Audio/comms preference question

[Bane Root]

Im wondering what the difference between the various audio options is, if any and what peoples preferences are...

I mean, I use TeamSpeak3, but some people here on FG use Google hangouts, some use Skype, etc, etc.

Is there any real difference? Pros and Cons of one method over the other?

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated .

[Griogre]

Other than, don't use Skype for games - no push to talk and its a bandwidth pig - pick the one you like. There is a free community TeamSpeak Server for the FG community so that is available as well. You can find the details here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?17071-Voicechat!-Community-TeamSpeak3-Server

I use TeamSpeak myself. It's got the standard voice chat features, but one feature I like with it is you can change the codex you use so if someone is on a lousy connection you can reduce the bandwidth the program uses at the expense of making everyone sound "tinny".

Discord seems promising as well though I haven't used it much.

[Bane Root]

Thanks Griogre. Im using TS3 and have never had any problems or complaints about it. I got thinking why anyone would use anything else...

[Zacchaeus]

As Griogre says it's personal preference; I too use TS3 and have never seen the need to use anything else but there are others who would disagree and advocate another one of the many available.

[damned]

For Voice only its very much a matter of preference - with Skype I think being the odd man out - almost everyone already has skype installed but it does use more bandwidth. for video funnily enough roll20 seems to be a good option with your FG screen over the top :)

[Mask_of_winter]

Google Hangouts has video and you can also stream and record your session if you want. You also have a bunch of gadgets like overlays, cameraman, and effects but like anything with video its hard on the bandwidth.

[Mirloc]

I've had a lot of success with Discord, it's got a number of great features, one of the biggest is it just seems to work right out of the box. Mumble is also a great tool I've used with online gaming, but not for FG games, you can set up a free server on your system or use some of the free 50-seat servers out there (and there are quite a few). TeamSpeak is another that seems to work well, the server is a little more complex but if you can follow directions and make reasonable leaps in logic then you'll be fine. I've heard great things about C3, but I've not tried it myself. I've used Ventrilo at one time or another and it's good, but for the money TeamSpeak or Mumble are far superior.

[Andraax]

TeamSpeak is another that seems to work well, the server is a little more complex but if you can follow directions and make reasonable leaps in logic then you'll be fine.

You can just use the community TS server and then you don't have to worry about configuring a server.

[Moon Wizard]

I just use Google Hangouts for our games.

JPG

[Mask_of_winter]

Thanks Griogre. Im using TS3 and have never had any problems or complaints about it. I got thinking why anyone would use anything else...
Once you do a cam session you'll wonder how you can ever go back to just voice.

[Mirloc]

Once you do a cam session you'll wonder how you can ever go back to just voice.

That works for other aspects of your life too.... ;)

Seriously though I've had both cam-active and just voice, and I prefer voice only, but only because I have limited broadband access and with my mighty 1mb down/ 315k up I need the bandwidth..

[GunnarGreybeard]

If you do use Skype, you will want to have a player host the call rather than the GM due to the bandwidth issues. Other than that it has worked well for the groups I have used it in.

[Myrdin Potter]

I am in China for work quite often so Google tools are blocked. When I DM from a hotel I use a VPN to get a dedicated IP address and port access, and that limits bandwidth even more. So I prefer Teamspeak. I run a free server on my NAS at home and I can use my iphone or iPad as the Teamspeak device and run FG on my laptop.

I used to play a Eve Online and fleet command several hundred people and grew very fond of Teamspeak then. My players like it as well.

[dmkevin]

I want to like Teamspeak when it works but it does not seem reliable. It always lets me down numerous times when playing in a session and I then go silent as my mike stops working but I can hear everyone else.

[damned]

hey dmkevin not all tools work well for everyone.
are you using Voice Activation or Push to Talk?
what push to talk key do you use?
do you have one or more monitors?
Do you run FG fullscreen or windowed?

[dmkevin]

Hi Damned,

Thanks for the response. Sorry for my late response.

I have used TS3 with Fantasy Grounds with two different laptops unsuccessfully. I had bought a new headset and had fibre broadband (went from 8 Mbps to 38 Mbps) just installed two days ago. I tried last night to use my new headset with Teamspeak in the FG campaign I currently play in (and in which I am driving everyone crazy with having to re-log in and ask for confirmation they can hear me). I had hoped all would be well, but once again, it started out fine and then the mic stopped working with me not realising it was not working. I am at wit's end.

I am in fact fairly IT literate and had before the session started went to sound settings on the computer and selected the new headset as default device and default communications device for both playing and recording sound on my sound settings before then used the option settings in TS3 to find the new headset, etc.

I have read that I should try running TS3 as an administrator so will try that but at this point I doubt that is going to help. Should I buy a 3rd headset? Try another different computer?

[Andraax]

Sounds more like a sound card problem to me. Try a different sound card (you can purchase USB sound cards that you can plug your headset into).

From your symptoms, it's either a headset or sound card problem, and you've already replaced one, I'd try replacing the other...

[Zacchaeus]

It's hard to say what the problem is but buying a new headset won't be the answer I feel.

You do need to set up your mic in TS in the options panel; there's a test thing which you should pay attention to so that you know TS is picking up your mic. Another thing that is often needed (for any VOIP) is to make sure mic boost is selected in your sound settings. Also if using push to talk don't pick a key that FG also uses. (I recommend not using push-to-talk). Also of course check that there's no sound conflict issues with any other thing that you have running. I don't have much experience with laptops but I've found that generally they can be a bit problematic to get things running properly.

[damned]

there IS a glitch that I have seen many people experience with push to talk.

are you using Voice Activation or Push to Talk?
what push to talk key do you use?
do you have one or more monitors?
Do you run FG fullscreen or windowed?

[dmkevin]

Hi Damned,


Thanks so much for your posts. I realised I hadn't addressed all questions you asked.


I am using Push to Talk but with the voice activation which can work with this.
I use the "home" button for the talk key.
I use my new Lenovo Yoga S1 laptop with a 2nd monitor.

I use FG fullscreen on the monitor and TS3 on the laptop full screen.


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Hi Andraax,


I am very grateful for your response.


I did not know there was such a thing as a usb sound card. I will look into getting one of these.




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Hi Zacchaeus,


Thanks very much for your posts.


I have set up the mic(s) on the options panel and ran the test. It generally works after the tests but only for a while (maybe 5 to 10 minutes or so) then stops working. I have ticked mic boost on TS3.


I'm pretty sure the group is insisting on push to talk but I might try to not use it next time. I have always ensured I select the correct headset/mic as both the default device and default communications device. I wonder if I should try to use my old desktop instead of my laptop. (I have another laptop which also didn't provide reliable mic usage in TS3.

[damned]

Thanks so much for your posts. I realised I hadn't addressed all questions you asked.

I am using Push to Talk but with the voice activation which can work with this.
I use the "home" button for the talk key.
I use my new Lenovo Yoga S1 laptop with a 2nd monitor.

I use FG fullscreen on the monitor and TS3 on the laptop full screen.


I have both experienced this and seen others experience it but I dont know what the trigger is.
I run off a laptop and use a second screen.
Try NOT maximising FG - just drag it so it almost fills up the whole screen.
Im using the Right Shift key for my Push to Talk and that has worked well.

Could you try those settings and let us know how you go?

[Daleus]

I just found this thread and have a small item to add.

Use the Windows Device manager to check if there are any power savings settings. Where I work I routinely have to disable things like power saving for PCI cards, especially network cards. If a network card goes into power saving, it loses the network connection and never seems able to re-establish the connection on it's own.

I'm wondering if your equipment is going into a power saving mode of some sort, perhaps taking your sound with it.

While in device manager, right click any hardware you think is implicated (perhaps even some you don't) and select properties. Try your network card first to see what it looks like. If the device can engage with power saving, there will be an appropriate Power Management tab. If the tab is not there, that device is probably okay.

The alternative is to open Power Options in the Control Panel, select to change the settings of your current plan, and then select Change advanced power settings.

This gives you a more granular approach to monitoring your power usage. You might find a setting there that helps.

Cheers!

[ffujita]

I use both Teamspeak (mostly as an ALOnline player) and Google Hangout (as a GM and as a player in weekly campaigns). I think that Teamspeak is less bad when it comes to speaker feedback -- push2talk helps eliminate most of it for people who use computer speakers instead of headsets, and for ALOnline lots of people use speakers. Google Hangout can be better, if everyone agrees to use headsets -- I show my localhost window on the hangout -- and on occasion when people are having FG problems, they can play with me controlling their character, by watching the map and combat tracker on the google hangout. Since this group has a dedicated teamspeak server, I'm happy to use it when I'm playing/GMing with people that I don't have a pre-existing relationship with.