Agreed. I use a laptop with pdf's as a resource for pulling up an obscure thing once in a while, and have the character sheets stored on there, but that's about it for me. Everything else is pen and paper.
Forked Thread: How do you feel about online gaming?
- Thread starter Glyfair
- Start date
Agreed. I use a laptop with pdf's as a resource for pulling up an obscure thing once in a while, and have the character sheets stored on there, but that's about it for me. Everything else is pen and paper.
I'm not interested in online gaming at all. Like other posters stated previously, I'm at least as interested in the social aspect of sitting down to game as I am in the game itself.
But then again, I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, so finding a game is a piece of cake. (And from what I understand, Mac isn't exactly well supported.)
If I get a job in Odessa, Tx., that may change.
However, even then, I think its more likely that I would be seen playing by email with guys I know rather than truly gaming online.
gamerprinter
Mapper/Publisher
Tabletop only...
Regarding number 1, its the same I feel about all electronic gaming, which is nothing because I don't/won't do it.
Regarding VT with it's intention to being able to play when your friends are far away, though I get it, and can approve of it, it doesn't describe my situation at all. Today is Saturday, its game day, we meet at one of three houses depending on who is hosting the game, and real people drive to that one location and play until the wee hours of the morning.
I own Battleground and have become adept at MapTools, however, the other players don't want me to bring a laptop or projector into the game. We use miniatures, a drawing board for a map, sometime I print our gaming maps, books, dice, P&P - sodas and munchies. That' how I've always played the game. So VTs while interesting is a non-issue.
Of course #2 then, doesn't apply to me.
And #3, if I played online, and that would only happen if you're talking Virtual Tabletop and my gaming situation changed (like I moved or something). Then it would be using MapTool because its a great VT app, its free, and my fellow players would not have to pay for it to participate. (DDI - means nothing and couldn't mean anything ever... for my games, anyway. Its a non-issue.)
Even though I am willing to buy a VT app, they (the other players) are not. So I don't really see that happening.
And in reality if I moved, I'd just find another gaming group or convert new friend non-gamers into gamers, I probably wouldn't ever consider online gaming at anytime.
GP
PS: I see I misread #3, but as a final note, I could care less what Hasbro/WotC does with the game electronically or otherwise, I play 3.5 and will go to Pathfinder when its available. WotC's current toolset and direction, is not where I'm going ever.
Regarding number 1, its the same I feel about all electronic gaming, which is nothing because I don't/won't do it.
Regarding VT with it's intention to being able to play when your friends are far away, though I get it, and can approve of it, it doesn't describe my situation at all. Today is Saturday, its game day, we meet at one of three houses depending on who is hosting the game, and real people drive to that one location and play until the wee hours of the morning.
I own Battleground and have become adept at MapTools, however, the other players don't want me to bring a laptop or projector into the game. We use miniatures, a drawing board for a map, sometime I print our gaming maps, books, dice, P&P - sodas and munchies. That' how I've always played the game. So VTs while interesting is a non-issue.
Of course #2 then, doesn't apply to me.
And #3, if I played online, and that would only happen if you're talking Virtual Tabletop and my gaming situation changed (like I moved or something). Then it would be using MapTool because its a great VT app, its free, and my fellow players would not have to pay for it to participate. (DDI - means nothing and couldn't mean anything ever... for my games, anyway. Its a non-issue.)
Even though I am willing to buy a VT app, they (the other players) are not. So I don't really see that happening.
And in reality if I moved, I'd just find another gaming group or convert new friend non-gamers into gamers, I probably wouldn't ever consider online gaming at anytime.
GP
PS: I see I misread #3, but as a final note, I could care less what Hasbro/WotC does with the game electronically or otherwise, I play 3.5 and will go to Pathfinder when its available. WotC's current toolset and direction, is not where I'm going ever.
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Jeremy Ackerman-Yost
Explorer
Considering the progress of my life and the locations of my friends, the odds of me ever playing face-to-face again are slim to none. I've reliably found that when I meet people who game, 99% of them are not people I want to game with. But when I meet people who have the right gaming vibe, they play everything under the sun except RPGs. Obscure board games, card games, etc.... but anything with a hint of roleplaying is right out. If I want to ever play again, there need to be accessible online tools so I can get some old crews at the same virtual table.
Unfortunately, the currently available methods all seem weak on actual interaction. If I'm ever going to sell this to my friends (former gaming partners and otherwise), there would have to be a serious marriage of gaming and communication without having to juggle 4 separate computer programs doing different things.
Unfortunately, the currently available methods all seem weak on actual interaction. If I'm ever going to sell this to my friends (former gaming partners and otherwise), there would have to be a serious marriage of gaming and communication without having to juggle 4 separate computer programs doing different things.
Lord Mhoram
Hero
Do not play online. Never will.
I never played Doom online (even though I had broadband). Never play Xbox online - and those are video games designed for online play. I'd never do face to face gaming online. I'd just not play if that were the only options presented me.
Which makes the next two questions moot.
Glyfair
Explorer
To be fair, as WotC envisioned the game table it was completely system independent. That sets aside the fact that you would be likely to have to get it as part of the DDI package. Still, not using 4E would not be a disqualifier from using their game table (assuming it is worth the price).
Aberzanzorax
Hero
I play online.
It is free. Completely.
I use maptools (of rptools fame) and Skype.
My group seems to really like it, as do I.
Is it as good as face to face?
NO.
Once I move back to Massachusetts, I'll be driving 4 hours to Jersey for the weekend once a month for our playing sessions. That's how much it is inferior to the face to face playing.
But am I happy with it? Do I enjoy it? YES.
While I'm stuck here in MN, hundreds of miles from my group, it is a worthwhile substitute.
NOW, all that said, would our face to face gaming be enhanced with maptools instead of a battlemat? I think it would, and I may continue to use it.
It is free. Completely.
I use maptools (of rptools fame) and Skype.
My group seems to really like it, as do I.
Is it as good as face to face?
NO.
Once I move back to Massachusetts, I'll be driving 4 hours to Jersey for the weekend once a month for our playing sessions. That's how much it is inferior to the face to face playing.
But am I happy with it? Do I enjoy it? YES.
While I'm stuck here in MN, hundreds of miles from my group, it is a worthwhile substitute.
NOW, all that said, would our face to face gaming be enhanced with maptools instead of a battlemat? I think it would, and I may continue to use it.
I don't much like it.
I haven't even tried MapTool because everyone in the group I'm in long ago decided it 'sucks' and pirated Fantasy Grounds, and later FGII. I can't say I like either much. FGII even less so since when I'm DMing it eats so much resources I can't have browser windows or anything else up. It's a massive hassle to track things, entering in NPC stats and such is a mess to the point where I don't even bother anymore and I do everything from my books or printed sheets of paper. It makes for massively slow combat as everyone goes searching for their modifiers every single round so they can roll the die 'right', types out what they're doing, finally moves their token, rolls...
So I find it a big hassle and a mess and terrible for immersion. Especially my immersion as the DM as I'm so busy trying to fiddle with stuff I barely have time to type stuff out at the players.
Plus the nature of online gaming, tied to a computer, has led to things like people doing other stuff during sessions and actually telling me off for trying to get them to pay attention when they're 'working'. Which, argh, we have a set meeting time once a week that usually turns out to be once a month. One of the players doesn't believe in messengers or telling me in advance if he won't be able to make it, so I can't get in contact with him most of the time and can't find out if he'll be there until it's time for the session to actually start.
Which, clearly I need to ditch them all, find another group where I can be a player instead of the only guy still willing to DM, and switch to something less annoying to play.
But yeah, the way it's currently going, it is not at all doing it for me and only my desire to play D&D is keeping me actually doing it.
I haven't even tried MapTool because everyone in the group I'm in long ago decided it 'sucks' and pirated Fantasy Grounds, and later FGII. I can't say I like either much. FGII even less so since when I'm DMing it eats so much resources I can't have browser windows or anything else up. It's a massive hassle to track things, entering in NPC stats and such is a mess to the point where I don't even bother anymore and I do everything from my books or printed sheets of paper. It makes for massively slow combat as everyone goes searching for their modifiers every single round so they can roll the die 'right', types out what they're doing, finally moves their token, rolls...
So I find it a big hassle and a mess and terrible for immersion. Especially my immersion as the DM as I'm so busy trying to fiddle with stuff I barely have time to type stuff out at the players.
Plus the nature of online gaming, tied to a computer, has led to things like people doing other stuff during sessions and actually telling me off for trying to get them to pay attention when they're 'working'. Which, argh, we have a set meeting time once a week that usually turns out to be once a month. One of the players doesn't believe in messengers or telling me in advance if he won't be able to make it, so I can't get in contact with him most of the time and can't find out if he'll be there until it's time for the session to actually start.
Which, clearly I need to ditch them all, find another group where I can be a player instead of the only guy still willing to DM, and switch to something less annoying to play.
But yeah, the way it's currently going, it is not at all doing it for me and only my desire to play D&D is keeping me actually doing it.
Masquerade
First Post
When I play roleplaying games, I usually do so online. I prefer online gaming, and the friends I enjoy gaming with the most live far away.
Even with my DDI subscription, I would continue using RPTools MapTool rather than switch to the gametable. Even when I'm DMing a face-to-face game, if it's D&D, I use MapTool. I like the software, it has everything I need in a virtual tabletop, it's reliable, and (important to me) it's open source.
Plus, the D&D gametable's 3D character models bother me for all the same reasons as physical minis.
Even with my DDI subscription, I would continue using RPTools MapTool rather than switch to the gametable. Even when I'm DMing a face-to-face game, if it's D&D, I use MapTool. I like the software, it has everything I need in a virtual tabletop, it's reliable, and (important to me) it's open source.
Plus, the D&D gametable's 3D character models bother me for all the same reasons as physical minis.
fissionessence
First Post
I try to play online, but due to a really weird schedule on my part, and a lack of others who are able to match my schedule, I am generally unable to do so. I prefer face to face, except that I know only one person who's as interested in RPGs as I am, so getting a group was tough, and they're not all that invested in the game. Playing online would potentially get me in a game where all the players were more invested. I could theoretically meet new people in my area to play with, but I don't like making friends. Playing online also gives me the benefit of not having to spend more energy/time with the people I meet outside of the game.
I am not satisfied with the current tools. Apart from above, this is probably another big reason I don't play as much online as I'd like. I played a few LFR maptool sessions several months ago, but the character tools are cumbersome and essentially require me to build my character sheet twice . . . except that they don't have tutorials on how to use their tools, making it that much harder. Maptool itself was great, but those stupid tools really turned me off. They also update with annoying frequency, requiring me to re-enter all of my info to stay 'updated'. It was after one of these updates that I stopped playing. I'd rather just roll my dice and tell people what I got.
I am interested in and looking forward to Wizards's tools. I have high hopes that the [hypothetical] tabletop will reach a larger number of people, allowing my schedule to not be as much of an issue. I'd also hope for a better ease of use factor than what I'm getting from the maptools character records.
~ fissionessence
I am not satisfied with the current tools. Apart from above, this is probably another big reason I don't play as much online as I'd like. I played a few LFR maptool sessions several months ago, but the character tools are cumbersome and essentially require me to build my character sheet twice . . . except that they don't have tutorials on how to use their tools, making it that much harder. Maptool itself was great, but those stupid tools really turned me off. They also update with annoying frequency, requiring me to re-enter all of my info to stay 'updated'. It was after one of these updates that I stopped playing. I'd rather just roll my dice and tell people what I got.
I am interested in and looking forward to Wizards's tools. I have high hopes that the [hypothetical] tabletop will reach a larger number of people, allowing my schedule to not be as much of an issue. I'd also hope for a better ease of use factor than what I'm getting from the maptools character records.
~ fissionessence
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