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Any plan for built-in voice chat?
scorpio0679
Member Posts: 22
in Guild Wars 2
I don't quite understand why it's been so difficult for many of these games to build in voice communication . . . seems to me like the first game to do this will have a leg up on the competition. An easy-to-use, built-in, self-configuring voice chat that only requires you to plug in a mic. Anyone know if such a feature is planned for GW2? It would be a huge boost, especially for a pvp-oriented title. Too many people have heartache about downloading TS or Vent or don't know how to use it, etc.
s
Comments
VOIP is supposedly going to be used in Guild Wars 2 but nothing official from ArenaNet.
I don't see a reason for it since current voice communication programs are already good and easy to use. Eve's built-in voice-chat serves only as a backup since it is... well... not good. Also, using different program means you're using different hardware to relay that message as well. That way even when the game server lags, your voice chat stays sharp and lag-free.
With enough motivation anyone can learn to use anything. Give a guy a beer bottle and no opener and see the magic happen.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Well, I don't know any facts about it.
Speculating, I'd say most developers wouldn't see a need for it as there exists already Ventrilo/TeamSpeak for these purposes (any guild looking to be competitive WILL use one of these), or at least the investors would think that way, enough to not "waste" any development time into such a feature (like you see companies developing few, if any, non-combat entertainment for their themeparks, sometimes they ignore the wrong features and fail to meet expectations).
Few attempt to create their own solution, but those are Blizzard and CCP, I don't remember any others.
I think there is a possibility for that though, what they accomplished with GW charging no monthly fee years ago is amazing for a company that didn't make a MMO (yet today many MMOs feature less concurrent users in an area than GW and try to foolish people calling their games MMOs so they call charge the monthly fee). And they didn't rely on an item mall that rewards uberness for those who pay enough *cough* most F2Ps *cough*.
There are several MMOs that have built in VoIP. The reason they are not generally used is because they are not as feature rich or have the same quality as some of the third party alternatives. But I'm going to agree with OP in that the first MMO that will integrate a feature rich, fully integrated quality VoIP solution will have a lot going for it. When I play LoTRO, I have the in-game voice chat always enabled and its just so nice and easy to be able to group up with random people and be able to talk. Made a lot of friends that way and it makes a big difference even in simple LFF group quests.
Guild Wars 2 is one of the most anticipated games for me, and I don't know what their voice chat plans are, but IMO they had better address it. One of their competitors, 38 Studios has partnered with Vivox to fully integrate their VoIP solution into Copernicus. I think this is going to be a requirement for future next-gen AAA mmos.
For a "competitive" or even semi-"competitive" guild, I can see why TS or Vent would be preferable, for all the reasons you state above. However, I think my point was more along what ForceQuit is saying - that a fully integrated solution would deepen and enrichen the content quite dramatically - really, it would add a new dimension to the game. Consider being able to "talk" out loud and people nearby being able to hear you speaking, volume based on proximity, rather than by being logged into a third party program, in the same way as you use /say commands. It would give a new meaning to /yell /whisper /say , etc.
Anyway, I would really like to see a fully integrated, quality voice solution that people would want to use.
s
For a "competitive" or even semi-"competitive" guild, I can see why TS or Vent would be preferable, for all the reasons you state above. However, I think my point was more along what ForceQuit is saying - that a fully integrated solution would deepen and enrichen the content quite dramatically - really, it would add a new dimension to the game. Consider being able to "talk" out loud and people nearby being able to hear you speaking, volume based on proximity, rather than by being logged into a third party program, in the same way as you use /say commands. It would give a new meaning to /yell /whisper /say , etc.
Anyway, I would really like to see a fully integrated, quality voice solution that people would want to use.
s
That sounds like a great idea! go suggest it to them before they finish making the game, quick!! ^^
For a "competitive" or even semi-"competitive" guild, I can see why TS or Vent would be preferable, for all the reasons you state above. However, I think my point was more along what ForceQuit is saying - that a fully integrated solution would deepen and enrichen the content quite dramatically - really, it would add a new dimension to the game. Consider being able to "talk" out loud and people nearby being able to hear you speaking, volume based on proximity, rather than by being logged into a third party program, in the same way as you use /say commands. It would give a new meaning to /yell /whisper /say , etc.
Anyway, I would really like to see a fully integrated, quality voice solution that people would want to use.
s
I see atleast two problems with it.
1. Chatter can get loud or annoying which will lead to same thing as in every other game that has done this before - muting players or it needs an off switch (default setting for the majority would be "OFF").
2. People can and will still use 3rd party programs, so you would only make this feature for only those players who think this is "nice". Wasted man-hours, I say.
Here's a thought:
Why wouldn't the devs pick a 3rd party program and promote it in ways like: Players can put a link of their TS/Vent/Mumble server to their guild/party chat and people could join it by simply clicking - no copying and pasteing.
I'd imagine it would be a bit easier than just make your own voice-com.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
I like the idea. Would save guild leaders from having to pay for a vent server.
Id like to see it implemented with a 2nd volume control that would control maximum volume. I use headphones and sometimes it gets too loud. Either another player has static problems, or feedback, or just sometimes gets too excited and starts yelling. Its not enough to control it with just the normal volume level. There needs to be a maximum volume.
Nearly every new game is using in game VOIP, If Guild Wars 2 is to challenge them it must have it.
Built in voice chat would be good. But it would be hard to do. If they pull it off that woud be great and Guild wars 2 would be the best game of the century for me
I thought that LOTRO did a very good job with it's built in voice chat.
That would be stupid . ... most of the people who play this game are kids. Like I want to hear a 14 yr old crying while I play . ..
: P
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In regard to Guild Wars 2 and voip, I think two questions arise for the developers. The first is "Do we implement VOIP or not?" If yes, the key question is "How do we implement it?" Additionally, Q1's answer will be determined by the possibilities of Q2's answers.
It's only a few minutes before class starts so I don't have a whole lot of time to go into it, but here are some of the major issues I'd would hope they address.
Hording all your apples in the same basket
If Mary Malone (pre-searing) hadn't put all her apples in that one basket, she might not be stuck where she is when the player comes across her in Regent Valley. Arena-net likewise could fall into this and create a lot of grief for their players and themselves.
If a game had VOIP, I probably wouldn't use it because like was mentioned earlier, if the game lacks, all communication is shut down as well. Now, GW operates on multiple servers. You have a friend's server and then the main one you play on. Sometimes you can reconnect to one and not the other, or disconnect from one and not the other. If in-game VOIP operated on a different server than the actual game, then this wouldn't be as large of a problem at all, and I'd probably use it. Two baskets. If one fails, at least you'll have the other.
And class is starting, so I'll post my other points later. Chew on this idea for now.