Ultimate Gaming Room

[Tyndmyr]

So, I've moved into a larger place, and have an entire loft that's going to be used as a game room. It has a very large walk in closet and it's own bathroom. Also, a view of the rest of the house over the railing.

What, in your opinion, should the ideal game room have?

[valadil]

Chairs/table. The chairs should be comfortable, but not so comfortable that you can't see or reach the table. The seating should be accessible enough that anyone can get up to use the bathroom without making anyone else get up. Everything else is optional. Where you sit and where you put the games will make or break your game room.

Adequate lighting. Reading in the dark sucks.

Game storage. I shouldn't have to explain this. I guess if you're into it, mini and terrain storage could be nice too.

Depending on your group, access to outlets. I usually leave a surge protector under my couches so people with laptops have power. Maybe some cat5. Actually, a router with no WAN connection would be awesome IMO. I've always wanted to be in a game with laptops where players could message each other without other players noticing, but whenever I've been in games with laptops, too many players get sucked into facebook. A private network with a jabber server would be perfect.

Office supplies. Gamers never have enough pens or paper.

Again, depending on your group a computer and/or big TV and/or projector. Possibly a printer as well.

Or if you prefer gaming to be an analog hobby, a large white board. Since we're going for ultimate gaming room, a large magnetic white board. Grid optional, depending on playstyle. A bulletin board would be cool too. Leave up maps or NPC portraits. Or just forgo the board and stick everything to the wall.

Ventilation. You don't want that gamer funk in your awesome new room if you can help it.

[The Glyphstone]

A big table for a combat surface, pre-gridded or otherwise. Two pool tables side-by-side, maybe.

[Tyndmyr]

Chairs/table. The chairs should be comfortable, but not so comfortable that you can't see or reach the table. The seating should be accessible enough that anyone can get up to use the bathroom without making anyone else get up. Everything else is optional. Where you sit and where you put the games will make or break your game room.

We already positioned a table and a couch(folds out into a bed for those late gaming nights).

Adequate lighting. Reading in the dark sucks.

Good call, it has some, but I could light it up more for clarity.

Game storage. I shouldn't have to explain this. I guess if you're into it, mini and terrain storage could be nice too.

We do have a very large set of shelving in the closet dedicated to board games...but suggestions for superior game storage systems is always welcome. I do have an utterly ridiculous amount of figurines(warhammer scaled) I need to stash somewhere...

Depending on your group, access to outlets. I usually leave a surge protector under my couches so people with laptops have power. Maybe some cat5. Actually, a router with no WAN connection would be awesome IMO. I've always wanted to be in a game with laptops where players could message each other without other players noticing, but whenever I've been in games with laptops, too many players get sucked into facebook. A private network with a jabber server would be perfect.

Internet got hooked up late last night, and I'm going to set up wifi over the whole place, and a wireless printer for char sheets/etc. The facebook problem you noted is a thing for us as well. I could certainly spare a local router for LAN stuff, and I have no shortage of servers.

Office supplies. Gamers never have enough pens or paper.

That reminds me, I need more pencils for tonight, ty!

Again, depending on your group a computer and/or big TV and/or projector. Possibly a printer as well.

Hmm, we could toss one of the flatscreens up there...we're up to three, and both the bedrooms don't need one.

Or if you prefer gaming to be an analog hobby, a large white board. Since we're going for ultimate gaming room, a large magnetic white board. Grid optional, depending on playstyle. A bulletin board would be cool too. Leave up maps or NPC portraits. Or just forgo the board and stick everything to the wall.

A magnetic white board would likely lead to poetry magnets. This could be awesome.

Ventilation. You don't want that gamer funk in your awesome new room if you can help it.

No worries. Our gaming group is good with hygiene, and the amount of open air to the rest of the place should make this not a problem.

There was some discussion about the type and quantity of weapons best used for decoration, as well as the desirability of stuffed animal heads.

[Sipex]

Yeah, decorations of some sort are a must have as well. Aforementioned weapons work but use whatever suits your style.

It's just nice thing to have so your gaming room feels like a nice room to be in, especially since you'll be in it for hours at a time.

[valadil]

We do have a very large set of shelving in the closet dedicated to board games...but suggestions for superior game storage systems is always welcome. I do have an utterly ridiculous amount of figurines(warhammer scaled) I need to stash somewhere...

I set up a couple of these: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100630889 They hold all my minis where I can see and reach them without eating up any of my precious floor space. I like having the minis out in the open because they give me ideas when I'm designing encounters. Writers block can be solved by looking over at the minis and choosing a couple that the players haven't seen in a while.

[Yora]

Adequate lighting. Reading in the dark sucks.

Adjustable lighting!

If you are going to spend some money, make it so that you don't have switch on the floodlight when one persons asks if you could get it a little bit brighter.
A comfy game table should have as much light as needed, but not more than neccessary.

[The Reverend]

Miniature control and storage. My cousin is a 40k master painter, had stuff in white dwarf, and owns A LOT of figures as in a entire space marine chapter and an equal sized ork force, and could field a 2000 -5000 point army in most of the other factions. What he did is magnetize the bases with rare earth magnets on every figure and vehicle, Yea even the 8 titans. He has metal shelves and puts the vehicles on the top of the shelf and hangs the minis on the bottom. Just drimel out the bottom and Epoxy in a rare earth magnet, he used liquid solder on the metal units.

the only thing gine unmentioned so far is keeping the players in that room. Setup buffet, the furniture, or another long narrow table against one wall so snacks can be placed there, also you'll need a fridge to keep cold things in. Both of these will prevent wandering players. If you want to step it up a notch and the plumbing from the bathroom is in the right place a small kitchen sink in the game room would be awesome. Paper towels, get a pallet of them cheap from a bulk goods store. Microwave, coffee maker,

Oh filling cabinet, small: to keep characters, campaign papers, and office supplies in.


Edit-take out menus, yea every one has internet to get phone numbers, but the best takeout places and delivery joints dont have menus on the internet.

Decorations, I only have one suggestion: one small shelf with "The Art of War", "The Five Rings", "The Prince", "An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nature", "The Golden Bough", "De Occulta Philosophia libri III" and "On War". Your players should read these and be made to right monthly reports on the,srcsm.

[Fhaolan]

Adjustable lighting!

QFT! Having lighting that can move around and spotlight different areas for different purposes is critical if you want the room for different types of games.

Adjustable, yet solid, shelving units are a must. Game books tend to be heavy, and with boxed sets and the like, tend to be in stupid sizes that fixed shelves have problems with.

I also would recommend a piecemeal table. Basically a set of small surface-area tables that can be assembled together in differet configurations for different games, that *lock* together so they don't shift and jiggle.

If you want 'ultimate' then I recommend a projection system. One that you can shine against a wall, and rotate it so it can point down at the table.

[Tyndmyr]

Miniature control and storage. My cousin is a 40k master painter, had stuff in white dwarf, and owns A LOT of figures as in a entire space marine chapter and an equal sized ork force, and could field a 2000 -5000 point army in most of the other factions. What he did is magnetize the bases with rare earth magnets on every figure and vehicle, Yea even the 8 titans. He has metal shelves and puts the vehicles on the top of the shelf and hangs the minis on the bottom. Just drimel out the bottom and Epoxy in a rare earth magnet, he used liquid solder on the metal units.

I need to do this. My 40k collection is on par with this(yes, I own the blood angels. The whole damn chapter.), and I have nowhere to store them, really. Lots are in boxes, I've got like six carrying cases, and there's still loose ones.

As for snacks, yep, Im gonna invest in a minifridge and a microwave for up there. Bookshelves are a definite yes. I have every official 3.5 book printed up there, and quite a lot more, and my shelves didn't survive the move. Time to buy some more(those standalone shelves also look fantastic). The projector might have to wait a paycheck or two, given the quantity I'll be buying, but I do like the idea.

[Templarkommando]

A lot of those suggestions sound really good.

Here's my angle:

The only good thing I've ever watched on HGTV (imo) was this Trekkie had won a couple thousand bucks and decided to use it for his T.V. room. He basically made it look like the bridge of a Starfleet ship. It was really quite nifty.

So, my thinking is take that idea and instead of a starship bridge, make it look like actual adventurers hang out there. The cabinet has hand carved wooden mugs or maybe ceramic steins to drink from. Replica axes, swords and staves hang tastefully on the wall along with a painting of a dragon flying over a castle keep and maybe some ink prints of different fantastic creatures. I'm thinking hardwood floors - it's medieval period and it's easier to clean than carpet. An iron or steel wrought chandelier/candelabra hangs from a chain above the table. The table itself is designed for gaming, it is big enough to fit the entire party around, and has a battle grid (usable with wet erase markers) drawn into it. The chairs for the adventurers are low backed but quite comfortable. The DM's is high backed and sits a little higher than everyone else - not because the DM thinks he's better than everyone else, but to add to the effect of the game. Adjustable lighting and a discreet sound system that the DM can use to add mood lighting and music sounds like a good plan. (of course mood lighting is stupid if players can't read their books. You could solve this by keeping the lights a little brighter than you would otherwise, or you can get book lights for everyone to use). Definitely something to hold extra supplies (paper, pencils, dice, character sheets, etc.) A pencil sharpener. A fridge full of refreshing beverages and snacks.

And that friends, is my wall of text for today.

[Beleriphon]

http://www.geekchichq.com/

One of these tables.

[Funkyodor]

Don't forget the garbage can. And a mini-fridge would be awesome.

[Anderlith]

A dry-erase board. Visual information is much better than auditory information

[Dead_Jester]

You need a floor that is stain proof, because one day, someone is going to drop mountain dew/coffee/wine on the floor, and you probably don't want that unless you're going for the time ravaged man cave look.

If you need miniature storage, I'd go for cabinets that can be closed, because if someone ever needs to start throwing dices and/or books, you don't want your miniature getting destroyed in the process. Plus, it stops people from randomly getting distracted by a massive display of miniature soldiers arrayed in formation.

[big teej]

what does the ultimate gaming room need?


the ultimate gaming table

http://www.ultimategamingtable.org/


/thread

[shawnhcorey]

Don't forget the garbage can. And a mini-fridge would be awesome.

I was about to say a mini-fridge.

A dry-erase board. Visual information is much better than auditory information

A dry-erase board as a table top.

If money is no object:

• A computer projector to project maps from your computer onto the table top downward from above.
• A large-screen monitor to show pictures to your players.
• Hardwood floors for easier clean up.
• A Roomba or Scooba to clean up for you.

[PrinceOfMadness]

Depending on how big your table is:

- Make sure to leave plenty of space for your maps, and then the various stuff that gamers tend to keep (rulebooks, character sheets, laptops, phones, dice)

- a set of TV trays can help add some more space for laptops, character sheets, etc.

Like several others have said, atmosphere is HUGE if you want your group to really get into gaming (and if you're shelling out for an ultimate gaming room, it sounds like you do). Adjustable lighting is an awesome idea. If you have a decent speaker system or other music player, music is a great way to help set the mood. Props are great too - replica swords, maps, maybe posters depending on your budget and game.

Pencils, paper, and spare dice are a must. It'd also be a good idea to keep backups of everyone's character sheets in your filing cabinet.

Paper towels/tissues/napkins/general cleanup stuff. If you've ever done anything with your friends, ever, you should know why it's important to keep some of these within easy arm's reach.

Easy access to waste disposal. This includes garbage and bathroom functions. One thing that kills immersion at my buddy' gaming table is that people have to walk all the way across the house to dispose of waste.

Also, it'd be neat to see pics when it's all done and finished

[Belril Duskwalk]

A dry-erase board as a table top.

This. So much of this. You can draw a dungeon map at full scale as you explore. Drew something wrong? It's easier to correct than even paper and pencil. You've got more than enough spare space that you can keep a list of noteworthy NPCs, places and quest notes where everybody can see and remember them (even that one guy that never remembers any names except people he wants to kill).

[RedWarrior0]

http://www.d20srd.org/extras/tabletop_projection/

In case you hadn't seen it, that's a pretty nice way of doing a tabletop.

[Velaryon]

Most of the big things have already been hit, but some of them bear repeating. Also, a couple more that I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned yet.

-a good-sized table with comfortable chairs (but not La-Z-Boy comfortable)
-space enough that everyone can navigate without making people get up, scoot in their chairs, and so on
-space for food, drinks, etc., and a fridge to store them in when necessary
-shelves to display books/minis/decorations/etc.
-cleanup supplies for the inevitable spills
-extra pencils, paper, and so on.
-a drawer or something with extra napkins and plastic silverware. This is a big problem for my group because we like to get Chinese food a lot, and 90% of the time somebody doesn't get a fork or spoon with their order.
-accessible electrical outlets within easy reach of every seat at the gaming table. Sucks when you can't plug in your laptop without stretching your cord across someone's chair or under their book or something.

[Yora]

what does the ultimate gaming room need?


the ultimate gaming table

http://www.ultimategamingtable.org/


/thread

Except that it is ugly. I would want to play in a room that is comfy and white plastic and metal, as well as white neon-light is the opposite of that.
If you want to make your own, make it out of wood.

[The Reverend]

One feature of that ultimate gaming table tht I like dead the depth of the cup holders go back and take a look. Their so deep it recesses the drink can below the table surface. I like that.



Edit - not for you game room, but four your garage or workshop. 3D printer, about 800$, and lead smelter, a good one is about 70$. You can make duplicates, custom minis, terrain etc. Very handy to have, especially if you play really big 40k games. Friend have rare unit? Make a mold and pour. Boom pewter duplicate. Leads and pewter are cheap and easy to work with and if you mess up back to the furnace with it

[Rixx]

http://www.instructables.com/id/RGB-...oom-%2B-Spot-/

Make your players really feel like they're in a dank and dusty cave / inside a volcano / lush green forest / etc.

[Kol Korran]

originally by Tyndmyr
I've moved into a larger place, and have an entire loft that's going to be used as a game room. It has a very large walk in closet and it's own bathroom.

... ... /drooling

the major things have been said, but a few other minor touches:

if you can, have nice campaign logs and/or paintings of those campaigns on shelves or on the walls. a sort of a personal library of your gaming time. works only if you have someone (or can pay someone) to do a good job with either.

also- world/ region maps, with some plastic or something overthem over which you can draw (and erase) the party's progress and journeys. gives more of a feel of continuity and accomplishments.

if you're playing in a published setting, perhaps a library with relevant books? it helped me when i got into shadowrun.

if you are capable of arranging a table big enough to be gridded for full dungeons or large areas (castles, village and the like), over which you could place pre drawn plastic schemetics, it could be awesome! (i'm a fan of large scale battles, and this is a sore point...

[Toofey]

If you put up some bracket shelving you can kill the "need space for miniatures" and "decoration" birds with one stone.

I always recommend using dining room tables for playing, they're the right height come with matching chairs and it just feels classic yaknow.