As #RPGaDay2015 continues we venture today into a topic I thought I could write about endlessly, and then I couldn’t. If I just allowed my imagination flow I could come up with all sorts of details, but deep down, most of what I thought about were bells and whistles. When you get to the very basics, this topic just requires the bare minimum.
Day 22 – Perfect gaming environment
Ideally a place with a large table, since I usually run large groups, one that can sit 8 to 10 people comfortably, with space for maps, books dice and snacks, nice comfortable chairs, and kitchen nearby with a microwave, stove-top and refrigerator. I don’t encourage drinking during games, apart from the occasional beer with moderation, so decidedly NO bar, but definitely a large erasable board on the wall for note taking, tracking initiative, etc.
I run my games from a computer so I got some tech requirements. A projector with which to, either project maps into a surface for combat and/or show images to the players projecting on a screen or wall. A comfortable space to set up my laptop, high speed internet connection, and a sound system I can hook up to the computer or an MP3 player to play music sound effects. And of course, since we play in Puerto Rico, a good air conditioning is a must here in the tropics!
But ultimately, the perfect gaming environment is a place where I can sit together with my friends and tell a story.
What is your perfect gaming environment? I want to know! Have a great Saturday and see you tomorrow.
PS – I once played at a friend’s house where they had taken a large erasable board with a grid and turned it into a tabletop. It was huge, and really allowed for large combats. That was a great set up, but it did require a lot of space. Here is a picture of a combat, back in 2007!
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It kind of depends. For less-miniatures oriented games (and boardgames without a ton of counters), and if there aren’t many unruly pets or kids around… my favorite is a conversation-pit kind of living room/family room setting with a medium tall large coffee table. (medium tall meaning just above knee height, where most coffee tables are sort of below the knee; and by large I mean like card-table square instead of the narrow rectangle shape). You can lean back and relax in a comfy chair/couch, you have a big table for resources, but it doesn’t require you sitting in less-comfortable upright chairs, etc.
But if those conditions aren’t true (lots of miniatures or counters. less well behaved pets or kids), then I prefer a dining room table or conference table type gaming environment.
Our current gaming set up meets many of the requirements above (no projector and music system) and we put up some large folding tables and folding chairs. There is a large sofa nearby, but we call it the energy drain sofa. Whoever sits there, begins falling asleep!
The truth is we play on a weeknight, and when we run late, people do begin to get tired and doze off. I try to end before midnight so most people can get some rest for work the next day.
I know a lot of people prefer to play on Friday or the weekend, BUT weekends for me are for family activities and Friday/Saturday nights are nights for going out and socializing in other contexts (dinner with friends, movies, going to a club to dance or to a bar to listen to a band).