Is teamspeak in the spirit of the game?

[SandMan20 11]

Something I wanted to ask the community is its stance on teamspeak. For those who don't know what teamspeak is it is a program that allows you to talk to other people over the web in groups while playing games like DayZ. Almost like talking in side channel, but only for your friends to hear.

Now what I was thinking about is teamspeak in the spirit of the game. Now what that means is if your on a server with no side channel (only direct comms, group which is useless and vehicle) should you be allowed to use teamspeak. Now obviously there is a huge advantage in using teamspeak over direct chat, as direct chat is heard by anyone near by and only goes a certain distance. Teamspeak is only heard by who you want to hear it like clan mates or friends and goes infinite distance.

Obviously using teamspeak or a similar program is the choice of many if not all DayZ clans for being able to organize much easier yet keep quiet from other players. What I was thinking is that it is unfair and against a basic element of DayZ, and that is not knowing. You shouldn't be able to tell if the guy 500m away is your clan mate heading to your position or a bandit getting into position to shoot you, likewise he shouldn't know if that's his clan or not. Another thing is being able to tell your friends what is happening while you are knocked out. You can't talk while knocked out in DayZ, but with teamspeak you can. You can say "he's [insert position]" so that your friends know where to look and find him to kill him. That's not fair to the guy who just shot you and is ambushing your group. Now I know some people think they should have the ability to communicate like what teamspeak gives to avoid these exact problems.

What I'm wondering is the communities take on this. Personally I think it is OK in the Alpha stage, but once a way of communicating in game like this is implemented (finding a radio and setting up a channel on it, maybe implement the ACRE mod to accomplish this) then teamspeak would become on unfair advantage gained by others and should be against the rules.

So, what do you think?

[Alixtheone (DayZ) 40]

Communication is key to survival.

unless you're a lone wolf hiding in the shadows.

[SandMan20 11]

Communication is key to survival.

unless you're a lone wolf hiding in the shadows.

Well, yes communication is key to survival, but should you be able to download a program to get that communication? Or should you have to find it out in this world and utilize it? (when and if something like I said gets implemented)

[pvt_ammo@hotmail.com 164]

In an ideal world TeamSpeak would be outlawed in this game and players would have to rely on radios they find in the environment. This would bring in the true spirit of what this game is about. But unfortunately there's absolutely no way to police this or prevent people from using any kind of voice com software outside of a game.

That being said I think TeamSpeak does have a place in this game even though it doesn't adhear to the true spirit of DayZ. Meeting people in-game and then inviting them on your TS is a good way to build good friendships and large communities. It's also a great way to help others, especially new players.

I try to convince myself it's ok to use TS in-game by imagining I've simply spawned with a radio that's only tuned in to a frequency a select few can hear. =D

[gizm0 96]

I feel that with TS comes being able to plot to kill your other "group" mates without the risk of being found out, I mean you could set up a private TS server and only you and your friend can get in and plan about it, where as in real life you would have to find a private place to meet and talk but it would be noticable that you two were gone as well as someone may follow you and find out what your planning.

While I agree TS and other 3rd party comms are not stoppable it would be cool to see dayz always listen to your mic and be forced to be voice triggered so Private TS chatter wouldn't be 100% secure.

[LumberBack 43]

goes against the point of the game, noway to stop it though...

["Lost" Alice 205]

I like the idea of having a 'radio' to my clan, I use teamspeak to fulfill this urge.

BUT HOW COOL WOULD IT BE, to have an in-game clan radio you can talk to your clanmates in, but it gets distorted and messed up during rain, or if you break/lose it.

Edited July 23, 2012 by "Lost" Alice

[Daddy'o (DayZ) 146]

Immersionally: Yes it's against the spirit of the game.

Functionally: A vital and much, much needed part of the game. Without, it would be a real pain coordinating and playing dayz in a group.

Realistically: Even if it was against the rules, how are you going to enforce the rule? How do you detect without guessing who's running TS?

[gizm0 96]

I like the idea of having a 'radio' to my clan, I use teamspeak to fulfill this urge.

BUT HOW COOL WOULD IT BE, to have an in-game clan radio you can talk to your clanmates in, but it gets distorted and messed up during rain, or if you break/lose it.

and someone could figure out your freq and listen into your comms

[The_Man 393]

I like the idea of having a 'radio' to my clan, I use teamspeak to fulfill this urge.

BUT HOW COOL WOULD IT BE, to have an in-game clan radio you can talk to your clanmates in, but it gets distorted and messed up during rain, or if you break/lose it.

I like this idea. Different channels too! You could listen in on other peoples channels or maybe a good piece of loot is a signal jammer. That would be interesting!

["Lost" Alice 205]

and someone could figure out your freq and listen into your comms

I like this idea. Different channels too! You could listen in on other peoples channels or maybe a good piece of loot is a signal jammer. That would be interesting!

YES YES YES!!!

I love these ideas.

Immersion is a huge factor for me, I would LOVE to switch channel frequencies while I'm eating my can of beans in the woods taking a break, overhearing other survivor conversations. I would imagine that at some point some survivors would radio for help as a last ditch attempt to survive. Hoping a friendly finds the frequency before a bandit does. I WOULD BE ALL OVER THAT!!!

Edited July 23, 2012 by "Lost" Alice

[spammy@live.de 19]

Realistically: Even if it was against the rules, how are you going to enforce the rule? How do you detect without guessing who's running TS?

Have direct comm always "on".

The problem is that this sounds like it will put a huge load on the servers...

[Alex988 9]

i think it should be against the rules to use ts. DayZ should come with a spyware which scans your computer for voicetools and stuff. VERBOTEN!!!!!

[Legacy (DayZ) 1091]

Metagaming in all forms is allowed. So I see no reason why teamspeak should not be allowed.

[LumberBack 43]

i think it should be against the rules to use ts. DayZ should come with a spyware which scans your computer for voicetools and stuff. VERBOTEN!!!!!

awesome idea! beans!

[davidcastle 19]

doesn't matter. there is NO way to stop teamspeak. hell even if you DID find a way to disable teamspeak while arma2 is running for Dayz purposes... people would just get a laptop or some old second computer load teamspeak on that and use that as their teamspeak computer.

there is absolutely no way around teamspeak, regardless of my opinion and yours teamspeak cannot be removed. just saying. FOr you roleplayers who needs to have it super super SUPER real (i myself love real, but i see the reality that this is a game) then just imagine that clans using teamspeak are people who were in the military or a PMC before the apocalypse and they have radios.

[Bianca 92]

Like they said before, it should be all in-game. Currently we have no radios so we're fucked up on long distance communications and that's why we use TS but in short distance communication I use Direct Chat because it adds realism, I mean, "Shhh keep your voice down... Someone might be listening" and that kind of stuff.

Plus, you can trick people that way

[Alex988 9]

awesome idea! beans!

I WANT MORE BANS!

[deren93@hotmail.com 95]

Teamspeak is a form of communication. In real life you don't have to press capslock to speak, so why do it in a simulator game? Teamspeak channels are a great place to meet people and talk easily with your friends.

[gizm0 96]

Teamspeak is a form of communication. In real life you don't have to press capslock to speak, so why do it in a simulator game? Teamspeak channels are a great place to meet people and talk easily with your friends.

thats why we just have dayz force voip over direct to be always on.

[Rising (DayZ) 99]

Using teamspeak is a universally accepted form of cheating. There's no way to stop it just as there's no way to stop people from sitting next to each other playing the game. Of course its cheating, ROcket removed server chat to make the game harder. What people should do is use direct comms in the game just as they would in real life. You don't spawn with radio headsets.

[Nashy08 8]

I use steam chat, but I also use the direct comm. often. I don't play on servers that have direct comm. disabled. :)

Edited July 23, 2012 by Nashy08

[Deuzerre 64]

Rocket took down the in-game chat for a reason. The same reason that third party voice over programs shouldn't work.

But it's technically impossible to prevent them from being used, so it's a lost fight.

Though I'd love the game to automatically detect voice on the mike and make your character use a premade "Mumbling" noise that's not speech.

I sometimes go with guys on Mumble and it becomes sooo easy. It's so gamebreaking that it's sad.

[gizm0 96]

Using teamspeak is a universally accepted form of cheating. There's no way to stop it just as there's no way to stop people from sitting next to each other playing the game. Of course its cheating, ROcket removed server chat to make the game harder. What people should do is use direct comms in the game just as they would in real life. You don't spawn with radio headsets.

while we don't spawn with them, Given how common radios are for military personal it would make sense that they would be more or just as common as military grade weapons, I mean they would need to stay in communication with their multiple camps (NWA,stary,cherno,belota,barazino,green mountain). So as well as civilian radios/cell phones would be cool cause than you could have basic channels with them and have encrypted/high freq range with the military radios but they need to be deployed and have a generaton.

Edited July 23, 2012 by Orthus

[slunny 1]

I think this issue highlights one of the bigger issues with dayZ, and that is the complete inability to enforce "the spirit of the game". In the actual "spirit of the game" a person would never use team-speak. They would only use in game chat for communication. They also would never disconnect in battle to avoid being shot or to get the upper hand over other players. this person would never server hop or abuse glitches like invisibility of item duping to get the upper hand over other players. unfortunately, the player i just described is taking a massive disadvantage over pretty much everyone else playing the game. I have always tried to play the game "fair" as much as i can... i never disconnect to avoid being shot or to lose zombies. i never server hop. i try to use in game chat and i don't exploit glitches... these things get you killed most of the time. In dayZ it is reaching the point where playing "fair" is synonymous to playing stupid...