VoIP or Chat?

[Plissken]

Do you mostly run chat based games or VoIP? I personally don't mind chat based, but when I was using rptools' Maptools to run games, I've had quite a few people back out because they weren't interested in chat based games because they thought they were boring.

Do you think chat-based is boring? Recommend VoIP? If I could get an estimate of how many people here run chat or VoIP I might just finally get a microphone headset.

[scytale2]

You need an option for "both". That's the one, I would tick. The majority of games are "chat", though.

[Callum]

"Both" seconded. We use chat IC, VoIP OOC.

[DNH]

We use VoIP in all our games (FG2 for 4e, kLoOge.Werks for 3.5e, Maptool for Warhammer) but then we are all old friends (and relatives) and our games tend to be not so focussed! There's a lot of messing about that just wouldn't work on chat. You could argue that's a reason for using chat and not VoIP but we all like things the way they are. Oh, actually the main reason we use VoIP is because a couple of us suffer with RSI pains, so not having to type all the time is a big plus.

[Sorontar]

I'd vote for both as well,especially if you want to keep a record of your sessions somewhere like on a game board, the logs from FG will be essential I would think.

[Xorn]

We use voice for out-of-character and game mechanics, and chat for in-character/roleplay.

I'll chat as the narrator to describe what they see and hear (handy so people can re-read things), but I'll use voice to ask for initiative.

Chat is used for:
In-character dialogs. (Ooi! Stop bitin'! Ack! 'Ats me thumb, ye blasted rat!)
Gathering player actions (Omar will guard the door--and the other players declar their actions too, so no one gets missed.)
Description of combat. (Omar swats the goblin's spear aside and crashes his hammer into the foul spawn's face, bloodying it badly with a resounding impact.)

Voice is used for:
Out-of-character dialog. (Did we level? Can I see that glyph from here? Is it minor or move to close the iron maiden on the goblin?)
Most of combat. (Roll initiative please. Okay Omar your turn. I'll Cleave that one *targets and rolls*... 18 vs AC. You hit, easily. *rolls damage* Nice! You crack him in the head with your hammer *I apply damage* he's quite bloody now. *Omar types his in-character description while I move on to the next person.

I voted for voice, because we would have muuuch slower games without it.

[Astinus]

We use voice, but like DNH we're all old friends and relatives. Considering that fact, it would be insane not to use voice. It's not like you'd sit silently around the table with these people and use only chat. So why do it online?

But having said that, chat is very useful online because only one person can speak at a time. And with player to player chat in Moon_Wizard's ruleset, chat is extra helpful - and humorous.

[Plissken]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll be buying a headset!

[Foen]

Just to buck the trend, we use chat for everything.

Foen

[Function]

We use VoIP. Our group has access to several Ventrillo servers but eventually we dropped it for Skype. Skype conferencing felt alot more like a live game session face to face than Voicechat did.

/function

[Sigurd]

I use only chat for the simple reason that games go late and I'm loud. I find that as the DM I actually like the silence to help me think.

Sigurd

[longarms]

We use chat.

Thanks for asking... should I call you snake? ;)

[Griogre]

We use VoIP for OOC, rules questions/clarifications and as DM I use it for naration. We use chat for in character roleplaying.

Voice allows me to do minimal data input - pretty much just the combat bits of monsters and maps. And people seem to do better with chat for RP.

[Xorn]

I'm fiddling with Skype, and the quality and responsiveness of it is very encouraging. Biggest concern some of my players have is the absence of push-to-talk. Is that hidden in Skype anywhere, or are you restricted to muting your microphone with a 2-key shortcut (kind of clunky)?

[Foen]

I have to say that one of the reasons we won't touch vice is that some of my players prefer to be known/recognised as their in-game characters rather than their RL voices. They say it kind of spoils it if a dainty elven maiden turns out to be a harsh Bronx factory-worker.

It never bothered me, but on the other hand this genre is about suspending the real world and hence I'd be very reluctant to pierce that particular bubble.

Stuart

*edit* Of course we would touch vice, it is voice we avoid.

[Valarian]

I prefer chat, and I think that the roleplay is improved through the use of the written media rather than speech. However, it can be slower than using voice - especially if you run a combat heavy game. My players and I don't mind the speed, it gives us the time to think and make the story better.

[Stuart]

I've only ever used chat, GMT zoned games make that a necessity I guess and, in truth, I think I prefer chat over VoIP for all the reasons mentioned.

[terrell]

I have to say that one of the reasons we won't touch vice is that some of my players prefer to be known/recognised as their in-game characters rather than their RL voices. They say it kind of spoils it if a dainty elven maiden turns out to be a harsh Bronx factory-worker.


We over came that obstacle with MorphVOX from https://www.screamingbee.com/

It works pretty well. Once I am off Satellite internet and onto DSL, I'll have it back in use again. The 5 seccond Satellite delays kill any chance of real time in game VOIP.

--Terrell

[Foen]

Neat stuff Terrell!

[DMJBone]

Both. We use chat for 'in-character' dialog (RP) and VOIP (teamspeakII) for chatting. I find both essential.

[Answulf]

We over came that obstacle with MorphVOX from https://www.screamingbee.com/

It works pretty well. Once I am off Satellite internet and onto DSL, I'll have it back in use again. The 5 seccond Satellite delays kill any chance of real time in game VOIP.

--Terrell

That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen - the applications for that are very interesting!

[Valarian]

At least one person I know has hooked a "type-as-you-speak" application to Fantasy Grounds. If you have the type of accent that is acceptable to these applications, then it may help with the typing. Unfortunately for me, they don't seem to be able to cope with Midlands/Brummie.

[smataka]

Skype! The only problem is that it's good for one crash a session...