Is Voice Chat the end of Role Play in SL?

No, a voice changer doesn't replace RP typed speech, and here's why:

It's not just about gender.

Are you a great actor? Is everyone that RPs online a great actor? Acting was my second major in college and *I'm* not a great actor. When we type, we can say that someone's voice is sultry, or hoarse, or squeaky... we can say that someone has said a thing with heartrending sadness, or emptiness, or subtle tension.

But it'd be a terrific challenge for people to say it that way for real. Some can do it, which is why they're probably getting paid for acting in RL. Most can't, in the same way that authors may be able to write an emotionally charged scene but be completely incapable of reading it aloud with the same effect.

Typing out your voice effects allows people to pretend things they can't personally do with voice, even with voicechanging software. That's the core of roleplay, and people who don't get the allure of roleplay in the first place aren't going to understand how voice mucks up the entire point of it.

Shhhh! Don't mention the voice changers. Then thy'll start to get paranoid again.

I really don't think there will be any v-chat RP in SL...except for between a few couples on an individual basis...if they can find a secret area (which will be hard).

RP will be safe because everyone that has any clue about it recognizes the literary qualities needed for RP that cannot be done with v-chat. I've personally gone through many scenarios in RP where the majority of the interaction was "/me" descriptions of actions. You can't do that with a straight face in v-chat!!

Besides, why muck up a perfectly beautiful illusion?

One of the prettiest kajirae I know is a man RL, and in a particularly masculine type of job at that. But she's amazing at creating the illusion of a delicate, almost ethereal sensuous beauty. It's like interacting with magic energies. Why on earth would I ever want to shatter that by trying to voice chat while in the middle of RP?

Kinda dumb really. We'll save voice for the OOC.

Even outside of RP within SL. A person in an "alternate "avatar is creating that character, and many put all they have into it. I don't want to take that away from them, destroy their illusion. To do so, is just plain mean. (And their undoubtedly be some that will take delight in outing the "fakers"

All the while calling them "bad people" and ignoring their creativity.

I was over on the voice grid tonight with a good friend. We talked so long I forgot the screen and it became a telephone call. When my attention came back to SL to give him a hug, it was an odd feeling at the transition from RL back to SL. It was actually awkward, and this is someone I've hugged dozens of times before.

There will be some fakers using voice mask programs who sound more "REAL" than some actual women using voice chat.

So this will go back to the same old paranoid people making stereotypical assumptions and deciding this person is this and that person is that -

And getting a lot of their "outings" wrong.


I know one woman in particular, everyone thought she was faking her online gender - until she met her Online BF irl, which led to a 2 year RL long distance relationship, LOL.

Creative minds have been shunned by the masses for ages, while their works are praised.
It seems that happyness in life is inversely proportional to one's intelligence (with the exception of falling below "average" at which point happyness falls again).

Wikipedia has this to say,

Sooo true. It's Dilbert's universe for a little while yet. But we're gaining headway I think.

Pandora's box is open with technological change and I'm idealistic enough to think it makes the difference that can't be rolled back. Yesterday's gone....

I don't know if SL is in that future or if we'll all be hunting for rats at the edge of the high shoreline raised by global warming...

But one way or another nothing is static.

"Change is the on constant."

I'm idealistic enough to think that it is possible for everyone to have what they want with SL, but LL isn't making it easy.

I've been reading this thread, and several times I've seen people mention "landowners will have to pay a fee for the voicechat."

Okay... So I have a few questions in this regard;

One; Where did Linden Labs say this at?? I can't seem to find it, and if someone could link me to an official statement about this, I'd appreciate it

Two; Do we have the option NOT to have voice on our land, and if so then we wont have to pay said fee?

As far as voice chat itself goes... I doubt I'll use it. Occassionally, probably, with close friends, definitely with my girl... But beyond that, I can't see myself even having it turned on when I go somewhere. Too annoying.

They said it back in MArch when Voice chat was announced, on the Blog.

Yes you will be abel to turn it off in your land settings.

I thought it only cost money if you want it on your own private island? If it costs money regardless of where you are then it better NOT default to on and be an 'opt-out' because a ton of people won't know it has been added to their land settings. And what about people who own large amounts of small plots all over the place? For example rental areas on the mainland, or a plot that for whatever reason was subdivided?

correct

Its free on Mainland Parcels

Its Free on the $295 a month Islands

It will cost money for the $195 a month islands. It may even cost $100/month (theyd have to go to "normal pricing"

You can also assume it'll be free on $150/month educational sims since they've repeatedly stated they're willing to loose money on those to attract educators.

Pbbt, pay the same price as a class 5 sim for class 4 hardware? I doubt they'd have any takers with that (and yes class 5 simes are considerably better than class 4. Scritps run about twice as fast on a full sim)

In fact I seriously doubt they'll have many sim owners PAYING for the "privilage" of voice :/

Farallon

Depends really, I mean... I was talking to my girl about it, and we both thought it'd be pretty freaking cool to be able to talk to each other on voice-chat. We're going to try out the betagrid together, and see how it actually feels, but really, if we owned a class 5, we might want it. It's steep, sure, but in the end it's about how people really feel about it.

I've noticed that when it comes to SL, sometimes money is not object. To be able to have your spouse/partner or friends over and have voice? That's cool. In larger places with lots of people, I wont use it, but in more intimate settings like that, I would be more inclined to want it, even at a cost. If it cost, say an extra few bucks maybe, then I wouldn't mind ponying up the money for it.

LL isn't making it easy? How? By providing another feature for people to use? I don't get it.

Has anyone thought of the possibility for comedy clubs, poetry readings and live music?

I plan on using v-chat extensively with the mute window up and ready! I'll talk to you until you determine for me that you're a waste of my talking/listening time!

As far as RP, no one will use v-chat...I'll turn it off for RP myself.

I also tend to keep most RP people I interact with completely seperate from my regular social circle in SL. I'll probably never v-chat with anyone I know from RP.

I can totally destroy this arguement with one word.


Karaoke !

I believe that there is already at least one of those on the grid already using the streaming media.

Also:
How is one supposed to HEAR the [above events] when there are 20+ people in the audience ALSO chatting about? You'd never hear a damn thing.



Somehow I think that needing the Mute window up all the time indicates a problem with the implementation.


There is a very explicit use for voice chat and it can already be achived by anyone for free (see: Linden Labs to Charge Landowners) by downloading Skype.

You get a window that shows folks in voice range, right?

Why not get a similar window for people that are in typing range?

Yawn...........................

There is already sumthing like that in SL

So, I have a question. If Voice chat is going to ruin roleplaying....if any of you table top rp (you know, where it all started). Do you write what you're doing/saying on a piece of paper and hand it around?

I didnt read the replies. imho you take the good with the bad when it comes to voice. i wont be using voice publically or in rp because i dont want my voice to determine my experience in sl. Also im a bit judgemental in rl (least im honest) and i can see myself snubbing someone because i dont like how their voice sounds. So im a bit disheartened about that. You can lose some pretty enriching experiences when you blow people off and dont give them a chance. I will only use voice with close friends and my partner, which i can count on one hand. And i probably wont be using it alot since i love to listen to music loudly when i play sl. One thing that really concerns me is alot of people out there who will use voice to escort or whore around or have alot of voice sex with different people. If you do these things in front of me im gonna treat you the same way i would someone in rl doing it because thats your rl voice. If you wouldnt do phone sex for work in real life dont you dare do it in sl. I will treat it as the same thing because thats what it is. And if you dont care about me calling you a whore then i guess that warning isnt for you anyway. My point being i am pretty sure alot of males think its gonna be a voice sex free for all . . well think again buddy.