have a physical PHB and afterwards because I found the online character sheet was simply too convenient). I do need to sit near the power outlet, but i can simply have my computer off to one side slightly (after all, how often do you need to access your sheet?). It hasn't been a problem so far.

-JM

valadil
2008-10-27, 10:32 AM
The simplest way to do it is to turn off your wireless router or some other method of blocking internet access to the players. As far as I know, WoW is really boring without Internet.


-JM

You could also unplug the router from the internet but leave your players networked together. Maybe one of the laptops could host an IRC or Jabber server so players could still chat?

Of course this won't help with single player or locally networked games.

monty
2008-10-27, 10:37 AM
The simplest way to do it is to turn off your wireless router or some other method of blocking internet access to the players. As far as I know, WoW is really boring without Internet.

That makes it difficult, though, if you're using the Internet to access the SRD (which I often do).

Telonius
2008-10-27, 11:47 AM
Computers can be useful for keeping track of bonuses, especially for the purpose of figuring out what stacks with what. Allowed for this reason.

Though any non-game typing or messaging is disrespectful of the group.

JMobius
2008-10-27, 12:05 PM
The simplest way to do it is to turn off your wireless router or some other method of blocking internet access to the players. As far as I know, WoW is really boring without Internet.

Problem arises chiefly from the fact that the house that we play at, and thereby the router, comes from one of the chief offenders.

kbk
2008-10-27, 12:24 PM
I've always had no problem with these things. They're great for references, and we usually store the party loot fund on someones spreadsheet. Yeah, they create distractions, but we tend to be an easily distracted lot, and our primary goal is fun anyways. We go into lots of tangents.

but...

Recently we had someone reading ahead in the module we were playing to come up with solutions to puzzles and encounter tactics and that sort of thing. So maybe we really ought to just not allow them, or to really only let them open between encounters to look up something really quickly or make a note in the party loot.

valadil
2008-10-27, 12:51 PM
That makes it difficult, though, if you're using the Internet to access the SRD (which I often do).

You can download a copy of the SRD and open it with your browser's file>open button. I prefer that, just in case wireless is being flaky. I even put a copy of it on my iPhone!

Defiant
2008-10-27, 01:42 PM
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to most diplomatically approach asking people to stop playing games and other such non-relevant activities whilst playing?

We want to have laptops, as they're a godsend with such a rules and spreadsheet intensive system as D&D, but want to avoid people booting up WoW.

Try banning computers outright except for the DM and maybe the map computer. They aren't necessary since the DM should be able to look up anything.