The perfect gaming table?

[Elvenoutrider]

Hi all,

I recently found myself with a spare flat screen and a need for a coffee table, so I thought why not put my crafting skills to good use. I want to build a gaming table about knee height to put between some couches in my lifting room. The flat screen will be on it's back, screen facing the ceiling in the middle with a sheet of sealed plexiglass covering it. This will allow me to run maptools after connecting it to my laptop. That said, beyond this I'm not sure what needs to go on the table besides cupholders. I'm here to ask around for some cool ideas. I'll post pictures when it's done, but right now it's still in the half baked idea phase.

[Garimeth]

Make sure you take into account spilled drinks and the like. Are you putting the TV in a wooden frame like a normal table with a plexiglass sheet covering a hole in the middle of the table that you have placed the tv in? Also think about wire management and how you want to run cables to keep them out of the way.

Kind of like this: http://www.homenvy.com/fantastic-woo...onitor-inside/ but with the tv flat and covered by plexiglass? Or more with the TV being the tabltop?

[Orderic]

Sounds like an awesome idea!

How about something to store the dice? For example, at each place there could be an integrated bowl. Preferably in a way that does not raise anything above the surface of the table.

[Strigon]

Hi all,

I recently found myself with a spare flat screen and a need for a coffee table, so I thought why not put my crafting skills to good use. I want to build a gaming table about knee height to put between some couches in my lifting room. The flat screen will be on it's back, screen facing the ceiling in the middle with a sheet of sealed plexiglass covering it. This will allow me to run maptools after connecting it to my laptop. That said, beyond this I'm not sure what needs to go on the table besides cupholders. I'm here to ask around for some cool ideas. I'll post pictures when it's done, but right now it's still in the half baked idea phase.

The perfect setup?
Well, like you said, cupholders. Probably some small bowl-shaped indentations, for rolling dice. Enough space for everything each player would wish to bring, plus a little extra. Having the tools necessary to clean up any messes on-hand would probably be a huge plus (if anyone neglects to use their cupholder, no need to rush for the bathroom; we have towels right here!)
Maybe a podium-esque setup, to hold any rulebooks/journals (even if just for the GM).
I'd recommend a circle, or an oval, as that tends to slightly help with social interaction.

That's what I'd want, personally. I'll probably put down more as I think of it.

P.S., drawers might prove handy.

[Garimeth]

The perfect setup?
Well, like you said, cupholders. Probably some small bowl-shaped indentations, for rolling dice. Enough space for everything each player would wish to bring, plus a little extra. Having the tools necessary to clean up any messes on-hand would probably be a huge plus (if anyone neglects to use their cupholder, no need to rush for the bathroom; we have towels right here!)
Maybe a podium-esque setup, to hold any rulebooks/journals (even if just for the GM).
I'd recommend a circle, or an oval, as that tends to slightly help with social interaction.

That's what I'd want, personally. I'll probably put down more as I think of it.

P.S., drawers might prove handy.

Most of those are good, but i think unless the table is huge drawers might not work very well with the tv mounting. Maybe a small shelf instead?

Also, OP you mentioned hooking up your laptop, so a mount for that would be good, or at the very least a way to run your cable to the tv, unless you go with a wireless transmitter to send the signal to the tv.

[Strigon]

Most of those are good, but i think unless the table is huge drawers might not work very well with the tv mounting. Maybe a small shelf instead?

I was thinking very small drawers.
Hold the dice after everyone went home, y'know?

[DontEatRawHagis]

Have the DM end of the table slightly higher than the other end(couple of centimeters maybe). Stages are built in a similar design to allow audiences to see all the action. In this case it would allow for a player sitting opposite the DM screen to see more without standing up.

[bjoern]

Something to think about , most flat screen TVs aren't meant to be laid down. They aren't designed to support the weight of the screen and stuff pushing against the components behind the screen

[Rhunder]

Something to think about , most flat screen TVs aren't meant to be laid down. They aren't designed to support the weight of the screen and stuff pushing against the components behind the screen

Depending on how the tv is designed, this is a very good point. Some flat screens have projection bulbs that bust a great deal quicker and most plasmas will burn out quicker when they are laid on their back. You may need to research tour tv befoe starting this project.

[The Random NPC]

Check out the Sultan Gaming Table for ideas, it's my go to for the "perfect" gaming table.

[Elvenoutrider]

I'm looking it up and all I can find are warnings against lying them screen side down... I'll need to make sure of this before I move ahead.

Right no I want to incorporate:

a power strip that would allow players to plug in their laptops

Cup holders

2 speakers

A small slide out spot for a character sheet

Plexiglass cover with silicone sealing

Rectangular, knee high design ( I love the round table idea but the coffee table is what I have room for right now in my one bedroom apartment)

Kicking around the idea of putting in led lights for decoration

Roll up dm screen


Once I figure out if the flat screens will or will not be an issue, I'll make a 3d model of it and post the images

[Firest Kathon]

If you roll dice directly on the plexiglass table, it may be quite loud. Having some kind of tablecloth or other covering outside the screen area would reduce the noise.

[Garimeth]

Check out the Sultan Gaming Table for ideas, it's my go to for the "perfect" gaming table.

That's pretty awesome. Don't know that I'd pay 12k for it, but its awesome.

[bjoern]

That's pretty awesome. Don't know that I'd pay 12k for it, but its awesome.

Yeah, I was thinking that too. I wonder how many of them they have sold....

[Tarlek Flamehai]

A map grid, make the whole surface suitable for dry-erase markers.

[cobaltstarfire]

A map grid, make the whole surface suitable for dry-erase markers.

That might be a little bit redundant with a screen that can already potentially display a gridded map, from there all you really need are the mini's.

[Garimeth]

Yeah, I was thinking that too. I wonder how many of them they have sold....

I can't imagine it's very many. 12.9k starting ranging up to 16k, and a 5k deposit... I think the only way I could justify that is if I made 2-3 times what I make now, and had a room in the house I only used for gaming. Or maybe if I owned a game store and rented out gaming space by the hour even then seems like a thin ROI.

These were pretty cool too:
http://cashier.geekchichq.com/tables...ing-table.html
http://www.geekchichq.com/the-keep.html
http://www.geekchichq.com/the-alexandria-codex.html

But man those price tags...

I thought 1k for my coffee table was over the top already.

[The Random NPC]

Yeah, they are hideously expensive, but they're supposed to last forever. I think they had a description somewhere that said something about your grandkid's grandkids.

[DrLemniscate]

Ideally, have some pieces of wood or something that just extend from underneath the table to act as sort of 'spokes' on a circular table. Or on a rectangular table, have two come out at each corner. This would let you have less space between the edges of the screen and the edge of the table.

This would give your players space to put things like character sheets, books, extra dice, or even drinks, while keeping them closer to the action. This way, less people have to stand up to see what is going on, or move their character.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by The Random NPC
Check out the Sultan Gaming Table for ideas, it's my go to for the "perfect" gaming table.

You beat me to it. I've been trying to remember where I'd seen this beast.

Originally Posted by The Random NPC
I think they had a description somewhere that said something about your grandkid's grandkids.

No doubt. I'll believe it when I see a testimonial from the grandkids' grandkids.

Originally Posted by Elvenoutrider
I'm looking it up and all I can find are warnings against lying them screen side down...

I'm still not sure if this is an urban myth or a genuine concern.

When my household acquired a Samsung at the start of the year, the guy at Sam's Club warned us with deep concern to never, never place the unit on its side, and especially not facedown, because all the elements would "pop." (Direct quote of technical term.)

Get it home and read the setup instructions, and boy howdy, first thing they want you to do is lay it facedown on the carpet.

We did so. No obvious poppage. Daily use ever since and nary a problem.

Now, this is certainly different from a constant horizontal orientation...but I wonder if there are two different issues that have been conflated here.

.

[cobaltstarfire]

It's hard to say.

It may be that extended use at a position that wasn't intended may decrease the life span of the TV. I know that is the case with certain types of light bulbs used in an orientation they weren't intended for. (there is also the risk of fire in the case of light bulbs)

It may also just be butt covering/extra safety. Kind of like how some things have weight limits, but that limit is considerably lower than what the actual failure point would be.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by cobaltstarfire
It may be that extended use at a position that wasn't intended may decrease the life span of the TV.

This is probably the essence of it. That does have certain unfortunate implications for Elvenoutrider's project.

[Person_Man]

You might want to just buy a normal table and wait a year.

Microsoft and Apple are both working on table sized ~80 inch touch screen computer tablets. There were articles about them being displayed at trade shows a year or two ago, so hopefully they're not that far off from mass production. Once they're out, it'll take maybe 5 days before someone comes up with a tabletop gaming map application for them. I've already seen similarly large touch screen monitors in malls, airports, and hotels, so the technology is clearly there. It's just a matter of getting the price down to something reasonable.

[Palanan]

Dare I ask how much these gi-normous table-tablets will be going for?

[Daishain]

Dare I ask how much these gi-normous table-tablets will be going for?

I really doubt that you want to know. Especially with Apple involved

Its a pretty poor use of the tech in my opinion anyways. Unless working with software intended to have multiple users working simultaneously on something, all you've got is a tablet that doesn't do anything beyond what the standard versions already excel at, paired with a table surface that can't be used as a table surface.


Anywho. Options I'd like to see in a gaming table that haven't been mentioned: (assuming a reasonable budget, and no tech doodads on hand)
-Drawers for the DM and players to store things in. Dice, miniatures, etc.
-a hole you can drop dice into for secret rolls. Die pops out on the DM's side to observe and retrieve.

P.S. Concerning the sultan, if I had that kind of money for such things, I could design and build a custom gaming table that was pretty much half robot. (It probably wouldn't be as pretty though, my crafting skills are functional, but not artistic) That, is a nicely made piece of furniture, but there's no way in hell it is worth more than $1,000.

[The Random NPC]

You might want to just buy a normal table and wait a year.

Microsoft and Apple are both working on table sized ~80 inch touch screen computer tablets. There were articles about them being displayed at trade shows a year or two ago, so hopefully they're not that far off from mass production. Once they're out, it'll take maybe 5 days before someone comes up with a tabletop gaming map application for them. I've already seen similarly large touch screen monitors in malls, airports, and hotels, so the technology is clearly there. It's just a matter of getting the price down to something reasonable.

I remember that, the Microsoft one was called the surface, and there were a lot of parodies when it was announced.

[cobaltstarfire]

P.S. Concerning the sultan, if I had that kind of money for such things, I could design and build a custom gaming table that was pretty much half robot. (It probably wouldn't be as pretty though, my crafting skills are functional, but not artistic) That, is a nicely made piece of furniture, but there's no way in hell it is worth more than $1,000.

It's actually fairly difficult and time consuming to make a good sturdy table that looks nice, even when you know what you're doing. You're robbing the craftsman if you think that that table should be $1000 or less. Maybe the wood and the hardware aren't worth that much (although depending on the wood and the cuts the builder needs it could come close), but the builders time, energy, and skill are.

[TheThan]

I would place a raised edge around the Plexiglas cover. That way dice won’t roll off the table so easily and liquid won’t drip off the sides onto the electronics.

To reduce noise you could make a simple dice box or some sort of cloth on the table for rolling dice on/in.

Coasters are obvious.

Since this is a digital table top, you could easily use character portraits in map tools instead of using actual physical miniatures it will cut down on damage to the plexiglass cover and help reduce the amount of stuff people have to drag along with them and the amount of junk taking up space in the limited space apartment.