Modern Mythology Ep. 22 — Technology takes a reflective look at how changing technologies have shaped tabletop role-playing games over time. From physical tools at the table to digital spaces that bring groups together across distance, we talk about what stuck, what faded, and why.

Along the way, we explore how randomness, connectivity, and new creative tools altered player expectations and game culture. The discussion moves through technology adoption, miniatures, bringing technology to the table, and the question of what the “big jump” was. We also talk about RNG, online gaming, getting the party together, virtual tabletops (VTTs), streaming, and artificial intelligence and LLMs—then close by considering where technology helps the most, and where it’s best to step back. Throughout we ponder the pros and cons and implicit tradeoffs that always arise in the course of adopting technology into our lives.

Topics:

00:00:00 A Looming Threat

00:02:00 Jump right in

00:08:30 Technology adoption

00:13:45 Miniatures

00:19:15 Bringing technology to the table

00:25:15 What was the big technological jump?

00:36:40 RNG

00:40:44 Online gaming

00:55:20 Getting the party together

01:05:00 Virtual Tabletop (VTT)

01:13:45 Streaming

01:17:35 Artificial Intelligence and LLMs

01:31:30 Technological Sweet Spot

For more on the discussion of System and Style check out our written articles and Scott’s additional thoughts on specific systems on our YouTube channel.

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