Best counter storage system ever!!!!!!!!!

[kcole4001]

I think you'd have to just run such a screen as a communal monitor, rather than a touch screen, and use VASL as is, from one or two laptops.
There would be upsides and downsides, of course, but it would be great for solo/SASL VASL campaign games.
It could be either moved out of the way for everyday life, or made part of a modular table, covered by a 'normal' surface for other purposes.
No worrying about stacks getting knocked over, feline OBA, etc.
Just click save and power off.
If the price ever becomes reasonable, I'll get such a screen just for that purpose.

 

[von Marwitz]

No, never had the opportunity, so I can only talk about what I believe it would be like. I suppose a huge tactile screen, with the proper software (VASL would need some adaptation), might make it convenient enough, though I don't think I'd really enjoy it as I enjoy "normal" (cardboard) FtF play.

I think there might be several things which could prove troublesome:

1. Glare - I do not know huge tactile screens, but we know from the various forms of paper maps that it *could* be a potential detriment.
2. Stack-expansion - in FtF games, you pick the stack and inspect if offboard. In VASL, stacks expand, which could be seen by the opponent with a horizontal screen. However, the solution might be simple if a player uses his hand to screen the view of the oppenent when expanding a stack. Stack expansion would need to be not automatic, though (which can be selected as a setting in VASL).

von Marwitz

 

[Robin Reeve]

HIP and concealment would be complicated to manage with a same screen for both players.
Unless you abandon the VASL advantage of being able to see one's own HIP/concealed units while not seeing those of one's opponent.

 

[kcole4001]

Good points.
A shared screen would probably not be practical.
It would be fine for solo play, but I wondered about the glare issue as well.
You'd have to be careful about room lighting placement. Otherwise a good recipe for headaches.

 

[Philippe D.]

Actually, with the appropriate changes to VASL, a large communal screen might work. Necessary changes are small: change the way HIP and Concealment are handled, and make some UI elements available from both sides of the screen, mainly.

Glare might be a problem, depending on the screen surface. But there are already tactile screens that are less susceptible to it - most ereaders these days have touchscreens, and usually have less glare than pure glass screens (though they are also designed for black and white displays; colors might be less vibrant with this kind of cover).

I know of a local business around here that creates this kind of "electronic tables" for as meeting-room material for professionals - they also typically develop the custom software for their clients, I believe. Who knows, they might have a "virtual gaming table" offer

So, it's probably doable. Might cost a fortune, though

 

[Robin Reeve]

Spilling a beverage on an electronic table or simply breaking or scratching the surface would be an issue.

And I don't know how HIP could be handled, unless using some form of side record (physical or electronic), which would be going back to physical ASL. At that rate, cardboard is fine.

 

[Philippe D.]

And I don't know how HIP could be handled, unless using some form of side record (physical or electronic), which would be going back to physical ASL. At that rate, cardboard is fine.

No problem - give the two players differently polarized pairs of glasses, and include polarization in the "screen"'s surface. Might add to the cost of your gaming table, though...

 

[kcole4001]

Really, right now the cost is still the biggest downside.
I'm sure if they were affordable we'd come up with solutions for the other issues quickly enough.

 

[GeorgeBates]

Biggest downside for me is fingerprints on the screen. Wish I could still get a keyboard on a mobile phone.

 

[Robin Reeve]

Perhaps special glasses will replace screens altogether some day.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Perhaps special glasses will replace screens altogether some day.

Nah, cut out the middle man, direct input into the occipital lobes and cortical micro probes for output. Use a biochemical powered bluetooth connection to a combined scenario storage and random number generator (based on radio white noise) unit. Bluetooth avoids the need for an unsightly USB stick poking out of your skull, with it's attendant power requirements.

 

[GeorgeBates]

Nah, cut out the middle man, direct input into the occipital lobes and cortical micro probes for output. Use a biochemical powered bluetooth connection to a combined scenario storage and random number generator (based on radio white noise) unit. Bluetooth avoids the need for an unsightly USB stick poking out of your skull, with it's attendant power requirements.

Resistance is futile, after all.

 

[mharviala]

Me and Eero had started a game on VASL, and had the opportunity to finish it FtF last summer. As it turned out, we hadn't printed the map (Securing Senno - BRILLIANT game!) we basically finished it on VASL, in the same room with each of us on our computers. It was great fun, being able to trash talk and suck beers, and convenient. Not that I'd choose that over the Cardboard Experience (tm).

 

[Capt. Batguano]

Convenience <> better

 

[Rock SgtDan]

Don't get me wrong, but rather than this:

View attachment 3388

I prefer this:

View attachment 3389

But each to his own.

Cheers,
von Marwitz

So you prefer guys without facial hair?