ProphetSword
Explorer
If anyone wants me to post any additional battle maps, let me know. I have modified a couple of screenshots from Sword Coast Legends that look pretty nice as well when used on a digital battle map. Here's an example:
D&D 5E Digital Gaming Tables
MostlyHarmless42
Adventurer
Please feel free to keep the maps coming, one can never have enough tools to implement. I sadly lack the space or funds required to "level up my games" in such a way. Sure, I could make a table myself for cheaper, but when you lack the funds to buy the tv, it's kind of a moot point.
That said, in the past I have used digital maps on a television more so for display purposes than anything else. My issue that I've always had with the concept of going full digital has always been a couple things. First, I love the tactile feel of having the minatiatures, rolling, dice, etc. Even having the physical books to look through. Second, I've also found that relying heavily on electronic media tends to either slow the game down as I look up stuff, complicate things on the amount I must prepare or keep track of, or do nothing more than distract my players from the game itself. Perhaps I just have squirrelly players who can't stay focused, but as soon as the electronics come out in my games, they begin to find themselves focusing on other things than the game.
A related musing, I frankly find it baffling that after so long we do not have any decent programs up to the full task of creating and displaying maps for such tables. We have a number of individual programs sure, but nothing self contained. Liscensing issues I suspect.
Another related musing, while I would love to upgrade to a digital table, but I find myself in a situation where the lack of verity in software is unhelpful. Frankly I hate maptools. I find the interface frustratingly unfriendly, and the program is both a resource hog and prone to a number of system glitches or other errors. And unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any adequate alternatives, especially when you consider the alternatives of just using the old playmat and markers. If I have to spend 15minutes fighting to load a map I can draw in 5minutes, it doesn't give me much incentive to use the program.
That said, in the past I have used digital maps on a television more so for display purposes than anything else. My issue that I've always had with the concept of going full digital has always been a couple things. First, I love the tactile feel of having the minatiatures, rolling, dice, etc. Even having the physical books to look through. Second, I've also found that relying heavily on electronic media tends to either slow the game down as I look up stuff, complicate things on the amount I must prepare or keep track of, or do nothing more than distract my players from the game itself. Perhaps I just have squirrelly players who can't stay focused, but as soon as the electronics come out in my games, they begin to find themselves focusing on other things than the game.
A related musing, I frankly find it baffling that after so long we do not have any decent programs up to the full task of creating and displaying maps for such tables. We have a number of individual programs sure, but nothing self contained. Liscensing issues I suspect.
Another related musing, while I would love to upgrade to a digital table, but I find myself in a situation where the lack of verity in software is unhelpful. Frankly I hate maptools. I find the interface frustratingly unfriendly, and the program is both a resource hog and prone to a number of system glitches or other errors. And unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any adequate alternatives, especially when you consider the alternatives of just using the old playmat and markers. If I have to spend 15minutes fighting to load a map I can draw in 5minutes, it doesn't give me much incentive to use the program.
Myrdin Potter
Hero
If you are looking for a lot of photo quality maps for many outdoor encounter types, I am backing this Kickstarter which is in the last day. 130 large maps for about $20 US (Kickstarter is in Australian dollars).
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gametilewarehouse/meanders-2-new-terrain-maps-for-rpg
I like the idea of dry erase top for the table top. I am going to build myself a table with a TV set into it, but will also use it as my dining room table. Does not really matter how it looks for regular table purposes as I will use a table cloth.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gametilewarehouse/meanders-2-new-terrain-maps-for-rpg
I like the idea of dry erase top for the table top. I am going to build myself a table with a TV set into it, but will also use it as my dining room table. Does not really matter how it looks for regular table purposes as I will use a table cloth.
LordEntrails
Hero
My experience with digital is completely opposite of yours. I play in two groups, one traditional table top as a player. The other I DM with Fantasy Grounds (FG). Now there are some difference between how I DM and how the other guy does. But, other than who the DM is, it's the same set of players.
Our combats in FG take 1/3 to 1/4 of the time they do on table top. Obviously, your use of digital tools is different than mine. But, it's not that digital inherently slows the game down, rather, with the right digital tools and the right "workflow", it makes it faster, removes the minutia and gives us more time for character interaction and role playing.
I will also add that with FG, my prep time is half or less than it used to be.
We had this with one of our players, still do. But he's a teenager and we just poke at him from time to time to keep him focused.
I've never used Maptools, but I know others who swear by it. I will say if I only wanted to display a map, FG would have overhead. But since it also tracks characters and manages combat, it is well worth the little overhead (as shown by how much quicker our combats are.
But, what is it you're wanting? Because I don't see the problems you do so I'm assuming we are trying to do different things.
Myrdin Potter
Hero
It always comes down to what works for your group. I am playing online only these days (Fantasy Grounds), but will have a local group up in 6 months or so I hope. I will use a combination of a digital table and 3d printed dungeons for that.
All digital makes running the game easier for me, but I like setting up a good physical dungeon as well.
Kannik
Hero
Nice! We tried a similar setup, albeit ours didn't have the fancy hole in the table, just propped the TV on blocks and twist-tied some 12v fans onto it for cooling. 
Alas we stopped using it after one session -- I don't know the exact size of TV we had, but it ended up being too small for us for the map sizes we were used to.
What we were used to using were maps printed on 30"x42" paper. I've got a bunch of maps I've made over the years (some better than others) for use at the gaming table that I've shared at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwWNIxxlcbsvSnVsbmZBMHJ5Q0U I apologize that they're almost all in Black & White -- our plotter only prints in greyscale (it's for architectural drawings) so I worked in greyscale to be sure the values looked best on the printed page.
Enjoy!
gamingly,
Kannik
Alas we stopped using it after one session -- I don't know the exact size of TV we had, but it ended up being too small for us for the map sizes we were used to.What we were used to using were maps printed on 30"x42" paper. I've got a bunch of maps I've made over the years (some better than others) for use at the gaming table that I've shared at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwWNIxxlcbsvSnVsbmZBMHJ5Q0U I apologize that they're almost all in Black & White -- our plotter only prints in greyscale (it's for architectural drawings) so I worked in greyscale to be sure the values looked best on the printed page.
Enjoy!
gamingly,
Kannik
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
I love the table! I like how it has plenty of space for those seated around the table . Too many setups that I've seen take away a lot of the table space from the players. The white board as a table surface is brilliant. Does your friend have design plans / measurements for the table he'd let you share?
ProphetSword
Explorer
I will try to get the dimensions today (we'll be playing a session tonight), and maybe some more pictures of the table both inside and out. My friend who built the tables has considered starting a business putting them together for folks who are interested. I have to say, the build quality is quite nice.
In the meantime, here are some more images from Sword Coast Legends that I've adjusted for use in my games. Maybe those of you who use digital maps (or print maps) can find a use for them:
In the meantime, here are some more images from Sword Coast Legends that I've adjusted for use in my games. Maybe those of you who use digital maps (or print maps) can find a use for them:
ProphetSword
Explorer
I completely understand. I didn't put up any of the money for this table. One of the guys in my group did it, with another of the guys pitching in. They pretty much bought the wood to build the table. The TV happened to be one that one of the guys didn't know what to do with, since he had bought a new, larger size TV. We got lucky there. Prior to that, we had experimented with using a 20" widescreen monitor lying on a table. It worked, but the area was quite small.
Since we're all computer geeks, for a while we used an old computer inside the table. One of the guys recently purchased a stick computer that runs Windows 10 that's connected to the TV inside (I think he paid around $100 for it). He bought it because the old computer we were using was having some issues. But, really, you could get along with any computer you could make work.
We didn't go fully digital either. Even though we use the TV to project nice background images of the locations where the PCs have their battles, you may notice that we're still using dice and miniatures (sometimes I use digital miniatures to make my life easier, but my players all insist on having real physical miniatures). We don't utilize it during the roleplaying sections of the game...just the battles. And, I have plenty of generic maps that I've made in advance in case a battle happens somewhere unexpected...like generic forests, roads, building interiors, etc. I've made a lot of them to keep my bases covered (and have shared a lot of them here).
I'm surprised you have issues like that with MapTools. I don't have those issues, and it's what I use on my digital table.
You might be able to use Roll20, which wouldn't be any more resource draining than displaying any other webpage.
ProphetSword
Explorer
Here's some answers to some of the questions people have been asking:
The television is a 40" Samsung TV. Don't know the model.
The table dimensions are 4' wide and 7' long. The TV is not in the center of the table, it's offset to allow the DM more room on one end (I have a 3-foot space which allows me to use the laptop I'm currently typing on...and I'm actually sitting at the table right now while we set up for the game). The height varies due to it having adjustable legs. It's currently around 3.5' high.
I took pictures tonight of the table on both the inside and outside and will post them later.
The television is a 40" Samsung TV. Don't know the model.
The table dimensions are 4' wide and 7' long. The TV is not in the center of the table, it's offset to allow the DM more room on one end (I have a 3-foot space which allows me to use the laptop I'm currently typing on...and I'm actually sitting at the table right now while we set up for the game). The height varies due to it having adjustable legs. It's currently around 3.5' high.
I took pictures tonight of the table on both the inside and outside and will post them later.
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