D&D on Microsoft Surface

[Reevinja Mk II]

Link here,, Kotaku.

Has anyone else seen this yet? What do you think of it?  

[SporkMaster5000]

I saw the proof of concept video, i think it was linked on Penny Arcade.

I think it's a cool concept, but as Kotaku points out both on that link and the one for the original vid, Microsoft Surface makes it an expensive idea too. I'm curious how much of an audience it'll have when it actually gets finished  

[bamaotaku]

Best...Christmas....Gift....EVAR!!!

That and the Ultimate Gaming Table.  

[Rain Yupa]

I'd like to play using one, but if it became available on the market, I don't think I'd BUY one sweatdrop  

[Avatar129142137]

It quite literally looks exactly like MapTools, except it's better graphics, and way more expensive.

Personally, I'd stick with MapTools, you get the LoS, Fog of War, Auto updates, character sheets, people can join, and what not. As I said


Just better graphics it seems. Then again, I've yet to play an actual game with MapTools, but I have checked out the program itself, fooled around with it, and have watched the tutorials.

Seems the exact same.  

[SporkMaster5000]

Insanity Logic

It quite literally looks exactly like MapTools, except it's better graphics, and way more expensive.

Personally, I'd stick with MapTools, you get the LoS, Fog of War, Auto updates, character sheets, people can join, and what not. As I said


Just better graphics it seems. Then again, I've yet to play an actual game with MapTools, but I have checked out the program itself, fooled around with it, and have watched the tutorials.

Seems the exact same.

it's also at a table, in real life as opposed to online, which is a significant difference.  

[Avatar129142137]

Which also takes into question of real life gaming, and DMing.


Question one: Is this product good for on the fly DM's who like to make s**t up as they go.

Answer one: Probably not, considering that they'd have to make up the map on the spot as they go. Losing that video game environmental feel and replacing it sort of with a paint board that gives you animated orcs dying within 2.5 seconds. Way to waste your money.

That or the DM would be spending most of the session assembling the play area from the pictures and things he's gathered to make them.

Question Two: How often shall you are your friends be able to get together and make the most out of this product?

Answer Two: That's entirely up to you, but you know, the entire reason we play online is that it's easy, you can perhaps feel more relaxed, and aren't really pressured to rush things all too much.

I'm sure that we all like to play the game in real life, I'm just saying.

How much is this thing going to cost, what will be the specs required to use it efficiently, and will you get your moneys worth. (I never liked the word moneys.. I'm replacing as of now.. Monies. Monies... Hey.. firefox isn't spellchecking that... >.> Both are right? <.<

Personally, it's an O.K. product, but it just seems like a bad product for on the fly DMs.

I dislike it, but I see how it's good. I'll sit in the background and just watch from now on. lol.  

[Wrong Angles]

Well, the biggest problem is that a fair-sized Microsoft Surface costs upwards of at least $10,000 right now, probably metric tons closer. However, what I'd like more is if you could make it interface through Myth-Weavers, and take all of your stats from that. The Paladin creates a zone that buffs all defenses by 2, and you're inside it? Your character suddenly has +2 to every defense in the Temp modifier slot.

What I like even more is just that someone can do this with multi-touch technology. I think Apple's supposed to come out with something really early next year, January or something, that does the same thing as the Surface.

But in reply to Insanity, above me:
I think you're right about the on-the-fly DM thing. I'm sure there are ways around it, but the entire reason Tabletop does so well is because you can toss in whatever you'd like. As for "making up the map", all they have to do is make an open content thing like MapTools does with its icons. Drag and drop in a pre-done Orc animation real quick that you downloaded off of a different website, and there you go. It's got a LONG way to go, for sure; this thing is in its infancy, at best. But every technological advance is, and I'm sure DMs everywhere wouldn't mind just moving a small brush from point A to point B on a screen and having all the math done out for them instead of having to slog through player mistakes, their own mistakes, so on and so forth.  

[Avatar129142137]

But then we're getting lazy >.> And it's a video game, not a board game.

Hell, I'll be one of the first to jump on the holo-deck DnD band wagon, but I'm just saying. lol.  

[sltttbrgr]

Seven different shades of awesome.

I must however ask myself, why?
People who can afford microsoft surface can afford hand made miniatures of every single monster in the manuals.  

[Avatar129142137]

dixieboy

Seven different shades of awesome.

I must however ask myself, why?
People who can afford microsoft surface can afford hand made miniatures of every single monster in the manuals.

He's got a good point, and you don't run the risk of your entire D&D campaign being short circuited, or magna-wiped. >.> That or it just being plain broken.

Only thing it's got up on it would be storage space.