Wondering how important computers are to D&D [rant]

[MerricB]

I'd like to use E-tools, but I'm very scared of the reviews of it.

And the PC-gen interface leaves me cold.

Cheers!

 

[Zappo]

It's been seven years since the last time I wrote anything longer than a few sentences by hand, save for notes taken at school or university (don't have a decent laptop) and exams. I don't see any single reason for RPGs being any different. Sorry, nostalgia doesn't work on me, when something is clearly superior I use it.

There are several things I do by hand. I like to customize a lot, and current programs either just aren't flexible enough, or they take more time than paper when you go far from the rails. Monster customization and advancement for example. For similar reasons, I don't use much computer support during the game. But the day I find a program that does what I want better and faster, I'll switch (uhm, provided that it comes after the day I can afford a decent laptop, that is ).

 

[MerricB]

You know, I just realised that the only things I regularly do on the computer is my PC's character sheet and the post-session logs.

Almost all of my preparation for DMing is done by hand.

Hmm...

Cheers!

 

[johnsemlak]

You must remember, John, how pervasive computers are in every aspect of the modern human's lifestyle, among "first world" and "second world" nations. (Unsure if these are the correct terms, but they get my point across.)

Even in Moscow, how many people do you know who own typewriters? (I am curious.) As you know, in the U.S. more people own Porsches than type writers, I believe. I personally know of no one outside of my own business that owns or uses typewriters, and we have constant battles over approval for repair when they break.

In this age, we use our computers to plan our travel, to order our entertainment, to plan our daily routines, handle our finances, and even restock our food and supplies for some! We have integrated them into all aspects of our lifestyle, not just gaming. What you are seeing is a side effect of this phenomenon.

Imagine in the U.S. when Tax season begins, if by a new law, no company were allowed to produce software with upgraded tax tables in them for personal use. Some people would riot in the streets! How will be do our taxes? (Other than doing them by hand, or taking them to a tax preparation service.)

These days, if something must be done without computer assistance, some people will just prefer to do without.

Henry, I certainly agree that most people in the modern world, myself included, are dependant on the computer to some degree. And I certainly understand that to some people CARP aids (Computer Aided Role Playing) are now essential. However, as MerricB and others have stated here and elsewhere, some people are much less dependant on the computer various aspects of the game than others. I think the D&D gaming population as a whole, even just within the US, isn't dependant to the point that they wouldn't play an RPG without computer support.

I do want to reiterate I'm not trying to offend those who do use the computer exstensively. More power to them. I certainly understand how a serious DM would prefer to map that way. I use a published campaign setting, so I currently, I don't need to do that often.

Oh, and for the record, I've seen a total of one typewriter in Russia. Don't think they were ever used nearly as much as they were in the US a few decades ago. Now, there are loads of people who do things by hand that would be printed in the modern world (e.g. My (Russian) wife's passport is filled in comptely by hand; I once got a plane ticket completely filled in by hand)

 

[Tsyr]

I've recently started to use Adobe Acrobat and Mad Irishman's form character sheet to keep a safe copy of my character sheet on my computer, and I'm currently using it to keep notes on my Roblinloft D20 conversion I'm working on. But really, I don't like dependency on a computer for gaming... I like to think that if computers stopped working tommorow, I would still be able to keep gaming with basicly no interuption.

 

[Carnifex]

Well, I use the computer for typing up campaign reference stuff for the various nations, as well as the spells and PrC's. But generally I don't need a computer for my face-to-face games, adn do it all with pen/pencil and paper.

Of course for my online game it's kinda necessary for me to use a computer

 

[Henry]

I think the D&D gaming population as a whole, even just within the US, isn't dependant to the point that they wouldn't play an RPG without computer support, period.

Oh, I agree. But the fact of the dependence of the computer in everyday life is still there. I know one player in our group who plays D&D with his iPaq PDA. He has the SRD on it, he has sound files, his character sheets, dice rollers, etc. In fact, he sometimes annoys the heck out of the rest of us when he DOESN'T have his dice roller queued up, because you have to wait 10 or 15 seconds for him to roll his dice. So the complaints have caused him to have a set of actual dice at the table too - it's his concession to us for expediency. Now, mind you, if I need to roll 10d6, or some other large number, he's the first one I call on, but...

There are just those who need a computer for basic prep, and D&D without it is like trying to wash clothes with a creek and a pair of rocks, instead of with a washing machine.

 

[drnuncheon]

One of my games has players in Pittsburgh, PA, Camden, ME, and Providence, RI, and a town whose name escapes me in LA. Needless to say, this would be a great deal more difficult without computers.

As for prepwork, I often do PCs and NPCs using PCGen (sometimes to the point of swearing and cursing because particular thing X isn't present or working properly - the latest being golemfist rings from BoEM3 and bracers of striking from Magic of Faerun.) Still, when it works, it's wonderful, because I can make readable PDF sheets or character statblocks instead of having to rely on the lousy handwriting of myself and my players.

The handwriting thing isn't helped by the fact that most 3e sheets assume that you have built-in micrometers in your hands enabling you to write legibly in a space roughly large enough for a line of fine print from Satan's latest contract. Computers are just self-defense against "is that a 3 or a 7?"

As for note-taking and planning, I do it both on and offline, although my final notes are usually done on the computer and printed onto 4x6 cards. I don't actually use a computer during play at all.

All that said, I could still do it with just a pencil and a pad of paper. It'd just be more trouble.

J

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I use my laptop for the following purposes.

Campaign Notes, Party notes & Timeline - MS Word
Initiative & Hit Points - MS Excel
Random NPC generation - E-Tools or another random generator. E-Tools doesn't want to display the stat blocks on my laptop for some reason.

I tried using a die roller and found it took away the fun of banging out 20's on big red.

 

[Utrecht]

You must remember, John, how pervasive computers are in every aspect of the modern human's lifestyle, among "first world" and "second world" nations. (Unsure if these are the correct terms, but they get my point across.)

Slightly off topic, but educational none-the-less. The whole First vs. Second, vs Third demarcation is a relic of the Cold War. First World Nations were those of the West (i.e. the good guys) NATO A-NZ, Japan and a couple others.

Second world was in effect the Warsaw Pact and others affiliated with the Soviet Union (so this could include India and China - depending on the timing)

Everyone else was Third World - i.e. the sand box that the first and second world got to play in.