I personally prefer paper at the table but do use PCGen to create my character sheets. Other players make more extensive use of gizmos. One downside I have seen many times is when a gizmo screws up in some way and a fair amount of game time gets lost while that player and often other players attempt to get it working again.
Do you allow electronics at your gaming table?
gamerprinter
Mapper/Publisher
I brought a laptop with Battlegrounds VT software, just for the character sheet recorder, so I could record all the PCs in the game - for keeping tabs on them as GM. After that single usage, the gal that owns the house we play it, complained that the laptop gave off lots of heat that bothered her during play, and that she'd prefer I not bring it, next time. There is one PC in the gaming room, but due to being located in a very remote rural location - even today, she only has dialup internet, so relying on that computer for online access to rules and sharing content is far less than ideal.
Despite being the most computer literate member of our group of friends, I don't and never have owned a cell phone/IPOD or anything like that, and really don't ever want one. I have a land line at home and in my office/shop, if I'm not near either phone, I can't be contacted - and I prefer that. Many of the players in our group are either unemployed, or underemployed so have the cheapest type cell phones, rather than having App capable hand-held devices. Only one person has IPOD device, but strangely the gal who owns the house with that device is less than computer literate and has accessed very little apps and/or games - pretty much using her phone as a phone only.
There was a time, that electronics were banned from our table (after the laptop incident), with all cell phones and any other devices (which there were none) kept on a table in the room adjacent to the gaming room (except for the one PC on dialup, which was usually not even "on"). One of our players runs a pizza shop and regularly checks on the status of workers in his shop, so we allowed him to keep his phone. Eventually, another brought her phone, so she keep track of her husband on that status of her baby. So the ban essentially went away, but limited to use for important phone calls only - nobody uses their phone for any gaming purpose at our table. If I had a cell phone, I might be the only one to download game accessory apps, but I don't, and as stated the rest of our table are not very active online, unlike me (I'm at a home laptop at the moment).
Long story short, we don't use electronics to assist gaming in any way, at our table. All electronics and online access I do for my games are for game-prep only, offsite from where we game.
Despite being the most computer literate member of our group of friends, I don't and never have owned a cell phone/IPOD or anything like that, and really don't ever want one. I have a land line at home and in my office/shop, if I'm not near either phone, I can't be contacted - and I prefer that. Many of the players in our group are either unemployed, or underemployed so have the cheapest type cell phones, rather than having App capable hand-held devices. Only one person has IPOD device, but strangely the gal who owns the house with that device is less than computer literate and has accessed very little apps and/or games - pretty much using her phone as a phone only.
There was a time, that electronics were banned from our table (after the laptop incident), with all cell phones and any other devices (which there were none) kept on a table in the room adjacent to the gaming room (except for the one PC on dialup, which was usually not even "on"). One of our players runs a pizza shop and regularly checks on the status of workers in his shop, so we allowed him to keep his phone. Eventually, another brought her phone, so she keep track of her husband on that status of her baby. So the ban essentially went away, but limited to use for important phone calls only - nobody uses their phone for any gaming purpose at our table. If I had a cell phone, I might be the only one to download game accessory apps, but I don't, and as stated the rest of our table are not very active online, unlike me (I'm at a home laptop at the moment).
Long story short, we don't use electronics to assist gaming in any way, at our table. All electronics and online access I do for my games are for game-prep only, offsite from where we game.
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delericho
Legend
Yes. To be honest, I have a hard time getting my head around the notion of banning them - partly because I game exclusively with adults, which inherently changes the notion of "DM's authority". So the DM gets to rule on anything within the game, but the moment it crosses out of the game, that's another question.
However, the flip side to that is that people are expected to police themselves, and we'd have no problem ejecting someone who was constantly distracted other otherwise troublesome. The convention goes both ways.
As it happens, very few of us use technology at our games, although it's becoming increasingly common. In particular, my most recent 3e campaign (two years ago) saw people referencing the SRD and dndtools on their smartphones frequently, which struck me as a really good use for tech. And 4e games have been similar with DDI.
The one reasonably recent case where I did find the tech oppressive, though, was at a 4e game where three people (the DM and two players) each brought along laptops for use with DDI. With the DM this was fine, as DMs commonly use screens anyway for various reasons. But I found that with the other players it was much more of an issue - the screens served as barriers that had a surprisingly strong effect on breaking up communication. I did not like that session (fortunately, it was never repeated).
But that one was before tablets became as common as they are. I genuinely believe that they're a game-changer in the use of tech as tables, and also mark the point that a game almost has to have electronic versions of the books available in some form.
However, the flip side to that is that people are expected to police themselves, and we'd have no problem ejecting someone who was constantly distracted other otherwise troublesome. The convention goes both ways.
As it happens, very few of us use technology at our games, although it's becoming increasingly common. In particular, my most recent 3e campaign (two years ago) saw people referencing the SRD and dndtools on their smartphones frequently, which struck me as a really good use for tech. And 4e games have been similar with DDI.
The one reasonably recent case where I did find the tech oppressive, though, was at a 4e game where three people (the DM and two players) each brought along laptops for use with DDI. With the DM this was fine, as DMs commonly use screens anyway for various reasons. But I found that with the other players it was much more of an issue - the screens served as barriers that had a surprisingly strong effect on breaking up communication. I did not like that session (fortunately, it was never repeated).
But that one was before tablets became as common as they are. I genuinely believe that they're a game-changer in the use of tech as tables, and also mark the point that a game almost has to have electronic versions of the books available in some form.
Nylanfs
Adventurer
I use PCGen to make my character sheets (which I email to the DM before the game) and then use the paper copies for the game. Others use a variety of no tech to everything is on their tablet. The only people that use laptops though are the DM and one other that is a college prof and is either grading papers on it or doing his secondary job of being an editor for several RPG publishers, but he is very good at multitasking and good situational awareness so it works.
Zhaleskra
Adventurer
I'd say part of the answer to that question depends on where you're gaming. For example, were I to host a game in my apartment (which I may do), it's simply a matter of space: I don't have room for everyone to be on a laptop.
Use them to look up rules, keep track of your character, but please roll physical dice.
RichGreen
Adventurer
Hi,
An interesting thing happened in last night's game. The player who often faffs around on his iPad playing Candy Crush etc now has an app on there with his character sheet. He spent the whole session paying attention to what was going on and only used his iPad to update his character
Seems like the addiction might be to the device itself....
Cheers
Rich
An interesting thing happened in last night's game. The player who often faffs around on his iPad playing Candy Crush etc now has an app on there with his character sheet. He spent the whole session paying attention to what was going on and only used his iPad to update his character
Seems like the addiction might be to the device itself....
Cheers
Rich
Nilbog
Snotling Herder
I'm probably a Luddite, but at our table we try to use as few electronic aids as possible, they are not banned per se, but we only use them in case of an awkward rule that needs resolving or perhaps a google image search for a monster.
I think this is for a couple of reasons, a) quite a few of my group work in IT, so its nice to take a break from looking at an electronic b) I find there is something more engaging about old fashioned pen and paper, if this purely nostalgia i don't know, but i certainly enjoy gaming more this way
I think this is for a couple of reasons, a) quite a few of my group work in IT, so its nice to take a break from looking at an electronic b) I find there is something more engaging about old fashioned pen and paper, if this purely nostalgia i don't know, but i certainly enjoy gaming more this way
ShinHakkaider
Adventurer
I wouldnt play in a group that banned electronics. That seems like it really over steps a boundary between people. I totally get not wanting to deal with the person who's playing Pokemon or games on their phone or tablet DURING the game. That's just as bad if not worse. But banning my ability to look up quickly and efficiently without having to lug around rulebooks? Or even the ability to use an electronic character sheet?
I've been using a tablet and my phone to help run games for a long time now. My players also use electronic character sheets and apps to keep track of familiars, spells and eidolons and NPC's and such. With no issues whatsoever. People are respectful and not rude. The problems around electronics that some people are talking about sound like less of a electronic tool problem and more of a problem of people being TOOLS.
I've been using a tablet and my phone to help run games for a long time now. My players also use electronic character sheets and apps to keep track of familiars, spells and eidolons and NPC's and such. With no issues whatsoever. People are respectful and not rude. The problems around electronics that some people are talking about sound like less of a electronic tool problem and more of a problem of people being TOOLS.
