FYI:

I just got notice from my FLGS that there will be a Deathwatch demo adventure at this year's Free RPG day (like there was a RT demo adventure, Forsaken Bounty, last year). 

Coolio!

I've offered to run a session or two, depending on interest, for those in the Portland, OR area.

Hope you like it I helped playtest it a little while back, and it seems to cover all the new aspects of DW pretty well, in my opinion anyway. I'm gonna be stealing a lot of the mechanics from it for RT and DH too.

 Since I very much doubt that my local shop will participate I was wondering if anyone knows whether the free Deathwatch scenario will be released in some other way as well (e.g. as a pdf at the FFG website)?

gruntl said:

They released Forsaken Bounty for Rogue Trader in PDF format about a week or so after Free RPG Day.  So, likely we'll see something similar.

-=Brother Praetus=-

I'm looking forward to it, to be honest.  The Dark Heresy one, Shattered Hopes, was aptly named.  This quick insight into the mechanics and flavour of Deathwatch are most welcome.

Kage

Brother Praetus said:

Whilst I can't say with 100% accuracy, this is likely to be the case, I think.

As soon as I cand find afew people to play it here I will.

Yes.  At the moment that's my 'problem' as well!

There's always online play.  It seems that the internet is keeping together roleplaying groups that have been disbanded by real life (work, school, etc.).  This is a good thing, at least in my mind.  

So why not explore PbP or something else?

Kage

Kage2020 said:

The other day our group decided to try playing through a steam group chat while keeping all of the OoC to ventrilo. We think it worked pretty well. Makes it easier to keep track of who's doing what, things like Initiative, and I personally think it's easier to roleplay through words than in person.

Excellent.  I've always believed that a true "online tabletop" is waiting for someone with the coding abilities to actually create the online table.  Mix BumpTop with FantasyGrounds, throw in with some touchscreen antics and... Perfect.

Hopefully someone who reads this has the ability to make a lot...sorry, reasonable amount... of cash. 

Kage

Kage2020 said:

Check this out. I heard some folks on the D6 Generation podcast (thed6generation.com) talking about this demo. It uses a type of touchscreen technology to read small bits on the bottom of each game piece. Interface aside, if we had the GUI and tools they're using here available, that would be sweet.

Something I tend to use in games quite a bit is an old product called 'Tact-tiles', which the Battle Graph Dry Erase board is the spiritual successor to. (www.battlegraph.com) They're interlocking dry-erase tiles roughly a foot square and a 1" square grid printed on them. They're fantastic. Imaging linking that tech up with a computer-driven gui a la computer writing pads, and you'd be set.

Whoops! Completely forgot the link I was going to post: search on youtube for 'D&D on a Microsoft Surface'. It's pretty awesome.

I prefer the face to face, plus any hassle from the guys I can give them a GIBBS slap.

Well, you don't need to wait for the commercial availability of Microsoft surface table technologies.  For a few hundred dollars you can already download a small, focused digital projector that will turn any computer into a table-projectable touchscreen.  That will handle some part of it with regards to map projection etc., but there are still going to be wireless transfer (or network transfer) issues.  That's where the BumpTop and potential Voice/Video-oiP comes into play. 

Either way, there are some definitely exciting new technologies coming out that would support the imaginative entrepeneur even before one gets into virtualisation and augmented reality. 

miss dee said >>>

I prefer the face to face, plus any hassle from the guys I can give them a GIBBS slap.

Excellent NCIS reference there, miss dee. 

One thing to remember, though, is that not everyone has the opportunity to be able to get around a table with a bunch of like-minded roleplayers.  The nearest gaming group to me, for example, is over 3.5 hours away.  Getting the opportunity to break away even for a normal game session is difficult, let alone one that requires a 7-or-more hour trip.  (And I can only generally get away on national holidays, and then everyone else has a desire to go to the same locationbeach front towns, yeesh.)

Kage