Role-Playing Technological Evolution

[Gigermann]

When I started playing D&D, back when I was in the Army:

• Photocopied character sheets, and recorded stuff in pencil/pen.
• Hand-drawn maps, or photocopied images from encyclopedias or whatnot.
• Handwritten GM session notes, on steno pad.
• A couple of sets of the manuals, maybe more.
• As "the artist," I tended to do character drawings, and sometimes scenes from the game if I were so inclined.

Lately:

• We game at my workplace, where there is a large central room, a 40(ish)" wall-mounted flat-screen TV hooked up to a network computer, and wireless internet.
• GM session notes in rtf or Word format.
• I use Photoshop to do photo-manipulations for character pics, and game scenes. I display them using PowerPoint on the big-screen. I also have a music playlist on my work computer that I play through the TV.
• I get images off the internet to manipulate, or if I can't find them there, I can put a movie DVD in my computer at home and rip some stills to use. In some instances, I have linked to videos on the web and displayed them on the TV for examples.
• We have a Message Board for our group, where we can discuss things between sessions, post synopses and characters, do prep work, and sometimes some impromptu gaming.
• If we get snowed in and can't come to the game, we can always play via Virtual Tabletop, over the web. We can also use VT to play with former-players who have left the state.
• Nearly everyone has a laptop or netbook. On mine, I have all my GM notes, and PDFs of nearly all the rulebooks—as do the players. Once everyone gets in on the laptop thing, I'll be using MSMessenger (or other IM) for note-passing and whatnot.
• Use GCA for generating characters. Some of the players don't even bother to print theirs, having GCA on their laptop. Same is true of D&D, with HeroForge or whatnot. Print as needed.
• Not inconceivable, given the current tech available here, that somebody could tele-presence into the game, via webcam. We've also talked about using a projector to put digital maps on the table.

I'm amazed at how the landscape has changed over the years. how has technology affected your games these days?

[Stormcrow]

I find that I can be creative on a computer the way I can with a pad of paper and a pencil.

I like GURPS Character Assistant, though. Particularly for making pre-generated characters for demo games.