I’ve written about “voice chat” in the past (1, 2, 3, 4) and pointed it as a danger for these games. The danger isn’t its use, but its imposition on all the players. Simply put: another process of exclusion. Another barrier used to discriminate.

It can be “optional”, but in a game with support for it, if you don’t use it you are excluded by other players.

The sad part is that I see this process (toward voice chat) as something that cannot be fought back. So, while the rants and dangers can be justified, it’s still something to which you’ll have to adapt.

Yes, voice chat can be a slight advantage and, yes, players will always take the shorter route to the carrot. But it is still not *required*. It’s an ease of use, it helps trivializing some forms of content and transform other players in just puppets. That’s why 5-man instances can be so much more fun. The players can regain their will and play the game in “first person”, instead of being there just to be a number and hit a button when yelled at.

Brainwashing could make some production processes more efficient, it’s true. But brainwashing doesn’t really lead to competence or people who are really good at what they are doing.

Voice chat can “compensate” for the presence in the group of some very bad, careless or distracted players. But it doesn’t really help to make them better ones.

From the latest thread on FoH’s.

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Zehn – Vhex: One of the chief aspects about Vent I really like is that I don’t have to keep scanning the chat box. Anything that helps me spend less time staring at components of the UI and more time watching the game is a good thing. That’s why I have pretty much every ability with a cooldown tied to a sound to play when it refreshes. I’ve known many mages who rely on the sound the netherwind bonus or clearcasting makes.

Voice is becoming more and more important in WoW simply because you don’t have the time to type shit out. I miss the days of having our guild leader type, “JSSUFHCKING CHRIST SOMNE TANK THS SHTI” when a mob gets out of control…but I welcome the days of him screaming over vent, “You fucking cocksuckers need to go learn how to dodge the giant fucking red beam” with open arms.

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Abalieno: Yeah, laziness.

As in that example, like if it wasn’t obvious enough that the mob gets out of control and should get tanked. If your players suck, it’s another problem. The voice chat can be an help to babysit people, but again it’s just not *required*. Its advantage is a false one because it requires maybe less attention from each player. But it’s something that you can easily compensate with some attention.

Let’s say this. Flipping the difficulty of the game to “easy” doesn’t mean that the game was impossible otherwise. Just that you settled for something slightly simpler because you are lazy, don’t want to pay attention to a chat box, don’t want to learn coordination, don’t expect awareness from all players, don’t expect them to take initiative and so on.

Voice chat works for “herding”. It isn’t really necessary if your players are competent and are really trying to learn the game. Which, then, it’s about ALL the fun you can have in the game.

Executing commands without even understanding them is what makes raiding so absolutely dull, pointless and unfun. You are just a puppet and the true challenge of the game is one: stay awake.

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EmiliaEQ: And a God Send blessing for Fucktards.
Because now those fucktards will have their fucktardness hidden.

Want a simple example ? Chromaggus

CTRaid Emote : AE Fire DoT INC in 10 Seconds
TS/Vent (Raid Leader) : 10 Secs to AE ! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE

Do you need TS/Vent to dodge the AE ? Nope.
Hell i remember people using stopwatches with EQ (hella lot harder)

Who’s willing to bet there is more than a handfull of players that couldnt dodge the AE without TS/Vent.