Quit being spoiled asshats and leave them off. The GM may have ACCESS to one for the purposes of notes and references. No one else should even consider it.

Some of my players have them, but I ask that they be closed unless your character isn't at the scene currently being roleplayed.

I use one to GM; got notes, NPCs, all kindsa crap.

What would a player need a laptop at the game table for? If you're playing the game, you shouldn't be watching shit on your laptop or playing your PSP or anything. Fucking participate.

I can't believe there are actually people that watch things during a game. How big of a faggot do you have to be? Why are you even at the game table?

>>11754576
>>Quit being spoiled asshats
>>11754595
>>How big of a faggot do you have to be?

Gee, you seem so rational about it and actually interested in the welfare of my group, I should TOTALLY listen to you.

I keep one around for taking notes and doing math, because I hate most calculators, and my handwriting is an eldritch unreadable thing from beyond this reality.

Seriously, I can't even fucking understand what I wrote 5 minutes after I wrote it, that's how bad this shit is. Chicken scratch does not apply, saying my handwriting fails beyond belief is saying that the ocean contains a small amount of water.

I allow it under only one condition: You ONLY use it for your character sheet and to look up spells/rulebooks/whatever you need FOR THE GAME. The second you start watching anything, playing a game, whatever, even during a lul, you're done for the day. Your character wanders off or something and you're not part of the game anymore, as you're only showing me you have no interest in the game anyway.

>we have to hear it every time someone IMs him

there are SO many things wrong with this picture, but this would definitely make him YOU'RE FIRED in my group. he really IMs at the game table?

im down with laptops -- im even down with the players who like to have one ear-phone in to listen to their game-related music. my groups usually have an abundance of books so we don't NEED the laptops for reference, but sometimes they help for illustrative purposes.

...no interwebs though. not during play.

I use my laptop to store my character sheets ect. I don't really mess around online with anything that I can't drop instantly. I just use it to kill time when the DM rolles mooks shooting other mooks

There is only one good reason to bring the computer to the table and that is: GLORIOUS POON! Everybody watches it while we role-play in my group and usually with sound on so as to get a mewling crescendo of fuck noises going in the apartment. It really spooks out the old aged couple who lives across the hallway, the looks they give me every time I see them; absolutely priceless.

I bring one along when I DM, for obvious reasons. I have MapTools to keep track of the combat in case our shit gets moved; I have dice roller programs in case we don't have enough dice to go around/for 'secret' rolls. I have all my books, notes, character sheets, all that jazz in organized folders.

I also often use my laptop when we play, but I use it to PLAY. I use all my digital copies of books to look up stuff we need to know much faster thanks to CTRL+F, or making sure what I want to do actually works before my turn. Plus, it allows me to share the physical books I have with the group, and still have access to them. Sort of. That said, I don't WoW, or watch videos, or read shit on sites, or go to 4chan while I'm playing. If I'm playing a tabletop game, I'm playing that game, and the laptop is only there to help.

I HAVE played with asshats though. The ones who play their shitty music full blast, we hear every DING of a conversation or flash game, and they're barely even paying attention.


Oh, also, I use my laptop to play 'mood music' for RPs. I downloaded several pokemon songs for use with the Pokemon Tabletop game, including battle music on a loop.

>>11754611
No really. What the hell does a player need a laptop at the table for?

My group actually had a big issue with this, and for various reasons it wasn't feasible for us to ban players from having their computers available. About half the group had their character sheets done digitally, and for most of the games we played we had one physical copy of the book at best, so PDFs were used for reference.

What we basically did was, we instituted a rule. Players were responsible for keeping track of turn order. If your turn came up, and you didn't call it (whether due to reading manga/watching anime/browsing 4chan/whatever), you got skipped. Period. In non-combat situations, this was less effective, so we started keeping track of who contributed to non-combat situations. If you did nothing, you got no experience for the session (regardless of whether you contributed to combat or not). Obviously, if your character wasn't present in a situation, you weren't necessarily expected to contribute, but it was still generally appreciated that you pay attention so we didn't have to repeat information.

Altogether, this worked out fairly well. Games started going smoother, with less interruption due to "Hold on, let me just finish this."

They're very helpful. Some distraction is inevitable. All distraction is undesirable.
>Guy next to me leaves his unmuted
What is wrong with his head?

>>11754626
I've seen laptops at the gaming table, what happens is everyone starts browsing the internet or playing solitaire or whatever while it's not their turn in the game, or while one of the other players is talking

and the end result is that nobody pays any goddamn attention to the game.

Character sheets should be on paper, players should not have cellphones or laptops or gameboys or anything out to play with.

My group has ditched players because they're too busy messing around with electronics to actually play the game. It's a waste of time for us, and it's obviously a waste of time for them, as they'd rather be playing with their cellphone.

>>11754631
>>he really IMs at the game table?

It's worse than that. He sometimes logs on Shangri-La mu* at the table. So he's most likely typefucking while we're gaming.

I mean, geez. I fiddle around and shit on mine when my character has jack-all to do. I had previously been using it to record our sessions, but the microphone sucks so it was basically picking up me, the DM, the loudest dork at the table, and goofball's IM sounds and spamming nooooooooooooooo.com at every opportunity, so I finally stopped.

I'm gonna use mine to GM/DM, but that's all. I currently have my character sheet in the laptop as well but I mute the computer, turn off the net and only use it for gaming purposes. Atleast I try to. We get a lot of dead time when we RP.

we allow them up to the point of gaming unless they're being used for books for said gaming.

Had one or two players that would just hop around the internet or play other games, so all of my groups have cracked down on it.

>>11754642
Also, I forgot to mention, since we almost always play somewhere with some kind of wireless internet, and most everyone has access to either a phone with IM capabilities or a laptop, we use that for player-to-player or player-to-GM notes.

Much easier to just send the DM a message over Yahoo that says your secret plan thing, rather than walking over to the corner and whispering, or passing notes. Plus, it's a lot less obvious, since your other players might just think you're typing notes, especially if your DM can read it without being super obvious about it.

I print out extra sheets bring some extra pencils and erasers and tell them to put their laptops away. When I notice someone's eye-contact is more then half the time on their laptop screen and not the other players or me something is wrong.

>>11754669

i get that people can't be 100% dedicated to the game for 6 hours strait 70% of the time all the time, but dammit if it doesnt help when people are gaming together instead of IMing or /tg/ing individually. tell him to go find an online group!

>>11754689

phones piss me off too. i don't text while DMing, so i rage pretty bad it players are doing it. ive DMed some pretty boreing games before and I've DMed some pretty killer ones... if players are busting out the cell phones i'll pack up the DM screen and invite them to stay for vidya or a moovee or gtfo

My group has used a laptop at the table, but it really wasn't used any differently from an extra rulebook. It was one of those little netbooks though. I can't imagine trying to pass around a full sized laptop.

If anything, I have more of a problem with cellphones than laptops.

The laptop is pretty essential to our gaming group. The GM frequently has his notes on a data stick, and he needs to borrow my computer to use them. Also, since we only have one hard copy of the rulebook, we use the .pdf on the computer when multiple people want to create a character at the same time.

Attempting to play a game (other than the one we're playing) or watch a movie will earn a slap to the head, though.

>>11754704

I figure browsing gelbooru when I don't have anything to do or I get bored is less distracting than stacking dice, fiddling around with sketches, coming up with random movie quotes, or derailing the campaign plot, which seem to be the things other bored players do.

>>11754626
That's, urm, disturbing to say the least.

>play 4e
>everyone but me and the swordmage plays on laptops
>cleric keeps track of party HP on an excel spreadsheet named "healbot.xls"
>my face

Laptops/computers at the gaming table can be a helpful accessory if you implement them right.

I learned how to get a LAN chat program to work for our group, and it proved to be handy in situations where there needed to be a discreet secret message sent to one or two other persons at the table that didn't require taking them away.

Also, for classes that have a LOT of powers at their disposal, like Artificers, Wizards, Sorcerers, and so forth, they're almost a necessity to make gameplay easier.

>>11754816

Honestly, if we weren't playing 4e, I doubt I'd use the laptop nearly as much.

The character generator is just too damn handy for me not to use. Space for my HP, apply conditions, all my attacks statted out exactly with my roll to hit with particular weapons and what damage they do (including applied conditions)...

When we do Pathfinder I'll likely go back to working with a physical character sheet since there's no equivalent computer tool for it. But with 4e, it would be like putting your TV dinner in the oven instead of the microwave.

"Sure, it takes ten times as long, it has just as much chance of being underdone or burned, and it will taste about the same... but by god, the oven is more TRADITIONAL!"

I wonder if you could mount a projector above the gaming table and run the whole game on the image it projects.

>>11754865

People do that.

It's very expensive.

>>11754865
Carnegie Melon is way ahead of you. http://vimeo.com/7132858

>>11754880
It would be cool if the open sourced this. Because as iPad competitors come down in price, you could essentially build one of these with an array of tablets.

Everyone uses a laptop at my table. It's pretty much required since all our books are PDFs.

>using citurset

>>11754880
>>11754906
>It would be cool if the open sourced this.
This!

>Because as iPad competitors come down in price
This indeed!

Always wanted an iPad product befor there was even talk about it for my RPG (comic book and so on) needs and I think an open source Pad would do wonders and open up so many possibilities for tabletop gaming.

>>11754865
The guy whose house my group games at actually built a projector table. It uses a projector aimed at a mirror on the floor, which then reflects up onto a shower curtain under a sheet of clear plastic. Through the use of a laptop with MapTools, a Wiimote, and IR pens, we can play with minis on the map, as well as draw things in "pen" to make plans and such.

>>11754611

You're right. I DON'T care for the welfare of your group, seeing as I don't know them. But if you guys are going to be too lazy to print off and write on character sheets, you should probably be looking for a different game. When something is distracting, it goes away. That's how it works in a game.

The initial impression I get from your group is that you are, by and large, slothful techno-weenies who are uncomfortable without your screen's warm glow. You may as well stop meeting face-to-face and use Skype/ORPG or the equivalents, since none of you seem to be taking advantage of what face-to-face gaming does and does for you.

I prefer that only the GM has a laptop, for reference, notes, etc. If a player NEEDS a laptop (no paper copies of the book, etc) then they should be courteous enough to not use it for non-gaming purposes (while gaming)

>>11754576
Uhhh, No. It's my property. First off, if the GM doesn't have one, He isn't using mine. Not my problem. Second, as long as i'm not bothering you with it (Muted sound) you can fuck right off.

You don't get to decide how I use my property.

>>11754999
>>You're right. I DON'T care for the welfare of your group

Then your thoughts, opinions, and outrage regarding it are completely invalid, as you really just want an excuse to get your neckbeard all flecked with foam by ranting at someone.

Don't you have an edition war thread to be in?

>>11755045
But the GM does get to decide if you're being detrimental to the group experience when you use your laptop. Even if the sound is off.

>>11754999
It's my fucking printer everyone uses to make their sheets so, fuck yes, I'd rather they just leave the things on the laptop.

Ok. Laptops are bad. I however have the problem one step worse. The biggest loudmouth in the group refuses to play anywhere but his room, so he can sit behind his actual stationary computer.
And as long as he isn't at least close to the center of attention, he'll start reading wired.com, check out flashes, search for touhou porn and whatever.
This becomes even worse since due to the setup we have, the two guys beside him have a perfect view of the screen, so they get mightily distracted too.

I once stopped a session due to this. We didn't play for a month after that, since the players thought I was "An egoistical fucktard".

Yeah.

>>11755068
If he decides i'm being detrimental when I sit there, minding my own business while I participate just fine, Then I don't want to be anywhere near his group.

Also we host all games in my house, so he can get the fuck out.

>>11755050

Opinions are only invalidated by the first sentence of a phrase if you want to be ignorant. Even your apparent enemies often have lessons to be learned from them.

You wanted advice, you got it. Because it wasn't what you wanted to hear or something you wanted to follow through on is no fault of mine, nor does your "I am clearly a /tg/ denizen and hip with the well-known memes" end phrase do you anything other than making yourself look like a lout. So sorry if my opinions, which you solicited, offend your delicate nature. If you want people to coddle to your desires and fix your situation for you, then say so outright instead of asking for general solutions.

If a player really NEEDS a laptop, then they should only be using it for what they need, be it mapmaking or keeping track of their character stats or whatever.

If I had players at my table with laptops that kept doing other shit (like watching anime or answering IMs), I'd tell them to knock it off and stay in the game. You're there to play the game, not watch anime and talk to people on the internet.

>>11755073

Your problem isn't laptops or computers. Your problem is either that the game you're running is boring (possible), or that your players are assholes (vastly more likely). This would be the case whether the were using computers or not.

Saying that people who would call their GM an "egotistical fucktard' because he got annoyed that people were sitting around watching porn instead of playing would suddenly become model players if you took the computers out of the equation is like saying that gang members who are willing to kill each other based on what street they live on would become model citizens if you took away their guns.

>>11755071

Paper and ink aren't that expensive, and most people would have access to a printer somewhere else. If your paper and ink ARE that expensive, then perhaps you should look into a more affordable printer.

I would prefer if they were only used for game-related stuff, and kept muted. IMs preferably offline. The group I GM for does this, because the game keeps them interested.

The game I play in has two players who usually have a video game running while the session is running; half the time with the sound unmuted. This is because the GM for that group is terrible, and the game is not engaging even when all the characters are in a scene -- which happens far too rarely.

I used to let players bring them to the table, but now I ban them except for myself, the GM.

It completely kills it if half the group or more is trying to play videogames or watch youtube or some shit while they're supposed to be playing Dark Heresy.

>>11755115

Don't use facetious analogies. That was just painful.

>>11755115

Well. He is a model player. As long as his character is involved. But the moment his character is offscreen he sees it as a signal to go ahead and browse emperor-knows-what on the internet.

It is veryr rare that I manage to keep his attention when someone else is doing something.

Everyone in my group brings their laptop. We only use them to reference books, character sheets, and to make notes. Also it is awesome being able to send them private messages instead of passing them notes. The only thing outside of the game that we do with them is give our email a quick check.

>>11755096
>>You wanted advice, you got it.

That is correct. I got advice from people that weren't losers enough to immediately call me and my entire group "faggots". That advice is being taken under consideration.

I also got a few neckbeardy trolls just looking for an excuse to be an asshole on the internet because they're angry at their failed lives, so I ignored their advice and flaunted that I was ignoring it.

Keep sneering, though. I'm sure that one day, that and your clever slogan t-shirts with such phrases as "No I will not fix your computer" will earn you the adoration and acclaim you feel you're due.

>>11755160
I'm really very, even incredibly, sorry to post this but:

U MAD?

We pretty much always have one provided for the GM, it doubles as a GM-screen and is also a highly usable tool.

Laptops for the players however is highly discoureged if they play around with off-topic stuff.

>>11755142
>>facetious

inigo.jpg

Absolutely no fucking computers at the gaming table. Anything that 'must' be kept on a computer can be printed out. A computer NEARBY is acceptable in the case of needing to look up a .pdf, but since it should be a last resort, its kept from the table to prevent the temptation to go fuck around with it every 2 seconds or watch YouTube or whatever.

>>11755181
You're right, but if you're the person he's responding to, you are much, much madder.

>>11755160

You got us switched up. I called you all asshats. Which, as your attempts at mockery are proving, you are. Your adding attempts to insult at the end of each response more or less shows that what I'm saying DOES bother you, whereas I'm completely unruffled. I do keep responding, certainly, but that's because you don't seem to get the idea of sifting through what you view as useless to find what's useful inside. If you're this easily riled by a starting insult that wasn't even a heated insult so much as an offhand remark, you're LOOKING to be offended by my posts, which is again your decision not to see what's useful in them.

Your call, bro. Belated sage because I've been forgetting to add it, seeing as my posts are no longer contributing to the subject at this point.

>>11754592
My group brings them but they're pretty good about it. Sound is off and if I tell you to pay attention I get your undivided attention.

It works, but I have noticed a bit of an issue with people not paying attention now and then. It's been handled with the understanding that, if you missed something because you were playing with your laptop, I won't go back and let you pull a "Well, this is what I would have done if I was paying attention."

>>11755181
>>respond to u mad macro with u mad macro while pretending you don't want to but it's just too clever to pass up

You Seltzer and Friedburg?

>>11755196

Seems accurate t'me, I didn't take it seriously.

>>11755210
>>Implying your posts have ever contributed in any way to anything

>>11755160
>come to tg
>misunderstand what you read
>shitstorm

"I can't believe there are actually people that watch things during a game. How big of a faggot do you have to be? Why are you even at the game table?"

He's saying that people who watch animu during P&P are faggots, are you saying that's not true?

>>11755225

Don't resort to bad memes because you're unable to respond appropriately.

>>11755236

Don't post in threads when you've admitted you're not trying to contribute anything.

>>11755253
At least he sages.

It's all about mood, theme, setting and if it ruins it and what use disicipline people have.

We've never had any issues with Laptops at the table. People put them at the side of the table (even the GM) and dont us ethem if they dont need to look a thing up.

Never had any one use them for anything else (except in breaks).

>>11755261
>>Implying you're not samefag

i usually dislike laptops at my table, but if i'm a player.. its not my call,
if i'm the DM, they go,

they are too much of a distraction.
my only exception would be if they used something like an ipad for their character sheet only.
when a player is hiding behind a laptop i cant see them, that's a problem for the game imo.
an ipad flat on the table is fine.

>>11755253
Why not? I DID contribute. I pointed that out several times. I started saging when I stopped.

>>11755270

>Contributing to why people use tripcodes. HERETIC!

In my current group, laptops are fine because we're all bros and know when to get to the game. I've seen them cause problems, though.

>>11755276

And yet you still keep posting, just because you can't stand to not have the last word.

Here man, tell you what. I'll let you have it. I'll zip along on my way with the advice I got from this thread (from pretty much everyone but you), not come back, and not post. All you've gotta do to prove you not mad is do the same. Or even not post again.

Unless, of course, u mad.

>>11755312

then why didnt you do the same in the first place

>>11755329
>>11755312
yup, he mad.

>>11754566
Making notes, maybe using dice programs, checking references or using character creation programs is okay in my opinion. Playing starcraft 2 is not.

Only for the GM.

Belated response to OP.

If you're having trouble with people not paying attention, it sounds like you'll need to either deal with getting rid of them entirely or find some way to better engage them in the game. Admittedly, I'm surprised that a group who's supposed to be there to game is so uninterested in paying attention unless it's their turn. Might be an indicator to find a more mature group.

If you guys are using wireless, try shutting it off next time it's an issue. It may just be one of those things you need to be heavy-handed about.

I have my laptop out because I need it for the character sheets. It's so much easier to have 4e character sheet, builder, pdfs than to fumble around with books. Also when it's not my turn and other players are looking up rules and what not I mess around with my computer. I always know what's going down, and take the least amount of time out the entire group.

Wow people, what is with the complete lack of manners?

I don't like laptops at the table (save for notes if a program is needed) because it is rude. It is rude to the DM, it is rude to the other players, and, if you want to get metaphysical, it is rude to the spirit of gaming.

I don't go to a speech with my netbook and watch flash videos. I don't go to a performance and sit there texting friends the whole time. If I'm talking to someone I don't interrupt them mid story so I can go check my mail. So why should I have my laptop out when the DM is telling the backstory/painting the scene? Why should I have my laptop out when my friend is trying to convince the King that his brother is evil and trying to usurp the throne. I play with friends, and I was brought up to be polite. I'm not always polite, I try to be, but with the rudeness that permeates throughout today's society it can be difficult, but I see no reason to be rude to friends.

>>11755094
you missed the point...

Made an episodic campaign once using every player's laptop, hade made some fake documents HTML pages, photos etc...

Was pretty nice but FAR too time consuming. Wouldn't do it again nowadays.


COULD make a fine product to sell though.

Laptop, internet, PDFs loaded, Dice tables present.
Also contains campaign notes

Do people really lack impulse control to the point that a laptop immediately equates to flash videos and shit? I have enough of that in the entire rest of my life; RP is a rarer commodity.

>>11755860

/r/ fake Wikipedia page about the Slender Man.

Our table is pretty easy. GM can have one if he wants. Other players may have them, but kept closed unless referencing a digital copy of a manual so as not to stop game flow trying to figure out if that feat works the way they think it will.

>>11755971

Laptops are fine at my table, but all my players are nearing 30 years old so the maturity level is pretty high. I've never had a problem with a player not paying attention. If they want to give their email or Facebook a quick check while their character is not in the scene, I have no problem with that.

I've never generally had groups that used laptops. Last year I did, and it was a nightmare finding enough table space and power outlets. Can't see the point.

>>11756170
Work of fucking art, gave me chills.
You sir deserve many internets.

I prefer to avoid them when playing in person. I actually put out the resources to ensure that my second ed AD&D game was entirely PnP.

>>11756170
Good, but uses too many weasel words to be believable.

I think it's just fine to use it for managing game-related info. Obviously it's also useful for proxying another player into the game remotely.

I don't see a problem with IM at the gaming table while waiting for your turn during combat, for instance. I would never use a laptop to do it though, typing is too loud and would distract the other players. I use my cellphone and keep it on silent.

Watching videos on youtube is a ridiculous thing to do at the gaming table. If you're doing that - except during actual breaks - the game you're playing can't be very engaging, and you aren't doing much to help it.

Skimmed the thread, saw a lot of bawwing, so I'll just say this: If your game is shitty and boring, I am going to play on my laptop while I wait for my turn to say "I shoot at faceless mook #9", roll, and then go back to not giving a fuck.

If, at some point, you get the message that I am bored and my current game role can be easily replaced by a robot, and then decide you want to throw something at us besides mindless hack and slash combat scenarios, I will close my laptop and gladly enjoy your roleplaying game. Until then, however, I will be enjoying a video game that doesn't require manual dice rolls.

I have two gaming groups.
We haven't set any rules about laptops in either of them, but in one of them, I just a laptop to DM. In the other one, I don't but I do text, though I keep my phone silent and I do pay attention.

>>11757220
Or, you could just leave the group and not waste everyone's time to appease your narcissistic sense of entitlement.

Who honestly sits there during combat and watch your friends roll their dice, move their characters and do their move actions? Especially when one person didn't get their shit together because of a missing paper, and shit like that. I have my attacks planned out ahead of time, and I've effectively ran two characters at once (for combat and a bit in RP). So watching other players do their crap is just boring during combat sessions.

>>11755160

Fuck yeah, OP, for a well-worded admonishing at a board-wide problem.

And in my opinion, no one should be using laptops unless it's for the game. If there is a lull, you should still be paying attention to what's happening and enjoying the story, not detaching from it because it doesn't directly involve you.

Also, I used to think it was easier to keep all the pages I needed for playing on my laptop, but I printed everything off and it's actually been much easier.

>>11757253
Tree killer.

>>11757268
We're not at risk of running out of wood any time soon.

>>11757228
I'm there for the people in the game, first and foremost. My buddy is only on leave for a few weeks, and the old gang synchronizes their schedules around the game. So in order to see my old home town pals I have to attend their gaming nights. Everybody's just too busy to do that AND whatever else (in a time slot that works for everybody, that is), so not going simply means not seeing my friends.

I don't feel entitled to be entertained - I don't make waves. I do my part in the combat and then keep quiet until the rare opportunity to do something besides shoot comes up. I'm just saying that the laptop keeps me entertained while everyone else is engrossed in the fighting and not cutting up/joking around.

As a GM i'm fine with it, quite a few of us use E-Tools and if we didn't have laptops we'd be down to, like, 3 PHBs and a Complete Divine.

If someone is doing something else on a laptop then I've failed as a GM, simple as that.

>Absolutely no fucking computers at the gaming table.

OP is a faggot and his group are shitty players playing a shitty game which can't keep their attention for a few hours, let alone touch their hearts.

You on the other hand sound like you also have shitty players. At the games I play in and run it doesn't matter how many computers are lying around, because we're adults and don't fuck around with them while we're supposed to be doing something else.

Let's make the OP delete this thread!

Not unless you're doing something specific and gaming related. Like, if you're using it to take notes on the plot, that's fine. We had two people doing that, one monitoring the plotline and posting a commentary on a blog for the people who missed that week and for future reference, and one actually running and updating a googlemap of incidents in the game (was a Shadowrun game, so we were using a real locale). If you're doing something else, where it's a distraction, that's really kinda rude, you know? A moment or two to check email is reasonable, but when you're dicking around on the computer, you will miss stuff, and it says to the rest of the group that you don't feel they deserve your full attention. As a GM I would be offended.

>>11754689

I guess I can see your argument, for messaging for purposes of intra-party intrigues and so on. We've never really had to, just using notes or pulling the GM out of the room for longer conversations, but we have enough notes passed around that it's not so apparent when it's most significant. Everyone is continually plotting against each other, this being Shadowrun. If this were a different genre of game, maybe that'd be less the case.

>>11757228

This. You don't think your response is a little passive aggressive? The adult thing to do here is either discuss your boredom with the GM, or leave the group, but you're sending the message of boredom in a very disrespectful way, which isn't a way to get your concerns listened to.

>>11755563

Couldn't agree more. This isn't as much about technology as it is about civility and common courtesy.

The DM can and probably should be using one, or a desktop if his setup is handy for that.

Otherwise, absolutely not, and no cell phones either unless they're on silent, with no vibration, and your use of them doesn't extend beyond occasionally peeking during a lull to make sure no-one's tried to call you 12 times to tell you your dog is dead.

>>11757380
Already voted against the game system and the GM. Majority won out. Already had the adult conversation about how it's not that interesting, not much came of it. It's just not my scene. But, I'm not leaving the group because of the reasons posted earlier.

A lot of people are probably in a similar position to me, though. Gaming is the one way you can get your friends together for whatever, and you're there to enjoy their company. You're there to go with them to the Waffle House after the game and laugh about the sniper's critical success on sniping the pilot out of that plane that was about to strafe the party's jeep. You're there to chill out with them on the porch for a smoke during the breaks. "Get a new group" is irrelevant - you want the one you've got.

GM: Could be useful I guess. I don't use them personally.

Players: NO! FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING FUCKS! I DON'T WANT TO "Check this cool Youtube video" OUT! NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHAT WITH YOUR FRIENDS ONLINE! NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLAY MMORPG WHILE PLAYING TABLETOP! NIGGER!

I think I made my point.

I use a laptop when I can as a DM. I have loads of notes and I find it's easier to reference them and change them as text documents than physical notes. It also means I have to carry less around as a DM as all my books are digital, leaving the party to use hardcopies. I keep pictures stored on the laptop for many NPCs and maps which I simply couldn't have access to otherwise.

I, however, am strictly against players having laptops. Too much of a chance for bullshittery.

All I see is "Waaaah! my players wont pay attention to my super cool world I made, that's why I banned all electronics from my table! However as DM I get to rub it in the player's face by having everything on my laptop because clearly I'm the exception to the rule!"

Get over it people. Let the players have their laptops and gameboys, if your DMing is so boring that players need to entertain themselves away from the game then it's the DM's problem.

>>11757572
>Let the players have their laptops and gameboys

Then they shouldn't take up place at the table better used by people who actually enjoy the work of the DM no matter how boring the offending players may find it. No one forces them to come and play

>>11757572
This. Not to mention, however, it does allow the DM to spend special time with one player. If a hack-n-slasher is bored while the party bard is debating with the local mayor at the town hall the HnSer can just do something else while the bard goes about his business; if you're worried about an RP reason, he's drinking at the local tavern. It doesn't break the game, it simply gives the one player a rest while the other is doing what he does best. Could the DM do this without technology? Sure. But the HnSer would get bored.

>>11757616

When I'm pulling one player out of the room, the others aren't disengaged. Usually they're, like, actually interacting with each other, whether it be out-of-character chatter about how their thesis is going or the latest altercation outside their place of volunteerism or something, or game-related wonderings about whether the elf is going to sell them out again and whether they should do unto her and do it first.. I mean, I'm not going to be the laptop police while I'm out of the room, but you could try, like, actually talking to the people you're with.

I believe it is bad form but I don't think you should make it a big deal, just ask them to stop doing it if if it isn't essential

>>11757608
So when hack and slash is going down it's not someone's turn you expect them to twiddle their thumbs if they're bored with another part the game? You can't always please everyone with it all.

>>11757686
It's called multitasking. I can be on my computer looking at my RPG pdfs or Pron, talk to my friends, and know what's going on with the fight scenes or exploring scenes.

>>11757770

The short version is, I think multitasking as a concept is a crock of shit. It doesn't work. If it did, cell phones wouldn't cause car accidents. I don't want to derail the argument here, because I don't have stats I can pull out of my ass for this or anything. But my point is that I'm deeply suspicious of the concept.

Secondly, if your combats are taking so long that other people are bored, that's either a problem with your players' attention span, or more likely if you're adults, a problem with your combats. Simplify, simplify, simplify. That said, I don't usually run hack and slash games, so this is a very non-hack-and-slasher solution and I realize that.

>people looking at porn while gaming
...really? Even putting the creepiness aside, why would you ever look at porn if you're not fapping to it? It does not compute.

>It's called multitasking

>Pron,

"I have two hands! I can roll dice with one, while using the other beneath the table!"

This is a stupid thing to argue about. Whatever works for the group in question is the right answer.

The only caveat is that very high levels of computer use at the table (youtube, pron, etc.) suggest a lack of engagement with the game and the people at the game, which is a problem - but that problem is not necessarily caused by the laptop.

I'd never use my laptop at a game, not because I'd consider it rude, but because it would never occur to me to turn it on while playing with my friends, any more than it would occur to me to turn it on during sex with my wife.

Laptops at the gaming table. Your thoughts?
Only GM, and from past experience, I prefer to use books, anyway.

Players with a laptop is a recipe for disaster. The minute it's not their combat turn, they'll focus on their laptop... start playing games, browsing facebook, showing a youtube video... anything that isn't paying attention to what's going on.

I wouldn't allow a Nintendo DS, I wouldn't allow someone to dick with their cellphone... I sure as hell wouldn't allow a laptop. 99/100 times, it just ends up being a slap in the face as a GM, because "This is boring BRB not paying attention to you".

I busted my ass for the better part of 12 hours to make an adventure for them to play, and they're dicking around on farmville? No. Fuck that shit.

I for one ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE ENGAGED IN ROLEPLAYING so people are actaully talking and paying attention to what is going on, so they don't have time to be bored and going on youtube.

Once in a while someone wants to check out their character builder or splatbooks pdfs, which I don't mind.

In the other hand I have my laptop on at all times. All my notes and shit are on there because too many time I've lost notecards of what I've planned for the adventure.

>>11757938
Spectacular. You have skill as a GM to keep people in it.

I GM because I have to, because nobody else will.
I would rather be a player.

If the players feel the need to play games during your game...the problem might be that you suck as a DM. If you aren't entertaining the players then you fail. The game is suppose to entertain you too, but it is your job to make a compelling and interesting story for your players to enjoy. Your players aren't playing for you, they are playing with you. Get over your special snowflake sense of entitlement.

>>11757857
>>11757857
I watch porn without fapping all the time.

>I wouldn't allow someone to dick with their cellphone...

I wouldn't play in your games.

On the one hand the players have a responsibility to pay attention and not start looking up furry trap porn in the middle of your description of the delicate negotiations with the Caliph.

At the same time, the GM has to respect his players (unless they've proven they can't pay attention) and if someone wants to MSN his wife on the phone to tell her he loves her and report on how the game is going, you need to restrain yourself from glaring at them for daring to pay attention to something other than YOU and your CAREFULLY CRAFTED MASTERPIECE.

If it doesn't disrupt his ability to play then you need to shut the fuck up and stop being such a prima dona.

>>11755160
I got that T-shirt for my birthday... T_T

Apart from me (the GM) I only let my Bard have access to it, because he play songs from it.

>>11757980
Personally, I won't play with any DM who thinks they have the right to "allow" anything outside of strict game mechanics.

>"You can't bring food to my table!"
>"We're playing at my apartment. It's my table. Fuck off and finish describing the room."

>>11757979
But why?

>>11758028

Dick fell off.

>>11758014
What if it is the dm's apartment?

>>11758046

If he doesn't let you have snacks, threaten to piss on the rug.

>>11757980
>>11757938
>>11757970
>>11758014

That said, I can't stand players that ignore me as a DM when I've busted my ass for 12 hours trying to come up with a story, and they're cycling through a track list on a hacked Nintendo DS.

Because sure, I might not be the best DM, but I don't see any hands going up for volunteers to take over.

"Oh fuck it. I quit."

And then all the players went home to play WoW and were never heard from again.

Because if I already proclaim that I KNOW that I'm not good at being a GM but will take the reigns out of necessity, then I damned well appreciate that my players at least pay some attention to the bullshit story I put between encounters, or at least stop being cheap motherfuckers if they're so combat oriented and just buy into some minis wargame if they just want combat all the fucking time.

>>11758028
Because I want to see naked women but don't want to masturbate.

>>11757970

That's not wrong, but at the same time, it goes both ways. The players need to make an effort to engage and interact with what the DM is bringing, just as much as the DM needs to bring something engaging and interesting.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. There are plenty of players out there who will screw around around on a laptop of whatever, just because the spotlight isn't on them at just this moment. And that's not always the DM's fault.

>>11758073

It ain't easy. We should have more threads on helping each other to be better GMs so that a) fewer games suck and b) more people are willing to take over GMing duties.

We'd just end up arguing over GMing styles though, that's really our weakness as a forum.

>>11755160

>>11758089
I woudln't allow a laptop at my table, you come to my game, you're going to participate.
If some fag decided to IM or play music, I'd prolly just pour my beer on his comp and throw him out.
Had to deal with enough shitty groups and players that now I have no tolerance.

>>11754566
I've used one as a player and GM because all my books are on there in easy to folders arranged by subject.

If things are really really important I'll print off the pages concerning them so that I canhave a physical copy on hand and dont have to worry about putting my laptop in and out of sleep as often.

Honestly i'm ok with laptops since i rather have on laptop per player on the table than the numerous notebooks, sheets and books that normally come with playing.

>>11758082
Does not compute.

Honestly their is only one person in my group i don't trust with a laptop/phone at the table and that's because his ADD is so bad that without his meds he's distracted by dust floating in the light.

It was mentioned before but got lost in the flotsam and jetsam of this terrible thread.

If you don't want people using their laptops to browse the internet, and you're hosting the game, turn off your router.

If you don't want people using their laptops to browse the internet, and you're not hosting the game, ask them if they wouldn't mind turning off their wireless capabilities. If you're not the host, you can't demand shit. I've kicked assholes out of my house when I wasn't the DM because they were being obnoxious and/or delaying the game by hours by trying to be rules lawyers.

>If some fag decided to IM or play music, I'd prolly just pour my beer on his comp and throw him out.

Enjoy explaining that to the magistrate.

>>11758186
Yes but these are reasonable things an adult would do and as such beyond the skills of most fa/tg/uys.

If the players had one computer to share they'd be less likely to use it for IMs or watching videos, unless the majority of players wants to and in that case your session is doomed anyways.

>>11758089

I agree it does go both ways. I have seen shitty players AND shitty DMs. It is the whole "I don't allow THIS at my table" bullshit that I hate. You are a DM, not Little Hitler. You start telling me what I am "allowed" or "not allowed" to do (outside of the game itself of course, ie the rules) and I will tell you to go fuck yourself.

>>11758206
Are you really that much of a pussy? Have you never found it necessary to kick someone ass? If you had you'd know that relatively minor incidents of violence (those that don't result in death or dismemberment) don't generally make it past the politizi.

>>11758179

There's one girl in my gaming group who gets distracted by shiny things, falls asleep randomly, taps dice together, sings, and plays any nearby musical instruments while the DM is trying to describe things.

But it's okay, because we all love her dearly. Especially the DM, who married her.

>>11758262
What sucks about the ADD guy in our group is he's a great player when he manages to focus on the game.
It really sucks that his medication turns him into a fucking zombie.

>>11758260

Hey, if you want to break someone's laptop deliberately in front of six witnesses, be my guest.

We invented the concept of garnishing wages just for jackasses like you.

>>11757770
>So when hack and slash is going down it's not someone's turn you expect them to twiddle their thumbs if they're bored with another part the game?

I expect them to pay attention to the current tactical situation at the very least.

Having a player go "Umm...what? I don't know? What happened? I was checking my Facebook." (or some such) has happened far too often for me to be tolerant on the matter.

>>11758247
>>11758206
If somebody brings unwanted shit to the table. Specifically slowing down the game and being a nuisance, you're getting the fuck out, that is all. Don't matter what it is.

>from sateria
Damn straight Captcha.

>>11758273

Maybe the proscribed dosage is too high. Sometimes the doctors get it wrong. Have him try halving the dosage, and see if the effect is better.

>Have you never found it necessary to kick someone ass?

"HE DUN PAID INUFF ATTENSHUN TO ME" isn't a circumstance in which it's necessary to kick someone's ass, you stupid worthless self-aggrandizing childish piece of shit.

>>11758220
>Passive-aggressive shit
>reasonable
>adult
No sir. If someone is doing something wrong, you ask them - politely - to stop. If they keep doing it after you've brought it up several times, you kick them out because they clearly don't give a fuck about the other people at the table.

Man up, /tg/.

>>11758296
He's been trying so far he hasn't found the right amount that will help him without causing him to just zone out.

>>11758260

The fuck are politizi?

I don't know why you wouldn't pay attention to other people's turns during combat, as what they do has a direct effect on your own decision making.

>>11758319
The Man

>>11758319
I think it's suppose to be some kind of mash up of the words police and nazi.

A lot of my players don't own any books, so I make them (or if they're retarded, I...) take screenshots of all the important bits of information from the pdfs. For D&D 4e, this is usually a big block of powers/spells to accompany their character sheet. I usually tell them to close the laptops unless they need to look something up, in which case they can ask me. Having people chatting on IM or doing random shit on the internet is completely fucking unacceptable.

I generally use mine when I Play/GM.

I'm a disorganized forgetful slob with nearly illegible handwriting, so if I don't keep my sheets in digital format on my computer, they inevitably get destroyed, lost, smudged to hell, or otherwise misplace.

>>11758334
Good point

I use one all the time, because I'm the designated DM (also designated driver, designated sane person, etc.). It's a lot easier than having to mess with fiddly little bits of paper.

Still use physical dice, of course. That's half the fun.

>>11758345

Oh. That's... troubling.

>>11758279

Actions can go really slowly in combat though. If someone hums and hahs over their action then spends 2 minutes figuring out what dice to roll, it's okay to start paying attention to your cellphone or talking with one of the other players. A quick recap of 'what just happened?' when it gets to the next player's turn is fine and not a great burden on the GM.

However, it helps if players are pro-active in taking the workload off the GM. When I'm playing I send texts and things, but I also handle the initiative rolls for the GM and tell him whose turn is coming up next, I help other players work out complex attacks, and generally take notes and help keep things moving smoothly.

If someone is being a jackass, then yes, they won't be invited back. If someone is texting or checking their email while their character isn't involved with the current action, then no, you are just being an asshole.

>>11754566

I admit laptops without proper discipline can be very distracting and bring down the game. However, if you're running 6 people through combat, and the combat isn't very crazy there's no reason to pay attention to the sometimes half an hour long lulls between your turns.

You never have sound on, and don't interrupt roleplay or anything else with, "Hey guys look at this."

If you're not in combat, keep it unused. Unless you're referencing something on your character sheet.

For one, the guy who's using the laptop to look up anime, ims, etc, and he won't turn off the sound? screw him.

You come to a game table to play game, not just there to be social. A lot of times that's why groups either fail, or get bogged down is because someone is there saying they want to play, but they don't really. They just want to hang out.

There's an acronym a friend told me about and I've used it for a while.

H.A.L.T. = Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.

If you haven't eaten, get some food before you game, otherwise you're distracted.

If you're upset/angry about something, you'll snap at and generally take your frustration out on people at the table. (we're talking girlfriend just left rage, not my salad had cucumbers, I hate cucumbers rage.)

Loneliness is a bit obvious and relates to my point about people there to be social and not actually game. If you're just there because you want to be out socializing, don't come to game, set up a time to go see a movie and hang out and what not.

Tired, yet again obvious. If you're falling asleep at the table, or getting a little wonky emotions/thought wise cause you're too tired to think straight, not gaming is a good plan.

>>11757809
We're not driving a car 60-80+mph avoiding hitting moving targets, observing roadsigns, and other drivers. You're sitting down with people talking and moving minis around a 2d map. Then when RP time is going on you're just talking and acting. You can miss what's happening with Joor the Town's fool explaining how he's the brother of the King, while on the quest to never never land. If you miss something, there's always the other people around or the DM.

Also as said before, that having a Laptop helps the players and the DM. If you have such a problem with Youtube or the likes, put a password on your wireless and don't give out the password. They can continue to keep notes and sheets..etc off line.

I had a DM who tried to kick a friend of mine out of MY house. All the players were friends and the DM was the new guy. We thought that he had lost his fucking mind. Needless to say, the game ended early that night.

If your players are distracted by laptops and cellphones then maybe your game sucks or maybe you have easily sidetracked friends.
Seriously it's not that hard to resist checking your facebook if the game is entertaining.

>>11757809

It does work. The point of multitasking is not that you're able to put every faculty/resource of your mind onto multiple problems. It's the idea that you can handle multiple things because they don't take up all that much thinking to accomplish.

Such as making a sandwich while talking on the phone, etc.

Driving is one of those activities that a small oversight can result in a very big problem and it depends on person to person. Some people could talk on their cell phone, while simultaneously planning their evening and still avoid traffic accidents. while some people can't coordinate driving period with no other distractions.

Plus, multitasking doesn't apply to certain activities because they should have your full attention. Driving takes a lot more thought and focus than people realize.

>>11758532

I think the issue is when things are bogging down and there's a lull where either two characters are doing an rp where you're not involved. Or there's some kind of gap of time between their turn and yours and you don't need to focus very hard to accomplish things.

>>11758456

Presumably, unless your DM is bad, you wouldn't be listening to Joor the Town's Fool unless it was important. And asking the DM or other players what just happened it, roughly, one of the most annoying things a player can do. Personally, I don't care at all if someone is fooling around with texting or gameboy or whatever, so long as he knows his shit when its his turn.

If your DM is worth half a shit, he put some effort into crafting this campaign for you to enjoy. Even if it isn't the most gripping tale you've ever heard, the least you could do is acknowledge his work and pay attention. You'll probably have more fun with a story when you make a conscious effort to get involved with it, to boot.

I use my laptop as both a player and a DM.
As a Player I keep my Character Sheet on it.
As a DM I have all my information for the game there.

The players can have a laptop around. They can play games. But they'll make me a bit sad if they do. I keep making a ":(" face and saying nothing until they put them away. And they always do. Then we actually get some gaming done, that's what we're there for.

Only I, the GM has one, the others respect me enough not to bring such crap. I use a small eee pc with low light setting for music/sound effect/notes/controlling lighting. It's mostly just sitting on the table though

>>11758640

You could... you could ask them to put their laptops away, instead of guilting them into it.

Pic unrelated; captcha was mozzarella.

>>11757220
Justin? Is that you?

We have a player like that- although it's not just at the gaming table, it's ANY time we hang out. Check this shit out- one of the other players saved a conversation between them one time, and this is what he said:

"Every time I bring my laptop, I get bitched at in some way. Or I hear that someone bitched about it. I'm sick of it. People can fucking deal with the fact that I like to bring my goddamn computer with me everywhere I go. And if I'm bored enough to get it from my car and use it, they can fucking deal with it."

Wouldn't logic dictate, if you don't want to hear them bitch, THEN DON'T BRING YOUR FUCKING LAPTOP? Also in his words:

"OMG WHY YOU BRING LAPTOP WTF"
"...I'm fucking bored and you people aren't cutting it for me. How's that?"


So yeah, I feel some of your pain. Pretentious fucks.