21st Century Gaming

[Reynard]

What, if anything, do you think needs to change -- relative to technology and competition from things like video/PC games -- in the RPG industry to bring it into the 21st century? I am not taling so much about persoanl preference, though that certainly factors in, but how it can be more competitive.

For my part, I think there are 2 keys. the first is electronic support -- not fan made character generators and the like, but official software to make life easier on the GM and players. The second is 'cool graphics' -- the D&D minis are a nice start, but I would like to see modular board/battle mat like things, non random minis and various other bits that are just plain fun to play with. It's kind of hard to convince the WoW generation to 'imagine' everything.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Virtual Battles software. The program inserts the characters, the opponents and the GM is able to import custom maps or use ones that already exist. A gaming table that can run this software and use holo-projection to see the battle as it is happening.

 

[Umbran]

What, if anything, do you think needs to change -- relative to technology and competition from things like video/PC games -- in the RPG industry to bring it into the 21st century? I am not taling so much about persoanl preference, though that certainly factors in, but how it can be more competitive.

There's stong arguments supporting the idea that nothing you do to the RPG industry will make RPGs competetive with the really big entertainment forms. Whatever the medium you choose to use, the underlying base activity simply isn't one that interests a majority of people. Change the nature of what people want to do in their spare time, and RPGs have a chance to compete.

 

[ThirdWizard]

So... throw wiffle balls at people when they turn on the sports channel?

Or buckets of tennis balls if you're short on time!

 

[Mouseferatu]

So... throw wiffle balls at people when they turn on the sports channel?

Good advice under any circumstances, really.

 

[Steel_Wind]

The Mitsubishi Pocket Projector with twice the brightness - for the price of an Ipod (and probably not much bigger than an Ipod, either).

Add that to D&D Miniatures and you are set to make some serious tech inspired inroads with this hobby.

Not possible you say? Texas Instruments' patent on the core array behind all DLPs runs out in two years which should result in a dramatic price drop. Add to that a recent chemical accident in a lab earlier this year with quantum dots resulted in what had heretofore been the holy grail: a soft-white LED light bulb that's damned bright.

Yup. Very possible.

 

[The Shaman]

So... throw wiffle balls at people when they turn on the sports channel?

Good advice under any circumstances, really.

But I like the sports channel!

*POK!*

Hey, knock that off!

Or buckets of tennis balls if you're short on time!

There's no kill like overkill.



Okay, the topic...

I think some of this transformation is taking place already. Factory-painted collectible minis on flashy, profesionally rendered map tiles certainly make a vivid impression - however, I wonder if there's a concomitant loss of imagination and individuality as a consequence: no need to actually visualize the scene and the monsters and characters, here they are, in 3d and stunning color, all identical to the scene at hundreds of other gaming tables...

1978...
Player 1: "Dude, Tim had the coolest room in his dungeon!"
Player 2: "What was it?"
Player 1: "There were these series of bridges made out of iron over a river of lava, like five or six of 'em, and we had to fight these orcs to get across..."

2008...
Player 1: "Dude, Tim has the coolest room in his dungeon!"
Player 2: "What was it?"
Player 1: "There were these series of bridges made out of iron over a river of lava..."
Player 2: "Oh right, the lava tiles from Iron Fane of the Scarlet Wyrm. I used those in my game last weekend...and we fought across them in Will's game last month...and then Joanna decided to use her fire elemental mini in that one in a game I played over spring break..."

Some call this progress. I have reservations.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Here's a thing I've been pondering: Character Sheets.

The official character sheets are rather uninspired so most people turn to home-made versions. Now, the character sheets is any players first representation of the game. When in doubt players look, browse or read through their sheet searching for an odd ability to use or an item that may solve the problem at hand.

I'm suggesting making a character sheet that better represents the game. It should not only contain the numbers but also the extensions; such as conditions and recovery. I realise this is asking a lot but if the game is designed around the character sheet (just like a board game is designed around the board) it might just work.

I know I'm rambling, but wouldn't it be nice to have a rendered full color sheet to go with your prepainted minis and flashy battle maps?