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View Full Version : Advice for good, low-cost computer to run/organize my games?



bennythejew
2016-11-25, 11:53 AM
Hello, all! I posted this in the "mad science/grumpy technology" section, but that may have been the wrong place for it...
Anyway, I'm a still-in-the-shrinkwrap DM, and I am looking at using Obsidian Portal and Roll20 to help me run my game.
I'm looking into some of these sub-$200 laptops on Amazon for something to be a dedicated RPG-only machine; would one of these be enough? What about a Raspberry Pi?
My situation is I have two long-distance players, and the campaign I'm planning has some pretty unorthodox encounters that go way beyond standard combat mechanics. I don't know how Roll20's tools handle combat, but I figure a camera set up can handle what Roll20 can't.
I would also like to use music and sound effects from time to time on top of all that.
What all do I need to run a game? Roll20 looks like it handles pretty much everything, including video chat, or are there other tools or programs y'all recommend?

Thanks for any and all advice!

Grod_The_Giant
2016-11-25, 10:11 PM
Roll20 is basically a whiteboard, if that helps you visualize what it can do. As for a cheap laptop... I used to have an Acer Netbook that was pretty nice; nowadays you might be able to do the same things with a tablet, even. Maybe check Groupon for deals?

Nifft
2016-11-25, 11:51 PM
I'm looking into some of these sub-$200 laptops on Amazon for something to be a dedicated RPG-only machine; would one of these be enough? Yes, quite likely it would be.

Check reviews & get an overall decent general-purpose machine.


My situation is I have two long-distance players, and the campaign I'm planning has some pretty unorthodox encounters that go way beyond standard combat mechanics. I don't know how Roll20's tools handle combat, but I figure a camera set up can handle what Roll20 can't.
I would also like to use music and sound effects from time to time on top of all that.
What all do I need to run a game? Roll20 looks like it handles pretty much everything, including video chat, or are there other tools or programs y'all recommend? I'm partial to Skype & Zoom for video-conferencing & screen-sharing.

I'm not sure about the quality of the video camera on a cheap laptop but I bet your phone could do great video capture.

MarkVIIIMarc
2016-11-25, 11:55 PM
If these programs require much typing get something with a BIG keyboard and maybe number pad. Work has given me a detachable top Windows 10 machine which kicks butt running a star-mapping program which helps me with the telescope but generally sucks if I have to type on it. Our "old" 2010 Lenovo laptop with the quality touch pad, full keyboard and number pad is infinitely better.

What is your computer proficiency level?

Just keep looking about if you are in a real pinch.

I am posting on a Windows XP computer many people would probably give you for free. It still runs all our dealer logins. Because it has a good keyboard I use it considerably more often than that previously mentioned toy laptop/tablet.

Old laptops are touchier than PC's. They have odd battery life issues but their other hardware pieces are getting better.

Slipperychicken
2016-11-26, 02:23 AM
Each of my friends who has tried to save money with those ultra-cheap laptops quickly regretted it and got a pricier one as soon as they could. They had problems like the computer getting hung up and crashing from just on youtube alone, or even having a few too many documents open at once, not even mentioning a near-complete inability to run games or other serious programs. I feel like keeping open Roll20 and its baggage plus the other programs you might want open (youtube, RPG books, webcam, word docs) will prove too much for such a weak machine. My computer is okay, but it still chugged a little on Roll20 when I was still using it.


Really, just think about the amount of time you're going to be spending on the thing. A real laptop is worth the money if you have it. I got mine a few years back for like 1,000 USD, and aside from an inexcusable boot-time it does everything I need it to do without much hassle. I wouldn't advise a super-cheap laptop unless you have both a dire need for it, can't possibly make do with a desktop and smartphone alone, and are so deeply impoverished you cannot get a better laptop.

Herobizkit
2016-11-26, 06:25 AM
Another thrifty option is to get what's called a "barebones kit" and throw in about, oh, 8 gig of RAM. You'll still have to buy Windows 10 unless you can transfer it over from another PC.

Under no circumstances should you drop money on an eMachine or any off-brand laptop (like, from Wal-Mart, fr'ex).

* I am not very tech-y, but 600-ish bucks for a decent PC (components et al, not including monitor) that can surf the web and have some decent storage will perform above average and will last you quite a while. Can't say the same about laptops.

** I'm also in Canada; electronics in the U.S. are decidedly less expensive.

Stan
2016-11-26, 06:51 AM
I'm on a laptop that runs Roll20 without problem. Just make sure you get 4+ gig of ram if you can - in that range most of the specs will be ok. It also has a 17" monitor. it was ~$250 or so.

There are basically two types of laptops. Ultra slick modern thin ones and thick, heavy ones that still have an optical drive. The latter have gone out of style so they are often cheap. They tend to have better keyboard and function better as full computers but they are heavy. Ours is basically a portable computer that occasionally moves to another room or plugs into the TV. I wouldn't want it in my carry on for a flight but it's great around the house.

If you also want to play games, you might want a cheap desktop. You generally have to pay a fair amount to get a laptop with a good enough graphics card to not crash.

JAL_1138
2016-11-26, 08:07 AM
No experience with Roll20, but when I still played online and used Maptools, it was a major memory hog. I had a cheap laptop that hung up like crazy and crashed often. Got a better laptop with more memory, better processor (not by much; memory was the big gain) and had much better luck, although I still wouldn't recommend Maptools--even with fewer out-of-memory crashes or freezes, it's still a glitchy, finicky, unintuitive piece of software. Spending a little extra money can get you a significantly more functional machine that will last longer, and it's worth delaying the game and saving up for it if necessary.

Also, ditto to what Stan said about looking for larger/heavier laptops; they do tend to be cheaper than the ultrathins, by a very substantial amount, and often have as goid or better specs.

A touchscreen and stylus might be really helpful to make maps quicker or on-the-fly, but I can't say for sure since I haven't used Roll20. More and more reasonably-affordable laptops have them now.

Also ditto that if you want to do much computer gaming instead of browsing thr net and having a VTT for playing tabletop games over the internet, a desktop is the way to go. Getting equivalent performance out of a laptop graphically is both difficult and really expensive in comparison.

bennythejew
2016-11-27, 03:55 PM
Thank you all for the advice! I'll see what Cyber Monday brings; might beef my budget up a bit, too.