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Author Topic: Shamdemic year 2 begins, you clowns still gaming from behind computer screens?  (Read 8894 times)

Samsquantch

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No games for me since October middle, or maybe the beginning of November. Two in my group are still terrified of the virus (I had it almost a full year ago now and was very ill but I'm ok now). We were doing online via discord and World Anvil but that fell through too around then. I think the last FtF game was in August and we had two players online due to literally being on the opposite end of the country.

When I was in the military I was part of my regiment's NBCW Decon team so I knew from the start the masks were useless as there are so many vectors of infection that the masks don't address (in addition to not being fine enough to stop a virus anyhow) and I've seen people freak out due to fear and utter ignorance while having a t shirt over their noses. And don't get me started on the face shields... So many, many, sheep we live among... I got infected right around the time I had eye surgery so it was most likely at a hospital with everyone wearing masks anyhow.

The virus is real but it's certainly not the lethal killer they made it out to be unless you had preexisting conditions and comorbidities. And it certainly doesn't help having so many faulty test kits and testing methods being used either, nor having people dying in traffic accidents and having it blamed on covid.

This whole thing was a giant cluster fuck with people and governments capitalizing off of it any way they can for political and financial reasons. Fear is a powerful motivator and far too many took advantage of it.

I really want to get back to gaming again but I don't know when that will be.

S'mon

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I guess I'm lucky that I had been running text-chat games since 2009 (and play by email since 1995!) so I was ok with doing more of that. IME trying to turn remote gaming into tabletop via video really sucks, but with just text + VTT it uses a different part of my brain, more a live PBEM/PBP. It's different from TTRPG gaming but it's a lot of fun. The social element is different & much reduced but for players who take to it the IC RP element can actually be greatly enhanced. Much easier to do eg romance over text! :D

Ratman_tf

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Or have you graduated to double-masking at a table? Maybe your group is excitedly planning a campaign, but only after everyone gets the experimental vax and an anal swab.

Our group tried killing everybody we know with the CoronaChan, but after a year of gaming as usual, sadly I must report a total lack of fatalities. Alas, the best we could do was a couple people got the sniffles.  O Chinese bat soup, how thou hath failed us.

So, how many of you have returned to gaming with your friends in reach of the pizza?

Not yet. Our governmental overlords have graciously relaxed some of the restrictions.

https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-statewide-move-phase-3-recovery-plan-return-spectator-events-and-phase

My local gaming pub owner has posted hopeful stuff about gathering after the vaccine is widespread. A lot of my gaming circles are still locking down. No contact whatsoever.
So same old same old.
The notion of an exclusionary and hostile RPG community is a fever dream of zealots who view all social dynamics through a narrow keyhole of structural oppression.
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Ratman_tf

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In person or online who gives a flying fuck what method is used as long as everyone is having fun. Gamers need to realize it's 2021 and how rpgs are being played is changing. Instead of being grognard and safekeeping  how about just about everyone having fun with their hobby.

Other people can play however they want. But playing "TT" online drives me up the wall, so I don't really do much of it.
The notion of an exclusionary and hostile RPG community is a fever dream of zealots who view all social dynamics through a narrow keyhole of structural oppression.
-Haffrung

Shasarak

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Or have you graduated to double-masking at a table? Maybe your group is excitedly planning a campaign, but only after everyone gets the experimental vax and an anal swab.

To be honest if you are not triple masking at this point then you just want to kill Granny.

We have a hybrid game running which makes it easier for the Usian player to attend regularly.
Who da Drow?  U da drow! - hedgehobbit

There will be poor always,
pathetically struggling,
look at the good things you've got! -  Jesus

Mistwell

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It will still be a few months I suspect before my group is ready for in person games again. Mostly because as the economy opens up in LA everyone's jobs are going to get hectic busy so they won't have the time to game in person yet. But I figure by mid-Summer or so we should be ready.

In the mean time, we have two online games one of which has always been online for 7 years now given most players moved to different states. I think we're going to see a more permanent uptick in online gaming in fact in general for the nation. A lot of people moved states during this last year but kept their games going online and I bet many of those games just stay online.
« Last Edit: March 12, 2021, 03:41:04 PM by Mistwell »

Mistwell

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I knew from the start the masks were useless as there are so many vectors of infection that the masks don't address (in addition to not being fine enough to stop a virus anyhow) and I've seen people freak out due to fear and utter ignorance while having a t shirt over their noses. And don't get me started on the face shields... So many, many, sheep we live among... I got infected right around the time I had eye surgery so it was most likely at a hospital with everyone wearing masks anyhow.

On Facemasks during gaming:
Facemasks reduce the radius you spread the virus around yourself, because it's not a single particle which infects you but an issue of quantity. The higher quantity of virus you spread through your saliva, the higher the chance someone else gets it from you. The more of an object is in front of your nose and mouth able to absorb liquid coming from you, the lower the quantity of virus you spread to those around you. It was never meant to be a shield which blocks all vectors of infection to you. It's meant to be a reduction in you spreading it, with some more minor benefits to reducing the amount you can breath in as well.

Which means if you wear a facemask at your game table, you will reduce the likelihood you will infect your other gamers with the virus if you happen to have the virus and not know it. Similarly, if your fellow gamers have the virus and don't know it, them wearing a facemask will reduce the chance you will get it from them.

Plus, there are some RPG related facemasks. If you want me to make YOU one, I'd be happy to do so. In fact, I'd be happy to make a TheRPGSite facemask with a logo, if people were interested in that.

I could do something like this? Or better probably, since the mask itself in this picture is pretty meh:



Our design is more similar to this (which I find to be a lot more comfortable, better fitting, and with adjustments on the nose and ears), so imagine this with a D20 or an TheRPGSite logo on it :)

« Last Edit: March 12, 2021, 05:11:38 PM by Mistwell »

trechriron

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Since this is a political statement (and a fucking stupid belief rooted in wacko conspiracy theories) - I decline to answer the question.

Also, you're a tool.
Trentin C Bergeron (trechriron)
Bard, Creative & RPG Enthusiast

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D.O.N.G. Black-Belt (Thanks tenbones!)

thedungeondelver

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I play VTT because my players are in Oregon, Washington State, Colorado, California, Arizona, and Kansas.  Two of them are in the same state as me but as the balance of players are out of state, it wouldn't make sense for them to come here.
THE DELVERS DUNGEON


Mcbobbo sums it up nicely.

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Brad

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Since this is a political statement (and a fucking stupid belief rooted in wacko conspiracy theories) - I decline to answer the question.

Also, you're a tool.

And yet you directly answered the question with this response. Who is the more toolish, the tool or the tool who replies?

ANYWAY

I agree that "table-top" is barely table-top when you're using online instead of face-to-face. It's just not the same thing, no matter how many advancements have been made. I'm involved in two online games right now, but one is mostly due to all of us being spread out over the state, the other is because we play after the kids all go to bed so it's just easier than driving at home at midnight after some drinks. I'd prefer to just do f2f, but for now this works. Sorta. Whenever this fucking degree is over, and the kids actually sleep past 5AM which means I don't have to go to the gym at 3:30AM just to make sure I can get in a workout, then I am canning online play with anyone who lives in the same town.
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.

Trinculoisdead

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My group's last in-person session was in February 2020. I've been running games on Discord since then. In some ways I prefer them, but that could just be the players.

Cola

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My pal bought fantasy grounds.  We are online for now but my minis and such are greatly missed.

I will say we have had fun doing what we think is safest for the vulnerable in our group.  The maps and virtual tokens have been actually effective despite my initial resistance.

We’re getting a bit older and are trying to ham up the roleplayinf more.  Our groups has a teenager, dude in 30s one in 40s and one pushing 60.

It’s been good overall but I miss being together.  We did a game in the garage with masks once but a lot of our coworkers got quite ill so we went virtual.

I think we are ready for in person soon.  Most of us in healthcare and law enforcement got the shots and are not as worried.

Frankly I don’t give a flying fuck if doorknob lickers think it’s a pussy move or not as some do.  I just go with my own best judgment.  I will be glad to put this behind me and will fully embrace heavy metal concerts, public beer swilling and in person gaming...I don’t regret the VTT really.  It has worked as a temporary fix and has made it easier for us to get together for more 2 hour sessions here and there.

Omega

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I’ve never been down with masks and the people complying drops by the day here. Despite the signs, I can walk into just about any local restaurant maskless without comment from the staff.

While on the flip side we had a bunch of idiots demand to go to a restarunt with no masks and the ALL got it and died. One of our local gaming group got it and she was dead in 3 days. Family member of another is barely hanging onto life after getting this thing.

I hope everyone pretending this is a joke or sham, or are actively trying to spread it gets it and dies as horrifically as regular people do who never asked for this to be inflicted on them.

lordmalachdrim

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While on the flip side we had a bunch of idiots demand to go to a restarunt with no masks and the ALL got it and died. One of our local gaming group got it and she was dead in 3 days. Family member of another is barely hanging onto life after getting this thing.

I hope everyone pretending this is a joke or sham, or are actively trying to spread it gets it and dies as horrifically as regular people do who never asked for this to be inflicted on them.

Given the statistical improbability the above being accurate with this things mortality rate...Bullshit.

bryce0lynch

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It's an RPG forum, they could all have been 80 years old, overweight with diabetes.

Let ask Mr. Occam. Mr Occam, is it true?

"It is more likely that Omega is full of shit."

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