Has COVID hit your gaming?

[Icelander]

We managed a session today/tonight by Discord.

Technical issues were annoying, but ultimately surmountable.

The fact that one player is in isolation, diagnosed with COVID-19, actually interfered more than technical issues. He threw up a few times and had a hard time concentrating because of symptoms that mostly match severe flu.

Fortunately, he is an active, strong and healthy man in his thirties, so his odds of life-threatening complications are very low. It's very unpleasant, but should not lead to hospitalization or worse.

I'm in quarantine because we had dinner together (outside the most likely infection time period, but near enough so that my doctor advised me to observe quarantine), but don't have those kind of symptoms. I already had flu-like symptoms (probably because of normal, ordinary flu, before COVID was first diagnosed in Iceland), so unless they grow worse, there's no way to tell if I become infected. My name is on a tracing list somewhere and if and when there aren't any more pressing diagnostic concerns, I might be tested, but I'm not holding my breath. As elsewhere, our testing swabs are running low and other tests have higher priority.

All in all, the session was quite enjoyable. It's New Year's Eve in play and one PC has Weirdness Magnet. That, combined with some rituals and the fact that he did his best to throw a party, meant that one of the Aes Sith knocked on the window and asked to be invited in.

As far as the PCs know, the Fair Folk have not been seen on Earth for centuries.

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I'm in quarantine

I will make the necessary sacrifices to the gods, both old and new. It's the least I can do.

Originally Posted by Icelander

All in all, the session was quite enjoyable. It's New Year's Eve in play and one PC has Weirdness Magnet. That, combined with some rituals and the fact that he did his best to throw a party, meant that one of the Aes Sith knocked on the window and asked to be invited in.

As far as the PCs know, the Fair Folk have not been seen on Earth for centuries.

So hoping this becomes grist for the mill which is Memorable Quotes.

[Mr_Sandman]

Here in New York State, things are shut down pretty tight. We skipped the last couple of sessions of a weekly D&D game for non-coronavirus related reasons (a couple of players are recuperating from surgeries, and the GM's father has been ill). My last monthly GURPS game was held in February, and the next was scheduled for March 29th. We have been discussing how to take both games online. We may even add another game or two to the schedule, since a lot of people have more time, and travel is no longer a factor.

[Phoenix_Dragon]

My roleplaying campaign with the roommates is taking place as usual, because we're all in the same apartment anyway, so there's really no avoiding contact.

The other campaign with several friends wasn't held this week (Because of work), and despite some early reluctance from some, we're going to be trying out an online video-chat starting next session. Which is good, because it's very likely that 3-4 of the 6 players would have declined if we were doing it in-person.

[Fred Brackin]

My tentatively scheduled game for thie weekend just got cancelled. Nobody's sick but some of the people are worried.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

My tentatively scheduled game for thie weekend just got cancelled. Nobody's sick but some of the people are worried.

We had a discussion about "hold next game online?" and decided that we could (we started using roll20 for maps a few months back, though we were still meeting in person) two days before the lockdown order arrived in our area.

[Icelander]

Ironically, the other player who gamed with me (in quarantine) and my best friend (diagnosed with COVID-19) over Discord has started to show symptoms, along with his entire family.

Unfortunately, lack of swabs means he won't get tested unless his symptoms get worse. So, at the moment, he's 'merely' quarantined because of probable infection, not actually diagnosed.

I'm still not sure whether I have the virus or not, as my flu-like symptoms have persisted for a while, but are fairly moderate, even for ordinary flu. If I do, we might have a 50% infection rate in our gaming group, which is quite a statistical anomaly.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I'm still not sure whether I have the virus or not, as my flu-like symptoms have persisted for a while, but are fairly moderate, even for ordinary flu. If I do, we might have a 50% infection rate in our gaming group, which is quite a statistical anomaly.

I'm in this boat. I had a mild flu at the end of February. I still have a cough, but that's it. Apparently, I was exposed . . . 12 days ago, and am only showing the cough I've had since about February 20th.

One of the people I work with was tested and confirmed, however, the last time they were in the office, ironically, was 3/13. I've been working from home since 3/20. (Right now, actually--we're just not busy right now.)

[Kallatari]

My games have, for the several years, with two different playing groups a week, been played with MapTools on the gaming room's big screen, and people using their laptops to move their own tokens on the map through the LAN. On any given game session, most if not all players show up in person to my place (I GM), with sometimes one or two voice conferencing in because of life (worked late, have a cold and don't want to spread it, travelling for work, looking after the kids, etc.). We currently use Skype for that because it's the most common program amongst my players (and allows for videoconferencing when we want it), but we have used Discord in the past.

There have been a few games over the years when I've had a cold and told everyone to join in remotely rather than coming to my place so that they wouldn't catch it.

So with the current situation, is just means that everyone is online all the time. But the method of play and system we use hasn't changed, so it hasn't really affected us. We've all played remotely from each other in the past for lesser diseases or other situations; this one just happens to mean it will be several more game sessions with all of us apart rather than in one room.

But we still tell jokes, get sidetracked by nonsense, and just generally have fun anyway, just like when we're all there in person. I just don't have to share my chocolate supplies anymore ;)

[Luke Bunyip]

Originally Posted by Kallatari

My games have, for the several years, with two different playing groups a week, been played with MapTools

Looks interesting. Any hints for a novice user? Useful YT vids, etc?

EDIT: My current TTRPG group play GURPS, so we're rather invested in using a hex grid for managing combat. Is this easy to achieve in MapTools?

Originally Posted by Kallatari

But we still tell jokes, get sidetracked by nonsense, and just generally have fun anyway, just like when we're all there in person. I just don't have to share my chocolate supplies anymore ;)

What happens in Discord, stays in Discord. As part of an online gaming group that spans from the Philippines to India, and from Korea to Australia, Discord is helping to keep both my online friends and myself sane at the moment.