Many tabletop RPG players love miniatures. Whether the display helps them make tactical decisions in game or just helps them set the scene in their mind, miniatures are a huge part of the D&D experience for many tables. There are plenty of ways to use these resources fom gorgeous painted setups to a quick sketch on a dry erase grid.
Mirrorscape, slated for release in summer of 2023, offers an Augmented Reality solution. The program allows players to interact with minatures and terrain as they would with physical components. Today, Mirrorscape announced a partnership with Paizo to bring Pathfinder and Starfinder content to their platform.
“Our platform is designed to combine the tabletop gaming experience beloved by players across the world with emerging technologies that make gaming as immersive, enjoyable and accessible as possible,” Mirrorscape COO Don Bland said. “Open gaming is our vision, and the addition of Paizo’s legendary set of titles will further enhance the experience available on Mirrorscape, while also giving Paizo’s widespread and immensely loyal fanbase more ways to play.”
The deal includes miniatures, terrain and more. Players who want to use Mirrorscape can buy packs themed to specific adventures or Adventure Paths. Once the ontent is unlocked it can be used for original storylines as well.
Both Mirrorscape and Paizo have shown a dedication to open content creation communities. Mirrorscape will offer options for players who want to make theor own stories as well as pre-built storylines for download. Paizo took the lead with many other game publishers to create the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License which is currently in the final stages of drafting.
Paizo lookss to capitalize on a renewed interest in ways to play RPGs outside of Dungeons & Dragons. Revised versions of Pathfider Second Edition and Starfinder are due out within the next year. These versions clarify rules, update terminology and bring their content in like with ORC rather than the OGL under which they were originally published.
“Bringing Paizo’s titles to Mirrorscape allows us to replicate the true-to-life, around-the-table experience that our fans have enjoyed for decades in an astonishing virtual experience,” Paizo Publisher Erik Mona said. “The team at Mirrorscape has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort into keeping the Paizo experience as realistic and original as possible on the platform, and we are thrilled to contribute to the growth of such a unique and exciting development in virtual tabletop gaming.”
More and more tabletop publishers are embracing the virtual side of gaming. Paizo’s other partnerships include Demiplane Nexus which just opened its online Pathfinder character builder to a wide beta. Roll20 and DriveThruRPG are also collaborating on a way to give players access to more electronic versions of their products across different platforms.
Mirrorscape will soon launch as an open beta on iOS and Android devices, with Paizo titles available shortly thereafter for players to explore in augmented reality. Mirrorscape is also being developed for compatibility on AR glasses and headsets, which will enable enhanced hand- and eye-tracking tracking for gamers.
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