Teamspeak

[Shiz]

It is hard to be social in CoH since combat is very active. Once we all get established, we might want to try using Teamspeak. It worked really well in Planetside and the game mechanics are similar.

I can rent a server for $10 a month from www.holdouts.com that will hold up to 20 people. Let's think about it. I can cover the cost for several months if we decide to give it a go.

All you need for Teamspeak is a $5 mic as long as you use key-activated voice. If you want voice-activated chat, you need to invest in a nice headset or the background noise is horrible.

[Guenter]

Why not just use Roger Wilco?

[Shiz]

Because it is buggy as hell in my experience. $10 a month aint no thing since my Paypal account (which that site requires for payment) has $200 that feels like found money since it is from selling junk on ebay.

[Draknor]

I think that's a great idea. Especially because some people I know don't look at their chat screens when they're fighting.

[EricStratton]

I remember we used to use Roger Wilco when we played EQ. I didn't find it to be buggy. But whatever. Either way it's an excuse for me to go buy a USB headset (which I can then also use for UT2K4).

[Barrack]

/em Shrug.

sounds like a good tool for general fighting, bad tool for roleplaying an alt gender. I could give it a shot.

[Shiz]

Sounds like there is interest. I will get it set up after we actaully meet up a few times.

Everyone will need to download the client at www.teamspeak.org. I will supply the IP when I have it.

[EricStratton]

/em Shrug.

sounds like a good tool for general fighting, bad tool for roleplaying an alt gender. I could give it a shot.
Do you remember when Dinbin (aka Brooke) got one of his female friends to say hi to us over Roger Wilco?

[Barrack]

Nope, never delt with vioce gameing before, this will be a first. I'll look into headsets this week some time

[Sagar]

/em Shrug.

sounds like a good tool for general fighting, bad tool for roleplaying an alt gender. I could give it a shot.
Do you remember when Dinbin (aka Brooke) got one of his female friends to say hi to us over Roger Wilco?

ROFL.. That was Evenstarr. She just wanted to say hello and everyone just assumed it was Brooke. I was laughing so hard, I couldn't type to say who it really was and then just didn't bother 'cause the conversation wandered off to other things.

[Arelas]

FYI, if you have a server, the TS server software is freeware for non-commercial users. It could easily be free to use.

[EricStratton]

/em Shrug.

sounds like a good tool for general fighting, bad tool for roleplaying an alt gender. I could give it a shot.
Do you remember when Dinbin (aka Brooke) got one of his female friends to say hi to us over Roger Wilco?

ROFL.. That was Evenstarr. She just wanted to say hello and everyone just assumed it was Brooke. I was laughing so hard, I couldn't type to say who it really was and then just didn't bother 'cause the conversation wandered off to other things.Hahaha, that's right! :lol:

[Shiz]

FYI, if you have a server, the TS server software is freeware for non-commercial users. It could easily be free to use.

Client is free. I will cover the server rental costs if we diecide to go that route. It might be more hardcore than we want to get.

[Arelas]

So is the server software, Shiz. Check the licensing agreements. You just need someone with a server and a decent connection to host it.

[Shiz]

Well I don't have those things either. $10 is cheap enough.

[Greebo]

USB headset??

[EricStratton]

USB headset??
Yeah. Why?

[Greebo]

USB headset??
Yeah. Why?
I'm intrigued. Tell me about them. :)

[Barrack]

USB headset??
Yeah. Why?
I'm intrigued. Tell me about them. :)

They are sold at places like Wal Mart for one. I would asume they are like what I use at work all day....

An ear pad not unlike half a pair of head phones, with a mic comeing from a boom connected to the ear piece, the entire seup includes a clamp (for lack of a better word that secures the contraption putting pressure on a part of your head oppisite the ear. There are 2 ear piece models avail.

Decent quality sound, at least for the model I have at work. Never delt with a USB one though.


this is the one I would be interested in (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?cat=3951&dept=3944&product_id=2413252& path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A113963%3A113995%3A4440)

[EricStratton]

USB headset??
Yeah. Why?
I'm intrigued. Tell me about them. :)
Oh. hehe. See Barrack's IM.

[Draknor]

I have nearly the exact same one Barrack referenced, but it's not USB. I have it hooked up to a switch that lets me flip back and forth from my speakers to the headset - would I need to configure it differently if I wanted to use voice chat and still hear the game sounds?

[Arelas]

If you are lucky enough to have two sound cards (such as on-board and slot), the setup I have seen recommended is this: Put the headset on the lower quality card and route voice to it. Put game sound and speakers on the high end card. The result is voice comm that is fairly clear and realistic but with full surround on game sounds. I would recommend you use a headset that does NOT kill outside noise if you do this though. If you are going to use a full headphone/mike setup, I would run all sound through the headphones if sound directionality is needed. Alternately, only plug the mike in and leave the headphones disconnected. You can continue sending sound through the speakers that way.

I haven't set up the second sound card yet. I need to do that because voice comm can be difficult to hear clearly when it is mixed with game noise. I don't have a full headphones/mike headset either. I have seen it recommended that pilots pipe all sound through a headset. *shrug* I don't really know which is better. Of course, I am also thinking primarily of PS, and almost always flying, where taking the time to type anything means you are dead and where identifying the position of sounds determines if you get shot in the back or you actually can defend yourself.

[Shiz]

Ok I ordered one. I will post the IP when I get it via email.

Server name: LoW
Password: westwood

Not sure if it is all caps sensitive, but that is it exactly. I ordered it now since I will be playing 4 nights this week so we can give it a good test run. I know from experience that we can create different channels for different groups if we want.

I hgighly recommend everyone use key-activated chat insetad of voice activated to start with.

Download the client at www.teamspeak.org. Simple, small program.

[Barrack]

Ok, I'll pick up a head set tonight then

[Shiz]

IP: 66.35.75.18:8784

Go into "connect." Label is Low. IP is as above. Choose a nickname. Click the Anonymous option and enter password "westwood." Then click connect.

You should see your nickname appear in the list. I THINK I have it set so anyone can make sub-channels. This is to prevent mass confusion if you just want to keep the chatter team specific.

You choose voice activation or key activation (my choice - the Y key) in the setting tab> sound options.

Barrack and I gave it a test run and it is working fine.

[Barrack]

Found out a few things, with Key actavation you have to hold the key down constantly, and for voice you can set the volume at which it activates.


The Key activation may caouse some problems with moveing and such.

The voice activation may cause some problems with it going off when you don't want it to, (set it to more of a shout then).

But all in all very doable.

[Greebo]

The Key activation may caouse some problems with moveing and such.
Yes but this is better than...

The voice activation may cause some problems with it going off when you don't want it to, (set it to more of a shout then).
Voice Activation is a major annoyance most of the time because of all the background noise that goes on with these games. When playing planetside, it never failed that SOMEONE had voice activation on by default, and the rest of the team had to listen to their mumbles, grunts, coughs, and sneezes and the sound effects from their computer about 1.1 seconds behind our own.

Please do NOT use it. :)

[Shiz]

Well, Voice Activation does work well with a good headset. I didn't hear a peep of background noise from Barrack, but if I was fighting and tried to talk with key activation, he heard the game noises.

The problem with a headset is that you lose some of the sound fidelity, unless you buy a really good one. Personally, I cannot play with a headset since I need to be somewhat aware of crying children. There really isn't any reason to talk in combat except in emergencies anyway.

[Shiz]

Just a reminder that the max for the current TS server is 20. I don't foresee a problem, but I wanted to mention it.

[Lycos]

Voice Activation is a major annoyance most of the time because of all the background noise that goes on with these games. When playing planetside, it never failed that SOMEONE had voice activation on by default, and the rest of the team had to listen to their mumbles, grunts, coughs, and sneezes and the sound effects from their computer about 1.1 seconds behind our own.

Please do NOT use it. :)

I agree don't use voice activation! Huge PAIN!

[Tulenyre]

I only have a cheap little mic I got some 8 years ago.

[Shiz]

Tul, I am using a $3 mic that came with an old system and it works well enough.

[Tulenyre]

I might try it tonight if my PnP Game gets cancelled (which it's looking like it will be). Although I tend to speak very loud or very softly so not sure how well it will be.

I tend to type fast so I probably won't use it much btw.

[Shiz]

Just a reminder to give a try.