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Message: <blockquote data-quote="evildmguy" data-source="post: 4984390" data-attributes="member: 6092">Over two years and a half years ago, I was talking to a friend of mine in a different city.  He was wanting to play but couldn't get into a group where he was and I needed more players.  Being geeks, we had two computer each, so we set up this new (to us) thing called Skype.  We tried Yahoo Messenger but Skype was a much better picture.  Soon, I had a remote player.  We used one computer to point at the players and one computer with its own camera to show the gaming map.  It was good enough that he could see what was going on and tell us what to do with his mini.  It didn't matter the game we played, we used Skype and some IMing between me and the remote player.  Then, another remote player joined at the first remote player's house and I gained another player and moved into a bigger room.  More space means that most of players, who have laptops, all bring a PC.  I upped the number of dedicated gaming computers to two and also use my gaming rig for the Skype call.  Our current setup is as follows.  Two six by two foot tables, off set but together.  One is against the wall and holds two extra monitors.  (We look like the KoDT because we are all on one side so the web cam gets us all.)  One extra monitor holds the skype feed to see the remote guys.  The other extra monitor is hooked to my laptop and holds the player view from Masterplan.  I use TightVNC as a way for the remote guys to connect and see the virutal table top.  However, as they see whatever I show on the extra monitor, I can show pictures, web pages, or whatever the computer can handle.  I used SketchUp to make the city and can show it on the second monitor, for example.  The players have one of the tables and the equipment takes up a fair amount of the second.  I take up whatever is left. The players all bring a laptop and can IM with each other as well as me.  (Remember the old days of note passing?  Maybe it was just me but now we can do it and it really is secret!)  I have an extra mouse connected to the laptop so the players can move their characters on the Masterplan map.  Using TightVNC means the remote guys can see and more their characters.  So far, this has worked really well for not being able to be at the same table.  I have to admit to being sad that I don't use minis anymore as I was really looking forward to the September minis.  But we don't use them anymore and so it seemed a waste.  For the remote guys, the sound is the most important thing, more important than video.  If they can hear us fine, it works well.  Video is great, don't get me wrong, but the audio connection has to be the best connection.  I have also just used my laptop, the extra monitor and mouse, and Masterplan at one big table with ten guys and that worked out very well also.edg</blockquote>

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