World of Warcraft - English (NA) Forums -> Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29

Drysc

Blizzard Poster

0. Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 06:31:47 PM PDT

For the original FAQ please go here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=942815291&sid=1

Q: I’m only seeing a Sound option and not Sound & Voice. What could be the cause?
A: If you open your options menu (Esc) and only a Sound option rather than Sound & Voice, there could be a few causes. If you have parental controls enabled you may need to have the account owner change the voice chat settings by logging in to account management and accessing the parental controls section. It’s also possible that voice chat may not be available at the current time for your realm, and you should try again later. Additionally, only one instance of World of Warcraft on a machine may have voice chat active at a time; any additional clients beyond the first will not have voice chat available to them.

Q: Other people are telling me that they can barely hear my voice. What are some causes of this?
A: First, ensure that your microphone is plugged in to the correct microphone input jack. The most common cause of your outgoing voice being too quiet is having the microphone plugged in to the “line in” port of your sound card. The microphone input is normally marked with a pink ring around or near the input jack, or with a small microphone image. You should also make sure that your microphone input levels are at a decent volume. For Windows users, help on how to do this can be found by using the Help and Support feature and searching for “Using Volume Control.”

Q: Can players of the opposite faction use voice chat together?
A: The voice chat system uses the same principles as the normal text chat channels. Only members of the same faction may join each other’s text chat channels, and only members of the same faction may use voice chat within those channels.

Q: How does the World of Warcraft voice chat compare to third party voice chat services?
A: In the course of developing our voice chat technology, our goal has been to strike a balance between audio quality and system performance. As our voice chat technology is integrated directly into the World of Warcraft game client, there are many technical considerations we’ve had to account for that are not a factor for third party voice applications. As a result, we are fully aware that there may be external voice applications that will offer improved voice quality over our own in-game feature. The key point to keep in mind is that our voice chat technology is tied directly into our user interface, making it extremely easy to set up and use. It also operates with minimal impact to game performance, and the bandwidth usage for voice communication is offered at no additional cost to the player. When taking all of these factors into consideration, we feel that our voice chat feature offers an overall superior experience to third party applications.

Basis

< Loves Orange Soda >

Twisting Nether

1. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 07:29:05 PM PDT

Yay! :D

Awbee

< Nocturus >

Ysera

2. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 07:37:08 PM PDT

hawt

Sabastien

< Lemmings >

Ner'zhul

3. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 07:42:18 PM PDT

Interesting

Hoofda

Windrunner

5. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 08:02:44 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
this is all fine and dandy

but what about players that don't want to use voice chat for 5 mans

They will be insta kicked from the group causing an alienation of the population.

I am a casual player and don't want to be forced to use the voice chat which adds pressure to something that does not require it (5 mans).

Yes, you will be kicked from groups. While the Voice chat is "optional", Players will expect you to use it. So your "options" are: Solo, or Voice-Chat.

I wonder why these FAQ's weren't added to the old FAQ's (many of them are still valid and answers frequently asked questions (such as a voice-masking feature))... Perhaps too much negative feedback on the new feature?

Auto-adjusting macros for food, water, Potions, and bandages.
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Fainted

Auchindoun

6. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 08:02:52 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
this is all fine and dandy

but what about players that don't want to use voice chat for 5 mans

They will be insta kicked from the group causing an alienation of the population.

I am a casual player and don't want to be forced to use the voice chat which adds pressure to something that does not require it (5 mans).

You're probably not good anyway.

Hoofda

Windrunner

7. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 08:13:21 PM PDT

Q u o t e:

You're probably not good anyway.

or a very good and talented player, that is a valued member of the team...

But if you kick if they don't use Voice Chat... You'll never know...

Auto-adjusting macros for food, water, Potions, and bandages.
Give Me Health:
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http://wow-en.curse-gaming.com/downloads/details/4850/

Yahmon

Hydraxis

8. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/29/2007 10:19:53 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
this is all fine and dandy

but what about players that don't want to use voice chat for 5 mans

They will be insta kicked from the group causing an alienation of the population.

I am a casual player and don't want to be forced to use the voice chat which adds pressure to something that does not require it (5 mans).

Highly doubtful.....it's your abilities that gets you kicked form a group, not your willingness to talk. My guild currently has vent and we don't have problems with the people that want to use it and those that don't

Yahmon - 70 Troll Shaman
Costomojin - 4x Troll Priest

Why Trolls are better than you......
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=112417491&sid=1

Sylvan

< Endless Dawn >

Zul'jin

9. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 04:46:49 AM PDT

Q u o t e:
this is all fine and dandy

but what about players that don't want to use voice chat for 5 mans

They will be insta kicked from the group causing an alienation of the population.

I am a casual player and don't want to be forced to use the voice chat which adds pressure to something that does not require it (5 mans).

If anyone actually did that to you, feel free to put them on ignore so you don't have to put up with such jerks again. That sort of problem resolves itself over time when they, not you, become the ones who can't find a group.

Don't panic.

Namun

< Cryptic >

Nordrassil

10. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 06:24:59 AM PDT

Q u o t e:
this is all fine and dandy

but what about players that don't want to use voice chat for 5 mans

They will be insta kicked from the group causing an alienation of the population.

I am a casual player and don't want to be forced to use the voice chat which adds pressure to something that does not require it (5 mans).

Given the abundance of complaints similar to this one, why don't you just group with the other thousands of players who don't want to use voice chat in pugs?

Dear God,
Please grant me the ability to punch people in the face over standard TCP/IP.
Amen.

Xuldune

< Serpentera >

Haomarush

11. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 07:54:51 AM PDT

The simple solution in my mind is to find 5v5 groups that don't care about voicechat... Communicate before hand from the get-go that you don't want to worry about live chat - I know that in all the millions of players out there, you'll find a group who wants nothing to do with voice chat.

Personally, I applaud the new system. I found Vent to be less-than-desirable and am looking forward to trying out the WoW voice client.

In Danger of Hellfire since 1969

Tsarus

< Blasphemy >

Black Dragonflight

12. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 10:27:15 AM PDT

I've been in plenty of PuG groups where voice chat would have helped.

If you don't want to use it, tell people in advance, and let them decide wether or not to take you.

I think this is a great idea. Now if only they'd impliment a few more raid tools, I'd be happier than a pig in... um... mud. Ya mud.

"[There's] no vestige of beginning, no prospect of an end..." -- James Hutton, 1795
"When we all disintegrate it will all happen again." -- Dr. Gregory Walter Graffin, 1989

Drexxir

< The Candy Men >

Firetree

13. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 10:35:08 AM PDT

run for your lives...

Q u o t e:
Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first.

Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835-1910)

Tser-Bear. Tserics New Nickname

Froggy

Nazjatar

14. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 11:12:13 AM PDT

IT sucks, VENT FTW

Sosei

< The Eh Team >

Arygos

15. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 01:48:27 PM PDT

Cool. I have a question:

Will it be possible to turn on the ability to listen but not speak in a group? This would quell some concerns some people have about not wanting to have to chat, but being the slowest member of the group, since you can only send and receive commands through text. It helps alot to be able to listen to your group leader, while not having to talk to them (for people who are shy, you know)

I personally will love the voice chat, but some people seem to have issues about letting people know just how old/what gender they are. :-p

The grass is always greener on the other side...

Until you realize that everyone has Astro-turf.

Hoofda

Windrunner

18. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 02:26:09 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
Cool. I have a question:

Will it be possible to turn on the ability to listen but not speak in a group? This would quell some concerns some people have about not wanting to have to chat, but being the slowest member of the group, since you can only send and receive commands through text. It helps alot to be able to listen to your group leader, while not having to talk to them (for people who are shy, you know)

I personally will love the voice chat, but some people seem to have issues about letting people know just how old/what gender they are. :-p

Yes. You can listen and not talk. it's called "I don't have a mic"

I don't want to listen. I don't what to hear the squeaky teen that thinks droppin' F-Bombs every other words makes him "mature" and "Adult". I don't want to hear said teen cry when his mom says "Time for bed" I don't want to listen to them cry when they don't get their Epic... I don't want to listen to people scream "Heal me" after they break CC... You break it, you tank it... I'm healing the Main Tank.

These are things I don't want to listen to:
http://www.keaton-world.com/strawberry.html <--- switch "Strawberry" with some blue BoE
http://karacry.ytmnd.com/
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7153152098207965240

I'll talk to guildies. No Pugs.

Auto-adjusting macros for food, water, Potions, and bandages.
Give Me Health:
http://ui.worldofwar.net/ui.php?id=829
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Kitrana

< The Inquisition >

Khaz Modan

19. Re: Voice Chat FAQ Update 8/29 08/30/2007 02:42:33 PM PDT

Q u o t e:
When taking all of these factors into consideration, we feel that our voice chat feature offers an overall superior experience to third party applications.

Of course you do.

Not trying to be insulting or mean here, just being a realist.
No employee who's job it is to represent a company to the public is going to say "we feel our product offers an inferior experience".

To be fair, Drysc did list specific features about the new voice chat in support of his "superior experience" comment.

If you want to be heard, don't give them a reason to shut you down.

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