Has COVID hit your gaming?

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Well, my group has decided to try a virtual session via Skype and it turns out that my equipment is not ready to join the 21st century. My IPad is too old to work with Skype and a microphone and webcam I found in The Computer Cabinet of Accessories Past don't appear to work at all. I'm sure the microphone worked fine in 1998 though I'll admit I never even tried the webcam.

I've noticed that my sister's iPad and Perkidannman's Mac hate trying to use any of the same software we use. For my sister, that just seems to be electronics hating her right now (her PC is getting the grey-screen-of-death from Discord right now).

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

So it looks like I'm out for at least the first session. I can probably afford a new microphone and assume I'll amortise its' cost over many future sessions but Amazon isn't doing a lot of two-daying stuff right now. I guess I'll see what the group does abot a second virtual session.

You don't need an awesome headset or microphone. And you don't need a webcam at all. When we first started playing virtually (May 2017), I bought some lapel mikes for Hand of Bobb and myself (I thought I was buying two, but it turns out each pack was three mikes, so I have three, un-opened, in my cabinet right now). At that time, I spent $13 on those mikes (now, since they're no longer available, they're stupidly expensive).

I'm still using the original one I opened, it's plugged into my computer. When we're just chatting in Discord, it's the one I use. And I don't move it. It sits about two-feet from my head. I have another plugged into my server, that sits about three feet from my head, when I have to use Discord on that computer. Bobb is still using his original.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

At this point I hope that everyone has figured out that they have more knowledge and experience in this sort of thing than I do. Knowledgeable advice on the practicalities of going virtual is welcome.

As Anthony alluded to (and will below, as well), it's best to make sure you're up and running prior to game day. It's also best to coordinate with all your players and ensure everyone's computers are patched and running the same client versions.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

This dead end on problem one does postpone any action on what would be problem two. The session is going to be the start of a Numenera game. I believe the GM is probably using the Numenera Starter Set (which is half-price of $12.50 at Monte Cook's site). I played a couple of sessions some years ago and was so underwhelmed that I never bought book for the game.

I made a character out of a borrowed book last time but that doesn't work so well when you have no common table. there are going to be pregens but hours and hours of choosing actions at random and asking "What dice do I roll?" is demoralizing.

Any advice on subjects related to " Oh! Numerera can be lots of fun if you just do x, y and z!" is also welcome.

There was a huge sale on Monte Cook's Cypher system at Humble Bundle a short while ago (beginning of March-ish). I picked up the bundle--I'm a big fan of having access to additional resources for any game. I can use them for any other game.

Originally Posted by Anthony

Well, testing your setup well in advance is recommended but probably something you've already figured out. I had to go out and buy a new headset (for something like $50) when we started testing our ability to go online (fortunately we were testing before COVID actually hit), but in general I would assume that session 1 will be nothing but making sure everyone can actually run.

Yikes! When I decided to get a headset, the first one, for $25 wasn't terribly good, but I then bought the same kind I use at work (link to Amazon page). When I bought it, originally, it was $21.99, but it's gone up (supply/demand). I loved the one I used at work (did a great job of blocking the outside world from my ears. I switch to it when we begin playing as I find it makes it easier for me to concentrate. And it makes it easier for my players to hear me when I get emphatic (a problem with Discord).

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

Yikes!

To be honest, I don't remember exactly what it cost (looks like it's a Logitech H540, which is currently $72 on Amazon, but I think I got it for less). Given that I'm using it for multiple hours per week (aside from gaming, I'm working from home with meetings being done over Microsoft Teams), if I had to go back in time and get a different model I'd probably get more expensive, not less.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

Yikes! When I decided to get a headset, the first one, for $25 wasn't terribly good, but I then bought the same kind I use at work (link to Amazon page). When I bought it, originally, it was $21.99, but it's gone up (supply/demand). I loved the one I used at work (did a great job of blocking the outside world from my ears. I switch to it when we begin playing as I find it makes it easier for me to concentrate. And it makes it easier for my players to hear me when I get emphatic (a problem with Discord).

Amazon's first offer on a microphone alone was $20 so the unit you linked to at $28 looked quite good. It won't be back in stock until May 7.

In your experience how is that unit for size and adjustability? It might not surprise some people that I have a big head but it's literally something like a 7 and7/8ths hat size and fit was an issue with my old headset.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Anthony

To be honest, I don't remember exactly what it cost (looks like it's a Logitech H540, which is currently $72 on Amazon, but I think I got it for less). Given that I'm using it for multiple hours per week (aside from gaming, I'm working from home with meetings being done over Microsoft Teams), if I had to go back in time and get a different model I'd probably get more expensive, not less.

As am I (MSTeams and everything). However, work provided me with two headsets (one Plantronics, one Mpow). I, generally use the Plantronics one work provided for work, because, at home, I can control the sound around me much better than at the office. It's significantly lighter, but, also doesn't block any external sounds--I can wear it and still hear any other sounds around me, only slightly muffled. It's not a snug fit. When I need un-divided attention given to an on-line meeting, I'll put on my Mpow. And I use mine, because my work Mpow, is over there, still in my briefcase.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Amazon's first offer on a microphone alone was $20 so the unit you linked to at $28 looked quite good. It won't be back in stock until May 7.

In your experience how is that unit for size and adjustability? It might not surprise some people that I have a big head but it's literally something like a 7 and7/8ths hat size and fit was an issue with my old headset.

Well, as my sister will tell you, I have a big head. Not just ego-wise, nor just a hyperbolic 'fat head.' It's quite comfortable for me, only becoming uncomfortable after about four or five hours because of my glasses. But, that's hardly the fault of this headset, any, snug-fitting headset causes that discomfort.

At full extension, it looks like it would, easily, fit on a basketball, or a pumpkin-head. It wouldn't fit around the five-gallon bucket I use for a trashcan. But, if your head's that big, I'd suggest a lapel mike.

7 7/8ths is about a 25 inch circumference. The fattest--er widest point of my head is 24 inches, so just a little smaller. The headset still has quite a bit of expansion left for me (only one slider is about 1/2 extended).

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

7 7/8ths is about a 25 inch circumference. The fattest--er widest point of my head is 24 inches, so just a little smaller. The headset still has quite a bit of expansion left for me (only one slider is about 1/2 extended).

Awesome. The actual measurement on my head was 24 and a half. 7 and 7/8 ths is what I got from a website while i was hat-buying for someone else. i have had an adult lifetime of people telling me that there's an adjsutment strap in the back of the standard baseball cap but they never adjust far enough.

Thank you _very_ much!

[Anthony]

A lot of headsets seem to be able to adjust to sizes that no human head would ever achieve. I'm not sure why, maybe so you can wear them over hats.

[SimonAce]

I sort of lucked in as I basically left gaming for a while and so haven't "missed the month" as it were.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by SimonAce

I sort of lucked in as I basically left gaming for a while and so haven't "missed the month" as it were.

But, really, didn't you?.

I mean . . .. Getting out of gaming, during a time when it would be the perfect time to get together with a group across the country . . .? Didn't you miss out?

[ak_aramis]

2 of my 3 groups disappeared when the move to VOIP happened.

The third, I had to drop because my own psychopathology wasn't handling the grimdark.

I've started a new campaign with 1 old player (17 of the last 22 years... but not the last 4), 1 new player, and 1 from the third group.

Covid hit me in the gaming. Hit hard.

[Fred Brackin]

Well, my group had its' third session via Skype (my second) this afternoon and it went....meh.

Everyone had technical issues. Probably most often it was Skype deciding to mute someone for unknown reasons. I lost my internet connection for a couple of minutes (not uncommon) and myself and 2 other players had their session terminated unexpectedly and had to rejoin. One guy also froze up often.

We could probably eventually get through all this, maybe by going to another app. Instead we've tentatively decided to return to face-to-face gaming in 2 weeks.

I know this pandemic has been terribly serious in other places but the world is not homogenous. Where we are there have been only 9 deaths out of a pop of 600,000 whicg is also one highly tending towards the elderly. Even people's doctors are telling them there just isn't that much risk in face-to-face contact locally.