And don't try to tell me that I could get solo queuers into a VOIP, because that is quite unreasonable. Also, that does nothing for late joiners who can't get the info for the mumble/TS3/Vent, etc. while people are flying.

Built-in VOIP is needed. Premades are already using them, this would at least level the playing field a little. There have been several games in the past that used a similar system, and it worked well (Battlefield 2 comes to mind).

Just give an option to mute people if they are immature/cuss a lot/whatever you don't like.

Negative comments about this thread are not wanted; this suggestion won't hurt you at ALL, so don't try to deny the general GSF (and ground game) population something that they NEED to compete. (especially from the people who are constantly in premades using VOIP)

I've thought another option would be to implement Battlefield's commo rose. It's simple, relatively easy to grasp, and avoids any of the problems of people trolling on voip. Done right it would give solos pretty much all of the basic communication options you need and the only thing you'd still need chat for are things like more elaborate strategy.

EDIT: not that I would turn down a built in voip mind you.

I've thought another option would be to implement Battlefield's commo rose. It's simple, relatively easy to grasp, and avoids any of the problems of people trolling on voip. Done right it would give solos pretty much all of the basic communication options you need and the only thing you'd still need chat for are things like more elaborate strategy.

 

EDIT: not that I would turn down a built in voip mind you.

I would have to agree, it would be Call of Duty MW all over again.

And don't try to tell me that I could get solo queuers into a VOIP, because that is quite unreasonable. Also, that does nothing for late joiners who can't get the info for the mumble/TS3/Vent, etc. while people are flying.

 

Built-in VOIP is needed. Premades are already using them, this would at least level the playing field a little. There have been several games in the past that used a similar system, and it worked well (Battlefield 2 comes to mind).

 

Just give an option to mute people if they are immature/cuss a lot/whatever you don't like.

 

Negative comments about this thread are not wanted; this suggestion won't hurt you at ALL, so don't try to deny the general GSF (and ground game) population something that they NEED to compete. (especially from the people who are constantly in premades using VOIP)

As someone who has routinely tried to get even my own guild into TS3 or Mumble, I agree this would greatly lower the barrier of entry to voice. Not having to download a client or enter server/port creds--just having it be part of the game, would go a long way toward fostering community and teaching newer pilots.

I don't see any reasonable argument why this is request does not have merit. The real question is whether BioWare deems it the best use of their limited resources. They know that many free chat clients are readily available, and that many MMO gamers already use them for raids/flashpoints/warzones, to the exclusion of in-game VOIP solutions.

Unfortunately it seems that BioWare's current strategy is to reduce the difficulty of PvE spaces such that VOIP is not required in order to complete them (Tactical Flashpoints, Story Mode Op Finder). They can't do that for PvP or GSF, but my guess is they wouldn't have so dramatically reducing PvE difficulty if they thought they could easily add an in-game VOIP solution.

So, while I would certainly welcome in-game VOIP, I doubt it's going to happen at this stage in the game's life, given their recent directional choices.

Recent transfers to TEH have been very free in offering their TS and Mumble creds to anyone who wants to join them. They should be commended for this. It's not a perfect solution, but I think they understand the tactical and social benefits enjoyed by those using VOIP vs. those who aren't. My advice would be to install the various chat clients and join those large chat servers. It's what I'm likely going to do.

VOIP would still be limited to those who can / are willing to use it. We need some kind of way to communicate with other players that does not involve typing nor talking, or enhances it. Like the target markers we have on the ground, it would help being able to mark that annoying guy you really want dead, or mark yourself if you need repairs / provide repairs.

Yes, this. Also just being able to target allies. That would make it much easier to coordinate flying as a group.

I've thought another option would be to implement Battlefield's commo rose. It's simple, relatively easy to grasp, and avoids any of the problems of people trolling on voip. Done right it would give solos pretty much all of the basic communication options you need and the only thing you'd still need chat for are things like more elaborate strategy.

 

EDIT: not that I would turn down a built in voip mind you.

While the commo rose has a place, it also gets "ignored as background noise" after a while. Ever request ammo for a minute from the supply troop who is ignoring you? I usually got impatient and kill the guy, take his kit drop some ammo, take my old kit back and resupply finally...

With VOIP, I could call him out by name, and say... Hey "Dude X", drop some ammo, would ya bud? And they usually... did!

Oh and if you think that you could not spam commo rose commands to "troll" you are not very internet experienced. It's ok... you'll learn someday.

While the commo rose has a place, it also gets "ignored as background noise" after a while. Ever request ammo for a minute from the supply troop who is ignoring you? I usually got impatient and kill the guy, take his kit drop some ammo, take my old kit back and resupply finally...

 

With VOIP, I could call him out by name, and say... Hey "Dude X", drop some ammo, would ya bud? And they usually... did!

I never used voip in BF2 or 2142 and got along just fine using the commo rose (to the point I never found a reason or need to purchase a mic for voip). People usually would give me what I needed when I asked them (I tried to join a squad which no doubt helped even though I never joined as a premade). Generally I found the guys that didn't get that I was asking them for stuff couldn't play their class for beans so it didn't really surprise me that they couldn't comprehend what I was asking.

Oh and if you think that you could not spam commo rose commands to "troll" you are not very internet experienced. It's ok... you'll learn someday.

In my extensively playing of BF2 & 2142, by and large I didn't see much spam (mostly the only spam was "target spotted" which, arguably, was because sometimes it would be bugging and you'd have to use the command several times before it would actually spot who you wanted). Sure sometimes people would spam it for things like medic or ammo but for those most part people seemed to use it for it's intended purpose. Given that I usually played a medic and that the game showed their health bar it was normally pretty easy to figure out whether they were trolling or actually in need of me.

I didn't mean to suggest that you couldn't spam it, just that in my experience it was used in its intended capacity to the benefit of the team more often than it was used for trolling. I specifically said it avoids the problem of trolling on voip, not that it avoids the problem of trolling.

I use VoIP pretty much as a source to spread propaganda about penguins... There are VERY few times where we talk about the match in VoIP. I agree it would help new players out, but so would.... downloading the program instead of relying on a developer to take time and resources away from coming out with new content (New op please / AI ships in GSF for training). It isn't hard to download something, and I'm sorry that you don't like grouping but come on. You're trying to incorporate a GROUP mentality to a single-queued player.

Seems a little illogical :/

I use VoIP pretty much as a source to spread propaganda about penguins... There are VERY few times where we talk about the match in VoIP.

There's a fair bit of truth to this. Voice comms can be very deadly in flight combat, but really effective use of them to coordinate is a skill that requires quite a bit of practice either with the same group of people, or using a standardized format for how to communicate and how to react to communications. So far what I've seen for GSF is more use of VOIP to round up a group to queue together, and then maybe 2 or three times a match highly informative comments like, "going A."

I use VoIP pretty much as a source to spread propaganda about penguins... There are VERY few times where we talk about the match in VoIP. I agree it would help new players out, but so would.... downloading the program instead of relying on a developer to take time and resources away from coming out with new content (New op please / AI ships in GSF for training). It isn't hard to download something, and I'm sorry that you don't like grouping but come on. You're trying to incorporate a GROUP mentality to a single-queued player.

 

Seems a little illogical :/

This.

The only time VOIP is helpful is if you're already in a highly competitive/close match.

Having VOIP as a PUG will not do a damn thing for you, premades will still walk all over you.

Blizzard incorporated a VoIP into WoW years ago -- and it's complete crap. They admitted it's crap, but never improved on it because there was no interest (people just use mumble/vent/ts/etc). Do we really think Bioware would have better success?

This.

 

The only time VOIP is helpful is if you're already in a highly competitive/close match.

 

Having VOIP as a PUG will not do a damn thing for you, premades will still walk all over you.

 

Blizzard incorporated a VoIP into WoW years ago -- and it's complete crap. They admitted it's crap, but never improved on it because there was no interest (people just use mumble/vent/ts/etc). Do we really think Bioware would have better success?

Well ARMA III and DOTA 2 both have built in VOIP that's a lot better than WoW's was, though I believe they used their own engines or ones that they could freely modify rather than building on someone else's, which might complicate things for SW:TOR. Not sure what limitations if any HERO has in this regard.

It is rather nice to not need a third party VOIP if the built in VOIP is good quality. It doesn't really do all that much to produce coordination, improve performance of terrible microphones, or reduce the amount of angry ranting compared to typing into chat.

So built in high quality VOIP would be a quality of life improvement, but I think some people are overestimating the margin of improvement by quite a bit.

It seems like something similar to BF's commo rose would be a lot more realistic. You can spam built in VOIP as well, and I would guess built in VOIP would be a lot more resource intensive.

Both might be beyond what they're willing to invest, of course. It's a pity the commo rose wasn't planned on from the start... heck, it'd be a great addition to the ground game, to be honest.

You don't really need VOIP, either. A call for help at a node, something to say you're being attacked or tailed, "attack c" etc., all of these things would be helpful, and they're not really complicated. That's the most I've ever used my guild's Mumble for, and I'm less likely to use it anyway because I'm lazy and have yet to put my chat key to something more accessible when I'm piloting. The Commo rose could be pretty easy to use mid combat if they did it right.

Unfortunately it seems that BioWare's current strategy is to reduce the difficulty of PvE spaces such that VOIP is not required in order to complete them (Tactical Flashpoints, Story Mode Op Finder). They can't do that for PvP or GSF, but my guess is they wouldn't have so dramatically reducing PvE difficulty if they thought they could easily add an in-game VOIP solution.

hey the Korriban and Tython flashpoints are a lot more difficult than kdy and involves a lot more teamwork they are not reducing difficulty. Plus, that bolster for ops as you said is only for story mode (which is never supposed to be too hard anyway) but hardmode and nightmare modes are still very challenging so don't say that that content is being dumbed down.

also, not against the voice chat but two concerns:

FIRST AND FOREMOST, in warzones and gsf I already see idiots who barely do anything as the end scoreboard later reveals who go in and pretend to be way better than everyone and shout sometimes very offensive insults, I would be very angry if I had to listen to someone yelling "f*** you pieces of **** noobs go **** yourselves you bads" and it seems like that might be a starter of potential conflict.

second and less important, we all know this game engine has problems, would a voice system that is built in cause any kind of lag or gameplay or performance issues? not saying it would happen but I am curious

hey the Korriban and Tython flashpoints are a lot more difficult than kdy and involves a lot more teamwork they are not reducing difficulty. Plus, that bolster for ops as you said is only for story mode (which is never supposed to be too hard anyway) but hardmode and nightmare modes are still very challenging so don't say that that content is being dumbed down

A lot more difficult ? Maybe as a percentage of KDY, Core Meltdown, or Research labs, but you you are talking about fractions of nothing. I see Korriban and Tython regularly run without a word said in chat.

I don't think they should add VOIP to SWTOR.

WoW has built in VOIP. No one uses it.

No.

One.

That's the problem. It's a ton of effort and no one will use it. I'm sure the devs won't even waste their time thinking about it, but in case they are: please don't.

"But we'd use it!"

No, you wouldn't. You already can get any number of free voice programs! The people who don't have voice comms don't want them and won't use them!

And don't try to tell me that I could get solo queuers into a VOIP

You can't get them in a VOIP, you won't get them to go turn on the SWTOR VOIP either.

You can't get them in a VOIP, you won't get them to go turn on the SWTOR VOIP either.

truth. Though if you can get a solo quer in to your VOIP, then do so maybe they can learn a thing or 2.

VOIP. No, thank you. It is hardly used in another game I play -Titanfall- and most people do okay without it.

Situational awareness? Yes, please.

Stop making "premades" the boogie man.

Get a team together consistently and run with them.

VOIP. No, thank you. It is hardly used in another game I play -Titanfall- and most people do okay without it.

 

Situational awareness? Yes, please.

 

Stop making "premades" the boogie man.

 

Get a team together consistently and run with them.

Premades make themselves the boogey men, and the most people do OK without it ? yes they do ok without it as long as the other side isn't using it either.

Just for reference, the big things people complain about in terms of game balance, the walls of gunships/bomber balls/bomber stacks are from premades and the biggest balance problems those with voip to coordinate the strategy.

I've thought another option would be to implement Battlefield's commo rose. It's simple, relatively easy to grasp, and avoids any of the problems of people trolling on voip. Done right it would give solos pretty much all of the basic communication options you need and the only thing you'd still need chat for are things like more elaborate strategy.

 

EDIT: not that I would turn down a built in voip mind you.

Absolutely agree with this thread. GSF needs more ingame options for PUG communication. I also agree with quick-key commands as being the way to go with this and drafted my own ideas on how such a system could ultimately be integrated into the game. Granted, much of it is pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. But I think at the very least, having a "help" key, which highlights enemies currently targeting you to your squad members would be a HUGE step in the right direction. Maybe have it on cool down to prevent spamming or something....

anyway, here is a link to my original thread: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=736819

I use VoIP pretty much as a source to spread propaganda about penguins... There are VERY few times where we talk about the match in VoIP. I agree it would help new players out, but so would.... downloading the program instead of relying on a developer to take time and resources away from coming out with new content (New op please / AI ships in GSF for training). It isn't hard to download something, and I'm sorry that you don't like grouping but come on. You're trying to incorporate a GROUP mentality to a single-queued player.

 

Seems a little illogical :/

Read the OP. I specifically asked (told) you not to post this.

Stop being... you.