With my focus primarily on hosting remote games of late, I have been trying to limit the playing area to no more than 6' x 8' so that the webcams can capture the entire play from behind each player's side without swiveling cameras during the game. By utilizing only a portion of the table, the unused table space soon becomes a repository for all sorts of material including a use as a staging area.
The hex board in the foreground is from the recent Second Battle of Azukizaka and takes up only about 4'x6' footprint. Perfect size for remote games. Notice the webcams positioned behind and over each player's side of the table and the 48" TV used as a monitor for coordinating players and webcam views for Zoom games. That large TV may have become a permanent fixture to the game room and game table. If I go back to using the entire 12' of the table for larger games, I may have to consider mounting the TV on the wall.
Where was I? Oh, yeah.
With stuff piling up on the gaming table, the scatter on the table finally became too much and I made an effort to clean up the mess. What began as a thought to simply tidy the table soon devolved into a repositioning of a lot of items as the effort gathered momentum.
What mess? How bad could it be? Well, the photos below offer a hint.
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| Does not look so bad from this end of the table. |
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| Upon closer inspection. |
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| Painting station in the corner. |
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| View from the other side of the table. Stacks of figures lurk under the table and along the wall. |
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| A large portion of The Lead Pile in the cabinet, some spilling out onto the floor. |
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| After. |
Great space. Now I know what my Post Office will look like after retirement.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, having the space to leave a game and painting tasks in situ, undisturbed, makes all the difference.
DeleteMess is certainly a problem in the dungeon caused by excessive hoarding and not quite enough space. However, I was heartened to see your lead pile actually spilling onto the floor 😀
ReplyDeleteHoarders? Is that the term Norm would employ to describe our behavior?
DeleteYes, The Lead Pile runneth over. There are smaller piles in other places too...
If I ever tidy up I’ll take some pictures of the dungeon
DeleteIn fact Jon over breakfast I have taken a closer look and I think we need to discuss storage solutions I am anxious about the stacked plastic boxes in the corner above head height !
DeleteI am interested in seeing some photos of Command Central. We can discuss my storage boxes. Each box has a recessed lid that allows boxes to be stacked solidly without risk of toppling. Each lid is tightly clamped to the box bottom.
DeleteI could do with that space, I have stuff scattered all over the house.
ReplyDeletePhil, every wargamer ought to strive for a dedicated gaming and hobby space.
DeleteTiding up the games room is always a good idea as the mess slowly creeps up. The only disadvantage is at some point a few weeks time you are trying to find that one item you remembered tidying up and now desperately need, but cannot recall where you put it.
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right, Peter!
DeleteThere may be items I put away and will have difficulty finding. The good news is that I found a few rules and reference pamphlets in the reorg that I thought lost, a few wayward figures, two measuring templates, and a box of chocolates.
A nice bit of tidying up there Jon....you should see my painting desk....actually, on second thoughts, no you shouldn't....it's a bloody disgrace!
ReplyDeleteYeah, you shared a photo of yourself, let's see your workstation.
DeleteOh to have a dedicated space such as this Jon! Always good to have a tidy up though, no matter how big or small the room. After Norm's recent post I really need to get my stuff sorted so I can re-focus my efforts on painting, games, storage etc.
ReplyDeleteA dedicated space is luxury for some; a necessity for others.
DeleteWhile Norm's recent downsizing post prompted reflection, I am not ready to begin that painful journey yet. There are still periods I have yet to collect and game. Besides, I am not as ruthless as Norm. I would not know where to begin culling. Well, I do have a few ideas...
I should be embarrassed to admit that the before shots show a tidier room than any after tidy shots of my multipurpose games room, but I'm used to it.
ReplyDeleteGreat room you have there though!
Glad you like the game room, Ross! Now, give us all a wider angle shot of your gaming space and we can compare tidiness.
DeleteI'm so jealous, wish I had a games room to tidy up
ReplyDeleteI know, I know. There are downsides too.
DeleteAnd that's a wargaming heaven? ;)
ReplyDeleteFor me, it is pretty close!
DeleteOh, if you think yours is bad.....I did smile at your lead pile. I have one of those. And some on the dining table. And lots more in the basement. No, I won't show a photo though.
ReplyDeleteOh, come on. Share your piles o'lead!
DeleteTemporary wins against entropy are always satisfying ;)
ReplyDeleteA win is a fleeting concept. Pushing back against the constant pressure of disorder and chaos is especially futile.
Delete"What began as a thought to simply tidy the table soon devolved into a repositioning of a lot of items as the effort gathered momentum"--sing it, brother!
ReplyDeleteAlways interesting to see others gaming spaces: very much like yours--the barrel chair is "charming," just keep repeating that. The virtual configuration is admirable!
Thank you, Ed! We are kindred spirits. I will pass your suggestion of "charming" chair on to Nancy.
DeleteThat is a great space both before and after the tidy up. Your unused portion of table underpins the wargamers first principle, that if a space is created, something will be put in / on it :-)
ReplyDeleteFor your lead pile, divide it into four and put each quarter in a different corner of the room, then whenever you look at one, you can never see the other three.
"For your lead pile, divide it into four and put each quarter in a different corner of the room, then whenever you look at one, you can never see the other three."
DeleteYou are very funny, Norm!
Nature abhors a vacuum or empty table space.
Clean up or not, that’s a magnificent room Jonathan! Apart from having a wonderfully-sized table, you have ample space around it too which I believe is very important but not always appreciated by gamers. Oh, and I love your grandma’s upholstery taste!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike!
DeleteHaving space to maneuver around the table is important. You are correct in that facet is often overlooked. I have between three and four feet of clearance all around the table.
Extra points for liking the barrel chair!
I have a rule that the table is only used for wargaming, and not as an alternative to storage. I have an edge around the playing area for reinforcements and so on. You will have seen the blue screen at one end of the table. I made that as a backdrop for pictures, but alas the sectioned off space has become a repository for the collected Battlefield Society equipment.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I must say it's a really nice looking space. Even with all the clutter. Extra points for the Lady Butler painting.
In a perfect world, the gaming table would be free of clutter. My world is not perfect.
DeleteSince F2F games are still rare for me, the table view in remote games presents an impression of order and tidiness when just off camera, wargaming artifacts can be piled deep.
It is an illusion. An illusion I ought to work to keep from materializing.
Having the table close to the painting desk means figures in various stages of completion gravitate toward this open end of the table.
The Lady Butler painting is always inspiring.
A grand gaming environment, but can you keep it spick and span and find time to paint & game?
ReplyDeleteI can only try, David. I can only try...
DeleteGreat job Jonathan and it must have felt quite cathartic. I meant to clean up my storage area over Christmas but ended up putting it off.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, it felt very good to get the room tidied up a bit and a few things reorganized like moving the bookcase up to the office. I tend to do more reading in the office than either the game room or library so good to get the rulebooks upstairs and close at hand.
DeleteYou wanna see my painting room, now that is a mess!
ReplyDeleteYeah, let’s see it!
DeleteIt’s fun to see other people’s spaces. I agree that a good tidy up is beneficial and makes us feel good. Though couldn’t of been that messy as I didn’t see any half eaten pizzas and spilled drinks lying around. I once left a half eaten pb&j on my desk for a week…
ReplyDeleteMarvelous to have the dedicated game table and room. I have a dedicated hobby desk for painting in the back corner of the house where all the spiders live and happy for it. 😀
No half eaten pizza or spilled drinks in evidence here. Greasy pizza hands do not mix well with little armies.
DeleteHaving a dedicated painting desk is important to allow striking fast when the painting mojo arises. You should post a photo of your spider infested painting area.
That didn't look too untidy mate. Not at all. But, I guess it all depends on who is counting. :)
ReplyDeleteI like the setup though.
You are right. The clutter was not too bad but see Trebian’s rule of No Stuff On The Table. I was clearly out of compliance there although the clutter was not actually on the game board but at the other end of the table.
DeletePresent knuckles and meet internet 12” ruler. For shame Jon, for shame.
DeleteKnuckles presented…
DeleteMy wife reckons any flat surface near me will soon be filled. With the need to work from home again looming I must attack my study. The problem is that whenever I get started I find something that hasn’t been touched for ages, I get distracted and the job takes twice as long as it should.
ReplyDeleteThat’s what happened here. Began with a declutter of the table and it snowballed from there.
DeleteReady for new (technical) adventures, a useful and beautiful gaming room!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the game room!
DeleteIt’s good to have a clear out and tidy Jonathan…
ReplyDeleteBut more stuff always appears sooner than you might wish…
I’ve had a big old tidy recently… so I can get some new windows put in…
There is already a pile of books on the table…
I think that nature/wargames must always fill a vacuum…
All the best. Aly
Quite right, Aly! Wargaming paraphernalia always fills available space. Look at my painting desk. I end up painting in a postage stamp footprint of an area.
DeleteSuper looking hobby room Jonathan! This reminds me I need to tidy up my own soon(ish).
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Christopher, this is my sanctuary. I await photos of your tidied workspace.
DeleteTidying up the gaming area - a necessary "evil" once in a while, Jonathan. Great looking dedicated room too. Interesting that you are trying to limit your table to 8x6' (for good reason), as I was just thinking of going to 10' or 12' x 6' - at least for a larger ECW game. But this would require the purchase of another Costco folding table :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the room! With remote games, the largest table size I have used was 10’ x 6’ but the cameras had to be repositioned at each corner of the table looking obliquely to see the entire battlefield. In F2F games, the full 12’ table often sees service.
DeleteGreat looking room, even better with the clean up. I keep putting of straightening up the working part of my table so that I can use it after depositing the debris from "Historicon" upon it back in November!
ReplyDeleteThanks! For some, having a dedicated place to game is at the top of priorities. It is for me and I know for you too.
DeleteHow long does it typically take to return your game room back to normal operating conditions following the post-Historicon dump?
Pretty much until I need the table for a game! :-)
DeleteBetween the Holidays and the Corona surge, that won't be until February, so it's on my liost to do today. :-)
I do have a couple of solo games I want to try in the meantime, too...
Which solo games do you have planned?
DeleteThe bog one is updated Morschauser rules for a game I am running at the Gardinert Library in Nwew York state in April. The group there will be pretty novice, and it is very near where Joe went to school (Bard College) and lived (Poughkeepsie, NY), so especially fitting!
DeleteGreat room Johnathan, you Americans always do things big, I assume its because you live in a big country.A beautiful space so well done for possessing one.
ReplyDeleteRobbie, the USA is HUGE and distances are great. As you will discover in your upcoming trip to Texas, EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas!
DeleteOn game rooms, having never actually visited a wargames club (do clubs even exist outside of the largest metropolitan cities?), most of my local gaming buddies maintain a private room in each of their homes for wargaming. Perhaps a luxury for some but a necessity for others.
Most homes in the US also have full basements; that is often the location of the gaming space, as it is in my case.
DeleteAnd for me too.
DeleteLovely 'den' you have there. I reckon you are cheating though Jonathan; that must just be a few of the books, surely?!
ReplyDeleteAs I don't have your 'problem' of über-regular games, my table is always in use with bits of goodies for terrain making, most of the painting queue and prep. area for figures. I clear some/all of it when a needed for a game...
Regards, James
James, the small bookcase seen in the 'before' photos contain ONLY rulesbooks. The main library is on the ground floor of the house and you are right, it is much larger.
DeleteGood to see I am not alone in having some clutter on the table. A cluttered table is a sign of activity.
Great man pad .. :)
ReplyDeleteI think so! Thanks for the visit, Geordie!
DeleteGreat looking space,both before and after tidying, when I'm not playing the table tops go in slots fixed to the ceiling and I pile the trestles up by the door,so I can't leave things on the table!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Your mobile table solution sounds ingenious.
Delete