GadgetDon Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) With the low latency of the VOIPs available today the only reason not to use one is recalcitrance, not practicality or efficiency. Or you're listening to something else where it's not practical (TV or music or in my case audiobooks). Or you're in a situation where the gaming environment makes voice chat awkward/annoying/anti-social. Or you just don't bleeping LIKE listening to random strangers (and yes, even guildmates are strangers unless you met them from the real world) while you're gaming and some people use voice chat as a way to be commander for how you play your character and will be abusive if you don't play it "there way". Can voice chat be useful? Absolutely, and it's not as hard as some may think. But that's a long way from "the only reason not to use one is recalcitrance" Edited March 14, 2015 by GadgetDon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gronkagin Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 It never ceases to amaze me how a completely innocuous, helpful, encouraging post can be misconstrued or twisted by hateful, unhappy people, who then fire back a salvo of crap. Where's the courtesy?! Oh yeah, "the internet." What was I thinking? Nevermind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JattaGin Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Good God people, buy a cheap microphone and download Teamspeak 3, Ventrilo, or Mumble. They are all excellent (I prefer TS3), free, and allow you to actually tactically communicate with others in PvP, AND PvE to better and more quickly react to things. You can also tell jokes, talk to people, etc. And yes, I agree it should have been integrated into the game. Only baddies need voice chat. That is how I distinguish between good and bad players. It never ceases to amaze me how a completely innocuous, helpful, encouraging post can be misconstrued or twisted by hateful, unhappy people, who then fire back a salvo of crap. Where's the courtesy?! Because good, helpful posts always start with a "Good God, use Voicechat already!", right? Edited March 14, 2015 by JattaGin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALaggyGrunt Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Properly used voice chat is a serious advantage in PvP situations. Improperly used voice chat is... well, you hear things you'd very much like to forget, to put it mildly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlrikFassbauer Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Good God people, buy a cheap microphone and download Teamspeak 3, Ventrilo, or Mumble. They are all excellent (I prefer TS3), free, and allow you to actually tactically communicate with others in PvP, AND PvE to better and more quickly react to things. You can also tell jokes, talk to people, etc. And yes, I agree it should have been integrated into the game. Even if you don't have a microphone or if you have some weird syndrome that makes you afraid to talk anonymously over a microphone (Glossophobia-fear of public speaking, Thanks BING!) you can still listen to what people are saying, and react to it. So download one or all of those programs, folks. They won't slow down your system, aren't hard to set up, and will increase your enjoyment of the game. Some of them (TS3) have the ability for you to share a simple url that automatically connects you to the guild or kinship's voice server. This spares you from having to type in IP addresses and passwords. It's the internet, guys and gals. We can't see you, you'll be okay. Relax and Game ON, with voice! People just become lazy to read and type in the chat window. 'Nuff said. If this goes on, Literature will die out in 5 years. Properly used voice chat is a serious advantage in PvP situations. I agree - and this is part of what I call "farming" and the threat by premades : Exploiting voice chat so that this advantage over PUGs is there - for a better farming ! Because PvP with voice chat becomes super easy ! It generate so much easily more comms ! Because PUGers just don't have this way of coordination - only guilds, premades and hardcore PvPers have. Edited March 14, 2015 by AlrikFassbauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghisallo Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Or you're listening to something else where it's not practical (TV or music or in my case audiobooks). Or you're in a situation where the gaming environment makes voice chat awkward/annoying/anti-social. Or you just don't bleeping LIKE listening to random strangers (and yes, even guildmates are strangers unless you met them from the real world) while you're gaming and some people use voice chat as a way to be commander for how you play your character and will be abusive if you don't play it "there way". Can voice chat be useful? Absolutely, and it's not as hard as some may think. But that's a long way from "the only reason not to use one is recalcitrance" If you do not like listening to strangers then, or you would rather listen to TV/Netflix whatever... the you do not do Ops and other such functions that require cooperation with these random strangers or that might tear your attention away from your GoT binge watching. I am not saying that everyone MUST have said programs. What I am referring to is exemplified by the old saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too." ---If you want to do a PUG OP which you did not organize, or are not leading, then yes the person organizing or leading will tell you what to do. ---If you want to do something with random strangers that requires coordination then you need to tools with which to coordinate. You should not be watching/listening to TV you should be paying attention to the OP and what needs to be done. If you are not using it under these specific circumstance it is recalcitrance. Edited March 14, 2015 by Ghisallo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anaesha Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Good God people, buy a cheap microphone and download Teamspeak 3, Ventrilo, or Mumble. They are all excellent (I prefer TS3), free, and allow you to actually tactically communicate with others in PvP, AND PvE to better and more quickly react to things. You can also tell jokes, talk to people, etc. And yes, I agree it should have been integrated into the game. Even if you don't have a microphone or if you have some weird syndrome that makes you afraid to talk anonymously over a microphone (Glossophobia-fear of public speaking, Thanks BING!) you can still listen to what people are saying, and react to it. So download one or all of those programs, folks. They won't slow down your system, aren't hard to set up, and will increase your enjoyment of the game. Some of them (TS3) have the ability for you to share a simple url that automatically connects you to the guild or kinship's voice server. This spares you from having to type in IP addresses and passwords. It's the internet, guys and gals. We can't see you, you'll be okay. Relax and Game ON, with voice! This works for guilds but as someone else stated fir PUGs it just becomes a unwanted hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korevas Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Good God people, buy a cheap microphone and download Teamspeak 3, Ventrilo, or Mumble. They are all excellent (I prefer TS3), free, and allow you to actually tactically communicate with others in PvP, AND PvE to better and more quickly react to things. You can also tell jokes, talk to people, etc. And yes, I agree it should have been integrated into the game. Even if you don't have a microphone or if you have some weird syndrome that makes you afraid to talk anonymously over a microphone (Glossophobia-fear of public speaking, Thanks BING!) you can still listen to what people are saying, and react to it. So download one or all of those programs, folks. They won't slow down your system, aren't hard to set up, and will increase your enjoyment of the game. Some of them (TS3) have the ability for you to share a simple url that automatically connects you to the guild or kinship's voice server. This spares you from having to type in IP addresses and passwords. It's the internet, guys and gals. We can't see you, you'll be okay. Relax and Game ON, with voice! I agree that voice chat is a real perk to have, but I absolutely don't agree that it should have been built in. Doing that is a tremendous effort and most likely, the outcome will be significantly worse than teamspeak. What I really wonder is why devs never just integrate better support for teamspeak/mumble/whatever into their games. Creating a plugin that allows players to click a link or even invite others in the game into their channel should absolutely be possible, there are already overlay programs etc. that can control teamspeak in a similar way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghisallo Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 This works for guilds but as someone else stated fir PUGs it just becomes a unwanted hassle. It's MORE important in PUGs. In a guild run we eventually all learn our places, know what to do... know how the tanks use CDs (if a healer) etc. In a PUG you need the voice more because by their nature most of the people will be strangers. People may THINK "hey they are stranger's I don't want to talk to them" BUT just like irl (if you get out at all) when you actually "work" or perform tasks with strangers you need to talk more to get the job done. Simple fact of life even if people don't want to acknowledge it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anaesha Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) It's MORE important in PUGs. In a guild run we eventually all learn our places, know what to do... know how the tanks use CDs (if a healer) etc. In a PUG you need the voice more because by their nature most of the people will be strangers. People may THINK "hey they are stranger's I don't want to talk to them" BUT just like irl (if you get out at all) when you actually "work" or perform tasks with strangers you need to talk more to get the job done. Simple fact of life even if people don't want to acknowledge it. Yes it makes it easier but in the time it takes to get everyone set up and ready you could have probably got the Heroic, FP, or OP done three times over. (assuming not build in VOIP) Edited March 14, 2015 by Anaesha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GadgetDon Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 If you do not like listening to strangers then, or you would rather listen to TV/Netflix whatever... the you do not do Ops and other such functions that require cooperation with these random strangers or that might tear your attention away from your GoT binge watching. I am not saying that everyone MUST have said programs. What I am referring to is exemplified by the old saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too." ---If you want to do a PUG OP which you did not organize, or are not leading, then yes the person organizing or leading will tell you what to do. ---If you want to do something with random strangers that requires coordination then you need to tools with which to coordinate. You should not be watching/listening to TV you should be paying attention to the OP and what needs to be done. If you are not using it under these specific circumstance it is recalcitrance. "Yes the person organizing or leading will tell you what to do" Reason #847 for not doing PUG Ops. That said, and as I think I said, for Ops with the guild I do use voice chat. Flashpoints and PVP aren't at that level. And given things like the last PVP I was in the leader started by shouting "I want to take you all to a gay bar" - well, much rather listen to the Iron Druid saga than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimasterjac Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Honestly, just because a face isn't being shown doesn't mean some people don't enjoy speaking through a mic. It gives me a panic attack to chat with a bunch of random people just for a PUG. I'll gladly connect and listen in, but I won't use a mic myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djiini Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 As said, if everyone understands the gimmicks adequately, it's just a question of: A. Playing class correctly B. Being aware of your surroundings Playing stuff like HM Dread Fortress or Terror From Beyond on a first run through them, it was pretty clear to see one of our tanks and one of our healers didn't know what they were doing--but we did win in the end. No voice chat involved, they just had to stop doing what they were doing wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavolio Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Multi-task11322ing21wwqs12333<alt>2232eewwwwss12321 in the2211123wwwqmiddleqww43211<ctrl>211223of thrfight121323wwqeqwsszaawww1123211132istheke1122y111wwww4THEwqqweWIN!11132211111 Edited March 14, 2015 by Mavolio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solo-Jo Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 No thank you! I don't want some dudes voice in my ear when he is playing a female toon, or breaking my immersion in the game, or some jerk burping in my ear, on some dumb***** with a hot mic screaming at his kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bachannal Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Whilst I would agree the issue is that if you happen to hop in to a pug of any kind you would need to ensure everyone had the same version of the application you wanted to use, then get them access to the server, etc. You make it sound easy, but it really isn't as easy as it should be. And then there's the pugs where people are chomping at the bit ,"GTG NOW!", and then you get thrown some complicated URL plus port # and password at you, which gets scrolled past in chat quickly in a large group of say, 16 folks, so that you have to scroll around in chat looking for it to jot it down, and then you have to Alt+ tab in order to get to your chat programs if you run in fullscreen as opposed to windowed mode, which means then the additional time when you switch back to SWTOR for the stupid splash screen to go away, etc. (Side note: Seriously, stop requiring passwords for these damn things, it's an unnecessary extra step - and no one wants to "hack" your stupid guild chat anyway.) CAN they help? Yes. Can they also be an annoyance? Yes. Should they be a requirement for groups? No - not if you have semi-competent people working together who can take basic text instructions. I think the OP is under the assumption that people will somehow pay more attention if they have someone giving orders to them via voice chat as opposed to group chat. The thing is, if someone is the type that will stand in stupid after being told once or twice, they won't be any less prone to do idiotic things if you're telling them via VC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefla Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I only play this game alone so I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetFish Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Good God people, buy a cheap microphone and download... Even if you don't have a microphone or if you have some weird syndrome that makes you afraid to talk anonymously over a microphone (Glossophobia-fear of public speaking... So download one or all of those programs, folks. They won't slow down your system, aren't hard to set up, and will increase your enjoyment of the game. It's the internet, guys and gals. We can't see you, you'll be okay. Relax and Game ON, with voice! I don't use voice chat and it's not cuz my system can't run it or I don't have 30s to download it. I'm not afraid of public speaking (I do it almost every day) or I can't afford a cheap microphone. Here's the amazing reason: I don't want to use voice chat. Speaking from experience, I don't want to hear 10 people talking all at once or just mumbling about their lives filling every second of silence with aimless banter. I don't want to hear idiots. I don't care about why you're an alcoholic and I don't want to know private details about your life. If I absolutely need to use voice chat, I will, but I'm not going to join to listen to garbage just to pass the time or to say "two incoming our pylon" when I can type it just as fast as I can speak it. So don't go around thinking how much better voice chat is or how much better you are than me cuz you use it and I don't. I don't want what you want. Voice chat will NOT increase my enjoyment of the game for reasons I've already stated so why you assume it will and make that statement to try and make people feel bad is just more ridiculous condescension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm-Cutter Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) I agree with OP - My guild use Mumble for FP co-ordination and general chit-chat - And I agree that in grouped PvP or GSF it is a great advantage - but some folks prefer to remain anonymous - so you kinda have to respect that too. Edited March 15, 2015 by Storm-Cutter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowanThursday Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) when you actually "work" or perform tasks with strangers you need to talk more to get the job done. You probably didn't mean it quite like this, so I apologise in advance for spinning off your context, but in a sense, you're illustrating here the reason some people take issue with the OP' s stance. TOR' s a hobby. Not a job, and if someone I'm playing with tries to turn it into work for me, or a job... I'll step back and walk off, or just disregard them and carry on my own way... because work, a job, are the things I do out in rl, in the daytime, for money. There, there's a contract. While it's not phrased quite that way, it could be accurately paraphrased as "Yeah, you WILL listen to a whole lot of gibbering idiots and smile and nod when someone above you gives an instruction you disagree with... and at least pretend to follow it till they're out of the room when you can go back to doing what works... and in return we'll give you a more aesthetically pleasing figure on your bank balance once a month." We sign up to that, we honour it. Or at least we only take the p*** in certain unspoken understood boundaries. Gaming is play. Yes, if you decide to join a group there is a certain level of commitment there. You don't, for instance, decide "Hah, I'm actually RPing as an undercover saboteur for the other faction, so everyone else's objectives can go to hell in a handshake and I don't care!" You don't wilfully and unreasonably spoil other people's fun. However, if a group leader decides that that game mechanic gives him or her the power trip necessary to start arrogantly ordering people to re-order their lives and how they game, as opposed to simple in the moment tactical REQUESTS - and, yeah, it's a request, not an order... just so as to increase the efficiency of the 'job', then, well, he or she can start paying a salary to the group. Edited March 15, 2015 by RowanThursday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JouerTue Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Voice comms with my guild im comfortable with . but dont expect people to use it for PUGs.. having it, will mostly get you inside pugs even without achievments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElZaguero Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I agree that voice chat is a real perk to have, but I absolutely don't agree that it should have been built in. Doing that is a tremendous effort and most likely, the outcome will be significantly worse than teamspeak. What I really wonder is why devs never just integrate better support for teamspeak/mumble/whatever into their games. Creating a plugin that allows players to click a link or even invite others in the game into their channel should absolutely be possible, there are already overlay programs etc. that can control teamspeak in a similar way. STO has integrated VOIP, and it's so bad almost everyone just disables it and uses one of the 3 external VOIP programs mentioned by the OP. I have TS and Vent. Mumble bites wang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LyraineAlei Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) Accents. I live in the US and play on US servers, and if I have to ask a coworker to slow down a bit so I can follow their accent, why would I want to do the same in a game? And then there are those who put the mic too close/far away from the throat and mouth (clips ons, in my work experience in radio, work better when close to the voice box, mic-mics below your lips and about an inch to inch and a half away), and then have their hot P's, T's, and K's (or the k sound) blast through my ears. Nah. Grouped once with someone who only spoke a smattering of English, and mostly Spanish. By having everything typed out with my near-nonexistant understanding of Spanish since my parents took lessons fifteen years ago, I was able to follow the conversation. If I had to go by VC, I might have had more trouble since I didn't have a word to look at. Not everyone on the US servers speak English. I think we get a large population of South American players, so we get German, varying Spanish dialects, French, Portuguese and others I haven't identified yet. Edit: My coworkers speak English as well, but some are from the Deep South, one's from the MidWest, got a few from New England, and they all have different accents from my Cascadian American English that's partially Canadian. Edited March 15, 2015 by LyraineAlei Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavolio Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) I'll say this once...be very careful what you say about my kids... Ever sat near a 3yr while wearing a headset? They won't let you wear them without saying "I wanna hear, lemme hear" 400-500 times lo That right there shows that you gots a lvl3 padawan in training sitting on your lap that just might be a world famous gaming master someday. /damn..now, if we ever group, guess I'm gonna have to watch what the */bleeep* I say on my (sometimes) open */bleep-bleep /bleepin.* mic if things go bad. No harm no foul, don't want to push the lil one towards the Darkside to early. Edited March 15, 2015 by Mavolio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branmakmuffin Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I'll say this once...be very careful what you say about my kids... Why? Will something bad happen if you get angry (or are you just joking around)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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