VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

[WarGimp]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

I would love to be able to use voip. I can hear other people talk, but they cant hear me. I have checked and rechecked every setting and still cant get it to work.

You might also want to check your firewall. A buddy of mine habbitually forgets to turn his software firewall off and he get's the same effect as you discribe every fruggin time.

As to the topic:

Yeah, sometimes VoiP can be a little painful. I have heard the occasional non-balls-dropped-yet voice going off about inane things. I've also had instances where people are just constantly complaining about *whatever* to the point where I have snapped and handed out an nice big "STFU and play!". If I'm SL, I usually just kick 'em.

However, I've had way more good communications with people than bad. Sometimes it takes people a little while to get used to communicating well, but that's to be expected. Tactical speach needs to be brief, clear, and very much to the point. Long winded descriptions of where someone is just don't help anyone.

Then there's me. I sometimes get a little barky. I'm not shy about reminding people on my squad that they need to do things like work together and to use their fuggin spot functions.

One round on Teamwonderful's server, I lost it on my squad altogether. They were all medics and paying no attention to anything other than wracking up revive points. Our whole squad got whiped out a one point because I'd gone down and 5 frikken meddics all focused on shocking me while the guy that dropped me was still standing RIGHT THERE with his GL! I told 'em repeatedly to clear the guy... would they listen? NO!
Kicked 'em all, 'n lock my squad after a brief rant on the topic of not sucking like a one handed noob.

Anyway, yeah, there's issues with VoiP just like anything else, but I consiter it's strengths to far surpass 'em.

[megamanfre]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

I agree. VOIP is great if youre in a clan match or something along those lines, where you know everyone, and they speak clearly and about useful things.

I know first hand that too much useless babble goes on when you have VOIP on.

I forget what map it was, but I was with about 4 other people (3 snipers including myself, a medic and support) and we were working really well, and just BSing because we were, more or less, owning the areas we were covering. When we would get bored of our perch because there wasnt anyone around, wed talk about where to go next, and if someone stole a kill, wed bitch at the other person saying "you suck I was going for him" and get a lil laugh out of it.

Other than that, VOIP is pointless and can be very distracting. I was playing last night, and 2 guys were just talking about graphics cards. They were both medics and werent doing much healing. They were going for more kills than anything else, and people around them were dying, and having to respawn, when they could have easily been revived, or healed before dying.

When someone uses VOIP responsibly is when its fun and useful. When theyre just BSing, I feel like Im listening in on someone elses convo. Ive even found that when people join their squad while they are BSing, theyll start a new squad so no one hears them talking. If they wanna talk, get on the phone and call each other up, dont have all out personal convos in game.

[Jesse]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

I don't bother with voip because even with the blasted volume to it turned up all the way I can still barely make out what my squad is saying over the in-game sounds. That and the people that are in my squad are always on Ventrilo anyway, which is a million times better than VoiP.

I leave it on incase someone is desperate to attempt communicating with us, but they either join our squad and stay silent, join and leave, or join and start yelling at us to "get them points you @$&!#$&@, that's right, you're my @#^!#@$, now get me some @$&!#$ points!". (that was rather funny, actually, but that's beside the point. Well, I'm sure the random guy saying it didn't think it was funny that we were all laughing at him, but still )

[Odedge]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

Either get the squad leader to kick them from the squad or mute them. It's not difficult...

If I am a SL, I will just kick them. But how do you mute a player? I have clicked on their name and it turns white, but I can still hear them talking.

I think VOIP in the average squad is great and will be an integral part of all team based games. If you have a full squad that's full of chatty people, it can be distracting.

Though it would be nice to have more pre-recorded voice commands, nothing beats people who can communicate effectively using VOIP. Yeah, it takes some practice, but it is well worth it.

If I am playing with just my buddies, we tend to BS more. But the bigger your squad, the less you need to do that and talk effectively. I also don't mind if people don't talk, but at least give a "Roger that" or "No sir" when you ask them a question.

[glaucoma]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

When playing with friends I use third-party software (teamspeak, gtalk) to communicate, simply because I don't have to push-to-talk, which is horrible in certain situations, and because the sound quality is higher.
Otherwise, I like the VOIP because it's fun to listen to. There's few things more amusing than some mil-nerds shouting aggressively in military jargon in a computer game.
Also, I'll frankly use the VOIP of a squad me and friends made to talk about whatever the hell I goddamn please and in whatever language I want. When the random guy who just joins the squad to use me as a spawn point has objections to that, he's free to leave. Not like anyone invited him.
When I'm in some random squad, I either never say a word, or use it to point out useful things, especially during the 90% of the time when the spotting doesn't work.

Also, I find it highly aggravating when random gunners, that can't engage targets not in their direct sight, don't use the VOIP when in my chopper. I'll just either bail or stick them into the punish and go solo. Saves me tons of headache and deaths from the "OH SORZ DIDNT SEE THAT LINEBACKER YOU SPOTTED 300 TIMES FOR ME! ;(".

Also, I'd really like for VOIP to work like a megaphone, so you can just shout at people nearby - would love to sneak up on snipers just to shout BOOO! and give them heart attacks.

[vbl]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

Yea, I never use it. Like most, the people I hear are too loud or too soft, or just too chatty. Good spotting gives the team 99% of the intelligence they need.

Honestly, it's a tool to help direct people who have no idea what they ought to be doing in a given situation.

[WarGimp]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

That's not always the case.

It's invaluable to a squad working well together. Verbally communicating plans, requests for certain kit support, calling off targets in a chopper, or even just boosting squad moral.

I've noticed that like in real life, people fight better when they're pumped. Give your squad a few complements, toss out the occasional "hurah", and comment on spectacular things. It get's people feeling more comfortable with the whole voice thing when it's a little more social, but still remaining effective communication.

[Older-OMO]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

VOIP is a pain when you die, in between rounds, or want to talk to the commander or someone outside your squad. I use it with people that aren't on TS or Ventrilo. TS or Vent are the most effective at sustaining teamwork. Downside is you can't just pick a random server.

[glaucoma]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

That's not always the case.

It's invaluable to a squad working well together. Verbally communicating plans, requests for certain kit support, calling off targets in a chopper, or even just boosting squad moral.

I've noticed that like in real life, people fight better when they're pumped. Give your squad a few complements, toss out the occasional "hurah", and comment on spectacular things. It get's people feeling more comfortable with the whole voice thing when it's a little more social, but still remaining effective communication.

Maybe it's just me, but I always find it sortof amusing when some guy goes
"H u z z a h! Good King George for ever!"
or similar just because someone capped a flag.
I agree though that the squadleader lining out what to do in brief via VOIP can prove to be very essential to success, because the "ATTACK HERE" sometimes just doesn't cut the mustard if he wants you to sneak around without engaging any hostiles, or similar.

[WarGimp]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

Maybe it's just me, but I always find it sortof amusing when some guy goes
"H u z z a h! Good King George for ever!"
or similar just because someone capped a flag.

Hehe. Yeah, um... good fer da king.
Nice ta have people doing things for you in a video game so many years after becoming worm food. :p

Yeah, I'm more along the lines of "Nice opp" or "Fuggin great cap guys, that rocked".

I agree though that the squadleader lining out what to do in brief via VOIP can prove to be very essential to success, because the "ATTACK HERE" sometimes just doesn't cut the mustard if he wants you to sneak around without engaging any hostiles, or similar.

There's nothing like it... but ya gotta have a squad going that's got the right mentality. I'm lucky enough to play on a server regularly where I know that finding the good squadies isn't a problem.

Kinda spoiled, really.

[FievelGoesPostal]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

I disabled VOIP in BF2 because it was causing lag issues. I was getting those connection interrupted messages all the time and it made it almost unplayable. After I disabled VOIP I never had a problem

[Jofaba]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

I've enabled VOIP before but never heard anyone talking, or anything other than regular game sounds for that matter. I don't really see the point though, considering you can type what you want. True, some if not most of what you say doesn't get read, but I just imagined, and you guys confirmed it, that VOIP had to pretty much suck. I've used headsets before to try and do audio chats through IM services and it sucked. A $15 headset isn't going to do anyone any good, and I don't see the point of spending more than that for something I'll only use with one game.

Maybe if commander messages were red and a little bigger/bolder, and squad leader was orange and same deal with bigger/bolder. It'd stand out enough to be helpful.

[-(PK)-DarkIllusion]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

i dont turn it off, but i do ignore it unless they're talkin to me. its very irritating having to press "B" to talk to your teamate while you fly a plane or a helo, when you're already using all your left fingers to fly. i only use it to when i command, to tell squads about stuff.

[pickled pizza]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

For anyone wondering, to mute the smacktards you can:
Go into the spawn/squad menu and click the little microphone icon next to the person's name (if they're talking it'll be lit up) and a little X will cross out the icon and they're muted. To unmute them click it again.

Or go into the scores menu, go to manage, and do the same thing.

Now you don't have to complain about people screaming. I leave my VOIP on because every once in a while you'll get some decent people and I just mute all the annoying ones.

[The Question]

Re: VOIP cons (maybe why some turn it off)

I turned VOIP off after some little British kid was cursing at me for something.