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Immersion and Integrated Voice
cprompt
Member Posts: 8
in Tabula Rasa
Has anyone ever felt that integrated voice, while really a useful feature, tends to break immersion? Nothing like standing in front a 350lb Orc and hearing a 12-year-old's voice. Even the most serene Buddhist would call that a WTF moment. I wish someone was talking about offering integrated chat with the same sort of vocal customizations that you have with character design. Even just basics voice modulation would be nice. I realize this is more of a Roleplayer's request, of course. Anyway, any thoughts on the matter?
Comments
I agree, although I can get past the voices of players, what really bothers me is all the OOC chatter that goes on which usually has nothing to do with the game.
I use voice chat in some mmorpgs to coordinate attacks and make communication easier, but I rarely use it talk about things outside of the game. That's when I think immersion is broken and I fall silent, sometimes even turning the voice comm off.
In mmorpg's like Auto Assault, I am finding it better, maybe because there are no Orcs, but I still get somewhat annoyed when I hear nonsense over voice comm.
Players sometimes like voice comm for this reason. They like to talk to other players, about whatever, while they play. As a roleplayer, and a player who likes to stay immersed in the game, I would usually rather use the keyboard.
For Tabula Rasa, I think voice comm will be important, judging by the type of game it will be. In PvP situations, especially in a twitchy, FPS style of game, it becomes even more important to be able to communicate quickly.
For me, I'd like to have the similar options for voice that I have with, say, PvP, PvE, RP, etc. Some will in no doubt prefer the FPS model which allows immediate communication. That said, my voice chat "ideal" would be to have the nature and quality of the voice be context sensitive to the gameplay and customizatible. Thus, if a teammate is taking fire from the other side of the building, I'd like to hear their voice overlaid with it. If they are injured, then that is refelcted in their communication. I think this level of immersion is obviously NOT for everyone and thus should not be imposed globally, but on a RP server, it could lead to something interesting.
Hmm. . . well, when I group there are far more things that bring me out of any possible immersion than just voice. Typing to people about where to go and/or what to do is just as immersion breaking as saying it to them, but it takes a lot longer to type it than to say it.
That is honestly one of the reasons that I prefer to play MMOs solo or with purely real life friends or guildmates. (I only play in 18 y/o and older guilds). Playing with PUGs is super-frustrating and immersion destroying, and if I'm playing with my friends then I WANT their company.
So, I'm not really on board with this one.
I surrender. Its now official, I'm too old to play these games.
well i find that in fps style games voice comm even if your talking about something unrelated can be another level of imersion... i mean you don't think a soldier chit chats a little while moving from point a to point b...
i prefer to use a push to talk voice comm no matter what the game... and as for hearing loss... buy yourself a nice usb headset crank up the volume and tweak the settings untill the players are audible and the gunshots are not defening.... me i usualy skip the gunshot par but i like to hear people sneaking around :P
Good RP surpasses all atempts to break immersion. That's what it's for. Just takes a creative person to be able to RP over the old headset though.
I would however like games that you could talk to NPC's instead of typing. A great idea I had would be if they could detect the tone of your voice and give you higher prices or bad service if you were impatient with them.
-it still would lack the mood wich swings in the voice
of a exhausted soldier who maybe is also out of breath and will hardly speak like
a player who is sitting all the time
anyway i dont care about the voice of my teammates as long as its faster and more confortable everythink else is in comparison just a minor price i will have to pay
Pi*1337/100 = 42
Maybe I have never really understood what exactly “immersion” is and or does it even have a place in a video game…
People tend to equate immersion with tedium. As if, the color the of leaves or walking to a distant village would make me more immersed in the world…
Or is “immersion” tedium. Is my joy for character creation / customization and advancement what really drives me and have I indeed become confused and somehow came up with this word … “immersion” to try and explain why I enjoy these games…
IMHO the word “immersion” is far to over used. Guess what, the trees outside look far better then any tree model I have ever seen in a game… trying to replace RL immersion with digital immersion is … _________________________________________
Voice chat doesn’t ruin a game, the 12 year old screaming “im the juggernaut bitch!” does… We have to look at TR for what it is, its going to be fast paced, I simply will not have time to say “im taking…. fire, cover me whil…..e….. i…. Attack…..the…..Xalien” Voice chat allows me to communicate with my teammates. Often, voice chat has been anything but that. I think maybe its time for the adults to take the mic away from the kids.
Rites of the Four Horsemen
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-vamp