When we first started gaming in our current home, I would set up one card table to DM from, one to put my battle-map on and everyone else would sit on the couches and use TV trays. This set-up worked just fine, except it was a little crowded. Everyone would have to pull themselves up out of the couches just to see what I did on the battlemap. Inevitably, a TV tray would get bumped and somebody’s soda would wind up on the floor, much to my wife’s dismay. Yeah, it worked, just not well.
But then, something miraculous happened and I was given a chance to up-grade. When my wife first suggested that we put up the ping-pong table in our family room, my first thought was not “great, now we can play ping-pong anytime we want!” No, my first thought was “Awesome, now we can use it for gaming nights!” I’m sure many of you would’ve had the same reaction. At first, she thought I was kidding when I suggested using the table for gaming. Funny how spouses can be sometimes, I thought she knew me better than that. 
So this is our typical gaming night set-up.
I gotta tell ya, I am loving it. There is plenty of room for each player, we currently have four. We can spread out the battle-map so that everyone has a front row seat to the action. And I (or our other DM) can have the whole other end of the table to spread out my notes, my laptop (when needed), DM screen, dice, etc.
So, is your game night set-up similar? Do you do the couch and TV tray thing or perhaps the classic diner table set-up? Is your current set-up working for you and your gaming group? Or do you need a change of environment?
The Ultimate Up-grade
As satisfied as I am with my current situation, I sometimes contemplate the ultimate gaming room. If I won the Lottery, Publisher’s Clearing House or perhaps an inheritance from an as of yet unknown wealthy relative, I think I would build a gaming room similar to this*, but with more open space, a SMART Board, and soda dispensers. A guy can dream, can’t he?
* I know this has gone around numerous times, but it’s just so damn cool!
-
