Computers at the gaming table

[catsclaw227]

I use a laptop during the game when I DM, but that is for access to SRD, DM Genie and printing of maps and such.

It's a tool that speeds up play, and allows me to access rules quicker, but on that note, I don't allow them for the players. I am pretty focused as a DM and VERY rarely get sucked into internet land when we play.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I despise the notion of computers at the table. I won't go so far as to ban them--I've had players who really prefer to keep their characters electronically--but I dislike it, and I'm willing to call people on it the instant they become a distraction.

D&D is all about the personal interaction. To me, anything that interferes with that interaction is a bad thing, and computers at the table interfere with that interaction IME. (As do magazines, or anything else that takes focus away from the game.)

 

[Cabled]

There's a computer close enough to the gaming area that if someone needs to print a character sheet or print something off some website it can be done real fast, but they're not welcome at my table as part of the "gaming environment". I have recently banned cell phones too because of ever increasing text messaging. I had one guy trying to roleplay, but he was texting at the same time and was saying one word aloud for about every two he typed. Totally ruined it. Most of my players are either married or in professions where they may be "on call", so the phones are there...over by the computer, not part of the game environment.

 

[Stalker0]

I don't mind having computers around for look up tools. Some of my players have pds file they bought and its a lot faster to look up stuff on them. However, I definitely think they are distraction.

I've heard the argument that people will only use them when they aren't involved in the scene, but the thing is, I found that players not on the computer will try to find ways to become part of the scene.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My longest running game group- dating back to the mid-1980s- has experimented with computers, mainly for things like number randomization or hit locations for certain games (like Star Fleet Battles).

By and large, it wasn't a distraction but it also wasn't much help.

I could see using one as a DM, especially if you had your adventure saved to your machine, with nice color maps that would be (potentially) expensive to print up, etc.- after all, they'd also double as screens- but I wouldn't want to use one as a player.

The closest I've come to doing that is using my PDA (a PalmOne Tungsten E2). I had been using it to take notes on a campaign I was designing, so when the opportunity arose, I wrote up my PC for Bento's Dallas Gameday adventure on it.

During that process, created a character sheet for the thing. I now have about 13 PCs on it.

The 2 major downsides are the time consuming data entry- my PDA doesn't like my handwriting, so I have to use its keyboard function- and its 3 minute sleep feature, which cannot be turned off, AFAIK.

However, I don't have it set up to access the internet in any way, so that's no consideration at all, and while I could load the SRD onto it, I choose to use my books.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I use one as a DM for SRD access and to use some PDFs.
I would allow them but no one has ever wanted to bring one.
For players I would not allow Internet access though. Just whatever is D&D related on their hard drive.

 

[satori01]

I use a Laptop to DM, and have for years. I find it easier and faster to be able to look up PHB spells off the SRD and have them open in a Tab, or other SRD rules to be more convenient that using the hard copy book. Especially when looking up several interrelated topics. I also use a dice roller program to roll damage, which is useful especially in my high level game.

I never browse at anything else, and just concentrate on the game. One or two of my other players also sometimes bring their laptop, and again limit themselves to dice roller programs...depends on the person I suspect.

 

[catsclaw227]

I despise the notion of computers at the table. I won't go so far as to ban them--I've had players who really prefer to keep their characters electronically--but I dislike it, and I'm willing to call people on it the instant they become a distraction.

D&D is all about the personal interaction. To me, anything that interferes with that interaction is a bad thing, and computers at the table interfere with that interaction IME. (As do magazines, or anything else that takes focus away from the game.)

I usually agree with you on most anything, but as a DM, it has actually IMPROVED my personal interaction, since with DM Genie I can take all the math/stacking/memorization out of the combat flow, I can quickly reference information, and I can focus on the game/players more of the time.

Now, I don't usually like players to have them because of the distractions.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I usually agree with you on most anything, but as a DM, it has actually IMPROVED my personal interaction, since with DM Genie I can take all the math/stacking/memorization out of the combat flow, I can quickly reference information, and I can focus on the game/players more of the time.

Now, I don't usually like players to have them because of the distractions.

Fair enough. Most of my own experience is with players using computers, not DMs, so it could very well work differently for one than for the other.

 

[catsclaw227]

<threadjack>
Hey Ari -- what's this unspoken project with EN Publishing that I heard about in another thread? Do I need to set aside some gold pieces?
</threadjack>