What are you doing during the pandemic?

[LunarFlareStudios]

A lot of us are stuck inside during the pandemic, and even if it's giving us more time to work on RPG Maker, there's a chance that's not all we do to keep busy!
I love making games, but that's not all I do. My followers may have heard about the game I'm planning called Angel of Justice, but besides that, I've also been cooking, making a mascot costume for Halloween (Toy Chica from Five Nights at Freddy's), and watching Chuck E Cheese's Afternoon Fun Break (despite the fact I'm 22 years old; it's just fun to watch).
I also have a few other games I'm designing, one being a crossover fan game called Fandom Scouts. My main focus is Angel of Justice, but I'll often jump around depending on what I'm motivated to work on. I even turn on music through either Spotify or iTunes and tap my foot to the beat as I draw assets for my games. Sometimes it even takes my mind off the remaining bits of PTSD symptoms.
During my PTSD treatment program this past summer, I wasn't allowed to have my MacBook, so I found other things to do. I bought a journal and wrote stories and game concepts in it--that way I could remember my ideas after I was discharged. I also drew pictures of the characters I like from popular fandoms. Bendy, Circus Baby, Chica, Sonic the Hedgehog (but in an appropriate way!)... despite the crazy environment, I stayed happy enough to endure it. Not to mention I made an animal friend--a stray cat who wandered around the apartment complex. I called her Ozzy, and she would wait outside my apartment every evening waiting for me to give her some pets.
I think my favorite thing to do indoors besides making games is watching America's Funniest Home Videos. That's my favorite TV show! Back before my pet cat Baby passed away, she would recognize the theme song and race into the living room to watch it with me. I miss her, but at least I got to post some videos of her on my YouTube channel. Good times...
That's it for me... what are YOU doing to keep busy while you're stuck inside? Things might be opening up again, but no doubt some places are still closed or restricted.
Stay healthy, stay happy, and stay awesome!

 

[PoptartPresident]

I'm doing too much of everything!

I'm trying my best to handle coursework from online courses while working 3-4 days a week at my part time job. As you could imagine I'm usually sleep-deprived cause I'm always on-the-go doing stuff haha.
Thankfully, there are times I do get nice chunks of free time. That's usually when I'm making artwork, and sometimes even making sprites for my rpg game.

Thing is, this is my very first RPG Maker experience through MV, and it's been really fun to learn about some of it's quirks during quarantine. I really enjoy using everything to my advantage, and thinking logically about how things will work through events/coding, etc...Especially play-testing it man. I feels like I'm creating life to a game almost, and I get to see it's progress as I'm play-testing it. As someone who's had a lot of random game ideas, this small project of mine is a very nice introduction to the world of game design. While I do not major in game design or anything related to gaming, I do enjoy using this engine as a hobby, and I could easily see myself working on other game ideas in the future!

It's been a new experience for me, and getting help from RPG Maker Forums when I get stuck has been a really nice highlight during this chaotic year.

 

[LunarFlareStudios]

I'm doing too much of everything!

I'm trying my best to handle coursework from online courses while working 3-4 days a week at my part time job. As you could imagine I'm usually sleep-deprived cause I'm always on-the-go doing stuff haha.
Thankfully, there are times I do get nice chunks of free time. That's usually when I'm making artwork, and sometimes even making sprites for my rpg game.

Thing is, this is my very first RPG Maker experience through MV, and it's been really fun to learn about some of it's quirks during quarantine. I really enjoy using everything to my advantage, and thinking logically about how things will work through events/coding, etc...Especially play-testing it man. I feels like I'm creating life to a game almost, and I get to see it's progress as I'm play-testing it. As someone who's had a lot of random game ideas, this small project of mine is a very nice introduction to the world of game design. While I do not major in game design or anything related to gaming, I do enjoy using this engine as a hobby, and I could easily see myself working on other game ideas in the future!

It's been a new experience for me, and getting help from RPG Maker Forums when I get stuck has been a really nice highlight during this chaotic year.

I started game design as a hobby too, but then I realized it was turning into a true passion because it was just so much fun. I actually plan to take a college course in coding once I finish the current certificate.

 

[Philosophus Vagus]

Working 7 days a week 10 hours (+however many more I wish) per day working in crowded work sites full of young single guys and elderly chain-smokers who have thus far managed to ignore the fact that anything is happening and show no signs of dropping off like flies even though literally none of them wear mask because all the people with school-age children more or less retired when the schools were shut down and haven't all come back even though the schools are partially open now.

Honestly I only wore a mask when I went to the head shop, and the lady who used to refuse me service at the beginning of the pandemic without one has been over it for months now herself. My state has the laxest laws in the entire country, never shut down, never mandated mask laws (aside from one city which I thankfully can avoid for the most part) and also, somehow, the third lowest infection rate of the country. I live in a good place, when your already socially distanced by miles from your closest neighbors I guess there really isn't much else that needs to be done. If it wasn't for the internet and the fact that I can't visit my great aunt because of nursing home bs there might as well not be any pandemic as far as my neck of the woods is concerned.

Moral lesson of the pandemic in summary as I see it. Don't live in cities if you can help it.

 

[PoptartPresident]

I started game design as a hobby too, but then I realized it was turning into a true passion because it was just so much fun. I actually plan to take a college course in coding once I finish the current certificate.

Hey that's great dude! I kind of have other ambitions in life related to mathematics, which is what I'm majoring in. But still, it's a very nice thing to learn about since the game industry is expanding exponentially right now. I feel like learning about conditional branches and order-sequence of stuff really helped bring out some useful ideology for analogies in mathematical proofs sometimes.

 

[PixeLockeT]

I've been forced to stay mostly inside for over a decade now due to chronic illness, so it's not much different for me. The real terror is just everything else 2020 has thrown.

 

[gstv87]

just another day at "just another day"
I've been working from home for a while, even before the pandemic.
I had to cut a couple of projects until the shops open again, I have to buy some parts, but I'm managing.
I've never been one to go out much, except for travelling to where I had to be at that time, so not-having-to-travel was a relief.

 

[Soulrender]

I'm doing all I want, ignoring restrictions (wich they are illegal anyway), but I managed to take sick note and I have extra week for myself.

 

[Dalph]

Here's what I'm doing:

 

[Powerise]

Eat-PlayGames-Work-Eat-Work-Eat-Sleep (Repeat)

 

[KakonComp]

I worked at home before the pandemic, so that much hasn't changed any. The only difference is the lack of being able to travel to cities with a couple friends and study the local night wildlife there. Some family are still too spooked to say hi as well.

I mean I could go visit the current nightlife at this stage of the Lockdown Saga ™ , but yeah.
I spend most of my downtime making a spookalicious game in MZ atm. MZ has it's own entertainment value.

 

[Hyouryuu-Na]

I've done close to nothing with my project since August. I try to get some stuff done but in the end nothing happens. So instead of actively mapping/eventing, I plan things that will happen later on in the game, sketch a little and browse music and sound effects. Of course, a good portion of my time is spent here in the forums which is sort of absurd as I don't really have any need to be here lol
Aside from game development (or lack thereof), I spend a lot of my time watching videos on youtube. Mostly commentary and gameplay. I missed a lot of videos from Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Pewdiepie, Kubz Scouts, 8-BitRyan etc when I had exams a while back. So nowadays I just watch the ones I missed which is quite a lot with all these youtubers combined. I also watch tons of movies. I finished every space exploration related movie during lockdown and I hope I missed some cause space is fun lol And I also sleep. A lot. Recently felt sort of nostalgic listening to an anime op so I started reading the manga that I read ages ago lol.
Not to mention, I have to study. My uni posts week's worth lecture videos and reading materials in their website so I have to get those done within the week so that it doesn't pile up. I also started some coursera courses as they are now free for our uni's students. I wouldn't normally bother with those but it's free stuff lol. Why not? So I'm strying to get as many certificates as I can.

 

[LunarFlareStudios]

Here's what I'm doing:

View attachment 163915

I'm trying all I can to get that version. I'm hoping we can get our t-shirt business off the ground, and then I can make enough money to buy it. Of course, if I can't do it before December, Mom says she'll buy it for me as a Christmas gift.

I worked at home before the pandemic, so that much hasn't changed any. The only difference is the lack of being able to travel to cities with a couple friends and study the local night wildlife there. Some family are still too spooked to say hi as well.

I mean I could go visit the current nightlife at this stage of the Lockdown Saga ™ , but yeah.
I spend most of my downtime making a spookalicious game in MZ atm. MZ has it's own entertainment value.

I know how you feel. The only place I can travel to right now is Orlando, where my dad lives, but a lot of places there are closed too. Thankfully, I might make it to an arcade once I get there... I'll try to go next week.

 

[bgillisp]

Working. Work has been busier for me and not slower during this, as I teach online and more are migrating to online classes.

Also Lunarflare I merged your last two posts. We prefer you put those replies in one overall reply instead of one after the other like that.

 

[LunarFlareStudios]

Working. Work has been busier for me and not slower during this, as I teach online and more are migrating to online classes.

I bet that can be awful. I love school though! I'm not enrolled in a college class right now, but I'm working on trying to find one for next semester. I can't imagine how the professors feel though.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

I work from home. My wife works from home. My younger son is going to school remote. My older son is already out of school, but isn't starting adult life yet because... well this year is kind of a wash.

So mostly just... hanging out at home. Trying to get my house clean. Playing video games. Being responsible .

 

[LunarFlareStudios]

I work from home. My wife works from home. My younger son is going to school remote. My older son is already out of school, but isn't starting adult life yet because... well this year is kind of a wash.

So mostly just... hanging out at home. Trying to get my house clean. Playing video games. Being responsible .

I just did some fall cleaning myself, and I organized my room so I could finish my Halloween costume AND not come back from Orlando to see an unorganized mess. I even vacuumed. And all the while I had Elvis Presley playing on my MacBook because I was feeling nostalgic.
After cleaning I had plenty of time to IM my boyfriend because he was really excited to see my costume once it was finished. I only just finished it but having a clean room made it so much easier.
Hopefully Dad can come pick me up and just take me to Orlando, but more than likely I'll be taking an Amtrak. Living in Florida, it's not too far to go. Just a few hours drive or two and a half hours on the train. Amtrak even put social distancing in place and blocked off the aisle seats and every other row, so I'll have the window seat guaranteed.

 

[MerlinCross]

Decided to try and get some content made up. Poorly made or just bad, it feels actually more rewarding than dinging another level or weapon in an MMO.

 

[LunarFlareStudios]

Decided to try and get some content made up. Poorly made or just bad, it feels actually more rewarding than dinging another level or weapon in an MMO.

Trust me, making games is more fun than playing them! At least to me.

 

[MerlinCross]

Trust me, making games is more fun than playing them! At least to me.

Kinda? I sometimes get distracted by an idea or thing and waste too much time on it only to get angry and go "Fine rip it out".

Thus far I'm treating this like a lego project or maybe my version of "Train Set"