Options for efficient communication (i.e. instant messaging or vent)

As time draws closer to the launch of this game we've been so eagerly anticipating I think we should start thinking about a more efficient form of communication so that we may better organize our friendly assault on the galaxy. I'm not sure if instant messaging is even possible on this forum but if it is I believe we should start thinking about setting it up. If it is not I propose that we set up a channel on someone's ventrilo server (I know someone out there has one) so that we may make our plans in a more speedy and constructive/efficent manner.

What do you fine folks think about this?

I'm game for about anything.

We'll have to wait on Odi or Selven to weigh in to see what we can do for a server messaging system. Though, I think it's fine so far as is.

I've got vent but I don't own my own server (I have one for my horde guild, but that's guild only.)

I'm fine with w/e people decide, but I don't really see most of it needed until later maybe.

Messaging might be the better way anyway.

Teamlab is free and offer an instant message service and other group managing services...

I'm sorry for not bringing this to your attention earlier, but WesleyP talked to Ty about setting up Teamspeak. Wow, this weekend has not gone as planned!

I'm gonna PM him and have him chime in as well. You guys deside as I'm not very found of voice chat in general.

Selven wrote:

I'm sorry for not bringing this to your attention earlier, but WesleyP talked to Ty about setting up Teamspeak. Wow, this weekend has not gone as planned!

I'm gonna PM him and have him chime in as well. You guys deside as I'm not very found of voice chat in general.

I understand your trepidation with teamspeak/ventrilo. It can be a bit awkward talking to people you haven't met over the net, not to mention people you haven't gotten to know yet. It took me a while to warm to the idea myself but I've been playing mmos for so long now that I've gotten used to it.

My thinking is that in lieu of a functioning IM forum it may be our best option for organizing what servers everyone will go on.

Lugaidh wrote:

Selven wrote:

I'm sorry for not bringing this to your attention earlier, but WesleyP talked to Ty about setting up Teamspeak. Wow, this weekend has not gone as planned!

I'm gonna PM him and have him chime in as well. You guys deside as I'm not very found of voice chat in general.

I understand your trepidation with teamspeak/ventrilo. It can be a bit awkward talking to people you haven't met over the net, not to mention people you haven't gotten to know yet. It took me a while to warm to the idea myself but I've been playing mmos for so long now that I've gotten used to it.

My thinking is that in lieu of a functioning IM forum it may be our best option for organizing what servers everyone will go on.

That's how misunderstandings are born - Note to self; do try to spend 2 more minutes when typing.

You see, I love listening in to other people in VC, I'm just not very happy about it when it's used as a replacement of group chat/guild chat in game. Not everyone can have the volume up at all times and some, like me, can't hear what's being said when raiding/PvPing. I've had experiences where if you don't hear what the group leader is saying, you get kicked out of the group. And guilds that never talk in guild chat, leaving some of us out if we're unable to connect to VC for various reasons. You'd think VC would make the game even more social. My experience is the exact opposite. But of course, I've never had a truly awesome community on VC before!

I just like the written chat, is all.

Selven wrote:

Lugaidh wrote:

Selven wrote:

I'm sorry for not bringing this to your attention earlier, but WesleyP talked to Ty about setting up Teamspeak. Wow, this weekend has not gone as planned!

I'm gonna PM him and have him chime in as well. You guys deside as I'm not very found of voice chat in general.

I understand your trepidation with teamspeak/ventrilo. It can be a bit awkward talking to people you haven't met over the net, not to mention people you haven't gotten to know yet. It took me a while to warm to the idea myself but I've been playing mmos for so long now that I've gotten used to it.

My thinking is that in lieu of a functioning IM forum it may be our best option for organizing what servers everyone will go on.

That's how misunderstandings are born - Note to self; do try to spend 2 more minutes when typing.

You see, I love listening in to other people in VC, I'm just not very happy about it when it's used as a replacement of group chat/guild chat in game. Not everyone can have the volume up at all times and some, like me, can't hear what's being said when raiding/PvPing. I've had experiences where if you don't hear what the group leader is saying, you get kicked out of the group. And guilds that never talk in guild chat, leaving some of us out if we're unable to connect to VC for various reasons. You'd think VC would make the game even more social. My experience is the exact opposite. But of course, I've never had a truly awesome community on VC before!

I just like the written chat, is all.

Lol I hear you on that point, though I've never been in a guild where on would get kicked for not hearing the RL's instructions. I've heard that more people have had that problem with other teamspeaks besides ventrilo. Ventrilo has options to increase the volume of individual users. And I agree, with the right community, VC brings friends closer together. If the chemistry isn't right it can be not so pleasant. I've been fortunate I suppose. I think we have a great start in forming a communtiy like the ones I've been lucky enough to have been a part of in the past.

I don't mind either, but I always strived to either make macro's for the important bits (certain crap on boss fights,) or making sure my fingers are up to the challenge of tanking, typing, and pressing the button to communicate on vent.

I respect that not everyone wishes to get on vent (one of my long term and very good raiders couldn't for over a year,) but I feel we can make it work without the downsides of people clamming up in text.

As might be obvious by my activity, you give me a keyboard and my fingers will fly.

Kai-Sun wrote:

As might be obvious by my activity, you give me a keyboard and my fingers will fly.

237 posts to back that up!

Selven wrote:

Kai-Sun wrote:

As might be obvious by my activity, you give me a keyboard and my fingers will fly.

237 posts to back that up!

Yea well...that *might* slow down when I start my new job in about a week.

Maybe not though, cause it's work from home <.<

I have msn if anyone wants to say hey some time
jedidarka@hotmail.com

Darka wrote:

I have msn if anyone wants to say hey some time
jedidarka@hotmail.com

I tried to send something ohh so clever but it didn't recognize my host mail server.

I can try from my end if you wish

Selven wrote:

...

That's how misunderstandings are born - Note to self; do try to spend 2 more minutes when typing.

You see, I love listening in to other people in VC, I'm just not very happy about it when it's used as a replacement of group chat/guild chat in game. Not everyone can have the volume up at all times and some, like me, can't hear what's being said when raiding/PvPing. I've had experiences where if you don't hear what the group leader is saying, you get kicked out of the group. And guilds that never talk in guild chat, leaving some of us out if we're unable to connect to VC for various reasons. You'd think VC would make the game even more social. My experience is the exact opposite. But of course, I've never had a truly awesome community on VC before!

I just like the written chat, is all.

I hear you. I myself am not really a fan of voice chat, but the main reason for that is because I have never been a phone person either. Regular phones are somewhat managable, except for the calls about questionaires and trying to sell crap, those crep me out. Mobile phone calls just never really worked at all for me, don't know why those are different from the regular ones (may be the waves they receive and transmit).

I don't see voice chat as being much different, it has the same major flaw. There is no non-verbal communication, which can be a lot more important than the actual words said or how they are said. You can't look the other person in the face and they can't look back, so I don't see myself heavilly voicechatting.

The thing is that there are those that try to make it mandatory, pretty much all the "hardcore raiding guilds" you hear about, pretty much like what Selven posted. I completely agree with that post I quoted, it's anything but social most of the time.

I'm not against having it, I may even get myself a headset to join in from time to time. Or maybe something else instead of a headset, headsets don't feel nice. But it has to be 100% optional, it should not be a replacement for regular typing chat.

I've got a worry about 3rd party voice in the game. I'm the "drop everything to help" guy. Now I'm not crazy enough to monitor global chat -- that's Superman's job -- but local chat I tend to keep on. In games I've seen the Ventrilo guilds have all other chat off, thus completely ignoring those standing next to them sincerely asking for help. That's left a bad taste in my mouth.

I am not a phone person either. But my main problem is as i am not a native English speaker and as such i find it a lot easier to understand a written text then a remote voice over a noisy connection. And the game sounds with all those explosions, blasters and lightsabers make the problem even worst. Probably i will miss big chunks of the conversation if we use vent or something like it.
The downside of the typed chat is its slower. So, yeah i understand why people consider using vent.

Cold, the Crazies and the gang used a combo of Vent, and also guild/group chat when raiding/instances etc...for social..its just about the same...A nice balance.

As far as RiG goes, can't we add a chat-room to our main menu. I can do some legwork, and find a server if that would make the forum happy. That way, we can check in there, vice posting chat all over the topics (as we do now). That would limit the topics to pertinent posting, and the chat room for idle/ silly banter (I love that).

As far as RiG Vent is concerned, we could try out a test run on a channel. I really don't think Vent would be a "must" at this point. 2 weeks prior to launch, conversely, would be a great time to have Vent channels up and running. Coordinating TOR servers, guilds, factions, and players.

comments?

Schwendo wrote:

As far as RiG goes, can't we add a chat-room to our main menu. I can do some legwork, and find a server if that would make the forum happy. That way, we can check in there, vice posting chat all over the topics (as we do now). That would limit the topics to pertinent posting, and the chat room for idle/ silly banter (I love that).


comments?

There's a built in option to have a chat on the front page, but I haven't looked at it. If it's anything like on the guild forums I've seen, it's just a chat box, not a room. Both has it's perks. I'll leave it up to you all.

kk, TYVM Selv

Well for me vent was used largely for a social thing, I liked that in SWG, they put in a voice chat thing into the actual game, mostly we would use it to just have a laugh, people would put music on, and we would just have some fun with it

I agree it is not for everyone, it took me a while to get used to it as well, but it depends on how it is used and what for?

Now a RiG vent. I would suspect this would be used mostly for messing about knowing some of you on here but I think it could also be very useful for doing things like planning week by week in game activities. Say a group of guild leaders and community leaders popping on every Sunday evening or something and discussing what plans each one had for the week, plan to meet up, coordinate events and so on?

It could even be recorded into a type of pod cast for others to listen too, or minutes taken which would later be posted here on the boards with the weeks events so people could pop along and take part?

I would suspect vent for raids and so on would be done guild by guild? And some will like it others not? But that would be more down to them and their guilds preference.

Just how I would see a RiG vent being used? I am sure people will find other uses for it too hehe, but could be one cool way to use it perhaps?

I did'nt want to offend anyone, but, that is exactly what I was getting at...We could have an "open forum" chat on Sundays. Also we could have a RiG meeting of the guild leaders. That way we can actually do some of the coordinating, obviously, under a light hearted/ fun approach...

Schwendo wrote:

I did'nt want to offend anyone, but, that is exactly what I was getting at...We could have an "open forum" chat on Sundays. Also we could have a RiG meeting of the guild leaders. That way we can actually do some of the coordinating, obviously, under a light hearted/ fun approach...

You offend? I can't find an offensive bone in your body!


Wait ....I ...nevermind

*whispers* Selv' thats private

Selven wrote:

You offend? I can't find an offensive bone in your body!


Wait ....I ...nevermind

Well you know what they say, the best defense is a good "offense!"

mmm Offense....