Built-In Voice Comms

[ShuRugal]

I know this topic has come up in the past, but it's been nagging me and there are no current threads, so raising it again.

 

Anyway, I am continuously flabbergasted that there is no support for built-in voice comms in multiplayer for DCS. Yes, we all know about TeamSpeak, and we all know about TARS. Thing is, a lot of people don't bother to use them, and it can be frustrating as all get out trying to find a server with a reasonable population who are on the TS for that server (if one is even provided).

 

I feel like an in-game voice comms system (even a simple one) would greatly enhance online gameplay for this series. I believe more people would be inclined to communicate in multiplayer and make good multiplayer experiences easier to have if there were no need for fiddling around with third party software.

[Nealius]

Please! I tried TARS once, and it worked, but because all of my HOTAS functions are already dedicated I had to press one button to activate TARS, then press my PTT button to transmit. Which was a real pain, especially when I was trying to hold my toe brakes with another HOTAS button at the same time.

 

It would also help to have frequencies in the briefings listed properly as VHF/UHF instead of just 'xxx.xx MHz'

[Justin Case]

We tried ARIES yesterday on our weekly gaming night...it was no success.

We stopped using TARS a while back as well.

 

So give us something integrated please!

[atorque]

Yeah more multiplayer lag is exactly what we need. Voice coms is never a good idea as demonstrated with the old laggy FSX. Teamspeak works perfectly well and is all one really needs. It is probably best that certain people cannot be bothered with teamspeak. Most "simmers" who have been around for a while and know their way around inevitably find their way to teamspeak. I for one am happy there is no built in system. I do not even want to imagine how annoying it would be when a group of ten year old spammers and flamers join a session.

[Psyrixx]

The beauty with TARS is I have all of the radio selection buttons mapped in TARS to the same function buttons in-sim: com switch fore, aft, down and my PTT is com switch button. That way I get consistent functionality in-game and in TARS. Beautiful.

[Nealius]

Yeah more multiplayer lag is exactly what we need. Voice coms is never a good idea as demonstrated with the old laggy FSX. Teamspeak works perfectly well and is all one really needs. It is probably best that certain people cannot be bothered with teamspeak. Most "simmers" who have been around for a while and know their way around inevitably find their way to teamspeak. I for one am happy there is no built in system. I do not even want to imagine how annoying it would be when a group of ten year old spammers and flamers join a session.

 

Teamspeak has no ability to do proper intraflight comms without having interflight comms clogging up the pipes. If you split everyone up into channels to prevent such clogging, flight lead would have to alt+tab out of the game and switch channels whenever he wanted to talk to other elements of the package. I know BMS is a different and older engine, but its integrated comms cause 0 lag and spammers are a non-issue because only people with the IP address can connect. With DCS all you would have to do is set a password.

 

The beauty with TARS is I have all of the radio selection buttons mapped in TARS to the same function buttons in-sim: com switch fore, aft, down and my PTT is com switch button. That way I get consistent functionality in-game and in TARS. Beautiful.

 

Doesn't the radio options menu pop up every time you transmit, though?

[Eddie]

Doesn't the radio options menu pop up every time you transmit, though?

 

No. Not if you set your control config up right.

 

TARS does exactly what you say can't be done with TS. It does everything IVC can do, and potentially more besides.

[Nealius]

No. Not if you set your control config up right.

 

TARS does exactly what you say can't be done with TS. It does everything IVC can do, and potentially more besides.

 

And that's exactly why I tried it, but I had aforementioned issues because all my HOTAS functions are already taken (Saitek X52).

 

Is there a guide somewhere for setting up my control configuration so that comm menus do not appear? The guide I used to set up TARS said that the comms menu would show up regardless and didn't mention any way to prevent that.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Nealius

[Rivvern]

Cmon! Integrate comms, Before yesterday please!

[Eddie]

Is there a guide somewhere for setting up my control configuration so that comm menus do not appear? The guide I used to set up TARS said that the comms menu would show up regardless and didn't mention any way to prevent that.

 

Set your TARS PTTs to different key assignments than your DCS radios?! I'd have thought that one was obvious.

 

You only need the same 3 HOTAS buttons to use DCS with TARS as you do without. Just use a shift function to bring up the DCS comms menus and unshifted for TARS PTTs.

 

But as for the OP, why waste time designing, developing, and testing a function that is already available using 3rd party software and supported plugins? Especially given how many other things there are to be done.

[Nealius]

Set your TARS PTTs to different key assignments than your DCS radios?! I'd have thought that one was obvious.

 

See here

 

Can people please read before posting with such condescending attitudes? I only have two HOTAS buttons that are not assigned to DCS commands, and one is already taken by my TS PTT. The other one is already shifted. That leaves my single shifted button to use for 3 radios...

 

If I had cash to blow I would just pick up a HOTAS Warthog and be done with it, but I'm stuck with what I got.

Edited September 20, 2013 by Nealius

[karambiatos]

The problem with TARS is that it has no overlay, so using it for FC3 aircraft is horrible, you can only have 3 radio channels and thats it, which is a pretty big problem, and the fact that you cant hear people that arent in an aircraft, that means you need to alt tab and turn off tars (at which point DCS will either freeze, or the server will disconnect you) just to help someone that is having troubles with it.

[Headspace]

The problem with TARS is that it has no overlay

This feature is in development. But since TARS is (currently, still) free software, these things take time. I can assure you that we are making headway on this feature, but it's not going to be out till it's done.

[ShuRugal]

Yeah more multiplayer lag is exactly what we need. Voice coms is never a good idea as demonstrated with the old laggy FSX.

 

Please, voice data is insignifcant in terms of the bandwidth avaialable to today's networks. TS as a standalone app hogs more system resources than building some of its functions into DCS ever would.

 

Teamspeak works perfectly well and is all one really needs.

 

contestable, as several of the posts in this thread already indicate.

 

It is probably best that certain people cannot be bothered with teamspeak. Most "simmers" who have been around for a while and know their way around inevitably find their way to teamspeak. I for one am happy there is no built in system. I do not even want to imagine how annoying it would be when a group of ten year old spammers and flamers join a session.

 

your average ten year old is not going to last long enough in DCS to make a nuisance of himself in a MP server. If he does, this is what features like "ignore", "kick" and "ban" are for, just like if he joins your TS server and does the same thing.

 

But as for the OP, why waste time designing, developing, and testing a function that is already available using 3rd party software and supported plugins? Especially given how many other things there are to be done.

 

Because, as several people have mentioned already, setting up the third-party apps and getting them working smoothly is not always simple or practical. I am by no means suggesting that ED should drop everything and implement voice comms before the next patch, but anyone who says it would be a waste of effort is just saying "no" for the sake of contradicting someone else.

[Justin Case]

This feature is in development. But since TARS is (currently, still) free software, these things take time. I can assure you that we are making headway on this feature, but it's not going to be out till it's done.

 

If TARS becomes a fully working product, I would happily pay for it.

 

So far we've had some issues and reverted back to whisper channels and ARIES.

[Davis0079]

since no one has said it yet, I will

 

 

WHY DOES'NT DCS HAVE SOMETHING LIKE IVC IN BMS......IVC IS JUST PLAIN OLD BAD ASS....SET YOUR VHF AND UHF INGAME AND USE THE VHF AND UHF PPT BUTTONS INGAME TO TRANSMIT ON THAT CHANNEL

 

 

WWWWHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY DOESNT DCS HAVE THIS......WWHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY

[TimeKilla]

I hope ED put voice comms in the game or just leave it for TS.

[cichlidfan]

since no one has said it yet, I will

 

 

WHY DOES'NT DCS HAVE SOMETHING LIKE IVC IN BMS......IVC IS JUST PLAIN OLD BAD ASS....SET YOUR VHF AND UHF INGAME AND USE THE VHF AND UHF PPT BUTTONS INGAME TO TRANSMIT ON THAT CHANNEL

 

 

WWWWHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY DOESNT DCS HAVE THIS......WWHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY

 

Because they were busy with other things! :)

[Davis0079]

one of the top 10 reasons to play BMS online.....you learn proper use of guard channels and everything.....would be well worth the time it takes to work out....this is no little feature....its the thread thats ties it all together....you want great multi player, you need a dedicated comms system.....would even be great in the WWII setting too....

[Hot_LZ]

Yeah more multiplayer lag is exactly what we need. Voice coms is never a good idea as demonstrated with the old laggy FSX. Teamspeak works perfectly well and is all one really needs. It is probably best that certain people cannot be bothered with teamspeak. Most "simmers" who have been around for a while and know their way around inevitably find their way to teamspeak. I for one am happy there is no built in system. I do not even want to imagine how annoying it would be when a group of ten year old spammers and flamers join a session.

 

Teamspeak totally kills realism and immersion. For me, it's not an option at all. Especially not in the bigger missions I make where you really need to use different radio's and frequencies at the same time.

[Hot_LZ]

 

But as for the OP, why waste time designing, developing, and testing a function that is already available using 3rd party software and supported plugins? Especially given how many other things there are to be done.

 

He already answered your question in the opening post. It's basicly because TARS and Aries kinda suck, stability wise.

[ApoNOOB]

The problem with TARS etc. is simple: it's third party. Think, of a public server population of 10, how many are in the respective TS server? How many of those are willing to use TARS?

 

Now compare this with: Just jump into the Plane, start your radios and go ahead. If there is any kind of problem - administration is the way to go. You are sleeping and people riot on your server? Np give give trusted people admin rights.

 

I can see how some people might argue that the time is badly spent, because there is already a 3rd party solution. Well let us meet at the middle ground then: Integrate TARS into DCS so that when you join a server you get automatically moved to the right TS-Server/Channel.

 

Now server admins would have the option to auto-kick people that are not on comms - *BOOM* DCS just went BMS! :)

 

ProjectReality:Mumble anyone? :P

[Davis0079]

its just really nice when you can set your VHF to your flight and the UHF to guard...two ptt buttons.....one for talking in your flight and one for calling out missile shots.....

 

 

...its not about every one on the same channel and you having to listen to a bunch of kids....Its about the Sim being setup like it is it the real world....you dont what to hear the chatter...you and your wingy just change the frequency in the pit...just like in the real world....but unlike TS, getting back to that channel is just a tune of the radio, not an alt/tab into TS

 

BTW...IVC has no lag issues that I have every experienced.....

[Davis0079]

kinda on the same subject....I used shoot in IL-2 alot...in single player and multi....shoots doesnt seen to work with windows anymore, so then I moved to VAC....once setup they work great, you set it to voice activated and with IVC on the PTTs, it makes ramp, radio, and tower calls alot more fluid and immersive....even in single player, being able to call out "Check Six!" instead of hands on keyboard tab/ Fkeys, this simple detail is alls it takes to change it from a game, ....To an Experience.....

[doveman]

+1. I'd like to have integrated comms and no need to mess with TS3, etc.

 

By all means, if TARS has already done a lot of the work and can be separated from TS3 and integrated into DCSW, then ED should see if they can come to some agreement :smilewink: