I'm Torn here.... Pickin brings up several valid points I have thought often of myself, and though my group does not have the "no electronics" protocol, I can certainly understand both sides.
The group I currently play with allows the use of laptops to look up rules on d20pfsrd.com. The three of us who have Hero Lab use them to help the others level up their characters in-between adventures, too. Other than that, we don't use electronics at the table. That's the way I run things when I GM, too.
Character progression is one of the features that an electronic format brings. I would add that having herolab as an electronic sheet instead of a printed copy allows my players to simply check/uncheck a box for changing effects, conditions, weapon types, spells cast, or studied, etc without recalculations on their "hard copy sheet". Things like fatigue, rage, spell effects are handled much faster now. I long for the day when if ever, LWD makes the Herolab "Live" allowing me to updated conditions hitpoints, etc on the fly as played.
Almost all of us are IT professionals. I have had too many issues in the past, though (with numerous groups), with people checking their email, doing web browsing, etc. when they need to focus on the game.
I agree and it is a distraction, not only to the player doing it but to those around. We actually do two things, one is an "at the movies" approach. No viewing phones, texting phones on vibrate. as to the laptop web browsing users, I simply locked down the router, so no access, all the PCs have access to my gaming "intranet" which gives them access to the server for their updated pors, notes, researches, etc, but still keeps them game immersed.
I'm also not there to play an MMO - I'm there to do old school RPGing. If I wanted to play a computer game, I would do that instead. That's why I don't do things like Roll20, either.
Agree with the MMO LOL I try to emphasize the difference between ROLL play and ROLE play at our table. BUT I do utilize D20pro for mapping (simply because it is faster & more cost effective to make and update maps electronically). Doing the maps electronically, allows my players to snapshot them (if they have the cartography skill & are literate), make their own notes, and if they even want, sell said maps later.
I have no issue with people who want to do everything electronically. That's just another way to do things. In my experience, though, most people in the rpg world don't want to go that route completely. They still want to have printouts available.
I agree, what ever works for you, and I suppose my group fits somewhere in between.... I'm less concerned with being able to print than to put all my data into something with NO means to get that data back, whether that be as a hard copy or a default electronic format.
Even if I were happy sticking to all-electronic materials, I would still want data export capabilities. I started programming on the original Apple II back in the 70s, and have lost too much work over the years to proprietary products that suddenly ceased to be supported. I also don't like to have my data tied into the limited list of options available to it - I like to be able to manipulate and reuse it easily.
DITTO to that... I started with a TI99-4a and like you if I am willing to invest the effort of putting my data in, I want the effort of the developer to give me the means of getting MY work out.
Fixed my post...