In-Game VOIP

Allow me to make my case on why you should have in-game Voice Over IP.

First of all, let me say I've been playing RTS/RTT games since they first started. Played the heck out of Total Annihilation and loved it. Been playing computer games for 34 years since I was 5 years old (39 today).

I purchase about 20 new titles every year, so I've seen a lot over the years.

Anyway, let me tell you that for some strange reason no RTT game has yet to dethrone a game released in 2007 called World in Conflict (multiplayer). It is still played today by an avid group of followers, and I believe one big reason is because of the in-game VOIP. It adds life to the game. It adds more socialization to the game, and let's face it a lot of people play multiplayer games for the socialization aspect. The ability for players to voice chat and listen to other players voice chat is a unique experience for online multiplayer games.

Therefore, I highly recommend the incorporation of in-game VOIP for Planetary Annihilation. It will greatly extend the shelf life of the game and add lots fun.

For sure, this is integrated in FAF and it's nice.

No doubt someone will argue that all voip should not be present for anyone because you might get some idiots. Mute solves that easily enough.

If there's one thing that voip really does well is encourage teamplay. So easy to communicate with your teammates, help each other out, form strategies etc. With normal chat there is so much less scope for adding detail and in practice no one works together. It would be great to have it in and would add so much more interesting gameplay into teamgames.

I am very sure that there already is a thread about this.
It seemed like Uber Ent is not a fan of in-game VOIP and I can understand why.

It's very limited and can be annoying. The main reason most PC-games even have this is that they are console ports.

You are better off using TeamSpeak or something similar.

Not at all. The average player will not have access to TS as that will only apply to 1% of the player population.

The thing about in-game VOIP is it gets the average player more interested, noobies can learn more easily, teamplay is greatly enhanced, and it just creates an environment of more fun. As the gentleman stated above the 'mute' feature solves all.

Sometimes it's just kind of nice to meet and hear the voice of new people that play the same game as you. TS is outdated.

It WILL create online friendships that will last for years. It's an amazing phenomenon really.

i know that if they implement it, i certainly wont be using it. I really dont enjoy listening to randoms with no game knowledge, if i wanted to play with team mates, it would be with people i know outside the game and would be using TS or something similar.

Right, it's not for everybody particularly those who don't understand the power of team work. I used to think the same thing but sometimes it gets tempting to jump on the mic and help out a newbie, say hello to someone, or request help assistance from a nearby teammate that you have never spoken to in your life.

So for example, you're fighting in a certain part of the map, there's a nearby teammate and you have no clue who he is and have never spoken to him before but you sure do need some kind of assistance from him in the game - well there you go - jump on the VOIP and ask him.

It's a different type of mentality - I can see where the lonesome dove that doesn't believe in teamplay wouldn't be in favor of VOIP, but as for those players who do understand and appreciate the concept of teamwork would definitely like VOIP.

but the likelyhood is that im already in some form of call or channel.

Granted, this is just a video game but "voice communications" is a vital component of the military on the battlefield, and for good reason. Can you imagine today's or future Armed Forces relying on text messages only? Haha.

Why not give the game that added flavor of what real sci-fi militaries would have? Not everyone would talk, but the natural born leaders most likely would to hopefully lead their team to victory. Keep in mind, PC games have a more mature player base than do consoles.

You can use both. I've seen people on World in Conflict use both.

World in Conflict did an AMAZING job of implementing this feature. It was simple and beautiful, push to talk, if you don't wanna hear people mute.

I really support the idea of a similar system in this game. With large, multi-planet maps and teams it seems almost essential to have some kind of voice communication. Yes there are options, but only if you pre-arrange and take extra steps(that most won't). I'd like to be able to talk to randoms and meet new people in-game.

And no, I don't buy the typical cop-out negativity that this isn't worthwhile because of dicks on the internet. As long as competent muting options are present, that argument is null and void, not to mention highly over exaggerated, throughout my tour of gaming I have met more cool people than trolls (besides this game won't exactly attract the pre-teen cod crowd either).

i dislike exterior VOIP solutions in games. as far as what i've seen, all it does is fracture players into their own groups and cells and makes it much more difficult to have a similar level of communication and connection with players you aren't already friends with.

There are still multiple threads with the similar topic. You should do a search before you create your own thread.

Also TS3 is nowhere close to being outdated. Alot of people even integrate it into applications, so you prob just never noticed that you are using it.

Search the forums!

Well, then you have been extremely fortunate, as many people can't say the same.

I know that the devs have already commented on this issue and have stated that they think that since so many alternate options exist, that it is beyond the scope of this game's limited budget/time to implement something like this.

There is some validity to this argument, since once the game lobby is joined, it is rather annoying to try to set up voice comms externally with people who may or may not have the same programs installed.

This may very well be something that Uber puts into place after full release in December, but for right now, it is not in the works and hasn't been mentioned with any certainty as a post release feature.

for the purposes of alpha/beta releases it makes much more sense to use an external solution, I say so for the purposes of testing and discussion pre/during/post match, as opposed to the potential community building aspect i mentioned before.

And as I've said, a competent mute button renders that complaint totally invalid.

I saw the previous thread where neutrino commented, he kind of waffled at first before coming down on the "nah" side. Doesn't mean I won't post in favor of it whenever the topic comes up.

If teamwork is to be emphasized at all in this game(which I think it will if 40 players can play in a single match), then a integrated VoIP feature should be considered, and asked for.

An extra feature loved by some, neutral to others, and hated by one or two is never a bad idea.

TeamSpeak cost extra money and excludes 99% of the player base.

I think somebody is not admitting to the real reason they oppose it, but I have some ideas to why.

I would say hated by more than just one or two.

Who said TeamSpeak was the only option? I also think 99% is a grossly inaccurate number you made up.

Who, and what is that real reason?

Oh good, so you're saying it's a popular topic due to high demand. That's great to hear. Maybe the game devs will take heed.

No comment on anything else Kreulgor said, but why would anyone "hate" a properly implemented VoIP?

There is literally no reason to hate it unless it was implemented so poorly that you cannot mute mics in-game. Typically you can turn the feature off/globally mute if you don't want to use it.

I estimate that VOIP will double the lifespan of Planetary Annihilation which results in more revenue for Uber Entertainment and more fun for the players.

When I think of the hundred or so RTS game titles I've played over the decades, and when I try to imagine if they had in-game VOIP I'm quite certain that I personally would had played those games longer than what I did.

The point here is it is something I believe will help to retain and increase the Planetary Annihilation player base. I'm quite certain WiC would had died completely a few years ago if not for the VOIP.