Home Gaming Den

gnunn

Okay, so my girlfriend and I are getting ready to move in together at the beginning of June and one thing we both want to include in our new place is space that is as ideal for tabletop gaming as possible.

Here's what we're likely working with:

Dining area that will double as game area (really an offshoot of the living room.) We have a large table that will occupy the space.

Guest bedroom / office that we want to have include a craft station for papercraft and other game-related prop assembly.

So, here's the question... What things would you include in such multi-purpose spaces in order to best facilitate gaming while not compromising each area's other purposes?

Some ideas I have:

Dining area/Game table:
* Laminated table cover with 1" grid (should either roll-up or fold for storage between games)
* Sidebar to double as game-night prop staging

Office/craft area:
* Table for craft projects with cutting mat, mini paints and associated accoutrement
* Shelves for papercraft and mini storage

JimTriche

On my fathers game table he had fastened several straps across the bottom, hidden by the eaving of the table. These had buckles and were able to be loosened and tightened. (In fact I think the buckles came off of old shopping carts from the child belts) He kept several pieces of plexiglass sheeting under there along with extra posterboard.

gnunn

Ooooh! I like that idea... unfortunately, I don't think my girlfriend will approve of adding strapping mechanisms to the bottom of her fancy dining room table... Still, plex is intriguing, plus I know how to cut and polish it... if only I had a table saw with a plex cutting blade and a torch... I wonder if a creme brulee torch would work for polishing?

JimTriche

Erm, possibly... I just got 5x7 precut sheets and cut them in half with a linoleum knife and a t-square. The sheets I got from my hardware store had a film on them that's supposed to keep them from cracking if you cut them. It's very thin stuff, but it works great for gaming, since you can put anything under it (maps especially) and then 'mark' them with dry erase. I keep mine behind a radiator. I wouldn't recommend using them for a car window though. Other than that, I dunno if I'll be much help, I have gaming crap all over the house.

"Junk in the corner":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/House004.jpg
"Junk across the wall":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/Setup2small.jpg
"Junk in movie room":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/teevee1.jpg
"My lovely 2E books":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/2ESuperior.jpg
"Extra Dice":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/DSC00012.jpg
"NES Games on a table":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/DSC00002.jpg
"And as time went on, I found I built increasingly taller dice towers.":http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y71/GameJunkieJim/792a.jpg

arsheesh

You could always invest in "The Sultan":http://www.geekchichq.com/Co_Store/The_Showroom/The_Sultan/The_Sultan.html. Course you might have to trade in your car to be able to do so but hey, that's why they call it sacrifice. Course if you really want to go all out you could do something like "this":http://bombastandthunder.blogspot.com/2010/03/ultimate-rpg-game-room.html.

gnunn

Oh man, my players were throwing around the link to the Sultan a while back... Oh to have copious amounts of disposable income...

JimTriche

I've seen that, and if I had the money, the sultan would be mine -- or the "+3 Table of Gaming":http://www.agyris.net/v3/ugt/default.asp ...

ketherian

I suggest you add:
* A white board - either to the office to help keep track of projects, or to the living room area. A friend mounted a white board *behind* a painting. When not gaming, he flipped the white board around and the painting was visible.
* A small chest of drawers with wheels (great for being a side table at a game, and easy to store in either room)
* One or more TV-tray type tables (great for additional space for the GM). A friend uses them to position his second monitor at the dining room table so we can all see the maps & uses another one to hold books/equipment he might need during the game.

gnunn

Ketherian,

Those are all fantastic suggestions and I may very well try to incorporate them!

I actually have a whiteboard in the living room at my current place... but I only finally used it during a game two "weeks ago!":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/the-westerlands/adventure-log/session-39 I drew a large version of the symbol found in the kobold warren my players are currently exploring. I already keep dry erase markers at the board, because I often use 8.5 x 11 cardstock with a blank 1" grid stuck in Mylar page protectors as a sort of evolving battle mat that is a. cheaper and b. doesn't need to be a square or rectangle. I just draw a room in secret and slap it down when the party gets to it.

The rolling chest of drawers should also be really simple to implement. We just finished cataloging all of our furniture in preparation for the move, and between my girlfriend and I, we have 3 or 4 sets of plastic drawers that likely fit the bill. I must admit, right now it drives me a little batty when the game table gets cluttered with crap other than the battlemat and other immediately game-necessary items.

Dra8er

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gnunn

Well, my GF and I have completed our move and will be hosting the first game in the new place tonight! We're still in the process of unpacking, but we have our priorities straight and got the game/dining room table set up early. I've uploaded some pics if you want to "check them out.":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/the-westerlands/wikis/game-room It's still a work in progress, as we just finished the move on Monday, so things can only get better from here!

We will also be setting up one of our upstairs bedrooms as a craft room for painting minis and building paper-craft sets, as well as other crafty projects (not all of which will be game related.)

arsheesh

Hey, congratulations Grunn! I know the feeling of relief that comes when you finally get moved in to a new place, especially a place you really like. Best of wishes to your first game in your new apartment.