In game communication, part 2

[Gregoshi]

barocca and I once tested Roger Wilco outside a game to see if we could get it working. From that brief experience, I got to thinking more about voice communications to play games. Here are some questions for those that use voice in games:

1) By what name do you address the other players? Do you use their GameSpy/Org forum name or their real name (if known)?

2) Did the voice on the other end sound like it belonged to the person as you had envisioned them? By that I mean we all form a mental image of the friends we have online. Did the voice match that image?

3) Did you have any trouble understanding each other due to accents?

4) Do you still use the text chat feature in the game too? This may be related to #3.


I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and experiences. I'll share my answers:

1) For text communications, the GameSpy/forum name seems right. However, I found in my brief experience with voice, that the person's real name seemed the proper way to address the person. I realize this may not be possible if the other person wishes to keep their real name private.

2) I was not surprised by the voice in my one experience. I will say that I thought barocca's voice seemed suited for radio. I don't mean he had a DJ or announcer voice, just a good voice for radio.

3) I don't recall having much of a problem with the Australian accent.

4) No experience with this.

[SmokWawelski]

It is nice to once in a while offer an answer to the uber-being like Moderator http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

1 - Real names, but I guess it depends on the game you play (if you want to keep the mood) and if you are friends with the person...
2 - Yeah, it was OK
3 - Usually not, you just exchange short and easy words/commands anyway
4 - Yes, when in observer mode I try not to use the voice stream...

All prays the Moderators http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[pdoan8]

1) It depends on how well I know the others. If we are Clanmate, Teamate or Squadmate, we prefer sig call or whatever the other person want to be called. If we just run into each other in the lobby, we use the online name first. Then if anyone want to use a different name, they just let the others know.

2) This is the interesting part as I have the chance to know the others a little better than with text chat, because I at least know how the others sound like.

3) Sometimes, it is a problem especially when the sound quality is a bit poor. Most of the people I met in online games (including me) speak understandable English. Moreover, once people relize that the others are not native English speaking, we just keep it simple.

4) Yes. It is related to #3. We use text chat to clarify things when we don't quite understand each other in speech. And when we are not playing, most people feel more comfortable with text chat.

[Divine Wind]

1- Ive played online games with my swedish friends forover 4 years now so we know each other very well and always address each other by our real names

2- lol I remember the first time i heard my best online gaming buddy on Roger Wilco he sounded nothing like i thought he would

3- After time i got used to his swedish accent (being english myself). This was the same for the rest of the clan as they are mostly Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish. They still suprise me today with excellent usage of English. And for myself i have learnt many new words and im even starting 2 learn new languages through this technology http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

4- I still use the text chat in game (especially when im angry etc so i dont make an idiot of myself on game voice)

I thinkits down to your own experience with game voice. Just use it the way that gives you the most satisfaction

[Major Robert Dump]

I like RW a lot, but have limited experience with it. Its not installed right now, and I probably don't remember how to use it....

Didn't play it with TW ever, but the Uglies had a lot of fun in MechWarrior and Rogue Spear games...

#1: I prefer to use online names, especially when we have lots of people playing. One person may know me as Bob and all the others will think who? Also, if you mispronounce a name u look like a jackass....Obake let me call him Oh-Bake for a few days before I realized others were calling him Oh-Bach-EEE. My Okie really came out in that one.

#2: Nobody sounded like I expected, not Elmo or Jun or Obake or Polar or Ryu or anyone else for that matter, and I was informed on several occasions that it was surprising I have lived in the south for 28 years and do not have an accent or okie twang.

#3: No trouble with accents, although Jun yelled a lot when we were letting him get shot up and sometimes it came out all garbles due to the fact that the mic was too close to his mouth, or perhaps my headphones just sucked....:D

#4: Still used some text, as with big games w/ lots of RW users its easy to talk over each other. As long as everyone is paying attention, its no prob.....plus, you still have to talk trash to the other team somehow, right? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif

[Gregoshi]

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/redface.gif Er, you mean it isn't Oh-Bake? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/redface.gif I never knew I had some Okie in me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Shahed]

BUUUUUUUUUMP

[Shahed]

Quote[/b] ]1) By what name do you address the other players? Do you use their GameSpy/Org forum name or their real name (if known)?


Until now the majority of people that I have used RW with, I know on a personal level. So mostly we use our real names. There are a few I use RW with, who perfer to remain anonymous to users who do not know them, personally. So sometimes, when there is a player who's new to the troop, those anonymous guys use their online names.


Quote[/b] ]2) Did the voice on the other end sound like it belonged to the person as you had envisioned them? By that I mean we all form a mental image of the friends we have online. Did the voice match that image?


By and large: Yes. the people I play with, generally match the personalities I had envisioned. There are a couple who were a total shock, though. Old Lunchbox http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif he REALLY has an English accent. Most people are surprised to hear my slightly American accent, coz everyone thinks I'm French or Turkish, or some arab type.


Quote[/b] ]3) Did you have any trouble understanding each other due to accents?

There was also some communication problems initially with the Ozzie group as I personally had obviously not heard enough Australian English. Initailly I had to ask again & again What do you speak English mate ? http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/joker.gif It took me about 5 minutes to get adjusted, and then we had a ball. The Danish accent is easy enough to decipher. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif


Quote[/b] ]4) Do you still use the text chat feature in the game too? This may be related to #3.

Negative. Once you talk, typing becomes redundant except for communicating with the enemy. Normally the opponents also notice an eeerie silence, since we were so busy talking that we forgot to say anything to the opponents. Typing amongst allies is only useful when you want to addd something to what another person is saying, without interupptiing verbally. In GameVoice chat you can actually converse with the enemy team with a separate voice chat channel, so typing is totally futile then. I never had to type becuase the other could not understand me or vice versa. If there is some lag then a quick type message can be useful.