OrenSatov
August 12th, 2012, 14:35
This was originally posted in a less than ideal place on August 2nd 2012. I've been asked to move it, so I have.
Since we are talking voice clients I'd like to promote the following features / behaviours / standards / netiquette for players. Why do I say players instead of participants? GMs are the linchpin of any game and their voice requirements are different than that of players. (People merely observing a game should pretty much NEVER be heard.)
1) Use a headset, not a mic and speakers, if at all possible. If it currently isn't possible, do what you can to make it possible. Feedback tends to be an issue whenever people have a live mic and speakers within a couple of feet of each other. For some this is a mere annoyance, for others it can effectively destroy the game experience. Either way it makes the game longer as it forces people to pause, restart or have to entirely repeat what they've said. You may be interfacing with a computer but you are playing with real people. Your ease and comfort is NOT the only consideration.
2) Keep the TeamSpeak (or Ventrilo or any other client that gives visual feedback) window open on your screen. The program gives visual confirmation of when anyone has their channel open. Often this gives you a heads-up that someone is about to speak, even though you haven't heard them yet, indicating that this precise moment would NOT be ideal for you to chime in. Also, you can tell whether you can tell whether or not YOU are transmitting. You may not be aware that you are, or you may not be aware that you are not, depending on your settings/configuration.
3) Use the PushToTalk feature. Any time more than one channel is open at the same time feedback can become a problem, even when only one person is speaking. If you use the AutoDetect feature it can be set off by virtually any sound, sometimes even quiet or distant sounds. Just in the past 30 days of gaming (not just PFS games) I've heard the following extraneous sounds broadcast, sometimes drowning out the legitimate voice traffic: nose blowing, ringing telephones, phone conversations, use of illegal (where it was being used) drugs via a bong, sneezing, coughing, vigorous passing of wind, self-talk/muttering, spousal/parental arguments/abuse, eating, loud gum-chewing including blowing/popping bubbles, dog barking, cat meowing, bird squawking, and "Hulk smash!"-level typing (heavy hail storms are less noisy). Remember, the volume of the sound isn't necessarily the problem. The fact that multiple channels are simulatenously transmitting, even multiple silent channels (!), can cause feedback.
Online gaming is NOT the same as F2F gaming. Air transmits sound very differently than electonics do, particularly with digital and/or narrow spectrum / compressed bandwidth channels. These sounds may be cricket F2F but they are generally serious disruptions Online.
For clients that do not have a PushToTalk option, like Skype, be aware that you can always mute/unmute your mike. Skype makes this easy by forcing open a small activity window even when the conversation window is minimized.
Another possible option to reduce/eliminate channel conflicts/feedback is to temporarily disable your speakers while speaking. TeamSpeak lets you do this.
4) If you are consistently/repeatedly being told that your software/driver/hardware setup are causing noise for others, please be aware of the situation. This is NOT a good time to make throw-away jokes or say anything else not immediately relevant to the game and its participants. Instead, since you have been informed that you are unwittingly causing a disruption, you should be trying to keep your voice communication to a minimum. If you have no way of repairing the situation and want to give 'side' info, consider typing it rather than speaking. Frankly, if you aren't the GM and it is not your turn you should *always* seriously consider typing your thoughts before speaking them. Between games, look into addressing the situation in whatever way you can. Update drivers. Replace faulty hardware. Buy a headset if you don't have one that works. Use different settings. Be proactive.
If I've left anything out feel free to add to these general guidelines.
Thanks for your consideration.
Since we are talking voice clients I'd like to promote the following features / behaviours / standards / netiquette for players. Why do I say players instead of participants? GMs are the linchpin of any game and their voice requirements are different than that of players. (People merely observing a game should pretty much NEVER be heard.)
1) Use a headset, not a mic and speakers, if at all possible. If it currently isn't possible, do what you can to make it possible. Feedback tends to be an issue whenever people have a live mic and speakers within a couple of feet of each other. For some this is a mere annoyance, for others it can effectively destroy the game experience. Either way it makes the game longer as it forces people to pause, restart or have to entirely repeat what they've said. You may be interfacing with a computer but you are playing with real people. Your ease and comfort is NOT the only consideration.
2) Keep the TeamSpeak (or Ventrilo or any other client that gives visual feedback) window open on your screen. The program gives visual confirmation of when anyone has their channel open. Often this gives you a heads-up that someone is about to speak, even though you haven't heard them yet, indicating that this precise moment would NOT be ideal for you to chime in. Also, you can tell whether you can tell whether or not YOU are transmitting. You may not be aware that you are, or you may not be aware that you are not, depending on your settings/configuration.
3) Use the PushToTalk feature. Any time more than one channel is open at the same time feedback can become a problem, even when only one person is speaking. If you use the AutoDetect feature it can be set off by virtually any sound, sometimes even quiet or distant sounds. Just in the past 30 days of gaming (not just PFS games) I've heard the following extraneous sounds broadcast, sometimes drowning out the legitimate voice traffic: nose blowing, ringing telephones, phone conversations, use of illegal (where it was being used) drugs via a bong, sneezing, coughing, vigorous passing of wind, self-talk/muttering, spousal/parental arguments/abuse, eating, loud gum-chewing including blowing/popping bubbles, dog barking, cat meowing, bird squawking, and "Hulk smash!"-level typing (heavy hail storms are less noisy). Remember, the volume of the sound isn't necessarily the problem. The fact that multiple channels are simulatenously transmitting, even multiple silent channels (!), can cause feedback.
Online gaming is NOT the same as F2F gaming. Air transmits sound very differently than electonics do, particularly with digital and/or narrow spectrum / compressed bandwidth channels. These sounds may be cricket F2F but they are generally serious disruptions Online.
For clients that do not have a PushToTalk option, like Skype, be aware that you can always mute/unmute your mike. Skype makes this easy by forcing open a small activity window even when the conversation window is minimized.
Another possible option to reduce/eliminate channel conflicts/feedback is to temporarily disable your speakers while speaking. TeamSpeak lets you do this.
4) If you are consistently/repeatedly being told that your software/driver/hardware setup are causing noise for others, please be aware of the situation. This is NOT a good time to make throw-away jokes or say anything else not immediately relevant to the game and its participants. Instead, since you have been informed that you are unwittingly causing a disruption, you should be trying to keep your voice communication to a minimum. If you have no way of repairing the situation and want to give 'side' info, consider typing it rather than speaking. Frankly, if you aren't the GM and it is not your turn you should *always* seriously consider typing your thoughts before speaking them. Between games, look into addressing the situation in whatever way you can. Update drivers. Replace faulty hardware. Buy a headset if you don't have one that works. Use different settings. Be proactive.
If I've left anything out feel free to add to these general guidelines.
Thanks for your consideration.