First Impression of Oasis Gaming from a Noob

Hey squad: It’s your old pal, Melissa. I haven’t written a blog post in...well…

OK so I’ve never written a blog post before, but I was asked to write what my impression of the Oasis Gaming is from a non-gamer perspective. I’ve decided to take an informal tone. Do you like it? Am I coming off as charming?

I started attending the weekly Oasis meetings in ~May 2019. I felt immediately accepted and welcomed into a new group of friends on the first day. I never felt genuine warmth when I briefly attended church as a kid; it always felt forced, but maybe that was because I didn’t feel like I really belonged. Oasis was so different because it was a true “come as you are.” I’ve made a ton of true friends and I enjoy learning from the many different perspectives brought to the group. Oasis is a great place to meet new like-minded people, to learn new things, to hear great music, and to get my weekly doughnut.

Alright, mention Oasis: Check.

Onto gaming: As teased in the first paragraph, I am not technically a gamer. Gasp, right? Don’t get me wrong: I kick ass at Sudoku and Jigsaw phone apps, I am BOMB at Scattergories, and I once won Victory Royale in a solo round in Fortnite. Am I cool enough to be in the group yet? Absolutely! There are other gamer-lite members in the Oasis Gaming community, as well. We exist! And we don’t judge each other for playing Candy Crush or Minesweeper way better than Minecraft or Call of Duty. We don’t laugh when we mention that some First Person Shooters give us vertigo or if someone mistakes Zelda for Link. We support each other, even when we have to ask what the heck “fus ro dah” means for the millionth time.

Most of the magic happens on the Discord. I had to totally learn what that was and how it works, but it’s really easy to figure out. It’s similar to old-school chat rooms, but without the constant pervy “ASL?”s. Just be sure to adjust the notification setting so you’re only getting notifications you care about. There are different threads for whatever you’re interested in within the Oasis Gaming community. Everyone is super friendly. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to other gamer groups. No toxic masculinity, not gatekeeping, no homophobic slurs, and no bullying. It’s a lot of positive support to create content, to branch out into new games, and to play together to build bonds. I also love that it’s a secular group that isn’t full of anti-theism and Islamophobia.

The other place where the OG party never stops; the YouTube channel. This is my favorite OG branch. Some of the members have been recording gameplay videos, interviews, or just podcast type discussion videos. I think they’re hilarious! I might not always know the game that they’re playing, but they make excellent commentary and I really enjoy watching/listening. [INSERT: shameless plug to Like and Subscribe Oasis Gaming on YouTube] Also, and don’t tell them I said this, but at least one of the young fellows in the videos is incredibly handsome. You’ll know who I’m talking about.

Also, you should really consider creating content if you feel comfortable doing so. There’s a thread in Discord dedicated to Content Creation and we are always looking for people who want to learn how. No stupid questions. Everyone started at the beginning and they only improved by asking questions. You know you’re tempted. You’ve always suspected there’s a hidden comedian inside of you, just waiting for the right gameplay and recording know-how to let them shine! So, from this non-gamer, non-blog-writer’s point of view: you have a lot of awesomeness to look forward to if you haven’t already checked out the Oasis Gaming on Facebook, Discord, and YouTube. We’re a friendly, welcoming bunch who celebrates diversity and positivity in gaming. Be accepting and be accepted.