Gaming in Miniature

As mentioned earlier, we play using battle-mats and miniatures.

I've read in passing on a number of blogs about some kind of debate that goes on in the use of miniatures in gaming. I'm not 100% why such a debate exists, as the miniatures add a great deal of accuracy in combat. We do play D&D 3.5, so this may no have much to do with other systems.

I've read that the minis detract from the game by too clearly representing things. Player's no longer need to use their imaginations in combat or gaming in general. Monsters are made tangible and there are no gaps left for people to fill in. If I describe a minotaur as a bull-headed giant, frothing at the mouth, wielding a great-axe, and snorting loudly the players can fill in details: notches in the great-axe, a broken horn, scars over the torso.

The presence of the mini somehow, suddenly renders both players and DMs unable to picture things in their mind.

I've played in games where minis weren't used and now I play exclusively with them. The games without were haphazard during combat. Area effect spells were almost completely in the DM's hands for adjudication. Feats involving range and speed were almost useless, since you were never 100% if it applied or not.

With minis, combat is very tactical. The DM doesn't have to hold the entire battlefield in his head; it's on the board. Player's don't have to wonder if they're one or two range increments away; they can count the squares (or hexes if you swing that way). Combat flows better since player's can plan their next move while someone else is resolving their turn.

If the thought of using actual minis frightens you for some reason: use dice, coins, bottlecaps, anything to represent the people in battle. While not my personal taste (I prefer painting and assembling minis), you'll still be able to "better" imagine the scene while giving you and your players the joy of tactical combat.