On the Side

[a french mans shirt]

Do you have other things open on the computer/phone screen while arming?

What are they?

I watch video game walkthroughs, because they are my favorite thing to do which requires electricity. I have many, a lot of them being Resident Evil. A lot of them are old games. Oldest might be Wolfenstein 3D.

I might have the library application open and be reading a book I checked out online or reading a comic like Claymore or Freezing. I don't play on a phone.

[Riev]

I typically play from work, so I usually have a remote session open, 2-3 copies of Excel, state Medicaid websites, email...


When I'm at home and have TIME to play? I'm usually playing League or Diablo 3 and become forgetful.

[WanderingOoze]

For me it's usually just the GDB and youtube or pandora in another tab for background music.

[Raptor_Dan]

For me it's usually just the GDB and youtube or pandora in another tab for background music.

Ditto, precisely this. Sometimes, Pandora will play some really offbeat music that I didn't expect and it will affect my char's reactions. That's probably not a good thing.

[650Booger]

I have  two monitors, one is devoted to an Arm window and a Mechwarrior Online window which I swap back and forth between.  My other monitor is a google chrome window which has (checking my current tabs) Netflix, GDB, Facebook, Armageddon Requests tab, Gmail, and Google docs

[TheWanderer]

I'd honestly be surprised if there are people who don't.

I browse the web when I get bored and then announce I was busy with the Way when I get back. Also use playlists from YouTube for background music.

I couldn't see doing anything more than casual browsing, though. I like to think people should be ready to go at the drop of a hat, and other games require too much attention.

[650Booger]

I couldn't see doing anything more than casual browsing, though. I like to think people should be ready to go at the drop of a hat, and other games require too much attention.

Mechwarrior is actually great for this, since a round usually lasts about 10 minutes, I can always come back and if anybody is frantically emoting at me I can say I was distracted by the way like you said.  Also EVE online is now free to play, so I've started playing that game again, which 90% of the time involves me leaving my ship docked in a station and just chatting (similar to ARM in a way)

also mechwarrior is a game where you drive around giant stompy robots, and who doesnt love that?

[Armaddict]

I browse.

I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't listen to music of any sort while gaming, even arm.  I will listen to specifically linked songs and such, but altogether prefer silence to background noise.

When things are slow, I also play games like MWO or World of Tanks.  I've occasionally been pulled into a game of DotA, but that usually results in me forgetting that I'm even logged in so I try to avoid it.

Mostly, just the GDB, an IRC chatroom or two, sometimes some code, sometimes some other work that doesn't require pace, and the good old black screen with white text on top that tells me when I swing swords.

[solera]

Sometimes GBD, always at least one notepad doc open, and my real scribble book + pen.

[Dunetrade55]

Being only able to focus on one thing at a time, it's usually arm, on occassion, I'll listen to music but usually I try to keep every scene I find so involved that there's no time for outside influences... if no one is around, I'm thinking, feeling, and emoting (just in case some shady thief or mindbender is watching), just a personal preference. Any distractions from getting into character is too much for me. I have enough of a difficult time being in the moment, I don't like to add to that. I'm always striving to provide my fellow players with a memorable experience, I know some of you can multitask quite effectively, I can't. I only crank up the tunes when I'm like, ok, so it seems I'm the arena event coming up, time to get out of the groove, because this will sting.

[Refugee]

I usually have several browser tabs open, another game like Civ or else Sketchup because I'm designing buildings for a homestead, and a few notepad files and Excel files.  Unless I'm in a dangerous situation or a conversation that requires concentration, I need a lot of extra input to keep me happy.

[manipura]

For the most part, I'm with DuneTrade here.

I can multitask well enough but I dislike switching from Arm to non-Arm and my immersion being broken because of it.  And I hate trying to talk to someone in game who is doing five other things.  Sometimes I'm not sure if they're linkdead or AFK or just having a better time playing something else.  I'm never sure how long to wait around for them to be present in game again.  Sometimes I wait, sometimes I can't be bothered.  I try very hard to not be that person who is making someone else wait on them because it frustrates me so much.

I usually have the GDB and the Arm main page open, in case I need to reference something.  As for music, iTunes is preferable to YouTube because there's no video or sidebar of suggestions to try distracting me.  NotePad is also open for when I need to make a note about something/someone in game.  But that's for very specific things because most of my game notes are pen/paper, not on the computer.

[Refugee]

I should add that I don't keep people waiting while I mess around on other windows.  If I'm keeping you waiting it's because I'm juggling conversation and ways, or else I'm trying to decide how to construct a reply or emote.  I think it's rude of people to waste someone else's playing time by messing around out of the game while they sit there waiting.

[Jihelu]

Sometimes I'll craft/do something and just do homework while playing.
Othertimes I throw on some classical music and get in the zone.

[bardlyone]

I should add that I don't keep people waiting while I mess around on other windows.  If I'm keeping you waiting it's because I'm juggling conversation and ways, or else I'm trying to decide how to construct a reply or emote.  I think it's rude of people to waste someone else's playing time by messing around out of the game while they sit there waiting.

This.

I do have other stuff open, but it's on a split screen so that I can immediately see/respond and there is no waiting to be had. Only when I am (perceptibly) alone do I ever do anything more in the way of multitasking than simply have youtube theorycrafting videos for shows open in other tabs. Most often when I have theorycrafting videos on, it's Westworld of late. But nah, if I'm involved with someone, they get my full attention, and if I am anywhere and logged in, there's a split screen open, so that I immediately see if someone else is engaging and can thus respond.

[Lizzie]

I'm a big alt-tabber. I don't maximize any screens, so everything is at least somewhat visible at all times. My game client is in the middle, running top to bottom, and if it were the only thing open I'd be able to see all my program icons and shortcuts on the left side of my monitor with an extra couple inches leftover. On the right, there's around 3 inches of space. At the bottom right is where my AIM window goes. Above it and usually layered under my browser, is my .txt file of my character. I keep notes, on people my character -would- know, which names they know them by, how they know them, what projects I'm working on, and an updated stat/score/skills/eq/l me.

Across the screen, covering everything except the bottom 2 inches of game client (so I can always see the newest thing to pop up on the game), the icons on the left, and my AIM thing on the right, is my web browser (Chrome). On Chrome, I usually have the GDB, Facebook, a survey site that I earn money by taking mind-numbing surveys on, and Twitter. If I'm in the mood for music I'll pop that out of my browser onto a separate browser, sized to fit in a nice neat 2x3" video screen on the top center of my monitor screen.

If I'm playing a mage character I usually have a spreadsheet running behind my .txt file, showing whatever spells my character currently knows, their combos and alias assignation I've given them, and the help file info so I can figure out when/if/why to ever use them at any given moment. If I'm playing a crafter, I usually have a spreadsheet open of all the crafts my character currently knows, and I keep it updated.

I do a lot of alt-tabbing

[Dunetrade55]

Usually I'm also either drunk as fuck and medicated, or on the way to getting there. I'm like, music, newp, this clashes with my current character, can't have this influence. I barely got enough focus to stare at this text.

Myself, I rarely have problems with response times, but that may be because I make a habit of badgering everyone until they're like, groan, fuck youtube, fuck music, this PC will just NOT stop... JESUS! I HAVE TO KILL THIS FUCKER!

[manipura]

I should add that I don't keep people waiting while I mess around on other windows.  If I'm keeping you waiting it's because I'm juggling conversation and ways, or else I'm trying to decide how to construct a reply or emote.  I think it's rude of people to waste someone else's playing time by messing around out of the game while they sit there waiting.

Yep.  This.
If I'm keeping someone waiting because I'm Waying, I try to throw in a couple quick emotes like shifting in my seat or rubbing my temple, so they know that I, the player, am present, even if my PC's attention is divided.  As for keeping someone waiting over the Way, I try to let them know, if it's appropriate, that I'm doing other things.  A quick Way right at the start of a conversation letting them know I'm crafting or talking at the bar or riding around the desert is usually enough to make someone aware that slower responses aren't due to being physically AFK or mentally engrossed in scrolling through funny cat pictures or something.

[Ath]

I typically try to focus on the game when I'm in game, but I'll normally be playing music.  Now if I'm idling with a character (which isn't often as I'll just be staffside rather than idle with a character) I'll browse webpages and videos.  I'm not very good at focusing on the game and something else at the same time, I've tried.  I hate neglecting players that I'm RPing with by being slow.  I know I find it annoying with others are playing distracted, so I try not to do it.

[650Booger]

yeah I've got undiagnosed ADHD, pretty sure.  I'm constantly rotating between screens and windows, looking stuff up, watching 5 minutes of an episode of Narcos, switching to music, watching some bodyboarding videos, maybe a little pr0n...  I think I'm good at staying engaged, and I don't find keeping in character requires 100% of my attention.  If it did, I probably wouldn't want to play.

one thing I do, which I recognize might be annoying but can't be helped, is go afk for a cig, regardless of the scene underway.  the nic-demon will not be delayed.  especially if a scene is  lengthy, I gots to do it.

[Dunetrade55]

I should add that I don't keep people waiting while I mess around on other windows.  If I'm keeping you waiting it's because I'm juggling conversation and ways, or else I'm trying to decide how to construct a reply or emote.  I think it's rude of people to waste someone else's playing time by messing around out of the game while they sit there waiting.

Yep.  This.
If I'm keeping someone waiting because I'm Waying, I try to throw in a couple quick emotes like shifting in my seat or rubbing my temple, so they know that I, the player, am present, even if my PC's attention is divided.  As for keeping someone waiting over the Way, I try to let them know, if it's appropriate, that I'm doing other things.  A quick Way right at the start of a conversation letting them know I'm crafting or talking at the bar or riding around the desert is usually enough to make someone aware that slower responses aren't due to being physically AFK or mentally engrossed in scrolling through funny cat pictures or something.

My Pcs sometimes have a problem of mistaking those shifts as a possible sign of arousal, then things get weird, then completely fucked, then my PCs end up dead (or wishing they were). Would be better with some more adjectives thrown in like, shifts on her seat and crosses her legs, with an agitated scowl. Still makes a good, though unpleasant story, though. Couple that with me being really into what I'm doing and trying to pester others to participate, it can end quite badly. Not everybody wants to deal with that shit, which is why there's consent rules, among other things... but I guess I do which is how I keep ending up in said messes.

Thing is, if you step out of the moment, I as a player, will find you undesirable to play with. I will try not to let that manifest ICly, but I might, because, I'm here to RP, not browse lolcats. Not that Manipura has ever done that, to my knowlege, when I've been clanned with her I always found the quality of RP as exceptional, even if it wasn't what my character wanted.

[Riev]

I certainly have had my occasional bouts of going AFK. I always make sure to mention either OOCly or in a 'gone' message (as useless as those are) so people know I'm probably not going to be active.

I admit to being frustrated when others take longer than a minute to get back to my emotes and whatnot, but I'd never decide not to play around them because of it. And I've played in clans with BOGRE who is probably in game, AFK, right now.

[Refugee]

Sometimes I have to look up your name on my spreadsheet, because I'm old and I don't remember like I used to, and that can take a few seconds.  Even if I looked it up 5 minutes ago I might have to look it up again.  Frustrating but that's how it is!

[Akaramu]

If I should be writing instead of playing, it's most likely a youtube playlist, an online dictionary, google and a couple open word documents.

Otherwise it could be an ereader, my Nintendo 3DS or a visual novel in window mode.

[Hauwke]

I normally just focus on Arm. And maaybe the Gdb in there too. Because I play from my phone and for some reason if I am in another window too long my client disconnects even with keepalive.