Game Room

[cuteasaurus]

Being at a high-table gives me a lot more "access" to the map. When you're on a couch you're far away from the gaming surface and you have to bend over to move things (minis and the like). And, since you're on a couch and having to use your lap as your place space (books, sheets, etc) everytime you have to get up to move a mini, you have to move all your things.
With a regular table the map is right there, your character sheet and dice can be right in front of you and if you need to have books, they can be kinda propped up on your lap, in between you and the table. (Hmm this is hard to describe, hopefully you guys understand what I'm saying.)
In short, the higher table provides:
1) hard surface for dice and character sheets
2) easy access to map
3) more "community" feel (since ppl are closer together and you can see what ppl are doing)
4) and a huge decrease in the amount of "shuffling around" I have to do

Honestly, I can't find any advantage to a lower set-up except that often the seating associated with it is couches and thus is squishy-er. I've been in enough squishy chairs to think that the added level of squish just isn't worth it.

But, like I said before, it is your guys' set-up, so do whatever makes you happy.

 

[The_Universe]

Would small tables for your dice rolling and book holding make the lower set up more attractive? Also, would being a little closer to the low table make things more satisfactory on the low set up?

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Every time that I've played at a high table - we've had to remove our books and the like from the table in order to keep the battle mat clear... which made it even more difficult to use...

Don't know if it would be the same way at a high table this time around, though...

 

[cuteasaurus]

As for books getting in the way at a high table- I was assuming a set-up in which the book you were currently using would stand "upright" on your lap and lean against the table and therefore not be in the way. Other books (minus DM's of course) would be on the floor or on shelves behind you.


As for Kennon's ideas: yes, I would be 'happier' if there were other side tables (pref 1 per person or very large if you had to share) but I think the issue of where they'd go comes up. You can't all sit close to the low table if you have to put a side table next to everyone (makes the circumf. of the circle too big) and then other people still wouldn't be able to see what you were doing. You could put them slightly in front of you and off to the side which might help, but I have a hard time envisioning how that would work out. I think I'd actually have to move furniture around to decide if that would fix the problems.
Yes, being closer to the table is better, but like I said, I don't know how you'd do that, especially if there were other tables invovled.

 

[jezter6]

I like the high tables as well, just because it's easy to roll dice and see what you roll without having to kind of 'get up' from a nice comfy couch just to see that die that rolled a few more inches than you expect. That and no dice get lost in the big cushions (of course, if you (the host) are short on dice then it might be a good way to add a little to your set)

Plus, after longer periods of gaming and you start to get tired, the couch only adds to you wanting to take a nap in the middle of combat. It's why office furniture is usually not extremely comfortable because you get too relaxed and do less work.

 

[The_Universe]

Update!

We went to our FLIS (Friendly Local Ikea Store) this weekend and did some table/chair investigation.

I bought a low table. "Regular" tables of the size necessary for our battlemat (hopefully to soon be replaced/supplemented by tac-tiles) and still allow room for 4-6 people plus books was 4-10 times more expensive than a "coffee" style table that was big enough for the mat. I plan to get some extra side tables to allow people places to put books, dice, etc.

But, it's begun...when it shall end, the world may never know...

 

[cuteasaurus]

*Hint hint*

 

[The_Universe]

Those are the exact "little" tables I was considering (as you well know!).

 

[cuteasaurus]

Yes...but I just wanted to reiterate it...and to make sure the whole world knows I want a little blue table.

Edit: and because originally I thought the color would show up in the link...which it doesn't. Bleh.

 

[The_Universe]

Yes...but I just wanted to reiterate it...and to make sure the whole world knows I want a little blue table.

Edit: and because originally I thought the color would show up in the link...which it doesn't. Bleh.

It doesn't hurt that I know they can be assembled in less than 5 minutes.