Voice Suggestion...

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this in another post, but an idea that would help things out in voice would be to make everyone who has voice active appear in the mini-map as a different color. On top of that, have the dot on the map change colors or flash as someone is keying up the mic. At least this way people will know where they are hearing the strange and mysterious voices, and won't chalk it up to schizophrenia! So instead of guessing, and seeing a sea of green dots, seeing blue or red dots, that turn yellow or whatever when someone speaks.

Honoris Causa...
Silverblade Dagger

I wouldn't even need the flashing to show activity, But I think thats an excellent idea!! It would great to see good voice active spots on the map.

Yes! Maybe like how on the map you can select to show "Land For Sale" and those areas appear in yellow.

Certainly makes some sense but pretty soon nearly everybody will have it enabled and those that don't will be a minority. Plus.. not entirely sure I want all the people with voice that show up in a sim b-lining to me to talk my ear off just cuz they can (including griefers).

hm..

Perhaps, but depending on your setup (from avatar or camera position) you may only hear just certain people. Plus, if you mute someone, why have it flash when they speak? I just find that in a crowded place and you hear someone talking, panning the camera around to hunt for the person speaking so you can know who is who, as well as move in to hear them better to be a little troublesome, especially with lag.

Also, consider that voice chat isn't a new thing to the internet. Yahoo has had it for years, as well as other chat sites, yet not everyone has a microphone, let alone a headset microphone (which is my preference since I hate hearing myself though someone else's speakers that bleed through their own mic.) Even if voice becomes popular, there may still be a significant number without it, or without full capability, such as being able to hear, but not speak back. So knowing where someone who is speaking is on the mini-map, in my opinion, is still a useful idea.

As for griefers and annoying blabbermouths, there is always the mute button. The only downside to that is with other people who you don't want to mute, who may end up playing feedback through their voice of the person(s) griefing and don't opt to mute the griefer. This is the case when you could be in a conversation with someone, and one person decides to be combative to a griefer instead of going a more mature route and also muting the offender. Voice is a great tool and option, but it also has it's weaknesses depending on who is using it...

Honoris Causa...
Silverblade Dagger

hehe, I think the reality will be quite different. I think people using voice will be the minority.

It is a good idea, but like previously mentioned, the non-voice-enabled will be minority...so there would be no sense in showing them as unique on the map.

I have to agree..

Me too

As time goes by though that will change.

But definitely for a while I think you are correct.


Couple years down the road though, I think voice will be used by most people.

Second Life will likely on average lose its seperation from "Real Life"

After all its less likely you will not give people you voice with regularily your phone number, etc.


There will still be people looking for an escape and a distance from Real life - less of those will use voice.


Thats my thoughts anyhow.

Voice WILL be the minority. At first. Within 3 or 6 months though it will be the opposite by far. I do empathize with those who are hearing disabled. I can only imagine the frustration.

And to end on a high note, as has been stated many times....what about all those poor males who are currently posing as female escorts? LL has wiped out the gaming industry and the escort industry in one week!

Yes, that could come to pass, it's hard to say what the future will bring. But I don't think voice will ever be used the way LL envisions it. The public, spatial chat is just a bad idea. I think you will find most that do use voice will be using private voice channels among selected friends. I just can't imagine people wanting a cacophony of random people talking, yelling, playing music or annyoing sounds everywhere they go. But maybe that's just me.

I’m inclined to believe that voice will remain something used by a minority, but still in large enough numbers for businesses to take advantage of. What I see happening is the emergence of voice clubs, or locations where ppl go to talk in voice. Something you would plan on, like an evening out. And I think it will be helpful wherever instructions are given…ie Help Island, Orientation Island, welcome areas and sandboxes. Spending all my SL time with a headset on gets tiring. Longest I’ve went was six hours and I think my ears gave out before my voice did.

Well - this is how I think voice will grow.

Some who were in Secondlife for text wont really want to use it. They might be the majority.

Some will try it and enjoy it. They will convince fence sitters to try it too, some of those will like it. Some who didnt want to voice will start voicing rather then losing freinds, etc.

Then we add the BIG decider in it all:

New People - they will sign up to SL knowing its a voice chat 3D world. A much higher percentage of them will want/expect voice

(some people will even NOT sign up for Second Life becuase it has voice elevating the voicer proportion of new people)

As these new people get involved in Second Life - they will seek out places where people already voice.

Some more fence sitters and people who didnt want to voice will give in so they dont miss out on all this activity ..


Like a big snowball.

Thus you end up with a Majority of Voice users. Especially amoung the residents who apeared after voice was introduced.

Nuh uh…and even if that were to happen it will take years.

Well your scenario relies on one assumption, that once people try voice they are going to like it, and prefer it over text. As someone who spent months playing other games using voice (teamspeak, ventrillo, etc.), I can tell you it's wearying. I am inclined to think more along the lines DaQbet is, it will have its moments, but won't ever be the de-facto standard means of communication in SL.

It's a novelty.. I have used voice in SWG, it was cool for about ten minutes, then you here everybody chewing and coughing, and playing there ghey lawrence welk music.. then you just turn it off.. Well thats been my experience..
as far as open chat like that... ewww..
It's bad enough with 10 or 12 people, but to hear a whole sim of people.. yikies!!

/me shrugs

*tsk tsk tsk* Lawrence Welk hater!!!

I've used many chat cliets in my years of online gaming, and have used ventrillo and team speak. Even with a private ts server, many don't use it and we end up with a lot of typing chat. Might be a bit harder but honestly I've dealt with some accents so thick I had to ask 3-4 times to repeat when one time typing it would have been clear.

That said,

Voice as it's place, imho a small portion of SL will rabidly use it devotedly. A large portion of it will say eh, take it or leave it and the rest not use it at all.

Personally I took great care in selecting the music for my land and will have voice off on it so I will not miss my songs. DJ's who already have been using voice, I salute you and wish you the best when suddenly everyone will be talking over each other for a while until the frustrations rise and they leave voice alone.

Use voice if you want, I won't be.

LOL!!