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The SurfaceScapes team at the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University have designed a proof of concept Dungeons & Dragons tabletop game to work on Microsoft Surface. SurfaceScapes is aiming to provide features that Game Masters and players will be able to work with to recreate the D&D experience on Microsoft's giant screen table.

I'm not a Dungeons & Dragons guy at all, but this is just neat as f**k. The above video goes through a walkthrough of what SurfaceScapes has developed so far. If videogames are making the transition away from handheld controllers, then I rather have something like the Surface become mainstream rather than Natal. Too bad these things cost a few grand.  

[via 1Up]


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23 comments | showing # 1 to 23

MrSadistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:24
MrSadistic
holy balls
Niero's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:27
Niero
that's fucking crazy.

also, if anyone has any doubt that gaming demand is yet again driving serious technology, point them here.
Krusayder's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:31
Krusayder
That's so awesome!
Tanukitsune's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:31
Tanukitsune
Good Lord! That's amazing! *jaw drop*
Draxxlith's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:36
Draxxlith
DO WANT.
CaptainApocalypse's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:51
CaptainApocalypse
Wow. As soon as they get the interface streamlined, that is going to be amazing.
casualweaponry's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 09:55
casualweaponry
Faaaaaaaaaaap!

I need that, like now.
Greylocke's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 10:15
Greylocke
I'm going to step back here and say that Microsoft Surface is cool anyway regardless of D&D, so anything geared toward "table-top" gameplay should exceptionally cool on Surface.
Husky Hog's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 10:21
Husky Hog
If it took that long to roll 1 20 sided die during a D&D game I would probably kill myself.
Matthew Blake's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 10:45
Matthew Blake
Wow, that's a really slick interface. I wonder how easily you could import your own models, though- a true roleplaying system is going to have to be extremely flexible.
JDigital's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 10:53
JDigital
The game was way too slow paced, I agree with Husky Hog. Speed that shit up, and get rid of the grid on the battlefield... way too distracting. Or at least make it like a dark gray or something not so obtrusive.

However, some of the interface concepts really were awesome.. just needs some polish and some major increase in game speed. let the players slow it down... nothing as annoying as a slow ass interface.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 11:30
Holyetheline
The video won't load for me. =(
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 11:46
Everyday Legend
Still cheaper than Namco Bandai DLC.
Burntgerbil's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 12:42
Burntgerbil
They'd likely change the grid to small plusses at grid intersections. I fear that this might not allow for actual dice rolling. I don't care about a computer, some gamers will always want to roll their dice.

And also - This is the new 4e Ruleset. Their character builder is about as far advanced as we currently have access to. I imagine that if the CB still has glitches (which it does) this would be a pain to constantly be doing bug fixes for.
Naktu's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 13:17
Naktu
I go to CMU. WHY DO I FIND OUT ABOUT THIS HERE!?!?!?
Occams electric toothbrush's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 13:59
Occams electric toothbrush
Heh, nerding it out in the 21st century. I can dig it.
cobacel's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 14:50
cobacel
this technology isnt good at this tije lets wait for another 100 years maybe then it will be eprfected
Technophile's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 15:33
Technophile
Looks like 4ed. I don't know if I would want THAT much built into it, some of that stuff is just faster manually. However, that is pretty friggin badass.
Shin Ra's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 15:45
Shin Ra
imagine if that was WArhammer 40k. . . awesome; in the not so distant future it will be so. every one will have a Microsoft Surface rather than a gaming table.
Valthonis's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 17:37
Valthonis
Anyone else kinda concerned that the Bigass Table missed a user interaction? Rewatch the video and see how many times the demonstrator had to touch Surface twice to get a response...
Ben Scott's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 20:40
Ben Scott
Looks amazing...ly expensive.
The Octagon's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/20/2009 21:41
The Octagon
@Valthonis For a tech demo, it's impressive; however, I think there are a lot of things missing in the overall user experience of it (the D20 is slow as hell, that really breaks the continuity of the game). Currently, it seems like it's a by-developer-types-for-developer-types kind of experience. If the team does some solid audience research and uses it to further inform the design process (and they test it with their intended audience. Not other developers; I'm talking about straight up tabletop and comp-based D&D players) it can be a pioneering play experience.

Also, pie menus FTW.
Irrational Bee's Avatar - Comment posted on 10/21/2009 09:23
Irrational Bee
Paper gaming lol.
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