Untidy tables

[Sean Clark]

Please don't put your coke can on my table. I usually work really hard to make nice scenery to make my games look interesting. A coke can is a bit out of period for most of my games. Also there is always the risk that you'll knock the can over.

[Leman (Andy)]

One evening at my club I had set up a game - terrain, troops, dice, QRS'n all laid out, when in walks a member who proceeds to unwrap his take away on the table. He got short shrift. There is also the thoughtless plonker who, after having eaten his finger food chippie right in you earhole, then starts handling your figures without washing his hands. 

[SimonC]

yup - crisp fingers - pet hate!

[martin goddard]

Had a chap spill a whole pint of beer on the scenery tiles.  Attempted to mop it up with pink toilet paper. The tiles still have a lot of pink on them.

[Mike Tanner]

One evening at my club I had set up a game - terrain, troops, dice, QRS'n all laid out, when in walks a member who proceeds to unwrap his take away on the table. He got short shrift. There is also the thoughtless plonker who, after having eaten his finger food chippie right in you earhole, then starts handling your figures without washing his hands. 

Greasy finger types are disgusting. Many of these creatures also have wives and children. I hope the affliction of lack of respect for other peoples property/hard work is not hereditary!

[Leslie BT]

Well Sean going to your pet hate.

Only 8 fizzy drink cans, 5 of beer, and 15 cups in the photos of the Piggy weekend.

[Sean Clark]

Ha! Well spotted Les . I bet I was responsible  for some of those. Hopefully none on the  actual playing surface though.

[mgluteus]

The attached shows my experience in table litter!

Dick Bryant (cape Cod USA)
No scenario survives first contact with a wargamer

[Leslie BT]

Dick.

The only thing missing on your gaming table is a big stick, for the umpire to control the unruly players.

I am sure that Mike and my table at Historicon never became this bad!

Hope that your keeping well.

[martin goddard]

Dick
Very funny! Salutary!

[mgluteus]

Thanks. I still put on PITS as the small cons around here. You all may think the photos were staged but only partly..... I added some papers to the 'after' photo but really, not much! I wish there was  a magic potion I could shrink the offender(s) and impale them on the church steeple. We once tried transparent rulers and measurement items but after not being able to find them on the table, we gave up on that. I tried clip boards but they become more dangerous to the figures so we quit that. I guess the lack of litter is the only thing that video games have going for it.

Dick Bryant
Charge! There are no lead widows!

[Leman (Andy)]

I have recently bought two small folding tables from Amazon for next to the players chair for putting rules, QRS sheets and so forth on. I also bought a couple of small craft trays, again through Amazon, for dice rolling. I find using a dice shaker, then pouring the dice into the tray, rather than throwing, keeps the dice in the tray. Admittedly this is in my own wargames room where I have so far only had two player games. Group games down the club tend to still be untidy simply because there is nowhere to put rules etc except on the playing surface, especially if the game takes up the whole table.

[martin goddard]

This leads us to a related question?   That being "is more clutter needed by recent games?"

Games of yore would often need templates for MG, grenade and artillery. Templates are now out of use??
The rule book would usually be Quarto (smaller than A4) and be more booklet type.
Fewer dice (types and quantity).
Mobile phones and tablets on table take room.

Games of now .
More markers? To show more status situations than older games.
Collectable cards for vehicles and characters.
More snacks and drinks in portable form (personalised coffee, nachos)




PP games create clutter by
1. Use of a game battle sheet.
2. Having reserves/reinforcements off table.
3. Lots of D6.
4. Turn counter.

PP games reduce clutter by
1. Infrequent need for measuring devices.
2. One type of dice.
3. Smaller than 6x4 playing area.
4. Reduced need for rulebook (??)

all just discussion points. You may have other thoughts.

[Leman (Andy)]

I just simply cannot understand how food at a wargames table is tolerated by anyone. Some of my armies have taken literally years to paint. Anyone touches food and then my figures is going to get the hairdryer treatment. I know  some of the poor sods at wargames clubs have social graces issues, but that one goes beyond the pale.

[Duncan]

Trouble is that some of us have clubs that start at times that mean we have to take medication whilst at the club and it has to be taken with food, so food is needed. I have to say though that I do think it should not be actually on the war games table itself if at all possible, same with coffee, tea etc, a separate side table is best for all of this, and using your own figures.