Voice chatFollow

I don't think voice chat is necessary. The content, some of which is strategically difficult is not hinged on having voice coms. In fact, I might argue that the use of voicing has had the added consequence of leading to one person making all the decisions, when previously each individual may have had to make 'on the spot' decisions about what they could do to alleviate a bad situation (just a thought).

Is voice chat inevitable in today's mmo's?

Do you all use a voice program?



Edited, Jul 28th 2008 6:44pm by Elinda

I'm in DBS, and I don't really use voice chat often and still enjoy the kin. (I started in TiNFS, but there just weren't enough people around my level on. I should have said goodbye before leaving though.) I have 3 friends that I do use it with when we are playing, but that's it. I don't talk in PUGs or anything else, it's totally unnecessary.

I did find it to be mandatorily usefull when raiding in WoW. As I haven't raided in LOTR yet, I can't say.

I use the built-in voice every once in a while. I use Vent for small groups in the 'Moors, and that's about it. Almost never when I'm outside of the 'Moors (though I did use it once on a rift raid with the Revenant).

If you're looking for a raiding kin, I'd look into Maelstrom or The Revenant. Maelstrom seems to be pretty big, and the Revenant has it down (they're a bit bigger than TINFS, but not by much... also pretty casual).

I hate voice chat. With a passion. There's nothing more intrusive and less immersive than voice. Listening to some ******* try to plan like he's f-cking Patton how to kill a yellow con troll is about one million thousand bajillion times more annoying than reading him type it. The LoTRO voice program is complete ***, requiring resetting all of my audio settings before I use it, lest I either go deaf from the sound of pigs crashing into my shield or else can't hear my group at all. Which would be a blessing except that I kind of need to know what they're doing and they won't type it.

The insistance of people to use it in LoTRO is probably a top ranking reason why I don't get into the game more. I'd like to group more but every group says "Turn your voice on!"

Haha, not everyone can type out a perfectly constructed conversation, while twisting tunes and kiting half a dozen mobs....in a right-handed circle:D

..funny, the foxfire dictionary doesn't recognize the word immersive.

I'd contemplate starting a voice-free kin but it would probably be about as popular as a smoke-free bar:/

I think voice chat is a major assistance in raiding, grouping and other events. It means you can convey instructions far more quickly than through straight texting. Mandatory? No. An incredibly useful tool? absoltely. So much so that I happily pay more per month for the chat server than I do for the game (though occasional help from kin helps defer that cost).



Having spent 5 years running a kin with an express rule that voice servers were not tolerated (mainly because the game was FFXI and using a 3rd party voice tool was impossible for those on PS2 or Xbox 360, thus making using voice exclusionary), my arguement for all that time was simply because some people could not exercise the option to get it. Since we've moved to LoTRO we do require it during a raid to be able to hear the instructions though speaking is still optional.

Any organized group you find, and honestly I've found this to be more true of LoTRO than other MMO's I've played, will put down voice, age, and other requirements on their members. I've seen more age limited kins than I have in other MMOs. Odd because I find LoTRO to be generally an older age group in general.

Fortunately there are a wide variety of guilds, kins, and play styles throughout the game and everyone eventually either discovers their niche as a solo player or their proper fit within a group. Or they discover a unique niche and create their own groups.

I think you'll find resistance to a voice free kin for two reasons, one the OP has already stated, "not everyone can type out a perfectly constructed conversation" and the second being it's built into the game, and telling people they are not permitted to use a game feature will create an inevitable backlash. Just view the official forums' "when you pay my subscription" style rants.

As far as the comment about, " might argue that the use of voicing has had the added consequence of leading to one person making all the decisions, when previously each individual may have had to make 'on the spot' decisions about what they could do to alleviate a bad situation (just a thought).", I don't think that's accurate. I think in most cases, whether it be a party, raid, or duo, there is always someone who takes a 'lead' role and the others naturally defer to them. typed or spoken. In most cases it's probably better that one person is deferred to simply because 6 chiefs and no indians is a 100% assurance of failure. After all, an elephant is a mouse designed by commitee :)


/wave Shauncy


Edited, Jul 28th 2008 6:14pm by airamis

Edited, Jul 28th 2008 6:17pm by airamis

While I have your attention Airamis, Do you allow outsiders to join your raid groups? I'd love to join in for an occasional rift run.

Thanks, I'll look into it.

I don't have any complaints with it, It's very accessible and a lot of people use it, even in pugs. Personally, I just don't like talking to people online. I don't mind listening to them...but usually they sound retarded - to put it nicely. Of course I love everyone in my kin and I don't mind their voices at all ;D Just the random strangers get me.

Edit: Shameless plug, Come join us in TiNFS on Meneldor, you and instigator can be buddies.

Edited, Jul 28th 2008 8:23pm by Morarae

I'm not sure that it's Turbine's voice system exclusively that's annoying. I think I just dislike voice

Although the LoTRO voice is really quiet unless I jack up the volume both in game and physically on the speakers. Which means fiddling with all my other sound settings to lower them so I'm not deafened. Also the sound quality just isn't that good. Voices aren't clear, I tend to miss stuff due to garble, etc. That might be their cheap mics or maybe they just aren't using them right (too close, too far, wearing a bucket on their head or something) but the net result is that I'd rather just read it.

I'm sure a lot of it is perception. Fiddling with my sound controls each time wouldn't be quite the cross to bear if I wanted to listen to voice. But I don't so it's just added annoyances. I'm just an old crank though.

Go to the audio menu in options (in game). You can set your capture device for your voice to be your mic.

Everytime my headset comes out of the USB port I have to reboot the game though to get it to recognize the device again.

You can dial up/down all the different sounds in that menu as well. If you want the mix different, you can do it all there: Game music, player music, player voice, environmental sounts, combat sounds etc.

I have some trouble using the mic since I do not want voice activated. I push a keyboard button when I want my voice heard. I could use a foot pedal hehe.

I like the voice option when there is one person leading and giving directions. I seldom talk, and I still use keyboard.

I'm with Joph about voice chat harming the immersion.

I do use it for kin-chats when not playing seriously (e.g. downtime between quests etc.), but as well as Joph's reason, there's the 70% chance of a whiny teen making me want to stab their jargon and l33t-5p34K in the eye.