Webfishing is a cosy online co-op game that recently dropped. It’s light on demands for system resources and it has a pretty strong Animal Crossing vibe.

I was thinking it might be a nice place to make a private server to hang out and chat with comrades, particularly to use as a low key positive mental health space/peer support space. People seem to recognise my username these days so I guess some people would be aware that mental health is a thing I’m interested in. I have worked as a peer worker previously, including in the mental health sector, so this sorta thing would be within my wheelhouse.

I dunno. I have a lot of ideas and most of them are garbage. If you’ve ever seen me with a good take it’s only by virtue of the fact that I have a mind that constantly flings shit at the wall and I have a high filter for it so I only express the top 0.1% of ideas that stick. And even then, the ideas that do make it past the filter are hit-or-miss. I’m not sure if this idea is one that should have been caught in the filter or if I might be onto something.

On the positive side of running a private server there:

  • It might be a useful way to offer support to the community.
  • Having a real-time space that is a bit sheltered from the wider fediverse might make it more comfortable than it is talking about tricky things on a platform where anyone can access it at any time.
  • It can be really hard for people to access decent mental health supports, sometimes downright impossible, and I feel capable in some small way of providing another avenue for people to seek support.
  • It would be very low pressure. Less than a formal group support session because it would basically be like an online drop-in peer support space.
  • I struggle a lot with writing comments and often I get massive writer’s block which paralyses my ability to write out comments in a permanent space, and this would be a way for me to get around that.
  • You can do stuff like draw on the pavement with chalk in-game.

On the negative side:

  • Opsec needs to be given serious consideration.
  • There are always risks inherent to peer spaces and group spaces (although I’m very seasoned when it comes to group facilitation).
  • It requires a steam-capable device.
  • The game costs a couple of bucks to purchase (though if the price of entry was prohibitive to a comrade I’d be willing to foot the bill).
  • My health is trash and there are going to be decent periods of time where I wouldn’t be able to make it happen.
  • Being online means I likely won’t know the local mental health services to refer people out to nor the emergency response services.
  • It’s a fishing game so it’s mildly NSFV, although you don’t have to participate in the act of fishing and it’s far from being a realistic fishing simulator.

I’d be interested in hearing people’s thoughts on this.

Edit: Ah fuck it, I think I’m just gonna give it a shot