zobo1942:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n94E3IeBquY&feature=related
Now, I’d certainly be interested in messing around with something like this!
I’ve thought about using old LCD monitors to display terrain (and animation) but this is pretty amazing…
Think there’s potential for a Warhammer application?
nitroglysarine:
That is VERY neat.
I’m guessing though that gaming size tables would be more pricey.
Maybe for a Skirmish or Mordheim??
Ishkur Cinderhat:
I certainly see this coming in the next few years. Dozens of issues could be solved with this - change of terrain, line of sight problems, the usual “how many models does this flamer template touch” and so on. Right now I think the biggest problem is size - my gaming table is 200x100cm and for a two- or three players tabletop game of Warhammer this is already rather small. But who knows, we might see foldable screens or roll-up screens someday.
I’m just not so sure about the idea of Microsoft providing the software for my TT games. An error message at the wrong moment can really ruin one’s day. 
furrie:
Like ishkur said such a table is way to small (I’ve seen and used one myself for a school project). But if the table was the right size I could make a application to speed the warhammer battle up.
cornixt:
This has come up at least twice before. Some students did something very similar for 40k.
I can certainly foresee a time when some gaming centres will have one big enough for a full Warhammer game, and I’m sure there are hobbiests who would create their own software for it anyway. Only a matter of time for the prices to come down.
Loki:
That really is very cool 
snowblizz:
This has come up at least twice before. Some students did something very similar for 40k.Oooh, I was ninjaed there. Was just gonna mention this.
cornixt
zobo1942:
Perhaps the next ‘gameboard’ will be your television and an xbox controller…
Tarrakk Blackhand:
There’s a few of these things out there. However, I’d rather pay the $300-$1000 in models of figures, terrain and dice.
Although nice for tracking gameplay, these tables are not condusive for model building.
zobo1942:
True - and the light from the surface (or from a ceiling-mounted projector) would make painting your figures nearly useless.
I was thinking a while ago about trying to turn a gaming surface into a digital whiteboard, which could be virtually manipulated with an LED pen (you can use a projector and a Wii remote to do this) and although it would be neat to be able to load up different maps easily, etc… The light issue would make the paint jobs on your miniatures unnoticeable, and placing 3d terrain on top of the ‘board’ would interfere with being able to use an LED pen (it would block ‘line of sight’ to the Wii remote)… so, I ended up shelving the idea.
And, although this is really cool - I’d love to mess around with it for a while - I think that the only way it would function well would be if all the models were digital as well. Which means you might as well use your wall-mounted TV, sit on your couch and use your xbox controller to interact with it.
Obsidian:
Pretty neat, although I have no idea how it works lol! ^^
Nicodemus:
In terms of scale it would be ideal for Warhammer Quest (WHQ). It’s somewhat similar to D&D, and since the party always sticks together down in the dungeons in WHQ they only ever need a small portion of the game area displayed at any one time mostly…
I can imagine once some of these devices become cheaper and can be marketed better, an open concept approach where they supply the hardware and some control devices, but also allow gamers to program their own interactions and content would probably result in there being hundreds of games ported to this kind of device. So even though GW might not release anything for it there would probably tons of content for it that we’d all have to scramble to download before the IP hammer descends 
zobo1942:
Well, maybe the interim solution is to use an LCD tv, flipped over on it’s back, with a peice of plexiglass on top, hooked up to a laptop. ‘Terrain’ could be placed (in photoshop, or illustrator - or in Flash, if you had animations - and displayed of the horizontal TV. You could still measure tradiaitionally, etc… but the environment could be digitally generated.
snowblizz:
It’s simples really. Sensors in the models (the base). That’s what the Danish guys did. When you placed a model on the board it would recognize exactly what it was.
The biggest issue of course is terrain. If we want our 3D models we’ll want terrain as well.
Stuff like *Quest and Space Hulk would work well though. And of course similar RPGs with “dungeons” as mentioned.
Tarrakk Blackhand:
I wonder if there’s a different way to track these things and still use our model building. Maybe something like a basic GPS?
Willmark:
For an RPG this makes some sense but for a table top game it’s still a ways off.
Man reason is price MS Surface is about 10k US.
Hashut’s Blessing:
Speaking of roll up monitors and disposable laptops, these are things that have been under development and I believe roll-up keyboards have been created and roll-up screens are nearly completed for final testing…
Also, about 4 years ago, there was research into wearable computers.
Anyway, back on topic: I doubt that these will ever truly replace a good old gaming board. They may be useful and they may be a cool gimmick/novel idea, but people that play wargames do so for the cool models and scenery etc etc. If htey want digital models/scenery, but the same game, they’d play a real time/turn-based strategy game on their computer/Xbox360/PS3 etc.
I like the possibilities of literally having randomly generated terrain, as opposed to “randomly generated fromy our own collection”, but that and the accuracy are probably it’s only real upside compared to a traditional board, IMO.
snowblizz:
I wonder if there's a different way to track these things and still use our model building. Maybe something like a basic GPS?RFID tags.
Tarrakk Blackhand
For an RPG this makes some sense but for a table top game it's still a ways off.Or we could not buy the overpriced MS thingy... of course it is still expensive, but I fully expect to see this becoming standard tech within say 10-20 years.
Man reason is price MS Surface is about 10k US.
Willmark
Anyway, back on topic: I doubt that these will ever truly replace a good old gaming board. They may be useful and they may be a cool gimmick/novel idea, but people that play wargames do so for the cool models and scenery etc etc. If htey want digital models/scenery, but the same game, they'd play a real time/turn-based strategy game on their computer/Xbox360/PS3 etc.Hologram terrain? Saw this the other day:
I like the possibilities of literally having randomly generated terrain, as opposed to "randomly generated fromy our own collection", but that and the accuracy are probably it's only real upside compared to a traditional board, IMO.
Hashut's Blessing
furrie:
I wonder if there's a different way to track these things and still use our model building. Maybe something like a basic GPS?if it realy is the microsoft surface table (it looks that way). Then they have a barcode systeem using dots.
Tarrakk Blackhand