Developers Upgrade Surface Scapes System
A few months ago, students from the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University created a way to merge the fantasy table top game of Dungeons and Dragons with the 3D touch screen technology of the Microsoft Surface. Today, the students have released a more detailed look at their latest enhancements to their Surface Scapes system. Dungeons and Dragons is a roleplaying game that allowed players to create heros or villains and live out stories that were created by the storyteller or dungeon master (DM). The Surface Scapes system transforms the game from its book and dice format into a digital touch screen game board that is controlled by the DM on a separate laptop monitor. The players start the game by selecting miniatures that will represent their characters. They also build their characters using the controls on the Surface. The system handles a majority of the math involved for the game and allows the players to enjoy the story line. However, if a player wants to see their statistics they only need to place a control knob onto the screen. The developers have made great strides to not only enhance the game, but also try to recreate the freedom that the original game allowed. They also plan to continue developing next semester and release an updated video.
[via Gizmodo]
