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Drama Mamas: Voice communication etiquette for MMO players
Photo: Moe_ Headsets and voice communications have become ubiquitous to group play in MMOs today. Guilds freely share their server addresses with pickup players. PvP groups rely on tight communication to sweep to resounding battleground victories. Even players in random groups often meet up on voice comms to simplify strategy and tactical coordination. Headsets have become quite affordable, and USB connections make it easy to simply plug in and play. Despite all this, speaking up in a channel full of strangers can be one of the more intimidating and awkward experiences in your group play experience. And then there's the other side of the coin: bearing up under the onslaught of That Guy in Vent who's cursing up a blue streak at every turn of the encounter, leaving his mic open so the rest of us can fully experience his barking dog, his blaring television and his half-chewed mouthful of pizza. The Voice Comms Etiquette talk probably wasn't part of your mama's standard coming-of-age advice repertoire, so consider this the heart-to-heart advisory every player should receive upon reaching grouping age. Go forth with awareness and the facts!
The Guild Counsel: Guild-friendly features for which to be thankful
If you're reading this, it's probably well into Thanksgiving Day, which makes me wonder why you are reading this -- it's Thanksgiving Day! Perhaps you're playing catch-up while you finish up that slice of pumpkin pie. Or maybe you're back home, raiding the fridge for a late night turkey snack and a quick MMO update. Whatever your reason, there are many things that we can be thankful for when it comes to our MMOs. We've come a long way when it comes to guild-friendly features, and it's worth taking a look at in this week's Guild Counsel.
The Guild Counsel: To vent or not to vent
As we've looked at the ins and outs of managing a guild, one issue that's often overlooked is whether to vent or not to vent. No, not the Minus 50 DKP type of vent -- I'm talking about Ventrilo and voice chat in general. Ten years ago, guild leaders didn't have to worry about this, because the choice was between typing text or hosting a LAN party. But today, with the rise of voice chat clients like Ventrilo and in-game voice services like Vivox, the culture has changed quite a bit. In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at the benefits of type vs. voice chat, and we'll look at what role each plays in guild management. Whether you sleep with your headset on or cling to your keyboard, read on for a look at why both have their merits.
What's your voice comm system of choice?
This post has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. It was before my time, but I still hear nostalgic stories about how TeamSpeak was once the voice communication service of choice for MMO gamers. Barring a few potential holdouts -- who I must assume are raiding from nondescript shacks in the mountains of Montana -- there's been a very clear sea change that has placed Ventrilo quite comfortably at the top of the heap. If you raid, chances are you have Vent. Like its predecessors, though, Vent has competitors of its own vying to overthrow the current king of speech. Perhaps the one getting the most attention right now is Mumble, which boasts low latency, clear sound, and the pseudo-celebrity endorsements of more than a few WoW Insider staffers. Personally, my guild started using Mumble a few months ago and hasn't looked back. Now, this is partly because one of my officers pimps it out like she's getting paid, but mostly because so many of the guildies just plain think it's better. We've run into some problems -- mainly with installation or getting the not-always-intuitive client to work properly -- but for better or worse, it looks like we've been transformed into a Mumble guild. We've even started requesting that puggies download it before raids, promising them that they'll never again want to return to Ventrilo. So, have you tried Mumble yet, either of your own volition or due to peer (to peer) pressure? Did you feel like there were benefits, or did you find yourself missing Vent? Do you think it will ever become as ubiquitous as Vent or will it eventually fade into obscurity? Most importantly, what will you Vent loyalists do the next time you enter a raid and the leader sends you their Mumble info? %Poll-61444%
Alter-Ego: Working together is hard to do
The news earlier this week that DC Universe Online is now Sony Online Entertainment's best-selling game probably won't come as much of a surprise to anyone who has actually played it. There's an enormous amount of fun to be had in running through the game, and the storylines are incredibly well thought-out. However, for all that I personally love the game, there is one thing that I and many other people I've talked to find to be incredibly lacking, and in this case, it's something so integral to the MMOG experience as to essentially make or break parts of the game. Essentially, what point is there to an MMO in which you can't really reliably interact with the other people you're playing with? It's also rather eye-opening just how much your enjoyment of a game like this can be impacted when you can't effectively talk to other people. As such, this week I'll look at several crucial problems with the DC Universe Online chat interface, as well as things that can be done to improve the overall experience.
WRUP: War is actually good for a remarkable number of things edition
War kind of gets a bad rap, what with the whole causing widespread meaningless slaughter. But let's face it, despite what Edwin Starr may have said, war is actually good for a wide variety of things. For example, widespread slaughter? War is totally good at that. And if countless MMOs have proven anything, it's that war is a great way to provide quest objectives, assuming that you get to respawn if you lose. Also, there are snazzy uniforms and big explosions. It's basically good for the same things as Michael Bay's cinematography. If this has you all excited, I'm sorry to say that this week's WRUP does not feature Massively or any of its staff members going to war, not counting Bree's war on "they" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. It does, however, feature the staff explaining what we'll be doing over the weekend and what we like in terms of voice chat. So click on past the break to see what we'll be up to, and let us know what you'll be doing in the comments.
The Daily Grind: Are you a chat Luddite?
So DC Universe Online's voice chat is broken, according to many of the commenters on this and other MMO-centric websites. Ironically, even if the game had no voice chat at all, it would be less broken than the abject disaster that serves as the superhero title's text chat interface. While the game is enjoyable enough in most respects, I scratch my head as to how a development firm with SOE's considerable expertise could scrimp on something as vital as in-game text chat. The cynic in me says that it's because the PS3 version takes priority, but whatever the reason, DCUO's social tools (at least on the PC) are in dire need of someone who cares. That brings up an interesting point regarding voice chat vs. text chat. While third-party programs such as Mumble and Ventrilo have been the norm for "serious" MMO guilds for years now, it's only recently that games have started incorporating voice chat (and players have started expecting it). Sure, voice can be vital for raids, PvP, and challenging endgame content, but is it really necessary (or desirable) for most of the things we do on our way to the level cap? Today's Daily Grind is all about your stance in the voice vs. text chat debate. Are you a chat Luddite? Do you refuse to play a game without voice chat? Inquiring Massively minds want to know. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Breakfast Topic: Push to talk
Ventrilo. WoW's second communication backbone has been and can be the source of comedy, drama and everything in between. From loot freakouts and epic guild removals to Onyxia wipes and pranks-a-plenty, Ventrilo is ubiquitous with the massively multiplayer genre and experience. We all have our legendary stories, but what does Ventrilo mean to the games we play? In fact, what role does communication play in our virtual worlds? The first communication backbone of World of Warcraft is the chat itself. The fully realized interaction we have with the people inhabiting the world with us boils down to what appears inside that chat box. Communication with chat is limited, however, by typing speed, range of communication, lack of vocal inflection, tone, and volume. Key components of human communication are missing from the very basic communication apparatus we use to interact in WoW. Communication has a long and varied history in the MMO genre. Before Ventrilo and Teamspeak, my friends and I had a complex system of phone conference calls to make communication in Ultima Online easier. Before Paypal and other cash services, people would send checks, money orders and cash to other countries to purchase items in MUDs, the proto-MMO. These forms of communication paved the way for the pieces of software we take for granted today. Humans are social creatures. Ventrilo was an inevitability. But there has to be more, something that will become as ubiquitous as voice. So here's the question -- where is communication in games headed? What is the next or new Ventrilo?
The Daily Grind: Push to blurt
Voice chat in games -- XBox Live, Vent, TS or whatever poison you prefer -- is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it offers near-instantaneous communication between players, frees up the need to type out conversations, and adds tone and personality to unseen players. On the other hand, the phrase "speaking without thinking" comes to mind. In the Massively offices, we were sharing tales of some of the odder Vent outbursts in our history. These included Rubi using her Mom Voice to break up a fight between her kids while not realizing she was accidentally chewing out her entire raid, a guy who was annoyed that his girlfriend went into labor in the middle of a heated play session, and the ever-popular "Holy crap, some idiot just drove their car through the side of my house!" We've all been there on both sides of disturbing, bizarre, hilarious or just plain weird Vent outbursts -- and we want to hear yours today! When were you the sender or receiver of some crazy Vent outburst that stunned the voice chat room into silence... or sent them to the floor laughing? What string of unfortunate words have you ever heard blurted from a guildie?
Gearing up for PvP - Your sound system
So you've got your computer, your input device, and maybe some specialized keyboard. The only thing you'll need now is some sound system. In the conclusion of this series, we'll take a look at what you use for game sounds. For general gaming purposes, your computer's default sound system, if any, should really do fine. On the other hand, if you're serious about your PvP, you might want to invest in a good headset. If you normally play at home and have the luxury of playing indiscreetly, a great sound system is an awesome thing to have. Personally, I don't play external background music (e.g., through iTunes) whenever I PvP. It's cool for PvP videos, but it's generally a bad idea. For one thing, music, even the one found in-game, tends to obscure important PvP sounds. In particular, the stealth sound is one of the most important sound effects in World of Warcraft PvP. That sound will often, but not always, precede visual confirmation of a stealthed unit nearby. If only for this reason, I turn up game sounds and lower in-game music to an ambient level.
Observations from running a Naxx-25 PuG
I'm very "up" on PuGs. I started my career as a PuG tank and met a lot of great players that way, many of whom I still raid with today. I've always been a stout supporter of throwing caution to the wind and joining LFG for an afternoon to see where it'll take you; it's been my experience that random players on your realm can and often will surprise you. Once you master the art of the 5-person PuG, the ultimate risk is a raid PuG. One-shot the instance, or spend the night wiping? You won't know until you try.I used to run Hyjal PuG's in late Burning Crusade and got to be the person in charge of arranging healers on Anetheron, explaining where to die on Azgalor, and uttering a hollow laugh at suggestions on whether or not Archimonde was in the cards (answer: hell no). I wasn't around for my guild's Naxx run one of these past weeks, and a few guildies were interested in gearing up their alts, so we thought -- PuG a 25-man Naxx? Why not?
Vivox to offer cross-platform browser plugin for game VOIP
Vivox, already firmly entrenched as the in-game voice over IP option for EVE Online, several of SOE's games, and Second Life, is now upping the ante by announcing that they intend to take their service cross-platform - and potentially cross-game, if the developers allow it. If they manage to do that, it means you could play EverQuest II and still hang out and talk smack with your friends flying through space in EVE Online, or checking out the latest in Second Life. Not only are those options interesting, but in releasing it as a browser plugin, they open up the option for guilds to potentially use it on their own sites; allowing people not logged in to still talk to those playing. Depending on cost and scalability, this could potentially take a bite out of the market Ventrilo and TeamSpeak are in, as we'd bet 99.9% of gamers already have browsers on their machines, and many run them while gaming anyway. Add to that Vivox's plan to allow users to eventually call in to the chat from cell phones (late to the raid - call ahead) and you can see where this is definitely an interesting development to those playing MMOs. They'll be discussing the specifics at GDC, so hopefully we'll get more details on just how this will happen, if players will have to (or be able to) host their own servers, and the potential roll-out dates for this new service.
Issues with DC Universe Online cross-play not entirely technical, also cultural
Will cross-platform play be a part of DC Universe Online come launch day? In light of a recent interview between Tracey John of MTV Multiplayer and DCUO devs Wes Yanagi and Jens Andersen, it's not looking too good.While the official answer was more of a "We'll see." the overall direction of the two developers' response to the cross-play question was to punctuate the social discrepancies between PC MMO players and console users. They cited the PC MMO ritual of getting to know someone in text chat before speaking via TeamSpeak or Ventrilo, then followed that with the console experience: Microphones, matchmaking and lots of subsequent smacktalking. A fair point.Although, on the other hand, Playstation 3's don't come with a standard headset like Xbox 360's. In fact, many users seem to have been adjusting just fine to text in the recently launched Home service -- although there seems to be plenty of griefing. So while console and PC MMO players may not blend well as is, the PS3 is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to communique in the first place. So who knows? Did you enjoy this? We've donned our capes and tights to explore SOE's DC Universe Online in-depth. Come explore more of Metropolis and Gotham with your friends at Massively!
The Queue: Shoo fly, don't bother me
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.To kick things off today, I actually wanted to add something to one of Adam's responses yesterday. Spiraea was looking for a title that would fit their Priest. Adam suggested The Immortal, but me? I'm all about the Hallowed. You can't get it until October, which makes getting your hands on it tough... but it'll be worth the wait! It's my favorite title on my Priest. When I get a new raid title I switch to that for awhile, but always go back to Hallowed.realt asked... I have a question regarding in-game voice chat (or Ventrilo). Our guild has never used voice-chat when raiding. So far we have done pretty well with clearing all 10man content, including Sartharion+1D, without it. Now we are progressing into 25man. At which point do we really need starting using voice chat you think or isn't required at all? I haven't been in many other raiding guilds besides this one so I am curious how others are handling their communication.
The Daily Grind: Do you use integrated voice chat?
Integrated voice chat is becoming a default feature of many newer MMOs, and it's even been retrofitted into our older games, like EverQuest II and World of Warcraft. It's like power steering on a new car; you almost can't remember a time before it was standard. Games like Dungeons and Dragons Online were among the first to offer the feature, while others soon followed suit.Personally, I find myself sticking with programs like Ventrilo or TeamSpeak to run my voice chat. Even in Lord of the Rings Online, I find myself turning off the IVC to use TeamSpeak with my kinship. So the important question here is: What do you prefer? Does integrated voice chat cause your game to lag, or any other performance problems? Do you just prefer Vent or TS (or Skype, or Xfire, etc) because you're used to it from before it became integrated? Let us know!
EVE's spies and metagamers
EVE Online is one of the few MMOs where players in guilds (corporations and alliances) have some valid concerns about spies from rival groups infiltrating their ranks. The concept of being a spy or saboteur is a profession of sorts that arose in the game. There aren't any game mechanics that necessarily enable spying or make it into a viable profession, nor are there any rules that prohibit most of these activities. Wes from EVE Tribune recently wrote a piece called "Metagaming", dealing with how espionage can impact rival corporations and alliances in EVE. Wes asks, "Why is everyone so paranoid about spies and metagaming?" then goes on to explain how espionage in EVE works, categorizing spies by their modus operandi:
The Daily Grind: In-game or private VOIP?
One of the best things for many gamers who play in team settings (in PvP, in raids, etc.) is voice over IP (VOIP) software. Need to give out raid instructions? No longer do you need to waste time typing things out or boring people with long macros full of information. Now you can toss on a headset and away you go. Of course, you have your pick -- games like EVE Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and even World of Warcraft have introduced VOIP. However, the interesting thing we keep finding is how few people actually use it. This morning we thought we'd do something of an unscientific poll amongst the readers just to see where the unofficial Massively reader thoughts lie on this. Some of us are figuring it will be against public in-game VOIP, others are warning them that it's generally cheaper than running a server, so they may be in for a surprise. You let us know -- do you use public VOIP, or private servers? If you don't use the in-game systems, why? If you hate private servers, what turned you off from them? %Poll-14988%
Rogue Signal: The unwritten communication rules of EVE PvP
Perhaps more than any other MMO, EVE Online's gameplay relies very heavily on communication between players. I have recently returned to World of Warcraft and gotten a character into Outlands. 62 levels after coming back, it still grates on me a bit that very few people utilize voice chat for both PvE and PvP content. Sure, WoW's in-game voice codec is terrible, but it certainly beats having nothing. I have come to realize that players coming from the opposite perspective are sometimes surprised and occasionally uncomfortable with the mentality of EVE players when it comes to text and voice communication. This guide aims to instruct a new player in the ways of communication in EVE. Text communication is perhaps the easiest to grasp for a new player. The key difference between text chat in EVE and text chat in many other games is the sheer volume of available channels. By default, every player is in the channel for their local chat, their corporation, and their alliance (if applicable). In addition, there is an uncountable number of channels out there that you could be chatting in.
Reminder: Mario Kart Wii has voice chat, it's called XBL, PSN, Skype, etc.
We thought it'd be best to reprint our advice from the Super Smash Bros. Brawl release: if you want to chat up your friends while doing laps in Mario Kart Wii, here are five options we found -- harnessing the power of other consoles or a com-pu-ter -- for chatting up your friends. (Looking for a place to share your Kart friend codes? We'll set up a über-list post closer to tonight's US release. Here's a link to the über-list.) Xbox Live: Or as we've come to know it -- Kart LIVE®. Just set up private chat and off you go. Got more than one friend? Go into a Halo 3 lobby (you do have Halo 3, right?). PSN: Start up a new chat under the "friends" section of the XMB. Invite all the friends you want and wait for them to join. Works and sounds exceptional! USB and Bluetooth compatible. Skype: Set up a conference call. TeamSpeak or Ventrilo: Guilds, clans and other computer types know these services. Perfect for guildies racing together. Nintendo DS: Use Metroid Prime Hunters or Pokémon Diamond or Pearl. Warning: More inane codes required to pull this option off. There are also homebrew options. Of course, if none of these options are viable, might we suggest using a classic: The phone. Need a Kart fix? Check out all our coverage of Mario Kart Wii!
WoW Rookie: Communication Part 2
WoW Rookie is brought to our readers to help our newest players get acclimated to the game. Make sure you send a note to WoW Insider if you have suggestions for what new players need to know. I have to compliment Blizzard on paying attention to the tools the players are using. They've made many changes to the User Interface to integrate those tools into the World of Warcraft. Unfortunately, like the voice chat interface, many of those changes have had bugs and have not been widely accepted by players. As you progress through the levels you will find that you will likely have to download third party programs to facilitate your play. Ventrilo and Teamspeak are some of the most widely used third party applications used in WoW. These tools facilitate voice chat which is necessary when quickly coordinating activities. In most cases you will find yourself excused from a raid or premade battleground if you do not have the proper tools.
