Survey: Tablets in RPG - your hardware, your apps, your level of satisfaction?

[AkaKageWarrior]

Hello tablet-using role-players!

Please be so kind to answer the following questions, to learn from each other, to help noobs getting their stuff together.

To keep the answers readable, please quote/copy/paste from this initial post!

• 1) Hardware / tablet

• 2) Operating System

• 3) Which of the following do you use for in-game input:
  pen / stylus / touchscreen keyboard / HW keyboard / mouse / anything else?

• 4) list of apps and usage:
  a)
  b)
  ...

• 5) How happy are you with your above mentioned setup? Please rate it on a scale from 0 (worst) to 10 (best).

• 6) Any additional comments? Things how you might / will improve your setup?

Thanks for your time!

[ZomB]

1) Nexus 7
2) Android (latest)
3) Touchscreen

4) Apps:

a) Masterwork Tools: Pathfinder Open Reference (free) - search for anything really quickly. Covers all the Bestiarys, Advanced Race Guide, Core, APG, UC, UM.
- as a GM great for looking up rules, monsters and spells
- as a player great for looking up your spells

b) QuickPic (free) – as a GM store scene setting images that can be shown during the scenario

c) Adobe PDF reader (free)
– so I don’t have to carry all those heavy books, also for looking up things in scenarios/books if really necessary
- as a player store character sheets and summon monster reference sheets
- as a GM:
-- useful for looking up after scenario reference information
-- useful to zoom in on a picture and show it
-- you could read and run a scenario direct from a tablet though I prefer that to be printed

5) Very happy so far = 8+

6) Only had it a few weeks, I guess I will find more uses and apps for it
Power lasts for 2 full gaming slots if using it constantly or three of using it just for lookup.

[Grey Lensman]

I found the adobe pdf viewers to be very slow for reading the pathfinder pdfs, even in the lite format. I ended up searching for others solely for them.

[Rexfelis4]

1) iPad 3
2) iOS 6.1
3) touch
4) list of apps and usage:
a) PFR - for PRD reference books
b) Character Folio - character sheet
5) 6
6) Both of the apps I use are a bit clunky and don't exactly have great UI...BUT, they are both functional for their purpose and they more-or-less get the job done.

[n00bxqb]

I have two, so I'll do two.

1) HP TouchPad
2) webOS
3) Touchscreen keyboard
4) Dice Roller by Fourth Edition Software, Box, and Adobe Reader
5) Love the dice roller app, Adobe Reader sucks for the TouchPad, so 5/10
6) I primarily use it for spell reference, rule reference, and complex dice rolls (since the software allows to save custom die rolls). I have to create new PDFs, however, as the TouchPad either isn't powerful enough or the software isn't optimized enough to efficiently handle the actual PDFs. RPG-related software is basically non-existant for webOS

1) iPad (4th generation)
2) iOS 6.1
3) Touchscreen keyboard
4) Dicenomicon, iCrit, iFumble, PF Battle, PFRPG rd, Box, Adobe Reader
5) Love it. Dicenomicon, while the character sheet portion is greatly disappointing, the ability to save custom die rolls AND switch between "Game Rooms" is great. iCrit and iFumble were much cheaper than the real decks. I haven't really used PF Battle yet, but I'm going to be running a campaign shortly and it looks good. PFRPG rd is a gift from Gozreh. Box is better on webOS than on iOS, but it still gets the job done. Adobe reader works great and I have all the PDFs I need. 9/10
6) Multi-tasking in iOS is a bit of a pain, especially with Dicenomicon, where swiping to another program often causes the table within the app to spin. Apps occasionally get locked/stuck (i.e. when PFRPG rd requests that you rate it), forcing you to restart. Basically, if iOS multi-tasked like webOS, it would be perfect. I've also yet to find a digital character sheet that does what I want it to do. If someone could make a digital version of the Paizo Character Folio for iPad, that would be amazing.

[Andrew Betts]

1) Nexus 10
2) Android 4.2.2
3) Touchscreen/Stylus
4) list of apps and usage:
a) Mantano Reader Premium
b) Masterwork Tools
c) Chrome
d) RDP client
5) How happy are you with your above mentioned setup? 8, I need a reader for Hero Lab files (which I'm working on right now)

[AkaKageWarrior]

Wow, thanks for the replies so far!

Hoping for more,
AKW

[Laithoron]

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• 1: Nexus 10
  
• 2: Android 4.2.2
  
• 3: Touchscreen, Stylus, BT Keyboard
  
• 4:
  
• 4a: Chrome — PRD, campaign wiki, etc
  
• 4b: File Manager HD — access to files on my desktop, shortcuts to campaign map
  
• 4c: The Brain — relationship mapping software in which I diagram how plots and NPCs are inter-connected
  
• 4d: iRemote — control iTunes on my desktop for mood music
  
• 4e: SketchBook Pro — quick sketches
  
• 4f: Adobe Reader, Foxit PDF — referencing rulebooks, etc
  
• 5: Overall I'm quite happy, although I still haven't found a PDF viewer that I really like. Being able to access all of the same shortcuts I have in Chrome on my desktop is a huge timesaver for me, and it's much more natural to view, zoom, and pan around in my HUGE (2300x1800 & 3700x2800+) campaign maps on a tablet than it is on the desktop or laptop.
  
• 6: I'd also like to see an Android version of Combat Manager. Also, The Brain is still in need of a native Android app instead of having to rely upon the browser. At some point, I may decide to build a game table around an HDTV, at which point I might be able to make use of the HDMI or wireless HD features, but for now I haven't explored those options yet.

[IceniQueen]

1) ASUS TF201
2) Ice Creame Sandwich but will update to Jellybean
3) HW Keyboard and Keyboard mouse and touch screen
4) list of apps and usage:
a) My Cloud remote into my PC running Office, Hero Lab, Combat Manager
b) Adobe Reader
5) 8
6) Love to see an Android version of Hero Lab and Combat manager. I have a few minor complaints like the sensitivity of the mouse and the system overall, but nothing big enough to complain about

[LazarX]

Forget the specs... Apps are where it's at. Although the bottom basement 7 inch tablets are pure pain when it comes do dealing with large PDF files.

For reading PDF's GoodReader is at this point the best PDF reading app out there. At this time it's only available on IOS, but you might write the author on info for an Android version.

To make your life even easier, make sure that you use the "lite" version of the Paizo books where that's applicable.

[Grey Lensman]

What I would like is for a pdf app that doesn't force me to hunt through a gazillion tabs to find my pathfinder pdf's. Better yet, one that would have the option of taking over as the go to pdf viewer when I go into the tablet's organized library.

[Jamz]

1) Motorola Xoom
2) Jelly Bean nightlies/latest
3) touchscreen with occasional stylus or keyboard
4) Chrome for d20pfsrd.com, etc
ezPDF Reader for books (noticed people are looking for a decent viewer, i've used this for over a year, fastest/truest renderer i've used. Was 2$ when i got it, could be more, but try it, def updates almost 2+ times a months usually with new features.
Masterwork tools
Hero Lab via Remote Desktop (I DID use it as a remoteapp under Win 7, but Win 8 pro doesn't allow it, so now just Xtralogic Remote Desktop or SplashTop)

5) 8, native Herolab would make it a 10 for quicker/better touch screen interface than RDP.
6) I just got a MS Surface Pro for the wife but if you weren't to go native x86 apps for maptool or herolab, etc, this thing will do it. Im highly impressed with how snappy it is, it has full laptop power.

However, i get a full 8 hour game session on my Xoom as is and that works for me. And by far i have the smallest foot print at the table, even smaller than those with paper character sheets.

When i gm, i use a laptop for maptool and keep the xoom handy for running boss npcs via hero lab.

[AkaKageWarrior]

Thanks so far, gimme some more, please! :)

[Laithoron]

FINALLY found a PDF reader for Android that I really like:
Moon+Reader Pro

One of the big pluses is that you can tag your PDF files and rename the titles without having to change the filenames. You can also opt to overlay a separate title OVER the thumbnail of the cover. This means, you can load up the single-file-per-chapter versions of all the Pathfinder books, manually tag the Classes, Feats, Spells, etc. chapters as such. Then when I switch the bookshelf view to show Tags instead of folders or authors, etc., I can see ALL of the references for that specific rule subset in the same view with the optional cover overlay showing what book said feat or class chapter comes from.

Also, it renders nice and fast and is good enough to display the table of contents upon opening your PDF and remember the last page you left off on. That makes it very handy for when you need to skip back and forth between several sources... Like last night when all of us were statting up a new party.

With this, I'd say my satisfaction with my Nexus 10 is pretty much complete. :)