Minis or Theatre of the Mind? (Survey)

For combat with more than 5 I will pull out minis. Exploration going into towns 99% theater of the mind

 

[Morrus]

Tabletop roleplaying games are all different; even D&D editions are all different. Some rely heavily on tactical encounters featuring grids and miniatures; others take place entirely in the imagination. In D&D terms, for example, 4th Edition was very mini-centric, while 5E is much more accommodating of theatre-of-the-mind. Each has strengths and weaknesses - arguably, the former allows for more precise, tactical play (which many groups enjoy), while the latter allows for more flexibility and more cinematic encounters. Which do you prefer?

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

in our group theatre of mind tends to bog down in dicusion/confusion about exact positioning.
So ploping down some minis is usualy faster.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Both. I don't have a poll option for me, sorry. We use TotM for most encounters. We use minis for things like marching order, or for large battles that require it.

 

[Satyrn]

I like a mix. I think I prefer TotM, though.

 

[darjr]

I do both. Though I'd prefer mostly to do theater of the mind.

 

[pdzoch]

Plots move along with theater of the mind, but the heroes are made during interaction at mini level.

 

[Mercule]

Too bad there isn't a middle-ground. I use both; the larger, more important, or more difficult the encounter, the more likely I am to break out the miniatures.

From a certain perspective, I prefer TotM because it's most adaptable, requires less prep time (I don't have to draw anything out, in advance or ad hoc), and doesn't run into problems with (for example) the Wizard player counting off squares to see how big his fireball is so that he can drop the boundary right between the Fighter PC and the troll she's in melee with.

On the other hand, minis are a lot less prone to misunderstandings, ambiguity, and similar complications.

Edit: I guess my actual preference is TotM. I checked minis because that's what we do most often. I've been intentionally working towards more TotM, though.

 

[mrpopstar]

Minis for marching order, theater of the mind for combat.

 

[ccs]

Option #3: a mix.