Is there a future for physical gaming pieces?

[TheRooster13]

Another possible scenario, combination physical and digital sets. From the basic idea of using a flat screen to show a map that regular minis move around on, to something more elaborate that can create 3D environments digitally. In either case, I see a need for miniatures and maybe furnishings too.

 

[delericho]

I think, for other reasons, adding more stuff to our refuse stream in a very broad way is a stunningly bad idea. If you aren't throwing those orcs into the *recycle* bin, we are going to have a problem.

Sure. I'm not advocating that as a good thing, just (probably) the point where it goes from being a niche tech to mainstream.

 

[TheRooster13]

Does anyone know of any studies that try and estimate how many people play RPGs in person and how many play online? Is it 50-50? 80-20? There's gotta be something like that right?

 

[delericho]

Does anyone know of any studies that try and estimate how many people play RPGs in person and how many play online? Is it 50-50? 80-20? There's gotta be something like that right?

I would be surprised if WotC didn't know, but they don't seem to be keen on sharing that information.

But given that they did quite a lot of work on a VTT for the 4e DDI and then simply dropped it, that suggests to me that it's closer to the 80-20 split than the other. But that's just my deduction - I don't have any information on the topic.

 

[Desdichado]

Depends on the game. For RPGs, I already don't really use physical game pieces, but that doesn't mean I want digital to replace my face to face game, or think that it ever really would.

I can't imagine trying to play something like Warhammer 40k without physical game pieces, though.

Then again, I've almost completely given up on physical Blood Bowl in favor of the computer game. I never even finished painting my Skaven or Chaos teams, and probably never will, now.

 

[Janx]

I would be surprised if WotC didn't know, but they don't seem to be keen on sharing that information.

But given that they did quite a lot of work on a VTT for the 4e DDI and then simply dropped it, that suggests to me that it's closer to the 80-20 split than the other. But that's just my deduction - I don't have any information on the topic.

it probably would have been cheaper to license a VTT than build their own. Imagine a fork of Roll20 branded as D&D and tweaked to reflect just D&D.

Given what WizKids did for table top gaming with the Combat Dial via MageKnight, I would imagine the next innovation for tabletop gaming to be akin to what SkyLanders did.

Put an ID of some sort on the miniature, and use your smart phone or special device (like the SkyLanders pad which is really an RFID reader) to recognize the miniature and show you its abilities and status in the game.

Thus, you still play with miniatures, but the paper work is reduced.

 

[delericho]

it probably would have been cheaper to license a VTT than build their own.

Almost certainly. But given that they decided to build their own, to go so far down that path and then just drop it... very strange.

When you consider that this was actually the second time they'd done that (the first being the 3D version envisaged when 4e was announced), it was stranger still.

It's fair to say I'm glad they've chosen to outsource the 5e digital support to Trapdoor...

 

[neonagash]

a lot of people here are creating a false divide between online gaming with digital tools and in person gaming.

My group and a lot of groups I know use all or mainly digital tools for our in person game.

Theres a large TV at the head of the game table. I run an HDMI cable from the computer tower into the TV and split screen it so that the TV can show maps, roll20 or other VTT's over the years, initiative charts and dice rollers, everything. And now with Chrome cast we dont even need to move the tower or get the cord, if i ever get around to buying it.

I dont think I've had more then 1 or 2 paper character sheets at the table since the early days of 3e either.

Digital tools just make everything so much faster and easier. I can set everything up during the week, save files so I can make little edits here and there to customize maps, save monster stats and files as well as NPC's as I go, the list goes on.

For modern games theres lots of programs that let you download things like google earth and customize them with place markers and descriptions. I've even seen one with the ability to edit the world map so you get a nice earth looking world with cusomized continents, cities and names.

I said goodbye to stopping the game for 20 minutes to draw out a battlemat and set down mini's a long time ago and would never look back. Any tactile benefit was more then offset by the constant delay of the game to set up or map out where the characters were.

 

[Jhaelen]

Theres a large TV at the head of the game table. I run an HDMI cable from the computer tower into the TV and split screen it so that the TV can show maps, roll20 or other VTT's over the years, initiative charts and dice rollers, everything. And now with Chrome cast we dont even need to move the tower or get the cord, if i ever get around to buying it.

I said goodbye to stopping the game for 20 minutes to draw out a battlemat and set down mini's a long time ago and would never look back. Any tactile benefit was more then offset by the constant delay of the game to set up or map out where the characters were.

Call me conservative or old-fashioned, but I'm unconvinced about this. I'm pretty sure I prefer battlemaps and minis to a TV and I definitely won't let an app roll my dice!

_If_ something is going to replace my battlemat, it's going to have to be a (good!) VR/AR solution, nothing less will do.

 

[Desdichado]

Call me conservative or old-fashioned, but I'm unconvinced about this. I'm pretty sure I prefer battlemaps and minis to a TV and I definitely won't let an app roll my dice!

_If_ something is going to replace my battlemat, it's going to have to be a (good!) VR/AR solution, nothing less will do.

If you play with a more narrative combat style, and therefore don't even need a battlemat most of the time, then that's even more true. I don't want to ever replace the actual rolling of physical dice in an in-person game. Frankly, I don't want to ever replace writing on an actual paper character sheet with a pencil either.