Coolest. Gaming Set-up. Evar.

[r4NGe]

I am slowly but surely building in help features. For now, ya gotta play around till ya figure it out. If there is something you can't figure out, email me.

I'm trying to make this program as simple as possible with all the functionality I want. I don't want it to "take over" the table top experience, just make it easier. Plus, I think it works with any ruleset you want to use. I'll continue to post here when I make a major update.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

That is one interesting and cool setup. A bit too much for my game but I can see you are having a blast with it. Game on!

 

[jodyjohnson]

Here's a couple better shots from a encounter with the Slave lords in the abandoned streets of Suderham.

The entire city fit in one map as a moderately large Photoshop file.

The close-up of the slavers shows the normal pixels visible which for us is not an issue.

38"x50" image (around 62" diagonal). We favor size over resolution just because it decreases the number of times we need to shift the map and move all the figures. For this fight we ended up shifting the map once since a few stragglers had gone around the block and got between them and the city gate.

Tonight we start ToEE which makes the map scale in Slavers look tiny (for 3.5 sizing rules I doubled the size of the maps to 20'/square which makes fighting large+ creatures more tactical).

 

[danzig138]

I've often thought about trying to save up some extra cash and buy an overhead projector, like they use in schools (or at least they did when I was in school) to show maps on the fly, but that set up of yours is just. . .swank.

 

[Blakey]

Steel_Wind,

Firstly, congrats on the new born!

Been checking my dimensions in the Games Room and I definitely only have 64" from ceiling to table. I don't wish to extend that throw distance (i.e. buying a lower table) and I don't want to add a mirror to the equation. Given that limitation, can you recommend me a projector, please? I'm happy to accept a diagonal image of 38" to 42" sort of range.

I'd like the cheapest possible solution, given those requirements.

Many thanks
Blakey

 

[WampusCat43]

Here's a couple better shots from a encounter with the Slave lords in the abandoned streets of Suderham.

The entire city fit in one map as a moderately large Photoshop file.

The close-up of the slavers shows the normal pixels visible which for us is not an issue.

38"x50" image (around 62" diagonal). We favor size over resolution just because it decreases the number of times we need to shift the map and move all the figures. For this fight we ended up shifting the map once since a few stragglers had gone around the block and got between them and the city gate.

Tonight we start ToEE which makes the map scale in Slavers look tiny (for 3.5 sizing rules I doubled the size of the maps to 20'/square which makes fighting large+ creatures more tactical).

Wicked nice pix, JJ. What causes the "fold" that appears in the middle of the map? The raised circle in the one corner? Is it the tabletop itself or the image being shown?

 

[jodyjohnson]

Wicked nice pix, JJ. What causes the "fold" that appears in the middle of the map? The raised circle in the one corner? Is it the tabletop itself or the image being shown?

The fold is where the 2 32"x40" sheets of matte board meet. They are the backside of our old green matte board (with a 1" grid drawn on it). We just flipped the sheets over. The grid for the projected maps is from Photoshop.

Some visible lumps are a Legal notepad, a 4" circular matteboard template (Flamestrike IIRC), and theres a larger 12" template as well (Light). It's one of the nice things about the projector -- items left on the table don't obscure the image.

 

[Blakey]

Had a look at the PocketProjector page on the Mitsubishi site and it looks (to my inexpert eye) to be the exact thing my group is looking for. It also says it is due out Q4, 2005. I'm thinking it might be my Christmas pressie to myself.


So, assuming I eventually get a projector and get it working that really does lead to a rather important question: how to you actually use it at the table?

I have NWN, and am okay at using the toolset. I can see this as being perfect for things like random wilderness encounters and campsites and the odd natural cave lair type thing. Absolutely spot on for this - you can so easily just build a setting in seconds.

But what about published adventures? I use them most of the time for my main modules. I have all my modules in PDF format and copy them into DMGenie to use during the game sessions. But I'm wondering how to deal with the maps for table top use.

My latest idea was to use NWN toolset again, and build the maps on the fly as the players explore them. In other words, replicate the published maps as closely as I can using the toolset - only laying out sections as the characters explore. Effectively I'd be doing what I do now - I draw the map on our Tact Tile boards as the characters explore them. But instead of drawing on the Tact Tiles, I'd be creating the dungeons inside the toolset as they explored. This way there are no issues with the players spotting secret doors which aren't there (as I'll only add them to the map when they are found), or any other meta-hints gathered from a DMs map.

Anyone tried this approach? I think this might be a better approach than actually mapping a level out in advance in the toolset, plus this means absolutely zero preparation required on the part of the DM in terms of building a map.

Comments?
Blakey

 

[Steel_Wind]

I think the jury is still out on the Pocket Projector. My expectation is that it will be much too dim to be of practical use - but I will be very happy to be wrong. Current specs on Mitsubishi's site is approx 250 LUX which translates to about 700 ANSI (LUX is a measurement dependent upon surface reflectivity and is a term rarely used when discussing projector units - a sign that they don't want to talk about the brightness of the image AT ALL. Not good.).

700 ANSI? Sorry man - that's too dim. 800 is the bare minimum cut off - and for that you must be playing in a dim basement with led lighting bars. Incandescent or flourescent lights are out. If it was free? Well ok. But shelling out 400 quid for one of these? Nah..

You want 1000 at least - 1200+ ANSI preferably for playing under normal conditions. Mine are 1500 and 1600 respectively and I would not want to go much lower than 1500. 700? No way.

For published adventures, I use NWN for non-detailed areas and Tabletop Mapper for printed maps. TM is great as it allows you to scan or - in the case of new Dungeon Mag adventures - just use their maps they put oline in the online supplements (resolution is a tad low though).

I'm a big fan of Tabletop Mapper as it suits the purpose to a T. Google it for the latest version.

 

[Blakey]

I think the jury is still out on the Pocket Projector. My expectation is that is will be much too dim to be of practical use - but I will be very happy to be wrong.

Noooooooo!! You can't say that!! It fits our requirements perfectly - £375! For a projector wich will throw a 40" image from 3'!! It's perfect!

For published adventures, I use NWN for non-detailed areas and Tabletop Mapper for printed maps. TM is great as it allows you to scan or - in the case of new Dungeon Mag adventures - just use their maps they put oline in the online supplements (resolution is a tad low though).

I'm a big fan of Tabletop Mapper as it suits the purpose to a T. Google it for the latest version.

Hmm, but the trouble with that is that you have to doctor the maps first to take out secret doors and other information which the players shouldn't see. And you have to prepare the maps previous to play. By "drawing" them on the fly using the toolset you have zero preparation to do and can effectively replace a dry erase marker with the toolset.

After all, if you are currently using a dry erase marker (like I am), you don't get a perfect copy of the map in your module when drawn on the board. So, "drawing" it in NWN toolset would be just as accurate, and far, far , far more visually stunning.

Plus if you have a lazy DM like we are current playing with, or one who doesn't have access to a PC at home, he doesn't have to do ANY prep at all in terms of setting up maps - he can turn up on the day and borrow someone's laptop to draw the maps as we need them.

Blakey