61 replies to this topic

[Corvus Antaka]

I think ideally a voice comm system tied into the game like freelancer using eve onlines avatar creator, when someone speaks they pop into your HUD...coolness.

just need an ability to mute & block people from ingame to kill the trolls

[Flyby215]

I've played many online team-oriented games with no chat at all (EA games...). Trying to coordinate is kind of tricky with new players, but with a little bit of situational awareness it really isn't hard.

Often times another player will call out "ECM in ..." because he's not in combat and a quick look at the battlegrid shows a missing friendly yet no indication of death. Focus firing doesn't need team-chat; just fire at whatever the guy next to you is shooting at. If there's no one next to you, check battlegird and find someone to partner up with; or you may be the last one standing (either way good to know). Really not sure what's going on? Something quick like "where" in teamchat and a dead teammate or unoccupied teammate will give a coordinate to the fight. Even in combat something simple like "G5" while weapons are cooling is pretty non-detrimental to combat.

MWO is certainly better than the team-games without chat, so I voted for "Average" because the chat options are the basics that I see in the vast majority of games; ability to talk to all and ability to talk to team.

[Wraith05]

Voted poor instead of average.
If the chat would stay up, or a one button option to turn the window on/off. And the ability to scroll back up to see what was said, then i'd say it was average.
But with how it and the command map are now it's poor.

Things that would make it good:

Commander targeting-a symbol over the mech that the commander has a target lock on. (like tag, narc, or ecm does but a star or something)

Fast chat buttons/ability to make chat macros. Being able to hit just 1 button and have it appear in chat, or a voice say "attack bravo" or "move to E5" would do wonders.

[Solis Obscuri]

It's not great. I liked some of the automated functionality for targeting, which helps a bit, except that ECM strips that functionality from the game. The battlegrid is a bit cumbersome to use and I don't think most players pay that much attention to it. Which leaves typing in team chat... without voicecoms communicating with your team kinda sucks.

[Chrithu]

Really bad.

And there can be no discussion about it.

Chat in a real time game? Serious?

Rudimentary tacical commanding stuff on the map? It's not even close to what it could be.

[PANZERBUNNY]

Smoke signals OR if they increased drop limits to 9, we could have a PUG runner take messages back and forth through notes. He'd be better use that way.

[Hakai]

What we need is to make exactly FOUR sound commands to start with.
"Attack"
"RETREAT"
"Affirmative"
"Negative"

and you've just made the basics of a simple communication system everyone can use.

Add in "Left" and "Right" and holy ****...we've got a method of communication without the necessity of voice!


Pop a little light above their head or something and we can at least know who said it...

(to clairfy, we need a context wheel or something similar to at least project what we want to do or otherwise without having to type it all out...most people are pretty quick on the up-take what "RETREAT!" means when 2 Atlas, a Stalker and a kitchen sink are heading your way over a ridge.)

Edited by Hakai, 02 February 2013 - 04:03 PM.

[Sedit]

We have TS so it does not matter

[Soda Popinsky]

Either semaphore or Morse code with the TAG.

[Joanna Conners]

I'm going to sound like an old lady, but we never needed voice chat in ye olden days. All we had was keyboards and we communicated just fine. I don't get the big deal. Then again, my first MMOs didn't even have graphics.

[Sifright]

I would roll my face against my keyboard after hitting t.

Hopefully this face roll would allow my team to understand that I want them to split into four groups with each scout going in pincer move to the left and right with the other two groups of three heading in a similar fashion but more closely grouped into the middle.

or more accurately I just wouldn't bother at all

[FrostPaw]

In game comms is quite poor at the moment. typing during a match is too slow to be useful when you're already engaged.

I would like to see the ability to use a comm rose similar to what BF2 had where you hold down a key and a menu overlay pops up allowing you to select context sensitive actions such as declaring your target, calling your position, calling for help and automatically flashing your arrow above your mech for all allies to see on their hud.

I'd settle for keyboard shortcuts for these commands but I prefer one key for communication rather than a selection of keys which can be spammed easily. The context sensitivity would be key to getting that right though...as I mentioned, see BF2 for how they did in game coms.

Edited by FrostPaw, 02 February 2013 - 05:58 PM.

[Joanna Conners]

FrostPaw, on 02 February 2013 - 05:56 PM, said:

In game comms is quite poor at the moment. typing during a match is too slow to be useful when you're already engaged.

I would like to see the ability to use a comm rose similar to what BF2 had where you hold down a key and a menu overlay pops up allowing you to select context sensitive actions such as declaring your target, calling your position, calling for help and automatically flashing your arrow above your mech for all allies to see on their hud.

I'd settle for keyboard shortcuts for these commands but I prefer one key for communication rather than a selection of keys which can be spammed easily. The context sensitivity would be key to getting that right though...as I mentioned, see BF2 for how they did in game coms.

If you think typing is too slow to be useful, you've clearly never played against an old MMORPG fan.

[The Cheese]

The command map is a good concept, but on it's own it's a bit poor. It really needs the commands you place on to be translated into a line of text that was sent to your team. Every action needs a text translation.

Example:
If I took command, my team should receive "The Cheese took command".
If I place an attack order, my team should receive "Attack (coordinates)".
etc, etc.

Failing that, a contextual comms menu (Think MW3/4 lance commands) would be awesome.

Edited by The Cheese, 02 February 2013 - 06:09 PM.

[FrostPaw]

Demona, on 02 February 2013 - 06:01 PM, said:

If you think typing is too slow to be useful, you've clearly never played against an old MMORPG fan.

While you are typing I'm shooting you in the face for not moving or not turning.

[Flyby215]

FrostPaw, on 02 February 2013 - 06:29 PM, said:

While you are typing I'm shooting you in the face for not moving or not turning.

You know a mech will keep moving while typing right?

Besides; most people group their weapons together, and just about everything has a 2-4 second cooldown. Anyone who's been to post-secondary school and written a thesis or two can type a short sentence in 2-4 seconds while blindfolded. (well, I can anyway )


I think gamers these days are so spoiled!

[Taizan]

Soda Popinsky, on 02 February 2013 - 05:35 PM, said:

Either semaphore or Morse code with the TAG.

or finally put those Catapult missile doors to good use.

[FrostPaw]

Flyby215, on 02 February 2013 - 07:20 PM, said:

You know a mech will keep moving while typing right?

It's not hard to hit a predictable moving target, if you're not aiming you should be piloting your mech to make it difficult to focus my weapons on, swinging your torso about to spread laser fire, cause potential misses on your center torso or back, arms, shoulders etc. Putting terrain between you and the enemy and checking your spacial and tactical awareness.

You can argue how awesome you are at typing all you want, if you're in a firefight and we are equally matched in weight class/condition those 1-2 seconds you give me typing in chat will be your downfall...because I'm not that crap that you can beat me while afking a fight.

Edited by FrostPaw, 02 February 2013 - 07:37 PM.

[mekabuser]

DCM Zeus, on 02 February 2013 - 12:54 PM, said:

I don't have to imagine this at all, we did typing comms back in Mechwarrior 2 and basicly everything that used Kali. Everything back in the 90's was over a modem with speeds ranging from 28.8, 33.6, or a 56k if you had money. But that's how we did it, and we did it well. Imo kids these days should not even be complaining, you all have instant ways to communicate with each other in every game, so put forth some effort into it little kiddie's and stop this entitled whinny BS.

zeus, wtf.?
ja the chat of mw4 was better... Not to mention the context is...you have to use in game... ,presume other team has element of comms. <something you didnt do in ten 90s.
the chat is borked ....
that alone sez hey... maybe this car isnt the one i want to buy... The wheels are rotted.

would be nice to have confirm order response in game.. Also a command chime.. just so u knw wtf is going on withur team.

btw, got in about 25 rounds 2 nite.... Loved it..
gotta say it... Loved... my mechs... <sing>
"getting to know you...."

they need heft. ,weight.. thump. Its close but spacial enhanement of the sound would help...alot.
that and collisions will really ramp up immersion.

Edited by mekabuser, 02 February 2013 - 09:05 PM.

[ArchMage Sparrowhawk]

Yeah I grew up where typing chat in game was the pinnacle of achievement, so my txt msging skills got work before the age of cell phones, really. Really people just need to learn to use the info available to them. Even in voice chat, "Attack my enemy" or "Enemies over by Landmark X" isn't as helpful as Giving specific info like Enemy Designation Letter, Enemy model, Enemy square, and the compass direction, which all will tell you directly where an enemy is, but even with Voice chat, we're good if we get even one of those details.

So the game is limited in communication choices, for sure. But players need to work on communication practices as well.