[gerdesj]

If only there was some sort of online collaborative audio and video enabled thingie. Cool kids use Twitch I gather (it sounds like a minor STD to me). You could get together with Teams, Zoom, Blue Button, whatever and then play.

Organise your online events in a similar form to err ... ... reality and you'll have the same problems to deal with 8)

Create a place and arrange to meet. Have a chat and then get on with the event. You may want to require no mobiles or be more inventive by penalising them somehow - that way people who have to be contactable can do so but still play. You could even fold call outs into the game. An RNLI call out causes the characters involved to be thrown into another realm ... and ... get your imagination out. Or perhaps they get thrown into another time/space. Again, it's all about imagination.

[FridgeSeal]

My friends and I have a private Discord and it’s basically ideal.

We have a text and voice/video channel that’s restricted to just the DM and the players, we’ve all got webcams and pick a time where we can dedicate the attention to the game. Small groups also help.

Funnily enough we’re going to be using Talespire for our upcoming game, but all mechanics/tracking goes through DnDBeyond.

[Aeolun]

We have all that. My point is that both doing everything on a computer, and being in your own home are basically distraction machines.

If someone turns off their mic or walks away from the computer you cannot ask what’s up until they’re back. And the fact that they went to get the door is eminently understandable.