Basic VoIP Software

Posted by Pandy on November 10th, 2009 | 0 comments

For anyone who isn’t in the know, Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP is the most common fashion to which online players use to communicate to each other in and out of games.  The idea is to transmit sounds from a microphone across the internet to other computers.

I am not getting into much detail about the programs, however I will recommend Teamspeak 2 for anyone’s voice communication needs.  I’ve found the best success with Teamspeak 2 in regards to being:  reliable, flexible, and easy to use.  Ventrilo is also an another good option if Teamspeak 2 does not offer everything you need.

Back in the day, I remember when voice communications was a rare thing to find in any clan.  Now you can’t find a Clan without a form of voice communications.  This is due to the fact that having a form of communications give members a competitive advantage.  Allowing members to keep their hands on the mouse and action keys in any game allows them to focus on the game itself  instead of typing out communications between team members.

Most voice communication applications give Clan Leaders the ability to create channels for any intent or reason.  I think it would be ideal to use several sub-channels for the purpose of making in-game voice communications as clutter-free as possible.  Individual sub-channels should be used for ground level tactics and coordination between members of a respective group, allowing leaders to focus on the strategy of these groups instead of basic tactics.

Teamspeak 2 Only:  The “Channel Commander” feature allows anyone set as the channel commander to speak to all other channel commanders at the same time, regardless of what channel they’re in.  Ideally the channel commander function should be reserved for members who are leading squads/sections who need to talk to other squads/sections over a command channel.

Heres some of the most popular VoIP software currently used:

  • Roger Wilco is currently owned by GameSpy since late 2000.  The most current client side version is 1.4.1.6.  The program requires a $3.95 per month subscription of GameSpy’s tools.
  • Teamspeak is currently owned by TeamSpeak Systems GmbH.  The most current client side version is 2.0.32.60, however an open beta of Teamspeak 3 is due to come out on December 19th, 2009.  The program is currently freeware.
  • Ventrilo is currently owned by Flagship Industries, Inc.  The most current client side version is 3.0.5 (3.0.4 for OSX.)  The program is currently freeware.
  • VoiceChatter is currently owned by Weiland Software, LLC.  The most current client side version is 1.2.0.  The program is currently open source freeware.
  • Mumble is currently an open source project and has no defined owner.  The most current client side version is 1.1.8.  The program is currently open source freeware.

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