Literally how my friend and I played Warcraft 2: we'd play our prospective games while chatting on the phone. Good times.

Lmao, my friend and I do that often. One time we finally shut up to start the game and we're like, "Oh shit, we have work it the morning." Just spoke to each other for a couple hours and dipped. We try to make it a point to at least get in the lobby. 😂

My raid group has been together close to 10 years and this is basically how it is when we're grinding out gear. Like, just this week a guy went through a bad breakup and we're trying to cheer him up while also lightly roasting him as one does.

Until eventually conversation peters out as we try harder to actually win, at which point the call is just alternating people cursing

That's part of the fun for sure

Meet up in discord, put on a multiplayer game (we don't do competitive games) and chill

I think that's awesome and healthy as hell... so long as your friends listen and don't try to "fix it" for you.