"Interactive Map Tables"

[töff]

*drool*

I see only a few of them in the center. I wonder how long the line (or the reservations list) is to get at one of those bad boys.

homepage: http://nycgo.com/
video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-rfH-UrC-s ... cheesy, but the maptable shots (1:19-1:50ish) make it worth it.

Very cool future-techy. Me like the big red disks that you carry around, and how they blossom into radial menus on the tables! Très Flash Gordon.

[RPMiller]

Wow, those are pretty cool. They just need to turn those into interactive holograms that project off a wrist watch and we'll be in business.

[Wordman]

I haven't seen the NYC center in person, but it is likely that the hardware here is the Microsoft Surface. They are starting to show up in various places. The lobby of a Chicago Marriott has one, for example.

[Hoel]

This is one piece of tech that really can change the way we play on tabletops!
Almost all traditional games could use a multitouch surface.
Imagine minis with markers that the table can track. Imagine all the functions of a VTT with actual face-to face gaming and rl props.
Were gonna be telling stories to our grandchildren of how we used to mess about with actual physical char-sheets, counters and paper maps...

[RPMiller]

You know that there are several examples of people using MapTool in face-to-face sessions and using minis and even one guy is doing some awesome stuff with styrofoam.

Here is a link to that particular thread: http://forums.rptools.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6476 (Hmm... there appears to be a problem with the images right now so check back in a bit to see if they are up)

[Redrobes]

I posted this a while back now...

http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...9&postcount=12

A projector is cool if you can get one setup.

[RPMiller]

That thread I linked to shows the projector mount and such, but honestly the cool part is how the foam comes into play. It gives you the 3D aspects with a 2D image.

[RPMiller]

If anyone is interested the pictures are back up. Take a look if you haven't had a chance. Should give you some ideas to try.

[Redrobes]

Cheers RP - I cant quite figure out the purpose of the Moose Head tho ;P

I got mailed some links today about pocket projectors. Apparently these are the new latest gadget. I think the quality of image right now is not so good but you can see how this is going to become big and you can take this to a game session without a huge iron stand etc.

http://www.firebox.com/product/2235/Pocket-Cinema
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5071815135.html

Theres a video on one of the sites with it running. Its impressive by some standards and in other ways not. Just give it a bit more R&D and these will be well cool. We will have to think up ways to incorporate these into the flow next.

Saw a chap on EnWorld about to make a super game table with projector and multitouch interface. Has he gone with MapTool yet or still deciding. Anyway - that would be worth looking at too.

I like the idea of the polystyrene but I think if your going to the effort of cutting it out so carefully and specifically then why not just build a model. The idea is good tho. Maybe somebody can make some styrene blocks which fit together into multiple shapes like Lego or thick jigsaw bits and then reuse them again. Then project onto them for the final color image.

[RPMiller]

If you have ever seen the EZ- series of paper models, I think they fit well with the idea of a modular system. They basically skip over the whole projection idea, but if you were to create just solid white versions of the various shapes and project onto them I think you would have an awesome hybrid environment to play on.

Here's a link to one of the sets: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/produc..._id=59439&it=1

If you look near the bottom you'll see the special "tab system" they use to keep the pieces modular and able to stay joined.