Today Amazon is announcing the release of the Kindle DX for this summer. Unlike the Kindle and Kindle 2 it is designed with full page 8.5 by 11 PDFs in mind. You can read about it here. When I got wind of it two days ago I was talking about it with my wife, Kelly Anne. The first words out of her mouth, "So when are you saving up for it." She know I am a huge fan of my Kindle. Yesterday a co-worker teased be as for the first time in a couple of month I was reading a real book.
Anyway I told her well I will be tempted if it is under $500. I was expecting it come in somewhere between $500 and $700 based. These devices are driven by the cost of the e-ink screens. They come from one manufacturer who is still low on the economy of scale curve.
And then came the formal announcement. $489.
I am doomed.
Despite my enthusiasm for the Kindle it is still no iPod ... yet. The Kindle DX is an important milepost to what will be the future of RPGs. This device will leap the barrier between paper and electronic PDFs.
Yes there will always be book only readers just like there are people who play acoustic instruments vs electronic instruments. However for the average person a device like the Kindle DX will be gold.
There are two remaining hurdles to overcome; color and price. The reason why the Kindle is no iPod is because the price is too high for the average user and just barely in reach for a middle class technology geek like me. When the small version drops below $200, and the large version under $300 I foresee wide scale adoption on the scale of the iPod. Adding color will seal the deal.
When I get my Kindle DX, this summer there will be no difference for me between using a PDF product or the paper version. Like using a virtual tabletop for gaming there are tradeoffs. I will be giving up the ability to have multiple books open. However I gain the ability to put custom bookmarks and notes as well as the ability carry dozens of PDF on a single device.
My current Kindle library is already approaching ludicrous levels between the various books I purchased my subscriptions, converted PDFs, and free e-books I downloaded.
After a year of using my Kindle I say I now read about twice as much as before. I can't begin to say how convenient it is especially compared to paperbacks. The ability to adjust text and lay flat while I am eating is just pure gold.
Eventually these device will be extended to allow application to be run. I fully expect that the tabletop of 2020 will be a bunch of people gathering around a Surface computer with a spiritual descendant of the Kindle displaying a character sheet with hotlinks to specific rules. The Surface will be using icon tokens or RFID encoded minatures linked back to the "Kindle".
For intenet the same device would interface through Bluetooth or wireless USB and worth through a Virtual Table Top sporting 3D maps as well as the 2D variety.
These "Kindles" won't be manfactured as we understand it now. Instead they will be "printed" and then encased in a protective covering and be as flexible a stiff piece of paper. Along the sides will be thin bars housing the electronics along with wireless and ports. You will be able to plug these into a docking port that has full size peripherals like keyboard and mouse attached to it and function as your regular computer.
Welcome to the future.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Poking around the Internet byways.
Recently Yahoo has announced the shuttering of Geocities. While I won't lament it passing I will miss some of it's site. This one in particular Rec.games.frp.dnd FAQs. I like the section on TSR Fonts here. James Maliszewski of Grognardia should like this one on the literacy origins of D&D. Even has a monster breakdown.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Cartography for Cartography maniacs
I feel one of the best sites for learning about drawing maps is the Cartography Guild here.
It has a nice set of forums, a friendly atmosphere, and most important tutorials and tips for all skill levels and different software.
It has a nice set of forums, a friendly atmosphere, and most important tutorials and tips for all skill levels and different software.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Factory Smokestacks over the City State
Here is a lively discussion of GURPS Magic 4th edition. The consensus is that GURPS Magic has some problem spells that allow players to produce materials or do things on an industrial scale. I do agree that it should be fixed but I disagree that it prevents a medieval setting from plausibly
existing using GURPS Magic by the book.
I don't ignore the issue. The fact is in rules that do "D&D" magic, where wizards have great power to create, alter, and destroy, there are always industrial applications of the spells when done in the right order. I have had several PCs who attempted to ignite a industrial revolution in the Majestic Wilderlands using magic.
The most likely outcome of any world with D&D or GURPS Magic would be some wierd Alexandrian high tech steam punk setting. When the world developed it's version of the classical Greeks it would start ramping up the technological curve.
But I don't need to worry about the probable outcome. As long as it is possible it will work for me and my players.
The main limitation is the scarcity of mages. In my Majestic Wilderlands the central regions have a population of several hundred thousand people. When I ran my all mage campaign I made a list of EVERY Mage between Viridstan and the Majestic Wilderlands. About 300+ names (yes I used a random name and gender generator for much of this).
I admit this did not include priests and clerics. There are probably 10 times the number of magic using priests and clerics than mages in my Majestic Wilderlands. However the variety of spells they can cast is very limited compared to mages. More focused on the mission of their religion.
Basically 1 in a 1000 people were full time magic users. 1 in 100 were peripherally involved in magic (potions, wise women, etc).
Mages are scarce not just because in GURPS you had to have a special trait called Magery but because somebody has to support you doing nothing but studying It takes several hundred hours to master even the most basic of spells in GURPS raw. Let alone getting up to where you can cast the Create Stone spell. Pre-Modern had limited ability to support people doing non-productive activities.
But wait, you have create food & drink and a host of other mundane spells. True, but understand that there was a point in history where magic was little more than a half-dozen spells known by a shaman focused on helping a tribe of cavemen to survive. At the centuries wore on and civilization then the full grimoire of spells began to be discovered.
Eventually there would be a point where a critical mass of knowledge and numbers is reached and a magic industrial revolution will not be just a possible result but the most likely result.
However before this points is where many campaign that do D&D or GURPS Magic can be set. That where the Majestic Wilderlands is set. The effect of magic so far has created a world I call Medieval plus 20%.
People live longer, and healthier in my Majestic Wilderlands because of magic. Isolated communities like a conclave of mages, a temple, or a king's palace use magic to greatly ease day to day living. But outside of that it still pretty much like our own medieval area. Realistically my Majestic Wilderlands is on the verge of it's Renaissance era only a century or two when progress starts accelerating.
But those two centuries give me plenty of room for regular old fantasy gaming.
existing using GURPS Magic by the book.
I don't ignore the issue. The fact is in rules that do "D&D" magic, where wizards have great power to create, alter, and destroy, there are always industrial applications of the spells when done in the right order. I have had several PCs who attempted to ignite a industrial revolution in the Majestic Wilderlands using magic.
The most likely outcome of any world with D&D or GURPS Magic would be some wierd Alexandrian high tech steam punk setting. When the world developed it's version of the classical Greeks it would start ramping up the technological curve.
But I don't need to worry about the probable outcome. As long as it is possible it will work for me and my players.
The main limitation is the scarcity of mages. In my Majestic Wilderlands the central regions have a population of several hundred thousand people. When I ran my all mage campaign I made a list of EVERY Mage between Viridstan and the Majestic Wilderlands. About 300+ names (yes I used a random name and gender generator for much of this).
I admit this did not include priests and clerics. There are probably 10 times the number of magic using priests and clerics than mages in my Majestic Wilderlands. However the variety of spells they can cast is very limited compared to mages. More focused on the mission of their religion.
Basically 1 in a 1000 people were full time magic users. 1 in 100 were peripherally involved in magic (potions, wise women, etc).
Mages are scarce not just because in GURPS you had to have a special trait called Magery but because somebody has to support you doing nothing but studying It takes several hundred hours to master even the most basic of spells in GURPS raw. Let alone getting up to where you can cast the Create Stone spell. Pre-Modern had limited ability to support people doing non-productive activities.
But wait, you have create food & drink and a host of other mundane spells. True, but understand that there was a point in history where magic was little more than a half-dozen spells known by a shaman focused on helping a tribe of cavemen to survive. At the centuries wore on and civilization then the full grimoire of spells began to be discovered.
Eventually there would be a point where a critical mass of knowledge and numbers is reached and a magic industrial revolution will not be just a possible result but the most likely result.
However before this points is where many campaign that do D&D or GURPS Magic can be set. That where the Majestic Wilderlands is set. The effect of magic so far has created a world I call Medieval plus 20%.
People live longer, and healthier in my Majestic Wilderlands because of magic. Isolated communities like a conclave of mages, a temple, or a king's palace use magic to greatly ease day to day living. But outside of that it still pretty much like our own medieval area. Realistically my Majestic Wilderlands is on the verge of it's Renaissance era only a century or two when progress starts accelerating.
But those two centuries give me plenty of room for regular old fantasy gaming.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
From the Attic: Viridstan
The last hand drawn map I was working on was a redraw of Viridstan. I worked on it briefly in the early 90's then never picked it up again. In a reply to one of Grognardia post I comment about it here.
Later I realized I didn't know where it was! I knew it wasn't in my map bin
Cunningly adapted from a regular trash bin.
I knew it wasn't deep storage with my RPG stuff in my garage or the game room up in the apartment above the garage.
I owned my house before I got married and we live here still. I remember what now my bedroom was where I had a light table that I used for drawing maps. I checked the closet and sure enough it was in within a bunch of Kelly Anne's (my wife) paintings that was stored.
(click for a larger image)
I had a lot more done than I thought. What you see here is the map just before I start doing the detail work. Not only I had the original but there was a full size photocopy of the 22" by 17" map. I keep each stage so I can correct mistake and do stuff like player map. If I had actually finished it I would have reduced the above to a 8.5 by 11 and handed it out as a player map.
A copy of the detail phase would have been my black and white GM map where all my keys and notes are kept. After detailing would have been coloring which is the last phase.
Now I scanned it in and I have the original laminated. I can resume work on it using my computer.
Later I realized I didn't know where it was! I knew it wasn't in my map bin
Cunningly adapted from a regular trash bin.
I knew it wasn't deep storage with my RPG stuff in my garage or the game room up in the apartment above the garage.
I owned my house before I got married and we live here still. I remember what now my bedroom was where I had a light table that I used for drawing maps. I checked the closet and sure enough it was in within a bunch of Kelly Anne's (my wife) paintings that was stored.
(click for a larger image)
I had a lot more done than I thought. What you see here is the map just before I start doing the detail work. Not only I had the original but there was a full size photocopy of the 22" by 17" map. I keep each stage so I can correct mistake and do stuff like player map. If I had actually finished it I would have reduced the above to a 8.5 by 11 and handed it out as a player map.
A copy of the detail phase would have been my black and white GM map where all my keys and notes are kept. After detailing would have been coloring which is the last phase.
Now I scanned it in and I have the original laminated. I can resume work on it using my computer.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Rating the DMGs
My personal ranking of the various DM Guides for D&D.
4th edition DMG breaks with this and returns to 1st Edition and the Blue Book example of actually teaching the referee something. The 4 edition DMG gets a A+ for it's advice on running the game and handling players, it gets a A+ for having an actual mini-setting and a complete town.
It get an solid A for exposing the math behind everything in 4e and explaining it in a way that a person doesn't have a degree in Star Fleet Battle, a masters in Advanced Squad Leader, and a doctoral in Hero System can understand. Of course they get critized for doing that by people saying that how the game must be played. I found those chapters a useful tool for fine-tuning my 4e NPCs and encounters.
However the weak Dungeon gets a resounding D- and Wizards gets a D- for ignoring nearly every example in their own DMG except for that one Dungeon.
However to be fair, it looks like Wizard's is recognizing the issue. We will see what next year brings.
- 1st Edition AD&D DMG, 4th edition DMG (tied)
- -
- Holmes Blue Book (yeah it got the player stuff in it too)
- 3rd Edition, (gets a nudge over 2nd edition because of the NPCs Classes)
- 2nd Edition
4th edition DMG breaks with this and returns to 1st Edition and the Blue Book example of actually teaching the referee something. The 4 edition DMG gets a A+ for it's advice on running the game and handling players, it gets a A+ for having an actual mini-setting and a complete town.
It get an solid A for exposing the math behind everything in 4e and explaining it in a way that a person doesn't have a degree in Star Fleet Battle, a masters in Advanced Squad Leader, and a doctoral in Hero System can understand. Of course they get critized for doing that by people saying that how the game must be played. I found those chapters a useful tool for fine-tuning my 4e NPCs and encounters.
However the weak Dungeon gets a resounding D- and Wizards gets a D- for ignoring nearly every example in their own DMG except for that one Dungeon.
However to be fair, it looks like Wizard's is recognizing the issue. We will see what next year brings.
Game Stores
Here Tim at Gothridge Manor talks about Game Stores. I can't say enough of how cool the Warzone Matrix is. The place is packed with current and OOP games and is a warren of tables and game rooms. The firs time I went there two years ago the owner was in the back corner with a buddy of his working on his own set of World War II miniature rules.
Now you just can't get anymore Old School than that.
My other favorite are Books Galore in Erie. They have a back corner that is packed with current and OOP games.
Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh PA (although they have switch mainly to euro games and puzzles.)
Bell's Comics, Cards, & Games has a nice store in Grove City.
Alas in Meadville we are currently without a Game Store. Starting with State Street Model and the Dandylion in the downtown we had a half dozen game stores. But the d20 Glut and the Junior High School moving to the outskirts of town caused the last two to keel over two years ago. (They were on the same block as the old Junior High).
Now you just can't get anymore Old School than that.
My other favorite are Books Galore in Erie. They have a back corner that is packed with current and OOP games.
Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh PA (although they have switch mainly to euro games and puzzles.)
Bell's Comics, Cards, & Games has a nice store in Grove City.
Alas in Meadville we are currently without a Game Store. Starting with State Street Model and the Dandylion in the downtown we had a half dozen game stores. But the d20 Glut and the Junior High School moving to the outskirts of town caused the last two to keel over two years ago. (They were on the same block as the old Junior High).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)