So FFG, any chance we can get the rulebooks out in an ePub format, to use with the coming iPad? It might support pdf's as well, but only know about the ePub format from the presentation today

I've started to utilize my iPhone as a dataslate, when I run my adventures, where I make custom powerpoints for mission briefings and to show target information/photos on. And it is working quite well, getting into the role of an inquisitor handing of mission details to the group leader, or techpriest/adept depending on the information, and it got me thinking about the whole "adding a bit of electronics" into the game to spice it up a little bit more.

First off, using the iPad as a dataslate would be a great means to involve the players a bit more, and having the rulebooks on it, would save me 2-3 kilos of book dragging every saturday. Writing an app for it, like the most excellent application Dataslate, with some more added features would be an excellent supplement to a good game, and something to lure in more new players.

Anyway, just dreaming a bit

Leave it to Apple to make some new gadget that is incompatible with every other piece of technology in existance. If they do not support PDF then the product deserves to fail HARD!

How do you store the .ppt files on the iphone? As mail-attachments?

There's an iconic image in the old sisters of battle codex that shows a Ministorum priest preaching to a large crowd whilst holding a data-slate that's been formed to resemble a scroll of parchment. Weird how much that looks like this new ipad... The ipad basically IS a dataslate.

ZillaPrime said:

Although I don't know too much about it, I was compelled to do a quick bit of poking around to see if it was possible, and by the looks of things there is an app for reading pdfs on the iphone. If I remember what I've read correctly about the ipad, you can use pretty much all of the currently existing apps from the iphnoe on the ipad, so viewing pdfs on it shouldn't be a problem if this is true. You've still got the fact that currently it doesn't appear to multi-task though.

There are a few ways of getting it "on" the iPhone. I use the iDisk app that comes with the MobileMe subscription, but there is also the Dropbox app, which does pretty much the same. So it isnt directly on my phone, but very fast to get anyway. Easier to maintain that way as well. I imagine the same would work for the iPad.

Basically I make 480x320 resolution powerpoints and the fileviewer on the phone eats them nicely. I've started to convert them to small pdf's though, because the formating looks better and is more consistant that way.

I checked the spec's yesterday and pdf shouldnt be a problem either. Would be **** nice to have the rulebooks in individual apps, with minor multimedia additions/links.

My first inclination of the iPad was that this was... the dataslate. Imagine what it could do for roleplaying games, character generation wise with a good app, or one with GM tools.

While a pad or tablet will definitely be a cool addition to have when playing a roleplaying game....the apple pad is just a mere prototype with its main target group being tech savvy, cutting edge and diehard apple users. There are open systems in the making (i.e. "joo joo" aka crunchpad), with even better processing power and open interfaces - not to forget HD video). And the iPad will not even play crappy Flash Videos. Also no standard usb ports, no sd card bay....way to go.

Sure, having the references at hand will speed up the game, but will it be better? I would suggest that a projector to display maps, images or battlemats on a white table would be more fun.

Ikkaan said:

This

The Ipad is surprisingly limited, actually more so than the iphone as that, at least, comes with 3g out of the box rather than being an upgraded model. No flash, no easy file sharing, no multi-apps etc. Other tablets are going to be superior for gaming either already or those coming in the next 12 months.

Good I hate technology!

I am not so sure, that it is intended for tech savy people, quite the contrary. If it was, it would be an open platform just as you mention. It's targeted to "normal" people, allowing them to do more than what they could before, easier. That's always been my view on Apple anyway, that their products arent made to make experts do more with more "firepower" like the rest of the industry, but to allow normal people to do more with less. But thats a completely different discussion

There is a USB and SD card connector for it, so it isnt like it doesnt do it, it just doesnt include it in the main setup. I used to program/draw Flash, and I am actually happy that they havent included it. But again, different discussion

Filesharing wise, I've not seen an easier alternative than Apple's own MobileMe, or the Dropbox app which does the same just free. Granted, not a lot of people know about those sort of things. For instance, I can push documents to indivial members of my group, for their eyes only, electronically if thats what I want. It pops up as a link in an email they get, and they can access it on their own laptops, as long as they are on the internet.

I and my group have been moving over to a more electronic way of playing over the course of the past 2-3 years. Most our character records are now digital, and most information gathered by the group is stored digitally allowing them to easier remember past encounters and such. It's not foolproof, but thats quite funny at times, especially in a game like this... "Your dataslate must be corrupted somehow, you cant seem to access it..."

If I could make maps and add characters on a touch screen device, and have my characters move their chars like a big game of monopoly or warhammer tabletop to grant a better tactical overview, that could be great fun. It would also allow everyone to see what was going on, around the table.

Just dreaming here anyway

I'm sure that the Tech Priest will come up with something better than this Daemon "Apple" you speak of.

I think Apple's main contribution to the tablet-PC market is going to be proving it can work relatively elegantly.

Personally, I've got an iPhone and a high-end gaming laptop. I don't really need something in between the two, and if I did, I'd get a tiny PC instead of an iPhone that's too big to fit in my pockets (and I wear military-grade cargo pants so I can carry novels around with me), and doesn't work as a phone.

Now, if they made it a small, touch-screen Mac instead of an enhugened iPod Touch, that might interest me more. Flash support and multi-tasking are going to be vastly more useful on a tablet than on a phone or an MP3 player.

The current app used in my game is only getting better. The developer is very responsive and also excited about the iPad. That being said if you haven't already have a look at:

http://projects.gandreas.com/dicenomicon/

Not only is it an awesome dice roller for anything but he's adding character sheets. Both for the iPod Touch/iPhone versions and now a panel for iPad users.

-S

The ipad will certainly support pdfs. There are a lot of pdf apps on the itouch already. Plus as the reader (ibooks) is said to support more formats than just epub. That said I'd personally buy cheap netboot instead of the ipad, kindle or the like.

PS- I've always thought of data slates as gothic over sized itouchs.