BBS - VR Diver Survival Guide

Sehnsucht

I don't know if anyone saw that recent news article (LINK) If you can even call stuff from that site news. Still it got me thinking about the other kind of news story you hear about Deep Dive VR players like those on a certain enigmatic game. You know the kind. "Gamer dies after 72 hour marathon of Call Of Valor" and "Deep Dive Gamer found dead in home by landlord after not paying rent for 2 months."

I personally have a lot of little things I do to maximize dive time and minimize meat time without compromising you know... being alive time. I wanted to swap notes with all of you and see if I anyone had some neat tricks of their own.

I'll start off:
I like to use a camel pack to stay hydrated. Its the worst thing to come out parched and with that sandy feel tongue. Its a lot easier to remember to drink from the nozzle if its on a hose near your face rather than coming out of a dive and reaching for a cup, accidentally knocking it over onto sensitive electronics.

I was able to get a really nice chair. Its a big investment but its got just the right neck and lumbar support so I don't feel like I've been on a 12 hour car ride every time I come out. Its expensive but so is getting your spine fixed.

SET ALARMS time passes so fast and if you set multiple alarms with different sounds you'll know when you should come up for bio or food. The different sounds let you know how long its been if they aren't the same so you don't loose track. This is a lifesaver in more ways than I think anyone wants to hear about.

Lastly I have been buying Quester bars. I think the protein in them and few carbs is the best way to get nourishment quickly and get back in. Maybe you have some better advice on this though? I don't think my gummy vitamins are cutting it as far as other nutrients. Short of waiting for summer when there is actually sun around here, whats a good way to get vitamin D and are there any other things I am missing out?

Any tips from you guys that you think I am overlooking or lifehacks to make dive time better?

 

Cavalier

Yeah, that recent article was fucked. I can't believe that two people have actually died while wearing full-dive gear. Not sure if I would go so far as to start screaming it was the Illuminati, but at least some outlet is reporting on what's going on.

As for tips, I'd recommend getting out and getting at least an hour of exercise each day. Try to get out during the sunlight hours if you can, that sweet, sweet Vitamin D is important for your mental and physical health. My girlfriend makes sure that I go jogging with her pretty often. It's really motivating to have someone to get out and do things with, so maybe find a friend.

I used to be on a big Quester bars kick myself in college. They were cheaper than buying a meal plan for the semester, and so I just stocked up on them. My roommates got into the habit and before long we had boxes of the things piled floor to ceiling in a corner of our dorm. Do those things ever expire? I'm telling you, they're go-to food in an apocalypse scenario.

Now I mostly find myself eating veggies and fruits. I try to stay away from any enriched grains or gmos. God knows what they actually add to things like that. Fresh foods always trump canned ones. Those preservatives will kill you, I swear. I've been frequenting a local farmer's market for the last year or so now and I've built up a pretty good rapport with some of the people who sell their. Don't forget that soy is an important source of protein!

I generally dive while lying in bed. I recently splurged on a new mattress topper. It's one of those that have the foam grid inside. I saw too many ads for them while browsing the web and eventually succumbed to them. It's pretty solid though. My girlfriend says that it's cut down on the amount of times my running to the bathroom at night has woken her up. I swear this thing will save our relationship!

I cannot stress how important it is to set alarms. You're doing the right thing there. I used to just dive without a care and would wait for the system to alert me about my biological needs, but then I realized my dog was getting into pretty poor shape. I started setting alarms to remind me to get up and feed him twice a day. It's a real hassle, but I can't let my buddy starve to death. That furry guy means too much to me.

Lastly, I think you should try to remember to find some time to take off the gear. Sometimes a day outside of the dive can be a great refresher for your life. I usually take a day off each week, but recently I took a full week off because I was getting too wrapped up in VR. It was a good reminder that there's a world outside of the dive.

I hope I've been at least a little helpful.