LotATC and DCS VC

[Leslie Hammond]

Will there be some kind of light weight client or an API (to allow existing clients like SRS to connect), so we don't have to run the full game client and join a server when doing GCI roles with LotATC?

   -- hugh

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Leslie Hammond
clarification

[Faflynx]

LOTATC is such a powerful tool to add to DCS it would simply be a shame for ED not to permit users to communicate using the "in-game" communication tools.

It'd be cruel, and a possible killer sting for servers that rely on LOTATC GCI's to provide the best immersive performance to the community.

Please, be wise...

[burritto]

This does need to be carefully considered and supported by ED.  I know the server I frequent most uses LotATC and others use other third party applications like OverLord Bot.  It would be a big ask to server owners to stop using those addons to use a less capable client than is already well used and already understood by the player base. I'd love to be able to use integrated comms in DCS, but not at the expense of these other capabilities.  I've not seen any large MP servers using the built in comms before this coming patch, and I'm not sure that should change unless supporting things like LotATC or Overlord Bot will be supported pretty quickly.

[Parabe11um]

It's exciting to see DCS add or well improve in-game VOIP, but a big component to me is integration with existing (and future) third party apps.

In the absence of in-game VOIP, the community has had to fill the gap with external tools (like LotATC / Overlord / etc.) and it would be problematic if these weren't supported essentially out of the gate (if the goal is to really get people to switch over to in-game VOIP, at least).

[philstyle]

Being able to use the DCS VOIP without having DCS open will help considerably for maintaining a number of other external systems.

[Walshtimothy]

Essential to have this as op noted , can ed please confirm ?

[Leslie Hammond]

What concerns me is that I've seen the authors of some of the third party tools (Overlord, LotATC) on Discord in recent days saying they have no idea if they will be able to integrate.  I'm very surprised ED have not reached out to these guys at some point in the (apparently) 2 year development cycle of native DCS VC to ensure that everything can be integrated.

[Dangerzone]

Sorry to tell you guys, but this has been asked and answered already, and you're probably not going to like it:

 

  

On 7/7/2020 at 10:09 PM, Kate Perederko said:

ED do not plan to provide access to any external software to DCS Voice Chat at the moment. We might consider such possibility later on. We are always open for cooperation.

That was ~15 months ago, so unless anything has changed - it seems as though DCS VC will be a closed feature. 

For me, that means DCS VC will be unused. We have too much relying on externals (Overlordbot, LotATC, and external text2voice in scripting, etc) as well as additional things such as radio stations for a more immersive experience, so it's going to be SRS all the way for me.

Hopefully ED have reconsidered and I've missed it - but I haven't come across anything since that would say otherwise. I'm disappointed by this - but the good news at least is this part:

  

On 7/7/2020 at 10:09 PM, Kate Perederko said:

We don't plan to restrict usage of any external solution that are already available or will be developed. 

.... so long live SRS!

[Panthir]

It is essential to give access to LOTATC, otherwise there is no reason to use DCS VC, as far as SRS RADIO is 100% compatible with LOTATC.

[RogueRunner]

And now the Mirage F1 module will also talk natively to LotATC with it's datalink

The serious DCS MP users will just give this the finger and continue doing what they are doing I am afraid.

[Meathawk]

To enable broad adoption of DCS Voice, it would be imperative to provide an external API/Interface for third party such as LotATC. The third party providers add so much depth to the game, ED would be wise to support the enthusiasm of several developers that bring functionality ED simply cant easily bring. SRS vs. DCS Voice is one of the best examples. CTLD, CSAR, LotATC all big leaps in gameplay that keep a lot of players engaged and cost ED (AFAIK) next to nothing.