D&D and the rising pandemic

[Imaculata]

My group is using audio only, via Discord, while using roll20 to run the game. It works fine, but the 3.5 math is a bit more of a hassle when you have to do it online. We use macros, but it still is a bit cumbersome.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Honestly, when I first started online VTT gaming, video and voice wasn't really an option. So, we were text only. So long as folks have a reasonably decent typing speed, it's surprising how much fun that can be. We had everyone with different colors and fonts. When you don't have to do any acting, people REALLY dive into characterizing and role playing. Sure, I can't do an accent to save my life with my voice, but, my half-ogre barbarian can Ta' li' dis.

Even had some scripts for converting speech into different languages, and, once, a script for the character who had his tongue cut out. Tons of fun.

I'll note that some of my absolute best roleplaying has been in text-only environments. But it does take some getting used to, and is beyond some people's functional capabilities to keep up with the text chain. Its honestly the only reason I don't run my VTT games that way.

 

[Thomas Shey]

My group is using audio only, via Discord, while using roll20 to run the game. It works fine, but the 3.5 math is a bit more of a hassle when you have to do it online. We use macros, but it still is a bit cumbersome.

Can you unpack why you think so? Honestly, the only mechanical thing I've found problematic in online play is games with card play.

 

[Imaculata]

Can you unpack why you think so? Honestly, the only mechanical thing I've found problematic in online play is games with card play.

Well, at higher levels there are a lot of possible attack bonuses and damage bonuses. Typing that all manually slows down play. We've tried simplifying it with macros, but that leads to numerous question boxes (flanking: yes/no, power attack: yes/no, 2nd attack: yes, no, etc.). The character sheets in roll20 can automate this a bit, but the character sheets for 3.5 have bugs in them, which we frequently run into.

 

[Istbor]

Well one of them was going on well before the pandemic struck, so I think that game will persist as it always has. Voice over a separate medium (currently discord) and playing via Roll20.

I know my in person group is itching to get back into play, and while we have done a couple really short stints of other adventures online, I know a couple of them simply want to get together and hang out while playing like we had done prior. It is still going to be a long haul until that point.

I am sure some things will stay the same going forward, in gaming and in the rest of the world, I am just not sure yet which will be sticking in there. I am excited to find out.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Well, at higher levels there are a lot of possible attack bonuses and damage bonuses. Typing that all manually slows down play. We've tried simplifying it with macros, but that leads to numerous question boxes (flanking: yes/no, power attack: yes/no, 2nd attack: yes, no, etc.). The character sheets in roll20 can automate this a bit, but the character sheets for 3.5 have bugs in them, which we frequently run into.

Ah, I always forget a lot of people are assuming the mechanics is direction entered into the VTT in one fashion or another rather than just handled manually and the output shown.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Yeah, I've played in some online games where the interface really got in the way of the game (Looking at you Fantasy Grounds). I run things fairly bare bones with Discord & the Avrae bot (though some players do opt for full D&D Beyond integration), and even then we still stumble on a command now and then.

My wife just found out she had a possible Covid exposure at the salon she works for. A client tested positive after an appointment about a week ago. Fortunately, both of them were wearing masks and my wife also had a PPE on. Still, she has to cancel all her appointments for a while and schedule a Covid test.

 

[Eltab]

My wife just found out she had a possible Covid exposure at the salon she works for. A client tested positive after an appointment about a week ago. Fortunately, both of them were wearing masks and my wife also had a PPE on. Still, she has to cancel all her appointments for a while and schedule a Covid test.

Hopefully her immune system beat off however much she was exposed to, the test comes back clear, and this will turn out to be a 'false alarm'.

 

[Imaculata]

Yeah, I hope she is alright and remains so.

 

[Zardnaar]

Covid-19: Melbourne towers lockdown 'breached human rights'

A rushed lockdown of nine tower blocks in Melbourne due to an outbreak of coronavirus breached human rights laws, an ombudsman has found.

www.rnz.co.nz

Melbourne lockdown breached human rights.

But it worked so.....

And for economic arguements against lockdowns.

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

New projections are after Covid we will have less debt to gdp, unemployment etc than a few countries before Covid.

Australia has had some cases of community spread but apparently their economy is doing reasonably alright as well despite China's fun and games.

Vaccinations starting next year looks like we're gonna use 3 of them plus help out a few of out Pacific neighbours.

Govt secures another two Covid-19 vaccines, PM says every New Zealander will be able to be vaccinated

The government has secured another two vaccines, enough for every New Zealander and its Pacific partners, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

www.rnz.co.nz

Avatar 2&3 more or less done filming here as well.