Radios to communicate and broadcast

[I_Guts_I 7]

Attention: if you vote please post your thoughts to keep thread alive. Also I just want to hear your opinions on it.

Well I searched and couldn't find a post summing up this idea in a good and to the point way so here I go.

Have radios in the game that let you talk to other survivors that also have a radio within 4k(can be adjusted if you think this is to small or big).

If you reach a radio tower and etc... you can broadcast over the whole map and to devices(Military camps with radios, Tv's, etc...) and to other players with radios.

The player with a radio can mute them at any time.

Summed Up

• Radios to communicate to others with radio up to 4k
  
• Able to broadcast transmission from tower
  

Why?

Its obvious that communication is a problem in DayZ. Most players cannot communicate with others if not in skype, teampspeak, etc... .

There is simply no way to interact with other players unless if they are right next to you. The side chat was an issue with blatant voices ruining the games immersion but if you add radios then you can mute them at any time and will only be talking to other people with radios. Your conversation will either end in you wanting to meet up, but a bandit can also have a radio and listen in.

Edited July 14, 2012 by I_Guts_I

[Miragenz 71]

Think it has been suggested aswell

http://dayzmod.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2960-walkie-talkies/

[I_Guts_I 7]

Think it has been suggested aswell

http://dayzmod.com/f...walkie-talkies/

Saw that but your aren't specific enough as to what the walkie-talkie will do like range,mute, who you can talk to, and such. You also didn't have the broadcast part in there. You basically just say Walkie-Talkies and don't give a clear description of what they will entail.

It may not seem like it because of the context but mine is much different than yours.

I Give

• Range
  
• Communication Limitations
  
• How it works
  
• Broadcasting at towers
  
• Why it should be used
  

You Give

• Put Walkie-Talkies in the game.
  

Not trying to offend just stating why I put mine up even when I saw yours.

[schwifty 22]

None of the above. Let DayZ servers run the ACRE mod (advanced combat radio environment) or ask Jaynus about adding it right into DayZ!!!

[enforcer1975 1111]

ACRE uses a kind of line of sight system. You can't broadcast beyond hills if you are not standing on top of it and radios had a range of about 10km or so, the vehicle radios must had had 25-50km range under optimal conditions. When i played in a tactical game i had the opportunity to relay messages because i was standing in between two teams on a hill which blocked their communication, that was FUN. I was carrying three radios btw.

Edited July 14, 2012 by Enforcer

[PointAndClick 6]

Tuning into frequencies to create player to player or group communication. Can't go wrong.

[enforcer1975 1111]

But It's really tough work, if you don't concentrate you press the wrong button and get the wrong team if you are using multiple devices.

But it add a bit of a spy function, just switch from channel to channel until you hear voices, listen in if its interesting or proceed...

Edited July 14, 2012 by Enforcer

[Zera_Grey 28]

I say yes it would allow for more communication and to get updates on whats going on in areas around you.

[Kocaine & Tater-Tots 1]

To add a greater sense of realism, as well as balance, would the use of batteries be something to be implemented along with this, or would it be similar to flashlight with seemingly limitless battery life?

Also, the addition of several different types of radios would be a good idea.

In addition, maybe turning the radio into a sort of means to detect other players. If Player A and B are communicating via radios, and Player C doesn't have one, perhaps there should be a range from which player A's Radio would be audible to player C, so C could listen in without actually having it. (Also, you could hear an enemy that's close by via the same means)

Maybe adding a type of Rare Head set would also aid in the immersion as it would prevent near by players from eaves dropping. :P

Just some thoughts.

[GCameron 0]

I like the idea, but I do think the range is way overboard. In my opinion, 500 meters would be more than enough, and I don't think I would want it to be over one kilometer; or at least not with *just* a radio (IE: add some other item or mechanic to boost the range). I'm iffy about broadcasts, but if nothing else, it would add a use to the radio towers we already have.

I'm almost guaranteed some backlash for this, but I don't believe it would need any further realism as suggested above. At a certain point, you're just making it a pain in the ass to do anything. That's why the core game's realism has a cutoff point. There are mods that completely overhaul the realism, but they aren't included in the core game because they aren't for everyone; just a very specific portion of the community. There are people who would strap motion sensors to their ankles and use that for basic movement if they could, but most of us would prefer to just use out keyboards. If you over-complicate it, you are discouraging new members. They'll take one look at it, decide it's too hopeless, and leave for good. Many of you probably like that idea and want to keep DayZ on the more secluded side (it's a lost cause now anyway), but you have to realize that any community should seek above all else to grow. That's how things work and how they improve (even if it *looks* like a horde of idiots joined, the silent majority are like you).

TL;DR version:

Like the idea, believe 4 kilometers is ridiculous, further realism implementation would only hurt DayZ in the long run.

[adamtheheretic 106]

Yes, it promotes in game voice chat, and currently we have telepathic survivors thinking to one another whilst surrounding players that are oblivious... Kind of unfair. I said yes but less range, and obviously frequencies couldn't be completely secure.

[CHOSENMARINE 43]

Prepare yourself, you are about to hear what I think! Here it comes...

Radios should certainly be added as an item you could find , very similar to a map, compass, watch, ext. They wouldn't be to hard to find. Radios would have different frequencies - or channels - that would allow you to hear and speak with anyone else on that channel. There would probably be 3 to 5 channels which could be changed with the scroll wheel or maybe right clicking it in the inventory. Although, I'm not really sure how you would actually speak into it... Maybe a new chat channel just for radios called "radio". As for range, I think it would need to be very far, but maybe not all the way across the map?

I could just imagine the tension and drama that these babies would create. It would create many experiences that's for sure!

[I_Guts_I 7]

I'm loving all the yes votes.

What kills me is this thing really isn't that hard to implement because the radio tool is already in the game. They just need to give it a function like I described and it would work.

[donnerr 10]

love it, but the range is too high imo.

some guy on youtube with a dayz-diary series said that rocket will implement radios in alpha-version 1.8.... thats is BS right?

[Donaghue 3]

Yes, it promotes in game voice chat, and currently we have telepathic survivors thinking to one another whilst surrounding players that are oblivious... Kind of unfair

I don't see anything in the pro-radio argument that would change this. Every suggestion regarding radios in favour of realism means that they have a downside--limited range, batteries, insecure channels, etc. But already players can--and do, as Fish points out--use third party voip to get all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of radio communications. In a game as easy to die in as DayZ, who would even consider giving up an advantage that is well within the unstated rules of the game? \

Radios are an exciting possibility and excellent for realism, but ultimately do more harm than good. Better for rocket to concentrate on features that have a lasting appeal and usefulness.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Donaghue

[Miragenz 71]

Saw that but your aren't specific enough as to what the walkie-talkie will do like range,mute, who you can talk to, and such. You also didn't have the broadcast part in there. You basically just say Walkie-Talkies and don't give a clear description of what they will entail.

It may not seem like it because of the context but mine is much different than yours.

Not trying to offend just stating why I put mine up even when I saw yours.

Mine is just the initial suggestion, then with help from others you slowly see whats a good idea and what isnt.

[aversionfx 63]

If a way to broadcast to players at long range is ever introduced, I am going to lock it down and play Benny Hill until everyone leaves or hangs themselves.

[mrducky (DayZ) 33]

Radios should certainly be added as an item you could find , very similar to a map, compass, watch, ext. They wouldn't be to hard to find. Radios would have different frequencies - or channels - that would allow you to hear and speak with anyone else on that channel.

I think it would need to be very far, but maybe not all the way across the map?

Definitely this. I'd even go as far as to make the different radios to perhaps have different fixed channels. (Maybe only make some stationary locations, like the military tent radios, to be able to change the channels.)

(Otherwise it easily becomes the side chat where everone can listen to everyone and the use of the radio to communicate would be way too risky as all the bandits would be constantly listening to all the channels. At least if they had to carry multiple radios if they really wanted to use it to home on the unsuspecting survivors, it would be a chosen tradeoff of either losing precious inventory space or not being able to do it effectively (on all channels) - i.e. having to assign one person to be the dedicated signaller/radio spy. - or to just keep hold of one of the stationary radio locations.)

I'm not even trying to think of this in-game radio system as something the bandit clans, established groups, etc. would use to communicate. Of course they would not. Why would they trade their already functional secure TS/mumble/whatnot "radio-communication" to some unsecure in-game one? Never gonna happen. The whole point would be to facilitate communication between "random" players (which is currently next to non-existing).

A good range might be something that reaches from, say, cherno to elektro. Use of the radio should not immediately tell the other receiving it that you are definitely in the same town. The guys at the neighbouring towns should be able to receive the transmission. Probably not much further than that. It would allow you to start guessing the source town of the transmission from the nearby towns, but not to know it for sure, at least not without moving around and listening to a prolonged radio discussion to home on it. It would also make it safer to ask "Is anyone out there?" on the radio, without exposing your position too accurately. (Yet having some chance that someone else actually receives it).

This would really give a new kind of way to be able to contact with other random players before they are in point blank range (and getting shot). And with some careful tuning of how secure/unsecure those radios really are, use of them would still have some of its risks. Bandits could still try to hunt down the survivors using the radios or use them to lure people into traps, but only to some extent...

Oh, I'm just imagining the amount of drama these things might give us... And naturally when approaching the city... "Anyone at cherno?". :D

[heretic (DayZ) 76]

I think in-game radios are a good idea. But I think that it needs to be kept as simple as possible (KISS). I love the idea of using ACRE etc. but think that it is probably overkill for DayZ. Using existing game mechanics to facilitate communication makes more sense to me. Perhaps finding a radio in-game should simply enable the group chat channel (or similar) for the players with radios.

Just my thoughts on the idea.

[Talyessin 7]

Maybe there could be different kinds of radios you could find. Such as a simple walkie talkie, many civilian off the shelf models can carry a range of up to 45km as a example but you can never really be sure of the range beacause of terrain.Then there are your Military and para military radios that work preatty much anywhere within their given range.Maybe different types would be more realitic.

[I_Guts_I 7]

If a way to broadcast to players at long range is ever introduced, I am going to lock it down and play Benny Hill until everyone leaves or hangs themselves.

You missed the ability to mute in my post I'm taking it?

[mesmichael 6]

you should have radio channals as well

[Schamer (DayZ) 0]

Yea i thought about something like this too.

Really good Idea :)

Would LOVE it!

[I_Guts_I 7]

you should have radio channals as well

You could have a channel that you and your friend talk on and think its safe but little do you know someone is listening in.

[adamtheheretic 106]

I don't see anything in the pro-radio argument that would change this. Every suggestion regarding radios in favour of realism means that they have a downside--limited range, batteries, insecure channels, etc. But already players can--and do, as Fish points out--use third party voip to get all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of radio communications. In a game as easy to die in as DayZ, who would even consider giving up an advantage that is well within the unstated rules of the game? \

Radios are an exciting possibility and excellent for realism, but ultimately do more harm than good. Better for rocket to concentrate on features that have a lasting appeal and usefulness.

You could hack into other peoples radio frequencies. People would use it for that alone... Also those that play on RP servers would use them.