Commanders not reading chat

Wang TangWang Tang Join Date: 2004-08-18 Member: 30699Members
edited February 2013 in NS2 General Discussion
Seriously, what is up with that?
Just lost another game due to a commander not reading the chat messages. This is really frustrating, and often they also won't respond to a map ping.
Commanders, if you can read this:

READ THE CHAT

I don't care if you use mic or text to tell players around, but for god's sake

READ THE CHAT

/rant

@UWE is there a way to have some kind of highlight for text messages if we write "COMM" or something similiar to chat? That would be really awesome.
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Comments

  • mechanicalDRmechanicalDR Join Date: 2012-03-20 Member: 149019Members
    2 separate observations I thought were hilarious but leads to the same conclusion.

    On Trouble and Terrorist Town (2-3 bad guys spawn, identity hidden but want to kill everyone who isn't a bad guy). If you have a mic and yell that some one is the bad guy, and the other guy is just texting, 90% of the time they'll go with the guy with a mic.

    Same sort of psychology applies when you have a greifer telling everyone that the com is a troll commander so he can get in himself and recycle ip's every round.



    It is simple psychology, even in the average pub game a few people are constantly giving information via mic. Most people are not extreme multi taskers so the chat information is always sub or even glanced over while the com is concentrating.
  • Wang TangWang Tang Join Date: 2004-08-18 Member: 30699Members
    We had no one speaking except the commander and one other guy.
    I admit he was overall very slow, but not reading chat at all? Was he only looking at the upper half of his screen?
  • ZekZek Join Date: 2002-11-10 Member: 7962Members, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    Why can't you use a mic? Fact is that commanding is an intense job and it's easy for comms(and players) to forget about text in the heat of the moment. I think the ability to type "high priority" text would probably get abused to the point that it also starts to fade into the background.
  • Wang TangWang Tang Join Date: 2004-08-18 Member: 30699Members
    I have played commander myself quite a lot on pubs, and am doing a good job most of the time. I ALWAYS read the text and cannot fathom how one could just ignore it completely. It is so crucial to the game, because maybe 50% or less players use the mic.
  • Wang TangWang Tang Join Date: 2004-08-18 Member: 30699Members
    As I stated, yes they do. I always communicate via text, even as commander, and players usually respond very well to that. It's just so frustrating when commanders choose to ignore reading it completely.
  • CrazyEddieCrazyEddie Join Date: 2013-01-08 Member: 178196Members
    I use a mic so as to relieve my teammates of the necessity of paying attention to text chat.

    I prefer not to have to pay attention to text chat. I assume my teammates feel the same way. I also would prefer that they spend their limited attention on the game rather than on text chat.

    If I notice that a teammate is using text chat, I'll try to pay more attention to it, but I'll be keeping most of my attention on the game and will in all likelihood miss a substantial portion of what they have to say.

    I find that verbal conversation does not compete for the same pool of attention that game tasks do, whereas text conversation does. Perhaps this is not the case for everyone. But I bet it's true for most people.
  • CiroCiro Join Date: 2013-01-09 Member: 178392Members
    Commanders should check out chat periodically. Most Comms that ignore chat, are overwhelmed.

    It can be nearly as bad with voice chat. Ever call out the enemy base 1-2 mins in, only to hear it called out around 3-4 min mark. Some players get lost in their own world. Text or voice chat wont get through.
  • Zomb3hZomb3h Join Date: 2011-01-27 Member: 79241Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    How about another text-chat channel reserved for the commander, and/or have it with a yellow font?
  • ScardyBobScardyBob ScardyBob Join Date: 2009-11-25 Member: 69528Forum Admins, Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    CrazyEddie wrote: »
    I find that verbal conversation does not compete for the same pool of attention that game tasks do, whereas text conversation does. Perhaps this is not the case for everyone. But I bet it's true for most people.
    This.

    In NS2, you're already overwhelmed with visual information such that requiring you to change focus for a visual chat or alert forces you to ignore something else. I do my best to keep up with the text chat as comm, but if I'm doing something that requires a high degree of focus (medpack drops, checking the minimap, microing macs/drifters, etc) I will miss stuff in the text chat.

    This is not the case with audio information, which is mostly just a combination of NS2 sounds that you can largely ignore (e.g. attack sounds, ambient sounds, etc). The major exceptions are footsteps (which are useful for estimating the size of enemy attacks you don't have LOS) and alerts. Using voice chat is simply a much better method of ensuring that I will get the important info.

  • ZEROibisZEROibis Join Date: 2009-10-30 Member: 69176Members, Constellation
    This is why I wish that the game was only sold as a CD key inside a box containing a mic...
  • irEricirEric Join Date: 2012-11-20 Member: 172615Members
    I just realized ive never noticed things in chat. I only respond to audio cues, voice or med/ammo requests. TBH commanding is not that demanding but my rts skills are weak. Its called tunnel vision. I would focus on medpack spamming during an arc push and not realize anything else is going on. The second a voice pops up my trance breaks.

    The in-game voice chat is great compared to others. Ive never used in-game chat for other games, especially pubs, but ns2 gameplay demands verbal communication. I wouldn't apologize for missing text either. i find it more unreasonable to expect me to read the chat than for other people to not use mics. Your quality of play will improve through voice communication, like any good team activity
  • FuleFule Join Date: 2009-06-04 Member: 67683Members
    Get a mic. Use a mic.
  • RoobubbaRoobubba Who you gonna call? Join Date: 2003-01-06 Member: 11930Members, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    edited February 2013
    Using a Mic is better in every imaginable way than text chat. Aside from the very good reasons given above why you'll get your messages through much more easily with a mic, if you're writing a message you're either dead (in which case it's too late) or you're about to die. Or you have it bound and probably spam it too much...

    Every problem that exists with messaging by text is eliminated if you use mic. Use one.

    (plus some of us are even worse than you at commanding and have all of our time taken up with micro and macro, it's simply not reasonable to add another layer of visual complexity when a far far better solution exists in voice chat)
  • MavickMavick Join Date: 2012-11-07 Member: 168138Members
    It can't be said enough about the importance of using voice comms. If you're doing commander right, it's borderline sensory overload at times. Anything to lessen this effect can only help. Being pissed off at a com for not seeing it doesn't really help at all.
  • Wang TangWang Tang Join Date: 2004-08-18 Member: 30699Members
    You're all kind of missing the point here, but I'll go with it: what about mute people? And don't tell me "don't play the game if you can't speak".

    This game has 2 channels of direct communication. If you dismiss one out of laziness, or because of being overwhelmed, then either get off your butt, or train playing commander on a rookie server.
  • |strofix||strofix| Join Date: 2012-11-01 Member: 165453Members
    Wang Tang wrote: »
    You're all kind of missing the point here, but I'll go with it: what about mute people? And don't tell me "don't play the game if you can't speak".

    This game has 2 channels of direct communication. If you dismiss one out of laziness, or because of being overwhelmed, then either get off your butt, or train playing commander on a rookie server.

    What about blind people? Maybe the game needs optional auto aim so as not to discriminate.

    It sucks that some people have disabilities, but some things simply cannot be changed to be usable by all.

  • Wang TangWang Tang Join Date: 2004-08-18 Member: 30699Members
    But we have text chat. People just need to read it. That's nothing the game has to be changed for.
    I'm just saying that people who are playing commander should be aware of it. I'm not saying it is superior to mic chat in any way (although there could be circumstances where this is the case).
  • shonanshonan Join Date: 2013-01-28 Member: 182562Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    ScardyBob wrote: »
    A mic is almost a necessity in NS2 for proper communications. Alerts and text chat just don't cut it.
    That is only telling of an underlying problem with the possibility of basic communication the game gives players for use.

    I.e. that only says the game doesnt have enough pre-made commands and that the current system in place for them isnt good enough.
  • Apreche2Apreche2 Join Date: 2012-08-06 Member: 154849Members
    GET A MIC

    They cost almost nothing. If you can afford a computer to play NS2 you can afford the $5 to get a microphone.

    The only people who have a valid excuse to not get a mic are deaf/mute people. Sadly and unfairly, def people are already disadvantaged playing NS2 because all aliens and marines have silence all the time. We should probably discuss how to help such people in a different thread.

    But all the non-deaf people out there you must GET A MICROPHONE. I wish there was a way to make a server where microphones are required and anyone without one is not allowed to join, or at least not allowed to command.

    One change I did think of that could be helpful is if chats could be read out loud with text to speech. Maybe a separate chat button for "ALERT chats" that would make a sound to get the commander's attention.

    Another change is we could have a bigger automatic chat menu. Right now the only options are taunt, medpack, ammo, need order. Counter-Strike has more than that. Tribes 2 had the most I've ever seen. NS2 should have quite a few more. The major problem is that what you want to call out most of the time are map locations, so maps would need to include audio files with the names of each location and making a map would include voice acting.
  • d0ped0gd0ped0g Join Date: 2003-05-25 Member: 16679Members
    edited February 2013
    I try and read the chat, but there's just too many other important things going on to constantly keep an eye on messages going through (especially considering they don't stay up for long). A commander who has to be preoccupied with reading chat is going to be inattentive elsewhere. Sure, it's kinda an excuse for tunnel vision, but commanders have to ration their attentions, and reading chat just isn't something that bears enough fruit when attention could be better spent micromanaging drifters/arcs/macs, keeping an eye on the map, ordering players around, general strategizing, medpacking/amo, making sure all buildings and tech are got in a timely fashion, listening for footsteps etc.

    Get a mic. Don't expect people to see every single chat message that comes through, especially not the commander.

    The idea for chat messages with the word 'comm' or 'commander' in it showing up a different colour is a good one though. At least the comm would know what messages to pay attention to and the above wouldn't be so much of a problem.
  • Rellik_ptRellik_pt Join Date: 2013-01-22 Member: 181205Members
    normaly i dont read teh chat because i m busy with the battle or other stuff. also those help that the chat is so small
  • luminalumina Join Date: 2012-06-15 Member: 153300Members
    I don't read the chat most of the time. If you have something important to say, then say it. Mics are cheap and there is no reason to be afraid of talking.
  • CrazyEddieCrazyEddie Join Date: 2013-01-08 Member: 178196Members
    Wang Tang wrote: »
    This game has 2 channels of direct communication. If you dismiss one out of laziness, or because of being overwhelmed, then either get off your butt, or train playing commander on a rookie server.

    It's not laziness, it's simple preference. For many people, myself included, the game is more fun when you don't need to pay attention to text chat. There's nothing unreasonable about us not wanting to play with people who make the game less fun for us.

    And it's not being overwhelmed. Paying attention to text chat will make you less effective at the game no matter how good or bad you are, because it takes some of your attention. In a game like NS2 attention is a scarce and valuable resource. Any use of it for one thing means that some other thing suffers because of it.
  • irEricirEric Join Date: 2012-11-20 Member: 172615Members
    if youre mute, then spam medpack, ammo, and waiting for order cues, then text.
    Wang Tang wrote: »
    But we have text chat. People just need to read it. That's nothing the game has to be changed for.
    I'm just saying that people who are playing commander should be aware of it. I'm not saying it is superior to mic chat in any way (although there could be circumstances where this is the case).
    We have in-game chat and order cues. people just need to use it ... I'm just saying people who are playing ns2 should be aware of it.

    Text is something some comms overlook, at fault, but we try. In your case i feel you have not made an attempt at voice chat, as a choice. Don't you see that the team is worse off as a result of your choice not to voice communicate.

    Anyways, i believe an HUD chat log with the last 5 lines of chat text may save your problem. Each entry can be logged to game time elapsed so comms are aware of how long someone has been ignored. Don't expect this to solve any reactive requests such as beacon. so if you care that much go work on a mod

  • shonanshonan Join Date: 2013-01-28 Member: 182562Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    CrazyEddie wrote: »
    Wang Tang wrote: »
    This game has 2 channels of direct communication. If you dismiss one out of laziness, or because of being overwhelmed, then either get off your butt, or train playing commander on a rookie server.

    It's not laziness, it's simple preference. For many people, myself included, the game is more fun when you don't need to pay attention to text chat. There's nothing unreasonable about us not wanting to play with people who make the game less fun for us.

    There is if there is no point in it and your selfishness ruins the game as a whole for all of the team since you refuse to communicate properly.
  • luminalumina Join Date: 2012-06-15 Member: 153300Members
    So do you text people who are standing in a room with you? The option is there so it should be used! If you don't, can you tell us why not?
  • thefonzthefonz Join Date: 2011-06-22 Member: 105847Members
    Funny enough, I've had the opposite experience on occasion. I can call for am RT all day sometimes.... But when I type 'RT ventilation' bam, RT dropped.

    Still. Voice trumps typing most of the time.
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