Editorial How I rode a Samsung tablet PC to retro role-playing nirvana

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Planescape: Torment

What do you do with a $1,300 touchscreen tablet PC? Why, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/guides/2009/08/how-i-rode-a-samsung-tablet-pc-to-retro-rpg-nirvana.ars">you turn it into a retro-RPG gaming machine of course</a>. Courtesy of those Technical Aresholes:
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<blockquote>Great art stands the test of time, and demands of us a commitment commensurate with its greatness... or, at least that's the kind of thing I only half-ironically told myself as I pulled the trigger on the purchase of an obsolete, slightly brickish, $1,300 tablet PC, which I bought to turn into a portable console for classic computer RPGs. I'm a sucker for old-school isometric RPG titles—Temple of Elemental Evil, Icewind Dale 1 & 2, Planescape:Torment, Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, Fallout 1 & 2—because they're true classics in every sense of the word, and when I began actively collecting used copies of them a little over a year ago, I wanted to make sure that I enjoyed them in style. After some long searching, I found that Samsung's overpriced "Origami" tablet PC is as close to the perfect platform for retro-RPGing as any I could imagine.
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Now, you may be thinking I'm crazy, because on today's screens these games must look like dated, pixellated messes, so who in their right mind would spend the price of a nice Thinkpad just to be able to play one on a touchscreen tablet. Well, by the time you're done with this article, you'll either understand or you won't, and if you are going to understand then the screenshot below will get you over halfway there.</blockquote>
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A few wide-screen mods and technical shenanigans later all result in RPG fun.
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Thanks <b>Occasionally Fatal</b>!

 

[Andhaira]

Whats a tablet pc?

 

[Emotional Vampire]

Amazingly useless. 7 hour battery life(at best) is not quite enough to finish any of these games(Maybe except Fallout if you really, really hurry up). Touchscreen is crap because every time you want to click your own sausage finger will block half of the goddamn screen. And finally, all places where you'd actually resort to a handheld are immersion-breaking as fuck and while it doesn't matter for abstract rule-only games like Tetris it would be a nightmare for an atmosphere-driven RPG.

 

[Double Ogre]

Amazingly useless. 7 hour battery life(at best) is not quite enough to finish any of these games(Maybe except Fallout if you really, really hurry up).

Do you have to finish any of these games under 7 hours? Just save the game, turn it off, and recharge the battery.

Touchscreen is crap because every time you want to click your own sausage finger will block half of the goddamn screen.

Ever heard of a stylus?

 

[Zuluf]

emovamp is jealous?

 

[RK47]

That's insane and cool too, but I still think the price is too steep.

 

[Andhaira]

Is a tablet p like one of those PDA thingies?

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Is a tablet p like one of those PDA thingies?

Just click the link.

 

[mondblut]

8-10 years old games are "retro" now? Decline.

 

[Xi]

I have to admit, that's pretty damned cool. However, I don't think I'd spend that much money on one. In fact, you could do the same thing with a netbook, minus the touchscreen ability, for 1/4 the price.

+2 thumbs up

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834220532

 

[rpgcodexusername]

You could take into the toilet at work.

Have to make sure the sound is turned off though!

 

[Trithne]

Netbook processors aren't as good as that's though, as he mentions in the article. And touchscreen support is a big thing in portable gaming. It makes everything so much more convenient to do.

 

[Xi]

Netbook processors aren't as good as that's though, as he mentions in the article. And touchscreen support is a big thing in portable gaming. It makes everything so much more convenient to do.

Doesn't matter. Netbooks have more than enough CPU power to play those old games and still get great battery life. The real difference is touchscreen mostly.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

Remember when the DS was supposed to be a perfect place for stuff like this but nothing ever turned up? I'm still sour about it. Perhaps because I would buy them legit or something.


I would play that shit on iphone if I could but I owuld probably have to jailbrake.

 

[racofer]

*fap*fap*fap*fap*

 

[Lord Sudaca]

You could take into the toilet at work.

Have to make sure the sound is turned off though!

SEXYYYYYYY

 

[Annie Mitsoda]

I want to go to there.

 

[Elzair]

I want to go to there.

Go where?

 

[Zeus]

Is a tablet p like one of those PDA thingies?

Just click the link.

Is a link like the text with a line under it?

 

[OSK]

Is a tablet p like one of those PDA thingies?

Just click the link.

Is a link like the text with a line under it?

Yes. Click here.

 

[Jaesun]

I want to go to there.

Indeed.

 

[Turok]

Funny i have a 12.1 inch tablet pc, never think of use it like that :D

 

[1eyedking]

8-10 years old games are "retro" now? Decline.

Thinking the same thing. How about some Wizardry? Some Goldbox love? Hell, even some EotB...

They're even 640x400 (16:10 widescreen) so all you need is a scalerXx filter. God, I feel old.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

And finally, all places where you'd actually resort to a handheld are immersion-breaking as fuck and while it doesn't matter for abstract rule-only games like Tetris it would be a nightmare for an atmosphere-driven RPG.

That's the main problem. Awesome idea, but impractical, imo

 

[Futile Rhetoric]

I want to go to there.

Settle down, Lemon.