A voice to a face

[Very Ape 748]

Or rather, knowing who the hell is talking.

And I don't mean putting a voice to a name, but putting a voice to a face. It's quite difficult to pinpoint who is actually talking when you're in a group. I don't need to explain how in real life, we have an easier time with that, and not just because of the moving mouths. We humans tend to be able to pinpoint the sound as well, something that's poorly achieved by in-game voice communication. While we do see moving mouths, we do need a bit more than that.

For example, in low-light situations, I can clearly see my friends, but I don't know who the hell is talking, despite directly facing someone. It's not a huge inconvenience, but it makes forming groups with survivors you just met that much more complicated. Considering you're evading death at every turn, you don't want to waste time telling your friends to lean their torso left and right all the time.

And again, this suggestion has nothing to do with identifying players by name. Simply put, when there are two people in front of me and one of them is asking me to put an item in his backpack, I shouldn't struggle to know who is talking. Granted, in day-time it isn't so hard if the person is facing you, but it's still something that can be fixed.

Two suggestions, one of whichI outright dislike (but for the sake of discussion, let's not leave anything unsaid.)

• More visual cues when a player is standing still and using voice chat. For example, slight head-bobbing. Not much, but it'll make things that much easier. Now, if a player is aiming down the sights while immobile, this wouldn't apply. If done improperly; a lot of unnecessary gestures. To avoid.
  

• A very subtle indicator above one's head. I believe this could potentially break immersion, and it would probably look ridiculous. This is the one I don't like. However, if done properly, this visual indicator would only appear at a very short distance.
  

The problem's really getting organized with survivors you've just met, and general communication with a group of people clustered together. Putting a voice to a face shouldn't be a challenge. It's not a big problem, but it can be fixed nonetheless!

Edited December 31, 2012 by Very Ape

[plrsniper 87]

ACRE has made a perfect working VOIP system. Simply integrate the mod with ACRE and TS for those servers that want it.

[Very Ape 748]

ACRE has made a perfect working VOIP system. Simply integrate the mod with ACRE and TS for those servers that want it.

Could you give a brief explanation of how it works, what it does? :P

[plrsniper 87]

Could you give a brief explanation of how it works, what it does? :P

It's a mod that uses the ArmA 2 dll "API" (Application Programming Interface, previously accessed through dsound.dll as a "hack") to communicate with the Teamspeak 3 client application and uses Teamspeaks 3D sound capability to place other players voices at their relative point of origin in the game.

So if i talk on your left side then you will hear me in your left ear. The sound positioning is extremely accurate and i can pinpoint a person from a lineup of ten if i stand no more than 10 meters away. You

immediately hear who is talking. (And their moths move too, just like the ArmA voip. And TS3 has superior audio quality over ArmA voip)

As you move closer to other people you hear them better, just like in ArmA voip but this is much better and the louder you speak the further away you are heard. (That is, it senses how loud you talk so if you whisper you won't be heard very far at all)

But there is also a function that allows you to talk in a normal volume but limit the distance you are heard. (Short, medium long etc)

In short, it's a replacement for ArmA voip and it also supports radios with channels. A small radio with 700 meters range, another with 5 km range and two more with 20 km range. (And you can set up relay stations to even further that range)

May not be the best example but here is a video with ACRE and a guy teaching them how to use the radios.

Edited December 31, 2012 by X0TCadde