General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
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I only need 1 and it should be here Monday. Hitachi CP-S225WAT.
Most of the new projectors won't. Usually they are listed as wide angle.
The size of the image is very good at low range, but the listed contrast is the worst I've seen on any new projector. I hope it works out for you though.
I've had a desire for a setup like this for a couple of years but only recently have the prices of projectors come down enough to make it feasible. This week I purchased an Optoma 739 projector which will be primarily used for business purposes. On the weekends, however, I'll be utilizing it at game sessions.
One of the factors that I have to deal with is the need for an easily portable solution. My gaming group rotates who's house we play at every session. On top of that, I have a small car (Mazda Miata) so the stand for the projector also needs to be collapsable yet still retain its sturdiness. At just over 5 lbs, the projector I'm using isn't heavy, but it does require stiff support to hold it in place. I have an idea for an adjustable height stand with a telescoping horizontal arm to attach the projector to. I've spent a few days sketching out some plans and searching around Home Depot and Lowes for materials. If I get a working solution put together I'll post pictures of it along with the details on how it was crafted. Wish me luck!
In response to people who haven't used the NWN toolset and disbelieve that maps can be crafted in a matter of minutes I'd like to say that Steel Wind isn't exagerating about the time it takes to make a map. NWN doesn't have a large learning curve. It's very simple and intuitive to use. Just based on my experience throwing together maps in NWN versus the time it takes to draw out a map on the Battlemat, I can confidently say that using NWN will be quicker, more detailed, and far more visually appealing. My group has always used miniatures for combat, so this will be a win, win, win for us.
In the long run, say over the next 5 to 10 years, this setup will give way to roll-up flexible displays similar to the Nanochromic displays offered by Ntera. I'm very excited about the future of table-top gaming. It's only going to get better...especially when I get my Holo-mat. =)
NWN doesn't have a large learning curve. It's very simple and intuitive to use.
Well, to be fair and so as not to leave speechless some people who may be a little confused over what we mean:
1 - NWN map building is intuitive and, as advertised, takes a few minutes;
2 - NWN mod building is complicated and frequently esoteric.
You don't need to know how to build a mod; you only need to know how to build a map, a very different concept.
Quote:
Just based on my experience throwing together maps in NWN versus the time it takes to draw out a map on the Battlemat, I can confidently say that using NWN will be quicker, more detailed, and far more visually appealing. My group has always used miniatures for combat, so this will be a win, win, win for us.
It is indeed. And your Optoma 739 is a very nice projector. Please try and post some pics from your weekend sessions.
I've received a tremendous amount of mail over this thread. People have written me who publish newsletters looking for more info. A dozen people contacted me directly for advice on projectors and it appears another 6 or so of those who responded here have bought projectors in the past 2 weeks.
I truly think we are on to something here and that as projector prices contunue to fall while improving in quality, and people get an opportunity via the Internet, in print, or at Gencon and Origins to see this tech first hand and how it adds to the game, there are going to be a lot of these setups in a lot of gaming circles.
Fantastic pics and setup! I am truly jealous. Has anyone considered a tutorial or idea of how to use just a TV or extra computer montitor instead of the projector setup. This is still out of a lot of gamers pocket books (mine included). I have an extra monitor and would love to be able to utilize some of these ideas, namely the NWN idea with a grid for reference and character icons if there was a way to show where players and monsters were etc. And then go to my battle mat as needed to resolve combat. This would take less mat drawing time to layout a room etc. and leave more for gaming.
Just a thought,
Draxx
__________________ Remember the immortal words of Socrates who said," I drank what?!"
What about an under mounted projector that would project up onto a screen like thing, am I making any sense? I can picture it in my head, sort of a rear projection affair. Anyone messed around with anything like that?
What about an under mounted projector that would project up onto a screen like thing, am I making any sense? I can picture it in my head, sort of a rear projection affair. Anyone messed around with anything like that?
If you're really looking to shell out some money, this would make for an incredible projector screen to lay out on a table. It's a touch screen white board...
The picture size is good, but the unit is dim at advertised 1200 (more like 1000-1100 in actual use. Mftrs all cheat on advertised brightness)
But that's not the real problem. The contrast is rated at 350:1. Again, they tend to overestimate these specs. And even without overestimating, 350:1 is BAD with a Capital "B". Your picture is going to lack definition and looked washed out as all hell.
There is a reason this is $500. I would not recommend this. I'd go ebay and go used before this one. You'll likely end up doing better.
__________________ .Robert
Last edited by Steel_Wind; 12th March 2005 at 03:10 PM..
If you're really looking to shell out some money, this would make for an incredible projector screen to lay out on a table. It's a touch screen white board...
If you're really looking to shell out some money, this would make for an incredible projector screen to lay out on a table. It's a touch screen white board...
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I've tried this at a con before using an overhead projector but this is sooooo much cooler and better even. Kudos- you have the envy of most all here at EN World.
Pics! I had my game Saturday and boy did we love the projector. We turned the lights down quite a bit for the photos, and the resolution on our camera leaves something to be desired, but we were all very happy with the results during game play (where we had the lights bright enough to see by but dim enough for a nice bright image on the table).
Unfortunately you can't see my minis real good in any of these shots, but they stand out pretty good when we are at the table.
A campsite at night being attacked by wights. I whipped this campsite up in NWN Toolset in two minutes. Forest Tileset, add road, add campfire, add wagon, and add oxen. Done.
A hexified overland map map for our adventure that I got from some website over the years (i'd give credit where it is due, but I can't remember where it came from). You can't see it but I'm using Paintshop Pro from Jasc, and I have a layer which just has a Red X in it that I can move around to mark overland progress. (They are in Hommlet when I had this up so the red X is on a red dot.
Inside a ruined and empty abandoned Inn being attacked by a ghost. Another map in the NWN mapper. Just an empty featureless inn. Took about 30 seconds. (no placeables since it's empty but for rubble. I suppose I could have hunted around for some rubble.)
Pretty much the perfect program for presenting this sort of thing. I've used it, and I've done stuff with paintshop and photoshop and klooge works the best for a gaming session, in terms of ease of use.
Most excellent pics Waiting to see some more from others.
The removal of the drop ceiling tile to get some more room was a nice idea too.
As you've noticed by now, using NWN interiors screws up your sense of scale if they have furniture in them. Your room is far either too big or your furniture is.
At some point, I am going to grab a tileset off of NWVault that has the furniture stripped from all interiors rooms and figure out the scale I need to use to make all the furniture placeables at the correct scale for use with NWN, the create a set of placeables for projector use using the scaling wizard in NWmax.
The problem with the interiors, as you have noticed, is that they are NWN cavernous in size in relation to the furniture. This is a pathfinding issue in NWN itself that requires all terrain to be so oversized and massive. You can use zooming to adjust for this for use with a projector, but then the furniture is off in size.
Glad you loved the projector though! If your image is a touch dark, switching to a pre-gridded piece of white foam core or bristle board should work nicely (as would a 1" square presentation pad).
As you've noticed by now, using NWN interiors screws up your sense of scale if they have furniture in them. Your room is far either too big or your furniture is.
At some point, I am going to grab a tileset off of NWVault that has the furniture stripped from all interiors rooms and figure out the scale I need to use to make all the furniture placeables at the correct scale for use with NWN, the create a set of placeables for projector use using the scaling wizard in NWmax.
The problem with the interiors, as you have noticed, is that they are NWN cavernous in size in relation to the furniture. This is a pathfinding issue in NWN itself that requires all terrain to be so oversized and massive. You can use zooming to adjust for this for use with a projector, but then the furniture is off in size.
Oh yes, I have noticed. I'd be very interested in the details of this should you get around to doing it.
I know very little about the more advanced custom work for NWN, but I was playing around and editing some ascii mdl files (without really knowing what I am doing) and making models that give off a radius of light in the mapper. Depending on the zoom factor this could be really cool as light sources (just move it to stay centered on the PC with the torch...). I also goofed around with the model "Firestorm" to try to get a "fireball template" tweaking some values in the emitters and stuff. Fun stuff, too bad I'm as amatuer as they come.
__________________ "No man should outlive his fictional wizard. No man!" - Homer J. Simpson
This is the most incredible game innovation I have ever seen. I want one.
Now I am speculating here. What I am suggesting may not be practical, but I thought I throw it out in the hopes that it would spark some ideas.
Some people cannot mount the projector on the ceiling for a variety of reasons. I have already read a post where somebody is projecting the map on the wall and is using red dots to indicate character positions.
In office supply stores, I have seen large whiteboards that are also magnetic. Do you see where I'm going here?
If you have strong magnets or lightweight plastic miniatures, it might be possible to afix magnets to the bases so the miniatures will stick to the whiteboard. Failing that, a less elegant solution is printable magnetic sheeting. This is available as some art and craft stores. You feed it into an ink jet printer, and print it with images of your characters and various monsters. Cut them out and stick on the whiteboard.
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