I'll counter the above opinions and say that I have had better luck using miniatures than not in CoC, but rarely in combat, at least not in combats happening inside a small area like a room.
Here's my valence theory of miniature use;
I generally divide the battlemat or white board into vague areas denoted by ovals with "by the front gate", "looking in side window" and "on the porch". The figures serve as visual reminders for information I don't want to go over and over, plus it is easy to see otherwise overlook ed minor NPCs when players are opining on their own actions. Cars, weapons, books, etc. I also put on the mat to remind players of some of their options.
Does this reduce the fear factor? In my experience it can go either way, and how I place those ovals on the map makes a big difference. Clustered together, much like the players themselves are, the fear is reduced by herd instincts. Everything seems comfortably close, even if the players know it is not.
As a session goes on I will begin to add the ovals for the new locations ever further apart. Isolation becomes obvious and stress goes up on the part of the players, laying the ground work for fear.
For a combat issue like the one you had I would do something similar - for example draw a box like room, and then divide it into quarters by drawing lines between the corners, perhaps leaving a 5th "center of the room" spot as well. Each quarter can be designated; e.g. "Window", "fireplace", "dining room door", and "front hall door". Keep the combatants fighting the folks in the same area if you want, but realistically a stride or two will take you where you want, so unless someone is actively trying to keep others from passing, anyone can go where they will.
Here's my valence theory of miniature use;
I generally divide the battlemat or white board into vague areas denoted by ovals with "by the front gate", "looking in side window" and "on the porch". The figures serve as visual reminders for information I don't want to go over and over, plus it is easy to see otherwise overlook ed minor NPCs when players are opining on their own actions. Cars, weapons, books, etc. I also put on the mat to remind players of some of their options.
Does this reduce the fear factor? In my experience it can go either way, and how I place those ovals on the map makes a big difference. Clustered together, much like the players themselves are, the fear is reduced by herd instincts. Everything seems comfortably close, even if the players know it is not.
As a session goes on I will begin to add the ovals for the new locations ever further apart. Isolation becomes obvious and stress goes up on the part of the players, laying the ground work for fear.
For a combat issue like the one you had I would do something similar - for example draw a box like room, and then divide it into quarters by drawing lines between the corners, perhaps leaving a 5th "center of the room" spot as well. Each quarter can be designated; e.g. "Window", "fireplace", "dining room door", and "front hall door". Keep the combatants fighting the folks in the same area if you want, but realistically a stride or two will take you where you want, so unless someone is actively trying to keep others from passing, anyone can go where they will.
