Pesky wrote:
I suggested to some of my players trying some sessions without tokens, but they didn't want to. They like the visual representation and using it to think tactically.
We've long used minis for much the same reasons that everyone else is saying: unified mental picture, keeping track of who's in the room/not in the room, etc. Sometimes, things get tactical...
But if you have a group that *always* uses minis, and resists not using them for a session, you could try to sneak in a single, brief encounter where you just narrate what happens. They still might fight it, but it might work.
We have done this for years, generally for the sorts of encounters where it'd take longer to draw things out and place people on the table, than to actually get through the encounter. But I had the "new guy" resist it the first time it happened after he'd joined; he was afraid he wouldn't be able to get his sneak attack set up if there was no map. It probably took me and another player longer to talk him down and assure him it'd be alright, than to play out the encounter, but it was important to get him to try it. It was a small room with a single opponent; basically, a move action would get you anywhere in the room you wanted to be, so 'lining up' a sneak attack wasn't an issue, per se. As GM, if he wanted to make a sneak attack in that fight, I gave it to him, such was the situation; he was basically circling the fighters who were circling the creature, and sniping through the ranks.
I'd like to think his gaming world got a teeny bit larger that day.
He's probably forgotten the encounter ever happened.

_________________
Gnome Boy
• DCC playtester @ DDC 35 Feb '11. • Beta DL 2111, 7AM PT, 8 June 11.Playing RPGs since '77 • Quasi-occasional member of the Legion of 8th-Level Fighters.
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Here Be DCC MonstersPbP Purple Planeteers!Havarth • Cleric/Zikcub • Animal trainr • L
S11 A11 S9 P15 I9 L7 • AC10, HP12, R0 F1 W2
Glaive+0 1-10
Club+0 1-4
X' chain, sack
Bless, Dtct Ev, Prot fm Evil, Word oCmmnd
Lucius • Cleric/Verlore • Slave • N
S13 A11 S8 P15 I11 L11 • AC10+, HP6, R0 F0 W2
Sword+1 _
Club+1 2-5
Hide armor, flint/steel, green stone, oil 1
Crit table +1
Dark, Holy Sanct, Resist Cold/Heat, Word o Cmmnd
Toby • Squire
S13 A10 S14 P15 I16 L9 • AC10+, hp3, R0 F1 W1
Lg swrd+1 2-9
Scale armor, sack, helm, L’ rope, torch • Com, Chaos, Hobgob
Kelven • Smuggler
S14 A8 S11 P12 I7 L10 • AC9+, hp2(4), In-1, R-1 F0 W0
Sword+1 _
Staff+1 or Sling -1 2-5
Scale armr, waterprf sack, L’ rope, torch, 39cp
RIP
Stinky Pete, Ostler —
Spine snapped by tackling Kith