Coronavirus gaming related thread.

[Myrdin Potter]

I already run my two main campaigns via Fantasy Grounds, and now will be doing all my gaming that way for the next little while.

[ffilz]

In person gaming may be about to be not an option. Most of the San Francisco Bay area is under shelter in place orders that would prohibit gaming groups meeting. Other areas are likely to issue similar orders in the next few days.

Fortunately for me all my gaming is play by post or Roll20. Thank god for things like Roll20 and technology in general, the lock down for this one will be much more bearable than those for the 1918 flu...

[Krugus]

I already run my two main campaigns via Fantasy Grounds, and now will be doing all my gaming that way for the next little while.

I just started to use Fantasy Grounds about a year ago.   I normally use it to display the combat on the big screen that I've mounted near our gaming table.   I was discussing with some in my group about setting up a camera and a mic so we could allow remote play when others don't have time to drive over...or just feeling lazy  with COVID 19 we might have go ahead and make it a reality.

BTW Can't wait for Fantasy Grounds Unity to get finished

[Snowman0147]

In case anyone is living under a rock, the US is doing a voluntary self-quarantine of 15 days. Apparently, this is how long it will take to get the health care system ready to roll and handle the virus. Might be time for some Roll 20 gaming, gentlemen.

My discord server is still open and we got dice rollers.  Is it Roll20?  No, but nothing is preventing you from using both at the same time.

[Bren]

That a serious consideration with this virus, the long onset period means if you are infected you will be putting others at risk. And it unlikely would know about it until the symptoms manifest. For this we are not our own isolated islands.

Yes. People will be contagious for days before they will have any symptoms and some folks will only ever have minimal to even no symptoms, but they will still be contagious. They are the COVID-19 version of Typhoid Mary. This thread is an example of why we need government imposed lockdowns. There are just way too many people that are ignorant, often willfully so, and who just don't appear to give a rat's ass for anyone but themselves and (maybe) their immediate family and friends.

South Korea has had a lot of success using frequent, widespread testing and self quarantines to keep their rate of infection (and percent infected) low and early and appropriate treatment to keep their mortality rate well below what we've seen in countries like China and Italy. Sadly, as a country we wasted more than a month listening to people ranting about how this was all some overblown, media inspired panic instead of listening to the experts, examining the available data, preparing, and testing. Things seem to have turned around quite a bit, but we will be very fortunate if we aren't in similar shape to Italy in another few weeks.

Personally I'm no more panicked about COVID-19 than I am about driving in traffic. When driving I wear a seatbelt, my car has airbags, I watch out for other drivers, and I never, ever drive faster than I can see. Taking precautions isn't panic, its just good sense and good citizenship.

[Bren]

Looks like Tuesday night D&D 5E group will be using Roll20 tomorrow night. I'm kind of excited to see what Roll20 can do.

[Spinachcat]

So, what happens if *someone else* gets infected by you and dies?

Then they die.

In an average year, 36,000 Americans die from the flu (the 2017-2018 flu season was 61k dead).

Every year, most people who are contagious with the flu just go about their lives. Kids with sniffles go to school. Adults with coughs go to work. Do these people infect others? Of course!!! The CDC says the USA has 25+ million infected with flu each year.

Let's be honest here. Every year, most people spread the flu without a second thought and sometimes, that spread results in someone's DEATH. Unsurprisingly, most of the deaths are the Old and the Infirm...as it has been since time began.  

The world average life expectancy from 2017 was 72.2 (but it was 48 in 1950). Nobody wants Mom, Dad and Granny to die, but  anyone who is 73 or older has already beaten the odds and lived longer than the expected. My Dad made it to 85 when double septic pneumonia punched his clock. Mom still can't believe he died so young, but I gotta face that Dad got 13 years beyond the math when I have friends whose own beloved dads never saw 50.

Yes, the Wuhan China virus will KILL many thousands of old and sick people (though probably less than a bad flu year)...but nothing is gonna damn the USA's future like it's people collapsing before a media induced panic. Americans like to forget we have many enemies, but they are watching this laughable debacle with wide eyes and deep smiles.

[Luca]

Yes, the Wuhan China virus will KILL many thousands of old and sick people (though probably less than a bad flu year)...but nothing is gonna damn the USA's future like it's people collapsing before a media induced panic. Americans like to forget we have many enemies, but they are watching this laughable debacle with wide eyes and deep smiles.

Your biggest strategic enemy imposed military-enforced curfew on one of its regions containing tens of millions of people, and incurred major economic losses in order to stop the spread of this particular "flu".
Ever considered they might have a point?

[S'mon]

Your biggest strategic enemy imposed military-enforced curfew on one of its regions containing tens of millions of people, and incurred major economic losses in order to stop the spread of this particular "flu".
Ever considered they might have a point?

It looks to me that Western countries are going to inflict much more widespread nation wide economic shutdowns and inflict far more damage than China did, and in the long term far more people are going to die from the consequences of the shutdown than from the virus.

[estar]

Then they die.

In an average year, 36,000 Americans die from the flu (the 2017-2018 flu season was 61k dead).

• The flu season you cite saw for every individual infected 1.3 additional people infected. Of the people who got infected less than .1% died thus giving you the figure you cited 36,000 dead.
• The H1N1 virus circa 2009 was around 1.5 people infected for every person who came down with the virus. Fatality rate was three time higher at around .3%
• In contrast for Covid-19, for every person infected 2.2 (Jan 2020) to 2.7 (Feb 2020) additional people will get infected. Of those people who get the disease 3.5% will die.
• Different age bracket respond differently with those 70+ have been suffering a 16% fatality rate due to Covid-19
• Covid-19 numbers slightly more deadlier than to that of the 1919 Influenza virus which has an infection rate of 1.8 and a fatality rate of 2% to 3%

All this isn't speculation but based on hard data using standard epidemiology procedures in place for decades.

Furthermore these are fatalities, an order of magnitude (10x) more cases do not result in death but do require medical intervention and hospitalization.

In the case of the flu the annual flu shot means that actual number are far less than just multiplying the fatality rate by the population.

What this means for my small rural town which has a population of 30,000 (city and the two surrounding townships) are the following

• During a normal flu season (Nov to April) we can expect around 30 flu related death. This is less because of the flu shot. We can also expect 300 cases requiring hospitalization spread across those months. Also less because of the flu shot.
• With Covid-19 which has no vaccine at this point, my town can expect 900 deaths probably spread across three months or so. In addition it can expect 9,000 severe case requiring medical intervention like hospitalization.
• This compounded by that fact that in the case of the annual flu the onset of the disease is 1 to 4days. For covid-19 the onset period is 3 to 14 days. A person can pass on the infection during the onset period.
• Moreover the fact without measure with the medical system handling Covid-19 cases this means all the other things like those having complication from the annual flu, trauma, infections, cancer, etc will have problem getting proper treatment thus driving up their death rate.

My town can't handle that. Nobody can handle that which is why we saw in Wuhan emergency hospitals being erected overnight.

What we can do is slow down the spread so these 9,000 cases and 900 death are spread across a longer span of time. And just maybe a vaccine will be developed or enough of a quarantine is place that the case start declining.

So if you want to trot out the arguments about annual flu deaths and automobile fatalities go right ahead.

[oggsmash]

Weaponized virus gets out of lab in china.  People laud china for containment.  The real danger is going on now, bank runs.  If you do not own a firearm, get one.

[Bren]

Weaponized virus gets out of lab in china.  People laud china for containment.  The real danger is going on now, bank runs.  If you do not own a firearm, get one.

I'm glad you brought this back to RPGs. This sounds like the setup for a good dystopian, post holocaust setting.

You could also try, US President covertly releases weaponized virus in a rival country he dislikes to create a handy scapegoat while waiting until it spreads sufficiently in his own country so he can cancel upcoming elections, declare martial law, and remain in power. The game could play out like Red Dawn, but with lots more local quislings.

[S'mon]

Had to cancel both my Meetup games today. It truly is the End Times!

[S'mon]

Of those people who get the disease 3.5% will die.

I'm pretty sure the death rate is still a known unknown and estimates are all over the place. The one I saw yesterday had me in a 0.4% death rate category and my GF at 0.2%, her daughter at 0.0% and my son at 0.2%.

[Lurkndog]

My one remaining monthly tabletop game is suspended, as the gaming store we meet in has suspended in-store gaming for the next few weeks.

My other regular game has been online for years due to the difficulty in getting people together. With kids and family obligations, and geographical separation, we only manage about four face-to-face gatherings a year.

Stay safe, people!