Darth K'Trava
First Post
haiiro said:
Probably improper storage. They're meant to go back into the box a certain way with the foam padding to cushion the writing surface.
Dry Erase Battle Mat
Probably improper storage. They're meant to go back into the box a certain way with the foam padding to cushion the writing surface.
Brottor Dankil
First Post
Darth K'Trava said:
You may be right. I've had mine since 2003 and no major scratches yet (deep enough to hold ink that can't be easily erased). For reference, we typically use them once a week. Using the foam pads during shipment is key to preventing scratches.
Haven't noticed any problems with miniatures scratching the surface, including the solid lead and pewter ones. As long as you don't put pressure down on the mini as you slide it accoss the surface, minis won't scratch the surface.
Also haven't noticed dice rolling as a problem scratching the surface. Even the big heavy ones.
Writing on the surface with a pencil/pen could have caused scratches too. Since you have to bear down to get a pencil/pen to write, I could see that scratching the surface. We haven't used pencils/pens to write on paper on top of the tiles yet so I don't know for sure, but it seems logical.
Steel_Wind
Legend
Tactiles? Bah. Dinosaur stuff. 
Digital Map Projections all the way! For the cost you would put in to a decent set of Tactiles, spend that amount per player in your group, ebay a projector and go digital.
Say what you want about Battlemats or Tactiles - they are both highly inferior to a projector. It's not even remotely close.
Digital Map Projections all the way! For the cost you would put in to a decent set of Tactiles, spend that amount per player in your group, ebay a projector and go digital.
Say what you want about Battlemats or Tactiles - they are both highly inferior to a projector. It's not even remotely close.
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Steel_Wind said:Tactiles? Bah. Dinosaur stuff.
Digital Map Projections all the way! For the cost you would put in to a decent set of Tactiles, spend that amount per player in your group, ebay a projector and go digital.
Say what you want about Battlemats or Tactiles - they are both highly inferior to a projector. It's not even remotely close.
The projector stuff ain't there yet. Couple years, maybe. And yes, I've read the other threads, and I've monkeyed about with it myself. Plus, $50 for Tact-tiles that I can haul from place to place depending on where we are playing is darn site more useful to me than a $1000 projector/laptop setup that can't be left up in the dining room or taken to a friends house on the Metro.
Brottor Dankil
First Post
Rodrigo Istalindir said:
I like the projector idea but it does have drawbacks like the portability you mentioned. The prep time will be more, it's harder to draw with a mouse than it is with a pen. And the flexibility to improvise will be less with a computer/projector setup vs. a hand drawn map. You can't cover all situations that could come up ahead of time, and I can't see whipping something up on the computer in the amount of time it takes to do a quick hand sketch.
And the cost is still way high for projectors. If you've got other uses for the projector besides gaming it might be worth it, but I just can't see myself spending $500 - $1000 just to make pretty maps.
Though I must admit I loved the look of projection maps.
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Steel_Wind
Legend
It appears you didn't read those threads as carefully as you might have then.
I ebayed another projector, a Toshiba XGA, 1024x768, 1500 ANSI for $480USD last week. I got it for home theatre and as a back-up projector should someting happen to our other one.
It weighs 3.8 lbs, with a shoulder strap carrying case. In other words, about the same as a laptop. The projector istself is about the size of a clock radio. They are *extremely* portable.
So:
- They are not a $1,000.00;
- they are *quite* portable.
- Prep time and use at the table is faster than drawing anything by hand.
- they look infinitely better
- when not in use for gaming, my Home Theatre screen is 110"
This may not be in eveyone's price range. But for groups of 5 or 6 who want to acquire them, they certainly are easily within reach of your typical ENWorlder.
It does not assist pepole who are looking at alternatives to suggest that a digital solution is not a viable option. It most certainly is.
I ebayed another projector, a Toshiba XGA, 1024x768, 1500 ANSI for $480USD last week. I got it for home theatre and as a back-up projector should someting happen to our other one.
It weighs 3.8 lbs, with a shoulder strap carrying case. In other words, about the same as a laptop. The projector istself is about the size of a clock radio. They are *extremely* portable.
So:
- They are not a $1,000.00;
- they are *quite* portable.
- Prep time and use at the table is faster than drawing anything by hand.
- they look infinitely better
- when not in use for gaming, my Home Theatre screen is 110"
This may not be in eveyone's price range. But for groups of 5 or 6 who want to acquire them, they certainly are easily within reach of your typical ENWorlder.
It does not assist pepole who are looking at alternatives to suggest that a digital solution is not a viable option. It most certainly is.
Rodrigo Istalindir
Explorer
Steel_Wind said:It appears you didn't read those threads as carefully as you might have then.
I ebayed another projector, a Toshiba XGA, 1024x768, 1500 ANSI for $480USD last week. I got it for home theatre and as a back-up projector should someting happen to our other one.
It weighs 3.8 lbs, with a shoulder strap carrying case. In other words, about the same as a laptop. The projector istself is about the size of a clock radio. They are *extremely* portable.
So:
- They are not a $1,000.00;
- they are *quite* portable.
- Prep time and use at the table is faster than drawing anything by hand.
- they look infinitely better
- when not in use for gaming, my Home Theatre screen is 110"
This may not be in eveyone's price range. But for groups of 5 or 6 who want to acquire them, they certainly are easily within reach of your typical ENWorlder.
It does not assist pepole who are looking at alternatives to suggest that a digital solution is not a viable option. It most certainly is.
I most certainly did read the other threads.
A) I said $1000 for the laptop and the projector.
B) A mechanism to suspend it over the table is hardly portable.
C) There is absolutely no way it is fast than sketching something out by hand.
D) They look better if you put a substantial amount of effort into it. Otherwise, they look repetitive
E) 1500 ANSI is insufficient in a brightly lit room, not to mention the heat output
I'm not saying it's not do-able. I've done it. I'm saying that for most people, myself included, the benefits do not yet outweight the cost or effort.
Darth K'Trava
First Post
Brottor Dankil said:
No scratches from minis at all.
Haven't seen any damage due to me rolling dice on them at all. And I'm usually the main one to roll dice on them.
They're not meant for using pens or pencils on them. Just dry erase markers. Using the rest is at your own risk. Not to mention stupid. Neither shows up to start with. It's better to use the markers.
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Darth K'Trava
First Post
Steel_Wind said:Tactiles? Bah. Dinosaur stuff.
Digital Map Projections all the way! For the cost you would put in to a decent set of Tactiles, spend that amount per player in your group, ebay a projector and go digital.
Say what you want about Battlemats or Tactiles - they are both highly inferior to a projector. It's not even remotely close.
You must have some RICH players.....
I know I couldn't afford to spend that kind of loot on a digital projector.... And we don't have the resources to use one either. Nor the space. We'll stick with the Tact-Tiles!
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