Laptops at the table - Do you use them?

[JediSoth]

I used to use a laptop when I DMed to provide ambient music during sessions (I had playlists set up for Battles, City, Mood, Source Music (like from minstrels), and Travel), and so I could access the SRD with its search functionality. I also used an HTML XP calculator from there.

It was invaluable during my Ptolus campaigns, as I had the big book in PDF and could just run a search for the information for which I was looking. My laptop was lighter and took up less space than the book.

I have never used a laptop while playing, and can't imagine doing so. I don't think I'd want to play a game where I would need, as a player, much more than my character sheet, dice and one or two (at the most!) reference books.

 

[Talysian]

I have a tablet laptop, I couldn't imagine doing anything without it gaming wise.. I take that and my dice everywhere, it's not much bigger then two books, there is no screen blocking. I don't surf the net or other things though due to work I either have to have that or my iphone on for email, because if certain people email me, I simply *have* to drop what I'm doing for a moment or two and answer there question. Does this mean I'm going to stop my turn to do it no.. But as soon as it's done I'm writing out a quick response and sending it out. This happens about once every game or two, it's just the nature of the beast. I couldn't even tell you the last time I opened a actual book at a game, I own them, and have them at the house, for quick browsing material but other then that, they don't go to the games. And are all in mint condition!

 

[Obryn]

OK, so Masterplan is making my 4e combats run smooth as silk.

I don't think I'm going back.

-O

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

Most players have Laptops and use them for characters, or PDF versions of books for quick refrence or if there are not enough physical copies to go around. Everyone in my group prefers real books, but with money being tight, if you have to use a PDF you have to use it.
The only complaint for using laptops is that it can be distracting when its not certain players turns they will distract with funny pictures and showing them to the other players or people will plays games or chat online.
To be honest im a little guilty of this, but only during certain players turns where we are do for a long bout of getting nothing done or doing absurd things not even related to the task at hand. So to take care of my boredom the laptop comes in handy.

 

[Obryn]

FYI, I just threw out a rather fawning mini-review of Masterplan in this thread.

-O

 

[Blackbrrd]

My groups DM's always use a laptop to track init,hp and so forth.

As a DM I dislike it when people bring a laptop to my game as it is easily a distraction that makes you passive instead of thinking of ways to get the game going and fun. I have therefore mentioned my dislike of laptops.

Most of my games are quite fast-paced and guidelines we follow to keep waiting in combat to a minimum.

4e is actually very good at not requiring computers at the table since the rules are printed with the powers instead of the 1/2 A4 page spells of previous dnd editions. We have complete sessions without anybody looking up a single rule, which is quite liberating.

 

[Alan Shutko]

I use a laptop at the table in one game, and I used it to the side when I GMed.

In the game, I use Illustrator to map our trip through ToEE. My character sheet and notes are all on paper, I just use the laptop to map. I also purchased copies of the 1e books on PDF back when they were available, so when we were creating characters I had that as a reference. (We don't have enough hardcopies for the whole group.)

I just picked up an iPad, and that'll be a second screen I'll toss the map on so we can hand it around the table. I prefer mapping with Illustrator to paper since it's much easier to fix mistakes. We have another player who's mapping on paper, and digital is faster. When we're exploring, the laptop's open, when we aren't, I close it up.

When I GMed, I had notes on my laptop in a Mac program called DEVONthink which lets me load in all sorts of files (including PDFs), link between them, etc. I mostly used it to take session notes since I type faster than I write. I also had a campaign time tracker I wrote that keeps track of RCD&D rounds, turns, days, using the Mystara calendar.

In a third game, we've got a player who has her character sheet on a laptop. We haven't had any problems of focus in the games with these.

 

[Alan Shutko]

I just had a session with digital mapping with Illustrator and showing it on the iPad. It was GREAT.

So, here's the setup. MacBook running Illustrator and ScreenRecycler. Mocha VNC Lite running on the iPad, which connects into ScreenRecycler, adding the equivalent of a second monitor to the MB. I have my map open in one window on my laptop screen, and open a second window and dragged it over to the iPad.

Now we've got the laptop which is viewable by the three folks on my side of the screen, and the iPad which can be easily passed around for everyone to view. We could just lay it down on the table so the players or DM could point to clarify where they were going or what they were doing. If anyone wants a closer look, they just grab the iPad and look at it, which doesn't stop me from making updates. And since it's digital it's been very easy to make fixes to the map if something is wrong.

 

[Obryn]

I just had a session with digital mapping with Illustrator and showing it on the iPad. It was GREAT.

One of these days, I'll have to visit one of your games down there.

-O

 

[Griznuq]

I do.

I think originally, it was sort of a novelty, but these days it's handy for so many things! We use it for the background music, for keeping the log, all my books are on PDF...

I even wrote an article about PCs as a pen and paper gaming tool.