Superficial

[Doo]

There's more emphasis on gear because mmos these days have hard gear checks. Not able to burn DPS phase of boss? wipe. Maybe the skill level of players have gone down as well.

[cearka]

To be fair there is one legitimate reason to not use it and that's if you're hearing impaired.

also completely fair. hadn't considered that one >.>

[Caraway]

I almost entirely agree with you OP except about voice comms. I duo any MMO I play with my partner and the reason we're able to do as much content as we can do together (we have often done full group content as a duo, or duo'd as "sub-par" combinations in previous games to a great extent) is because we can communicate in real time (and also because we've been playing together for years and know each other's movements really well).

There's never a point where you can communicate something faster by typing it over speaking it. I'm a pretty quick typist, and can often talk while talking in dungeons, but I can't do so well enough to give strats or pointers mid-fight. I can do that while on the phone or voice chat though. It's extremely helpful when doing difficult, timing intensive content.

That said, there has been a shift in priorities for the gamers playing MMOs over the years. The comment about MMOs now having a lot of vets doesn't really hold because it isn't the MMO vets (FFXI, EQ1, etc) players who are often the ones that are an issue. It's the comparatively newer breed that have come in (or those newer ones who weren't trained by the old guard EQ-style players).

It's a difference in game design philosophy that encourages different behavior as well. In this game, and many others, the only time you need others is for the dungeons; quick (comparatively) encounters where you can then go on your separate ways. In older style games you needed players all of the time. Unless you were certain classes you couldn't even reliably get to max level without the help of other players or you were willing to spend an extremely long time grinding up much smaller mobs than yourself.

I count myself lucky that my first major MMO was Vanguard, and it was kind of a half/half breed of MMO. It had a lot of the old school stylings to it that encouraged grouping, built a reliance on the non-adventuring classes (crafters, gatherers, and unique to that game diplomats were all very much needed). Getting a bad name had repercussions, it made it harder for you to get groups if people knew you as a jerk. And if you were in a guild acting like a jerk? Your guild leader heard about it and it could mean as much as losing your guild tag (which meant loss of a lot of perks).

There's little recourse for jerks in this game though. Duty Finder is designed so that there can be no to little repercussion for being a jerk. I sincerely hope that eventual adjustments to interserver party lists, friends lists, and importantly block lists, are made.

[Allyra]

'04 means most people were still using AOL on a 56k modem. Voice chat just wasn't an option for many back then or their comps would implode. (hyperbole, don't hate)

Getting vent was the best thing I ever did in ffxi. Camping fafnir at like 4 am, chewing the fat was the only way to stay awake and make that monstrosity of a content bearable.

[kingatlas]

Yeah I don't use VC or TS or w/e, really no reason too.
If you don't know the fights, someone talking isn't gonna help.

If you need someone to call plumes for ya, you need more practice.

[MACEenyo]

I really didn't mean to place much emphasis on Voice chat, but it seems that Is what everyone wants to talk about.

I agree with Kingatlas.

Strategy should really be discussed before hand, and let the chips fall where they may. This makes people better players IMO. Having someone scream(talk loudly) in my ear doesn't do it for me. Voice chat often seems like a crutch for poor play. As I said though, I don't mind voice chat, I just simply feel it isn't necessary.

[Naunet]

Strategy should really be discussed before hand, and let the chips fall where they may. This makes people better players IMO. Having someone scream(talk loudly) in my ear doesn't do it for me. Voice chat often seems like a crutch for poor play.

Voice chat allows for:

1. Spur of the moment decision-making without the potentially deadly hassle of typing instruction out in text. Mistakes happen. They can be dealt with much more smoothly and quickly when those involved can coordinate without pausing what they're doing to type.
2. Audible reminders of mechanics coming up to help keep people from "tunnel vision"-ing too much.
3. Streamlined coordination between members.

and perhaps the most undervalued but arguably most important:

4. A healthy social dynamic. Running Titan or Coil or EX primals or whathaveyou in complete silence simply cannot compare to the chatting and shared real laughter amongst friends as we clear content. It grounds you in the experience by providing real life context for your game play and helps cement interpersonal relations. In short, voice chat is a fantastic social tool.

[MACEenyo]

Voice chat allows for:

I understand the benefits. I just don't think many people should require it. Not having it(or being in vent) does not prevent you from knowing your role and playing your part.

AS I said before though. Didn't mean for this thread to be about voice chat. It is titled Superficial.

[HoroBoro]

Also, a small point, but I think there might be a bit of nostalgia associated with how things used to be.

I could not live on a 56k Modem right now. And as much as I loved my DOS games, I will not play them because they are simply not up to par compared to games today (granted some have that special spark that I revisit such as Master of Magic).

Some people are jerks, and I'm probably one of the most anti-social people that I know of. However, I find that, if you're willing to send a whisper and personally ask, most people are nice enough to accommodate your needs.

In regards to voice chat, I just find that things go smoother with it then without. For example, if someone's falling asleep on Titan Extreme, an energetic voice calling out "Stack for Bombs, Bait landslide, Pop cooldowns, etc" can make all the difference between a good, motivated, coordinated group and 1 person making a mistake.

[Maye]

If I'm running coil with and 7/8 are on voice chat but one player isn't, then I have to type everything I could have just spoken. It's certainly not mandatory for content, but if most of the players plan to be on voice chat anyways, I'll make it mandatory for that last slot or two or else it defeats the purpose.