Computers at the gaming table

[MadMaxim]

I bought a laptop for use at the university I'm at, because I write painfully slowly, so a laptop was really the only way for me to get notes written in a hurry. I must say that it is proving invaluable when I'm DM'ing as well, because it's so much easier to find the NPC you wrote down four or five sessions back and now the player characters have come back to the that particular NPC. Everything is just a whole lot easier to keep track off instead of having a ton of paper. It also makes it ten times easier to access information on new equipment, spells etc.

 

[pogre]

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'm in the same boat. Fortunately, I only have one player who occasionally uses one to keep track of his PC. He has been very focused on the game - so no troubles there.

 

[Glyfair]

What's with all this banning??? I thought this was supposed to be a game of teamwork and participation? I know it'd be a huge red flag to me if I walked in and the first thing out of a DM's mouth was, "No laptops!."

I don't think this is any worse than various house rules about side conversations ("No Monty Python quoting"), food or other distractions.

Computers are clearly a great tool at the table. However, they should be abandoned/banned when they become a regular distraction.

 

[wedgeski]

I'll be using my laptop almost exclusively to DM my next session in a couple of weeks. I can't shed myself of all my hardbacks in this little experiment because it's a Dragonlance campaign but I'm interested to find out how it's all going to go.

 

[Imruphel]

I use a laptop when I DM away from home because it's just a much more convenient way to "carry" all my books... particularly as I live in Singapore but game in Australia. I have all my hardback books as PDFs for that reason.

However, when I DM at home I stay away from the computer and use the books and printed notes.

I have no objection to my players bringing a laptop but they prefer not to. They're a good group so none of them would be the sort to read the news etc... instead of concentrating on the game (plus living 7,000 kms away from them means we all really value our gaming time together).

 

[GAAAHHH]

No Monty Python quotes? Heresy!!!

Bring out the comfy chair!

I don't think this is any worse than various house rules about side conversations ("No Monty Python quoting"), food or other distractions.

Computers are clearly a great tool at the table. However, they should be abandoned/banned when they become a regular distraction.

 

[robberbaron]

I have found my lappy to be indispensible for GMing 3.5. I may not have bothered running a game at all if it wasn't for DMGenie.

When I play I print out my character and leave the lappy in its bag.


A few years back, when there were fewer of us and we played at a bigger table, 2 of us used lappys - not a problem. Now, with a larger group and a smaller table there have been up to 5 lappys in use at one time - problem.
I'm all for players doing what they think is best but there was hardly any room for the battlemat and some of the walls went under cables. Also, a couple of players do other stuff during the game.

Not sure about banning them. Having a group consensus not to use them would be better.

Bottom line for me: GM using a lappy = good. Players using lappys = potentially bad.

 

[DM-Rocco]

The laptop is the ultimate DM screen, it is great. If you are having problems running a game because the players have laptops too, then it is either a flaw in your running of the adventure and able to keep their attention or the player is just a trouble maker by nature. Either way, the laptop is just a tool.

If the problem is that your players just keep exploring the internet during gaming hours, then disconnect the wireless for the night. If they are looking at files on the computer itself, then the player is just a jackass and ask him to put the computer away.

I wouldn't ban the laptop just because of one bad night.

 

[Mark]

I wouldn't ban the laptop just because of one bad night.

Agreed. It is easy enough to tell when someone is goofing off in that manner and get them to stop. If it becomes repeatedly problematic, there is always the threat of docked XP.

 

[Clefton Twain]

When I DM I use a laptop. Nobody else has a computer (or really wants one). It is ultra useful for me to have any resource I need at my fingertips without having to scrounge through different books to find it.

Every so often we gaze upon something one of us found on the Internet but we return to the game soon enough.

In my opinion, there is no reason for anyone other than the DM to have computer access.

--CT