Does sidechat ruin anyone elses game?

[Guest]

I despise the whole idea of side chat in DayZ. I feel it ruins immersion and takes away the thrill of human contact. I have a few other reasons for hating it so much. But, I'm not really interested in debating the pros and cons.

What I really want to know is how many other people feel the same way I do about it. I can't help but notice that almost every private hive I've ever joined has re-enabled it. Does this reflect the community at large? Or is this a case of server admins not wanting to exclude those who want it?

What's your opinion on its popularity in private hives.

I don't mind the chat, it's a lonely place sometimes...... The VOIP is annoying though

[Gruso (DayZ) 81]

It doesn't work like that. VON is a global audio setting. If you turn it down, you won't hear anyone, anywhere, use their mic.

Not true man! I have VON turned down, I don't hear Side voice, I do hear Direct voice. I haven't tested it with Vehicle voice.

[Dancing.Russian.Man 1631]

Not true man! I have VON turned down, I don't hear Side voice, I do hear Direct voice. I haven't tested it with Vehicle voice.

Welp. That's new information for me, then.

I'll have to test it out myself, though, as much as I can take your word for it.

[Ovation 52]

I like Side chat Text, Adds community for when you're bored and is easily ignored in immersion situations

that said i really do not accept side chat Voice communication it is unnecessary its easily abused it will not be in SA if i can help it.

direct chat Voice comms absolutely stays, its perfect for tense realism

[dgeesio 1034]

i prefer it on

[SmashT 10907]

It doesn't work like that. VON is a global audio setting. If you turn it down, you won't hear anyone, anywhere, use their mic.

Actually that is how it works, turning down VON doesn't effect direct etc, in fact you will still be able to hear people talking on side if they are within direct range when it's turned down.

Edited January 14, 2013 by smasht_AU

[Dancing.Russian.Man 1631]

Actually that is how it works, turning down VON doesn't effect direct etc, in fact you will still be able to hear people talking on side if they are within direct range when it's turned down.

Yes, that is what some people seem to have told me. Gotta believe it since there's more than just 1-2 people confirming it.

[Xucphra 453]

It has some ups and downs, but I don't think it belongs. A great deal of people use it to whine when they're killed, and more often than not I'm annoyed by it rather than pleased with it. I wouldn't mind it so much if there was an easy way to disable it locally, though.

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

I don't mind it, those long cross country run / walks need a distraction once in a while.

I would be lost without it, I have met some great players and always need it for my taxi service, It's hard not being able to communicate with players in game, when you operate a taxi service.

I have been on many a server when a hacker struck, Didn't take long before they were dealt with so it has it's good sides, I suppose it comes down to discipline and uncommon sense, Oh and server side options.

Edit: You know you can block off the noisy players? there is a icon to block chat from them, useful when playing and you don't need scaring to death in tense situations.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Michaelvoodoo25

[Bongofish 22]

Now this is just silly.

There's a huge difference between talking to the people that you're playing with and random people talking in your ear and filling your screen with text, lol.

Now THIS is just silly.

If people are complaining that side chat breaks immersion, while using Skype or whatever, they are being complete hypocrites.

"Being able to magically talk to people far away breaks my immersion! Unless they are friends, then the magic ability to talk to them doesn't break my immersion."

Can you see how retarded this reasoning is?

Remember, the criteria being used was "immersion," not whether or not it annoys you.

[terminal_boy 860]

Doesn't bother me at all as I have VON volume at zero.

Monitoring the Side Chat text can be very informative as players sometimes type before they think and can give away location/vehicle/loot info.

[Imafighter 236]

I agree with this wholeheartedly, and it entirely reflects my opinion on the matter.

It gets so, SO boring and lonesome in DayZ if all you're doing is running. The side-chat helps with that. And it's kind of helpful if you're pinned down -- or are pinning someone down -- in a building, and want to make a deal with them and not worry about them even seeing your messages or not.

But people using voice chat in side-chat is rather horrible. You can't even mute VOIP entirely, because if you do that, you won't be able to hear someone in Direct Communications if they try asking for help or calling out "friendly" or even "Don't come in/drop your weapon or I shoot."

That is incorrect, as VOIP does not lower direct chat, but all the other chats.

[chaarlie97@live.com 2]

(lisp) omg guysh plsh shtop it ruinsh my immershunzsh guysh relly ...

How is this guy not banned? Look at his recent posts and his signature *facepalm*

[Dancing.Russian.Man 1631]

That is incorrect, as VOIP does not lower direct chat, but all the other chats.

Forgot about that post. But I've learned since making that post that lowering VON doesn't affect Direct Communications channel.

[Kaffarov37 125]

Its only good for letting people know if there is a hacker online. It gets annoying when you see all these blue letters on the side of the screen.

[DZR_Mikhail 2424]

Side chat with global channel and no way of turning it off... is horrific. Most uncomfortable and annoying chat in my life. One day Ill glue a piece of paper to my screen. It's getting unbearable when groups begin discussing tactics or flooding BS in it.

[St. Jimmy 1631]

Well side channel doesn't ruin mine game because there isn't any option to shout someone who's a bit further. But I hope there will be option to shout so there's no need side channel in SA because it is little immersion killer right now.

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

Now THIS is just silly.

If people are complaining that side chat breaks immersion, while using Skype or whatever, they are being complete hypocrites.

"Being able to magically talk to people far away breaks my immersion! Unless they are friends, then the magic ability to talk to them doesn't break my immersion."

Can you see how retarded this reasoning is?

Remember, the criteria being used was "immersion," not whether or not it annoys you.

3rd party voice applications could represent radios that you and your friends decided to use for communications, on an encrypted channel. Although I don't share his opinion on this, I see his logic.

Side chat on the other hand is a radio with unlimited range & perfect quality that everyone in Chernarus(or whatever map) has and they're all sharing the same channel. Not only is that idea stupid to me in the context of a zombie apocalypse, but its existence drastically affects peoples behavior. Rather than their focus being on the game world and whats happening around them, the focus is on blue text scrolling past your eyes. There is no fog of war when people can communicate so easily at any time to any person.

I play DayZ because it tried to distance itself from the normal video game ideas we see in almost every other game on the market. The sad reality is people are so used to this garbage they feel lost without it. At least that's my take on the situation.

[urspider2018@gmail.com 109]

I think the server should be allowed to decide whether or not they want side chat on. Let the people who want to have side chat have it, and let the people who don't want it to have their choice too. There's no need for all or nothing, right?

[big_t 66]

Hmm... how many of you that say it breaks the immersion of the game use TS Vent or Skype when you play? If so, please stop saying that. Thank You.

Lol good point

[Bongofish 22]

3rd party voice applications could represent radios that you and your friends decided to use for communications, on an encrypted channel. Although I don't share his opinion on this, I see his logic.

Side chat on the other hand is a radio with unlimited range & perfect quality that everyone in Chernarus(or whatever map) has and they're all sharing the same channel. Not only is that idea stupid to me in the context of a zombie apocalypse, but its existence drastically affects peoples behavior. Rather than their focus being on the game world and whats happening around them, the focus is on blue text scrolling past your eyes. There is no fog of war when people can communicate so easily at any time to any person.

I play DayZ because it tried to distance itself from the normal video game ideas we see in almost every other game on the market. The sad reality is people are so used to this garbage they feel lost without it. At least that's my take on the situation.

I get your point but still feel that any kind of voice chat outside of using the in game channels is essentially an immersion breaking thing. Other players can't hear you using it even if you are right next to them which is just as unrealistic as everyone hearing you. I don't think it will go away, people are too used to using it, but people who use some kind of third party chat and then say anything about immersion are being hypocrites.

[rob1pr26@yahoo.com 6]

Just turn VON down. The text is what is important to keep the hackers out and the fishy stuff.

[bad_mojo (DayZ) 1204]

Can't hacker reports be done through group chat? You know, the channel when you are in the lobby, the green text. Pretty sure the admin can even see direct chat text if he's looking at the console, so there's also that option. (or... forums and other means of communications outside the game.)

But, I get it. People like to have a place to vent to a large audience when they get killed by hackers. Just like a tree falling the woods... If a legit player dies to a hacker and there's nobody there to hear about it....

Edited January 15, 2013 by bad_mojo

[challe 7]

People don´t know how to use the chat, the text i don´t mind, but voisechatting in the sidechat is so wrong.

And people shouting freindly or stop, wait, and shit in sidechat just ruins it. 95% of the time they don´t do it to me, but i always answer "If i see you i kill you" or something like it. if they talk to me in directchat i will have a conversation. shouting out load in sidechat for rides like you think that if you don´t shout they wont hear you going away, that is annoying.

or the stupied peoples believing in thoose in sidechat, like "you can have the tractor at factory, come and take it if you like" 5 min later "why did you sniper me at the tractor"

better disable it

Edited January 17, 2013 by challe

[Evilution 66]

It doesn't really bother me i just turn VON off in the options.