What does your game table look like?

Out of curiosity, what does your game table look like with Realm Works? This is one of my tables.

Thats a nice one. Im in the process of setting up a projector that projects down. (both for Realms Works and for Maptools (what i prefer for the VTT).

(I keep RW and Hero Running on the DM laptop, and have a "PC" laptop, hooked up to the projector)

We use a pool table (with a cover to protect the felt) as the gaming table...

mirtos said:

We use a pool table (with a cover to protect the felt) as the gaming table...

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Thats almost exactly what I use. Only difference my pool table has a hard wood top that goes over it giving us lots of room.

Here is one where you can just see RW in the top left corner behind the PC's dread pirate ship!

This is my set up. My computer runs the three monitors on the desk and another computer runs the TV on the right. We use the TV on the right as the main map and everyone just sits in the living room sofas and use a wireless mouse to move their tokens.

where is the table?

Nice pictures!

Sadly we have not used a table in years however i got my wife to agree to let me build a table that can house an LCD/LED screen with a touch screen overlay i just have to paint my house, resurface my roof, insulate our entryway, Build her a sewing table with more storage,then build a wall bed for her mom, and redo the floors in our house...

ShadowChemosh said:

Thats almost exactly what I use. Only difference my pool table has a hard wood top that goes over it giving us lots of room.

Here is one where you can just see RW in the top left corner behind the PC's dread pirate ship!
View attachment 2990

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Hey thats a Worldworks pirate ship! I bought almost all of the worldworks stuff, but never made much. I should check how things are going over there. I'm more into VTT now though.

morval said:

Hey thats a Worldworks pirate ship! I bought almost all of the worldworks stuff, but never made much. I should check how things are going over there. I'm more into VTT now though.

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One of my GMs uses VTT but he projects it down onto the table (a pool table with a wooden surface funny enough) ... so we still use pirate ships and the like sometimes. We just make sure our VTT is updated along with our characters on the table.

liz said:

One of my GMs uses VTT but he projects it down onto the table (a pool table with a wooden surface funny enough) ... so we still use pirate ships and the like sometimes. We just make sure our VTT is updated along with our characters on the table.

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I did that for many years also actually but we still used real miniatures as I have WAY too many to not use them. Pool tables as playing surfaces seem to be a theme...

I had an older projector and to get the throw distance right I had to bounce this off a mirror. I am actually projecting a NWN map of a sewer as it allowed me to very quickly make a map for the game. Then the underlying square map could be seen so players could move there characters.

morval said:

Hey thats a Worldworks pirate ship! I bought almost all of the worldworks stuff, but never made much. I should check how things are going over there. I'm more into VTT now though.

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I got lucky as one of my players got into making the stuff. So I purchased it and he printed it all out and put it together. So I can't take credit other than being lucky to have a player that adds to stuff to the game.

Wow, that's quite fancy.

My group plays on roll20, so my game table is literally either my desk or my two screens...

ive been trying to figure the best way to project onto a table myself. i prefer the tabletop experience, letting people move their miniatures by hand, but i like the technology aspect of VTT (sortof a combined experience is what im going for)

For a while the group I'm a part of used a mirror hung on the ceiling to reflect a projection down on the table. This worked very well. We used maptools as the software of choice. However, finding and/or creating good maps can become a very time intensive job.

will have to try the mirror thing (I also use Maptools for the VTT side of things and Realms Works for other stuff, but obviously reflecting text wouldnt work).

As for maps, i agreeit can be time consuming (rewarding though)

liz said:

Out of curiosity, what does your game table look like with Realm Works?

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Unfortunately, David is examining a crash issue with my RW, but it normally occupies the space on my #3 monitor on the right, next to my world map, Journal, IM messenger & Calendar. I have hopes one day of incorporating all of those into RW and do away with the splintered effect of multiple programs.

Below is a view from my players end. We can seat 9 (10 counting me) comfortably, though generally only have 7 in attendance except for annual "Game-a-Thons".

The table has two 42" lcd TVs imbedded into the surface covered with 1/4" glass. We put grandmas old dining table to good use.. heeheh.... Seriously, got the table at Goodwill, but sure it was somebody's grandma's table (so far no hauntings).

The 52" behind the DM station allows me to display things that all could see.

Each player has a tablet PC. With Herolab, an IM Messenger, and MS Word installed.

• This allows the Player to utilize Herolab to new potentials (see the effects of Rage or a spell adjust immediately for example). It allows me to collect all the PORs and reissue for each session electronically. (Would be nice to have it LAN Live to send/ receive changes but that's for a different thread elsewhere).
  
• The IM Messenger allows me to receive or send private messages to each player & maintain a log of all IMs sent. (beats passing notes)
  
• Lastly the use of MS Word is far superior to the Journal within Herolab (Hoping RW is an improvement there and that there is a sync between Herolab and the RW players addition allowing for current info without redundant typing)

[Photo1

• The photo below is from the DMs perspective.
• From here, I have Herolab, Herolabs Tactical View, and various Excel Spreadsheets on the left screen.
  
• On the middle screen, (since its multitouch)I run the detail map and various other tools (ie weather generator, player vs DM viewable maps, etc) the multitouch allows me to scale on the fly.
  
• The Right screen holds Realmworks, the IM Messenger, and the overview map of the area.

Photo2

Photo3

ShadowChemosh said:

Originally Posted by liz said:

One of my GMs uses VTT but he projects it down onto the table (a pool table with a wooden surface funny enough) ... so we still use pirate ships and the like sometimes. We just make sure our VTT is updated along with our characters on the table.

Click to expand...

I did that for many years also actually but we still used real miniatures as I have WAY too many to not use them.

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Like ShadowChemosh, I have way too many actual figures to not utilize them. Been collecting since 1979, and stopped counting at 3500. They are housed in the cabinets behind the DM station. So I mix them with Pog generated tokens as needed. My players seem to like the old school minis because I tend to utilize them to represent unique encounters (ie primary npc, certain tribes of orcs, etc)

And like ShadowChemosh, I tried to utilize an overhead system, but don't have sufficient ceiling height, so I abandoned it for the LCD setup.

I realize We might have an extreme setup. Most people don't have a dedicated game room. But hey, some people hunt, golf, fish, etc... we are gamers..... and the overall cost is actually less than most would think....I'm thankful my wife supports my addictions..

*Edit* updated links

All of this tech is impressive.

My table, however, looks like this:

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/20242593/

With me and a laptop at one end, and my players around it with pencils and character sheets. I'm a bit of a diceaholic, so we usually have a huge pile of different 6-sided dice in the middle of the table.

I don't use a lot of tech during my game. I have my ruleset conversions and notes in RealmWorks, and my campaign material as well.

If RealmWorks had any way to export, I'd prefer to print the ruleset and make a few notes on paper about the session and skip the laptop completely. I really prefer a 6" DM screen (just enough to discourage peekers) and a few sheets of paper. I feel like the laptop puts a barrier between my players and I, and we lose some of the co-operative storytelling feeling that I like to generate.

But RW is an incredible organization tool for my campaign and I love using it to create and organize, so I'll keep using the laptop until I can export in any format. Needs must.

MaxSupernova said:

All of this tech is impressive.

My table, however, looks like this:

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/20242593/

I feel like the laptop puts a barrier between my players and I, and we lose some of the co-operative storytelling feeling that I like to generate.

But RW is an incredible organization tool for my campaign and I love using it to create and organize, so I'll keep using the laptop until I can export in any format. Needs must.

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I concur, as an old school "grognard" I am always reminding my younger players of the benefits of ROLE play vs ROLL play... That is part of the reason I choose the monitors I did...

The center one is technically designed for graphic artists (that is why it tilts almost flat). The tilt allows plenty of view to my players, but just enough to not be legible to peekers. the two either side are LGs low profile ultra wides. They are only 11" tall, but nearly 2' wide allowing for lots of windows to be simultaneously open side by side, but not obstructing my view.

Like you will be happy when RW incorporates a PDF (or anything) form of export, till then I give Snipit a workout cutting and pasting.

The Tech keeps my younger gamers happy while weaning them off of the metagamer/ PC gamer mentality and releasing the REAL power.... improv and imagination.

Dark Lord Galen said:

General awesomeness...

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Wow. That is incredible. In fact, all of these set-ups are impressive! I'm starting to get some ideas for future set-ups. Keep them coming!

mirtos said:

will have to try the mirror thing (I also use Maptools for the VTT side of things and Realms Works for other stuff, but obviously reflecting text wouldnt work).

As for maps, i agreeit can be time consuming (rewarding though)

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Actually, your projector should be able to let you reverse/mirror the projection, so that what hits the table is legible. We use one like that at our game table, and I've often put hand outs on there.

Erdrix said:

This is my set up.

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Being the left brained, detail oriented Engineer.. I noticed some Judge Dredd and what looks like Some dragon magazine covers on the wall....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8h8dpn6q67kffpq/Dragon Mags.png

I always Liked Daniel Horne's work. He actually dressed female fighters in something besides a chainmail bikini.... Unfortunate that he does most of his work in the Goth Monster genre (ie Dracula, Frankenstein, etc) I think his eye for the fantasy aspect is good as well.
The Judge Dredds I get, but was curious as to why dragon #126?

I also have my favorites from the Dragon Magazine days (#106 by Keith Parkinson tops the list). I was fortunate to get a signed copy before he passed away.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ulc1xsypxaq1wxr/179d13dc-550e-41b0-b68d-e415e4810875[1].jpg

@ Mirtos> I agree with Ryntak, before I switched to the LCD view I have I had a Cheap Viewsonic projector and it would allow you to reverse the projection... but with it, it was buried in the submenu's so you might have to dig for it..... the problem I faced with the ceiling height was getting the keystone to be correct especially when bouncing from a mirror..... Once that was figured out, the other issue I ran into was lumens versus the amount of light to play by.... I have one session at night.. not so bad, but the daytime one made it very difficult to sufficiently light the mapping surface.

ahh, didnt realize that. thx.