Share your stories of self-isolation

[PCG Wes]

Hey all,

It's been a strange and scary few weeks, huh? Here in California where I live the entire state is under a stay-at-home lockdown to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and I know people all over the world are doing the same. Since I work from home anyway, my day-to-day hasn't changed too much. I've been spending my evenings playing XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (I nearly got Corporal Gene Wilder killed in a mission last night, but made it through by the skin of my teeth).

But even though I work from home normally, it's funny how knowing I can't go out and meet up with friends, or go see a movie, makes life feel so different. I'm trying to do my part to support local business by buying lots of outrageously unhealthy (but outrageously delicious) chicken sandwiches from the bar down the street. They can't serve beer, but they can still do take-out!

For an article on PC Gamer next week, I want to collect some stories about how we're all dealing with the experience of self-isolation, beyond just playing more PC games. Has it made you really stressed? Are you spending more time chatting with friends on Discord or FaceTime just to get some human contact? Have you had any shopping experiences with crazy toilet paper hoarders?

Tell me how it's going!

 

[SWard]

As an extrovert I thought I'd be climbing the walls, but because I lost mobility 6 months ago (injury) I feel like I've sort of been training for this already. Also I'm an incredibly social person (online community manager) so I'm super used to reaching out to people on the internet and talking that way.

I've set up an online google hangout called "the watercooler" my network can join during the day for casual chat. No hardcore discussion, just regular stuff you'd get from the office chatterbox. It keeps people connected, we let people have their dogs, kids, mum pop in too so they don't feel like their familys are crashing the chat. Today we drew parts of a video game character in isolated corners of a shared drawing app and then put them together (the results were horrifying) but we're doing allsorts. With my women in games group I've started weekly League of Legends sessions as we normally meet IRL, and it worked pretty well.

I'm super glad Animal Crossing and Doom are out, because it feels like it's really lifted the mood on twitter, we just need to stay kind, help each other and as gamers - use our ability to socialise online to help others. Or at least for me, harness my ability to talk absolutely rubbish in a group chat for an hour to cheer people up, take their minds off things and give them some noise to listen to while they work.

Also, I love you lot, you lot are great

 

[Zoid]

I'm officially working from home now and since I started there have been a few confirmed cases at my place of employment. Hopefully I made it home before becoming infected but I guess I'll have to wait a couple weeks to know for sure! I've enjoyed the comfort of working from home, or out in the yard on nice days. The warming weather outside helps to keep the isolation from becoming too gloomy.

I've found that the extra time at home has given me more time to clean, make music, cook, and yes, play video games! Since I can't physically interact with friends, I've taken to throwing a stream up on Twitch from time to time so that we can interact virtually.

While things are going pretty well so far, some friends and family members of mine may soon be struggling with reduced or lost incomes, so I'm trying to think ahead for how to navigate that.

 

[Zloth]

I'm quite the introvert (well, except for chatting in forums and such) so this really isn't that big of a change for me. I've been working from home for a week and a day now and that's working out pretty well. My stereo is on the opposite side of the house so, if somebody calls and its playing, I'm just stuck with it. (No, I'm not playing Witcher 3, I'm just playing the game's music!!)

Church is going to be livestreamed for the first time ever which should be interesting. I can't be late! If the sermon has something I'm not so sure about, I can hit pause and look it up. Come to think of it, I can push the volume up a bit and get some dusting done at the same time.

I've been trying to pop out for take-out dinner every day to help the businesses but mostly to keep my own supplies stocked up. That's a bit of a virus risk but not as big as going to the grocery store and wandering around aisles with other people, which is what I have to do if when my food on hand gets to less than what I would eat over two weeks.

 

[Johnway]

The good news is that there have been no reported cases in our office. Plus our regional office has mostly switched to laptops and configured a robust vpn network so we could easily work from home. We (the IT team) got a tip off so anyone who didn't have a laptop would be given one The only snag is obviously no one wanted to work on a small laptop screen so cue a last minute mad dash from people to get monitor and stuff signed off. Our company is ISO27000 compliant, so people had to jump through hoops. there are still issues, but if people wanted to work for the most part they can.


Whilst i we were all told we had to work from home, living closest to the regional office, i had to go back into the office to do a few things. Wasn't long i was there for about an hour and i was gone again. Working from home isn't really my style, too many distractions, don't have the resources to fix issues, need to move around etc. hell, my arguement would be that if anyone was working from home, i can work in the office as no one was there.

Its not all bad news, i've been able to work next to my home pc so at lunch i can blast through Path of Exile and get some quality time into the game.

 

[Zloth]

...my arguement would be that if anyone was working from home, i can work in the office as no one was there.

Sure, but not until after a few days - time enough for the virus to die on whatever surface it landed on. And remember, there's probably nobody cleaning up in there but you. You make a mess, you clean it up. And bring your own toilet paper and paper towels before they run out - other people might have to pop in and won't be happy if it's all out. Oh, and don't expect the furnace or A/C to be running.

P.S. Can PC Gamer do an article on how to tie your hair back using USB cables? I might be needing that knowledge when the next issues shows up.

 

[Mazer]

Last week I was isolated by working completely alone in a warehouse full of catering crap but since they just made me redundant I guess I'll be stuck at home with my partner and my little girl. They're good company at least, mostly been cooking to stave off boredom, or trying to keep the voices straight when I read The Very Hungry Bear.

As always, struggling to find much screen time for myself so I'm back to Neverwinter Nights on my tablet. So many great gaming sales on at the moment but I'm in the breadlines with tens of thousands of other Aussies so can't see myself picking up anything new for a while.

Stay strong, stay clean. Support your local businesses.

 

[Zoid]

Last week I was isolated by working completely alone in a warehouse full of catering crap but since they just made me redundant I guess I'll be stuck at home with my partner and my little girl. They're good company at least, mostly been cooking to stave off boredom, or trying to keep the voices straight when I read The Very Hungry Bear.

As always, struggling to find much screen time for myself so I'm back to Neverwinter Nights on my tablet. So many great gaming sales on at the moment but I'm in the breadlines with tens of thousands of other Aussies so can't see myself picking up anything new for a while.

Stay strong, stay clean. Support your local businesses.

Good luck weathering this, Mazer. If things get too tight let us know if you need anything. We're all in this together.

I've also been thinking it's probably best to hold off on new games for a little while. I'd love to grab Animal Crossing New Horizons, but that $60 might be better spent elsewhere.

What are your favorite things to cook from home?

 

[logainofhades]

I am considered an essential employee, so have to go to work. Thankfully, I live in a rural town, and work is only a few blocks away.

 

[Frindis]

I have definitely been playing more games and staying less outside. Just maybe I have also been eating a little too many pizzas and chicken wings *cough* feeling a little sad about how this worldwide phenomenon so far has affected humanity. I try to find something good in this mess also: Like how we have a slightly cleaner world, a lot of countries have gotten their digital technology speeded up immensely, maybe even shaving off 10-15 years of steady development (meaning for an example that fewer people need to fly around because they see that online meetings are a viable option) and that the communal spirit is growing a lot of places.

 

[randyl]

My normal is working remotely. I remote into work and then to client computers from there. We live in rural Oregon so we typically shop for a couple weeks at a time. A few other factors contribute to us mainly being homebodies so our daily routine is mostly the same.

Stuff we do while in lockdown (or typically for that matter):
- Stream: Hulu, Boombox, Britbox, Acorn, Disney, and a few other channels are our favorites.
- We game a lot on Steam, Switch, and PS4.
- Play music, draw, play with digital art.
- Keep the yard maintained. In western Oregon everything is constantly growing. Keeping it trimmed and maintained is an ongoing project.

 

[zSCHIZOz]

As a schizo I tend to keep to myself most of the time anyways so staying inside isn't that big of a problem for me. I stocked up on food and groceries about a two weeks ago and I was lucky enough to get the last bundle of 2-ply toilet paper at the store. I'm expecting to go to the grocery store next week so I'll see just how much will be stocked or empty. Hopefully I'll be able to stock up as normal.

I picked up Tomb Raider for free on Steam so that was cool. I mainly have been listening to music and bouncing around from game title to game title like I normally do. COVID-19 hasn't changed my life that much other than not going outside as much and affecting my shopping at each store I like to go to.

 

[Mazer]

What are your favorite things to cook from home?

Thanks Z. I'm luckier than most, got family around me and a roof over my head. Tougher times are ahead for all of us I think so I'm pacing out my panic so as not to run out early.

Been loving the slow cooker lately, making big goulashes that are heavy on veggies or slow cooking fillings for shepherds pie. Invested in a new wok recently too so I'm also perfecting my fried rice and making every type of korma under the sun.

 

[Frindis]

As a schizo I tend to keep to myself most of the time anyways so staying inside isn't that big of a problem for me. I stocked up on food and groceries about a two weeks ago and I was lucky enough to get the last bundle of 2-ply toilet paper at the store. I'm expecting to go to the grocery store next week so I'll see just how much will be stocked or empty.

Respect to you, good sir! If more people stocked up with less food as you do, there would be a lot more for everyone. Unfortunately, there are some egotistical people out there that only think about themselves. I also want to point out that the media/government has done a terrible job of not taking scenarios like that into consideration. I particularly blame the media for selling the bad news in a way that promotes mass hysteria that just makes our collective intelligence so much lower when we should have been more organized.

 

[Inspireless Llama]

For me I don't think there hasn't changed that much, As much as I would wish, I'm lacking a social life anyway so when not at work I'll be alone anyway .

As for work, even though it's not officially an essential job, I think it could be considered one, since it's working in a zoo, and you can't leave them without food and in their own dirt for weeks (I guess that would be the start of a new pandemic), so that just goes on as well. The zoo is closed for visitors right now, but that's nothing new either because this specific zoo is closed in winters anyway, so basically the winter got extended.

 

[McStabStab]

I want to collect some stories about how we're all dealing with the experience of self-isolation.

So there I was, Sevastopol Station...

In all seriousness, my story of self-isolation is not really so. My wife, one year old son, and myself are all in a two bedroom condo for the time being. The challenge has been keeping my son occupied - because he's now at home instead of daycare he's finding way more things to get in to. I've childproofed more things than ever before, and god forbid he notices you're working on something important or in the middle of a heated game on the PC, cause sure as hell he'll find the power button and put the machine to sleep... I really should just deactivate that.

 

[Krud]

I am considered an essential employee, so have to go to work. Thankfully, I live in a rural town, and work is only a few blocks away.

Same situation here, only it's 20 minutes away instead of a few blocks, and in the office I'm not quite as essential as the laborers where I work. And though a lot of my job is no longer applicable during this time, I still come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays to handle physical paperwork and checks and whatnot (which I'm sure is 100% virus-free, right?) and then I spend Sun/Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat at home with my wife who works at our library, which is shut down until further notice.

All that oversharing aside, my own patterns haven't changed all that much, other than the inability to go into restaurants or go to the park or movies. That might change if our state enacts an order like California has, but that still might not apply to my workplace, because Reasons. The hardest part has been finding toilet paper, weirdly. Someone needs to invent an app where people can report which stores do or don't have toilet paper. I'd pay two bucks for that, it'd save me on gas and wasting my time entering the third store and not even finding one-ply. I mean, WHO'S BUYING THE ONE-PLY? (Though I would if it were there.)

Anyway. Once the tax refund is depleted it'll be interesting to see how my reduced hours affect us. Whee!

 

[PCG Wes]

Thanks for sharing so far, everybody I'm pulling in a few more stories before writing them up on the site.

Last week I was isolated by working completely alone in a warehouse full of catering crap but since they just made me redundant I guess I'll be stuck at home with my partner and my little girl. They're good company at least, mostly been cooking to stave off boredom, or trying to keep the voices straight when I read The Very Hungry Bear.

Same situation here, only it's 20 minutes away instead of a few blocks, and in the office I'm not quite as essential as the laborers where I work. And though a lot of my job is no longer applicable during this time, I still come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays to handle physical paperwork and checks and whatnot (which I'm sure is 100% virus-free, right?) and then I spend Sun/Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat at home with my wife who works at our library, which is shut down until further notice.

Sorry to hear about the affect on work for you two. It's a scary time to even have to think about your budget or finding a new job :\

 

[Alm]

If anything, I'm less stressed working from home than I was commuting. May have to take a small temporary pay cut in the near future. But that's the worst thing that has happened to me so far.

There does seem to be much more WhatsApp going on than before corona virus.

I get very tired and stressed easily because of a mental health condition, so apart from work I'm not doing a great deal. I have Animal Crossing which is pretty relaxing but I'm saving Half Life Alyx and Doom Eternal for the weekend.

 

[Biggly]

Anyone here use VR to escape from the monotony of self-isolation?

I walked into town yesterday for my daily exercise ration (we get to go out for a walk once a day in the UK) and there were socially-distanced queues of people waiting to get food outside the supermarket and prescriptions from the pharmacies, with security enforcing a 1-in-1-out policy like a nightclub.

So flippin' weird, talk about Orwellian: I had to hook myself back into City 17 just to feel normal again.

 

[Soudeep Ghosh]

I am trying to keep myself busy by Playing games on computer , but I have not any graphic card so I can't play the game smoothly. So , I think how can I made a graphic card or CPU and also think how they work , how the all work , what is our future and many more and mostly some time I also fun with my family and talk with them and discuss how can I fight against covid19

 

[Kingdamn]

Have been keeping busy at home by playing with my dog, catching up with some games and series mostly anime, and doing some work and exercise 👌🌟

 

[J2Xtreme]

Dropped out of college this semester and luckily I missed all the corona drama of closing down schools especially since my school was in NY. As far as self isolation, I've been locked in my room, learning and gaming for the major part of the year so not much has changed

 

[indigit5l]

This has been odd. Work from home already, but now I set up parameters to distance (if a customer comes in, they're sitting in a chair 10+ feet from me, or otherwise talking to them with my glass door in between) and all but I've made way more friends of the opposite sex lately and now have gone from like texting 2 or 3 friends a day to like 5 new women, including an ex. I'm talking to one beautiful girl here for 4 hours and 15 minutes two days ago. This is happening constantly. My whole life I prefer the companionship of females as to males, but also I'm like.. I think this is going somewhere.

I don't particularly know what to make of this, just saying, I'm somehow making new friends/whatevers and that's strange but also kinda cool. Now if we could only invent the social snuggle

 

[zSCHIZOz]

So tomorrow is the big day for me. GOING GROCERY SHOPPING!!!

I already have masks and gloves and will be wearing them. I'll probably get looks but whatever. I think its pretty understandable since I live in upstate New York and the virus is in the community of which I live in.

I'm going to the store in the morning. Hopefully the shelves are stocked!