Maps with no table space suggestions?

[Foxolicious]

I need to start building maps but I have a lack of table space I need suggestions on how to pull this off.

The reasoning why I need maps is I have 7-11 players per game and it is getting complicated keeping track of them all

[Knaight]

Graph paper, pencils, and erasers are always a solid bet. It's not pretty, but the squares/hexes are vastly smaller than tends to work for most other options*.

*A coordinate system would work even better, but unless you can just read a bunch of coordinates and instantly visualize then it's not actually that helpful.

[Grod_The_Giant]

You could try propping up a whiteboard somewhere off to one side? Even better if you can find a magnetic one, but marker for positions works alright.

[Storm_Of_Snow]

You could try propping up a whiteboard somewhere off to one side? Even better if you can find a magnetic one, but marker for positions works alright.

The cheap version's a bit of cardboard with a blank sheet of white paper glued on, covered with sticky back plastic. Or even one of those clear plastic envelopes that go in ring binders (which gives you the advantage that you can pre-draw your maps and just rotate around which ones visible).

[Firest Kathon]

If you have a TV or large Monitor where you play, you can use any number of mapping tools on your PC/Laptop. I am using MapTool, running one instance (as server) on my laptop screen and one instance (as client) on a TV or projector connected as a second screen.

[WbtE]

Have you tried persuading them (through trickery or bribery if necessary) to maintain close formations?

[GungHo]

I need to start building maps but I have a lack of table space I need suggestions on how to pull this off.

The reasoning why I need maps is I have 7-11 players per game and it is getting complicated keeping track of them all

May be more money than you want to spend, but I use a pocket projector and a white wall when travelling, or a wall-mounted LCD at the house, and I hook it up to a Surface Pro (any laptop will do, though).

[CharonsHelper]

You could just use a bulletin board, graph paper, and pins. It basically works the same as with minis, but everything is on a much smaller scale, thereby not taking up much table space.

[ArgentumRegio]

With so many players it seems to me you need a solution that everyone can see - this means one of two things BIG and communal, or small and personal or shared in small groups.

For the first solution, you may want to go with a flat screen TV and use a computer/tablet to post an image of the battlemap to that device... icons for PC and monster locations can be moved on such using any number of software means (my choice is GIMP). Routinely I would opt to use GIMP, EVE (you'll have to google it since this forum won't let me give you the link goosee d o t c o m), autorealm and such for the task as described.

for those prefering a manual method, get some markers, get a big roll of holiday gift wrap (the back has 1" squares on them) and use stick it notes to move your PCs and monsters on the hand-drawn battlemaps. Using stickit notes means you can up-end the map and use no table space.

Alternately, keep the mapping on your privately held PC or tablet and wifi send the map to all those with devices around the table... a tablet can even be passed around so each player can see the current situation during their turn.

[Foxolicious]

All great ideas guys some expensive and some cheap and I just happened to have a bulletin board hanging around so a combination of a couple of these ideas

[Keltest]

You could try propping up a whiteboard somewhere off to one side? Even better if you can find a magnetic one, but marker for positions works alright.

This is what I do. It comes with the bonus of being relatively portable and usable just about anywhere, and doesn't do anything potentially permanent to any walls or anything.