Remote gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Abstract

have the time to meet physically or whose group has spread geographically. The only time I’ve experienced Roll20 was when some DMs used to project battlemaps on a screen.With the social distancing (which I’m happy to upkeep) I had to try VTTs for real. I didn’t even have a proper headset for it, so I had to buy one. I still don’t have a webcam. For the first games I chose the VTT platform based on which one had the character sheets for the systems I was using. This ended up being Roll20. Also the other GMs in whose games I was playing were using it.Setting up the games took some time, but I really liked that I had to prepare handouts, maps and NPC images beforehand. I used to concentrate only on the text materials. I believe this extra work helps immersion and the players will be able to remember what happened better. Because I didn’t have a camera, we ended playing

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without player videos, and instead had character images as avatars. Maybe because I’m a Finn, it didn’t seem to matter and communication wasn’t negatively affected.The ease of VTT-assisted gaming surprised me. Now I’m playing in more groups and more than I’ve played since I was a teen! I now have more campaigns running than I have time to participate (as most games concentrate on the end of the week). Playing four games a week and preparing one in between is a full-time hobby. It takes a lot of energy, but the energy I get back from it is worth it.At the moment I’m playing in three D&D (5th ed.) campaigns and running one old WoD campaign myself. There are other games I’d like to join and so many ideas that I would have to run. I think I’ll have different Cthulhu mythos games as my GM go-to, and sprinkle the period with other more varied games.</article></body>

Remote gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic

I’ve been really lucky to be able to keep playing with several groups at the same time. Often people get to play regularly with only one group, and with others only at conventions or other special circumstances.

I already had two weekly groups and some monthly games going on before the social distancing restrictions started here. Since I’m currently studying remotely, the restrictions didn’t really change my daily routine. What changed was my relation to remote gaming via virtual table tops.

I had always been a little skeptical about VTTs, and have considered them to be only a stopgap solution to middle-aged role-playing gamers who don’t have the time to meet physically or whose group has spread geographically. The only time I’ve experienced Roll20 was when some DMs used to project battlemaps on a screen.

With the social distancing (which I’m happy to upkeep) I had to try VTTs for real. I didn’t even have a proper headset for it, so I had to buy one. I still don’t have a webcam. For the first games I chose the VTT platform based on which one had the character sheets for the systems I was using. This ended up being Roll20. Also the other GMs in whose games I was playing were using it.

Setting up the games took some time, but I really liked that I had to prepare handouts, maps and NPC images beforehand. I used to concentrate only on the text materials. I believe this extra work helps immersion and the players will be able to remember what happened better. Because I didn’t have a camera, we ended playing without player videos, and instead had character images as avatars. Maybe because I’m a Finn, it didn’t seem to matter and communication wasn’t negatively affected.

The ease of VTT-assisted gaming surprised me. Now I’m playing in more groups and more than I’ve played since I was a teen! I now have more campaigns running than I have time to participate (as most games concentrate on the end of the week). Playing four games a week and preparing one in between is a full-time hobby. It takes a lot of energy, but the energy I get back from it is worth it.

At the moment I’m playing in three D&D (5th ed.) campaigns and running one old WoD campaign myself. There are other games I’d like to join and so many ideas that I would have to run. I think I’ll have different Cthulhu mythos games as my GM go-to, and sprinkle the period with other more varied games.