Voice chat and anxiety

[Cherie]

i have a lot of social anxiety as well when speaking. I know I'm a goof on forums but I'm rather shy when speaking in voip or just in game. It doesn't help that if I speak in voip I'm frequently greeted by "OMG A GURL!"... >.< Fortunately, this game seems to be fairly balanced gender-wise so it's maybe not as scary as voiping in WoW, Rift or Aion or some such. I usually avoid speaking if I can. I don't really like attention... >.<

As far as speaking for a first time in voip, just remember, most often you can get away with just listening too. You can always mute yourself and just listen to people and type. That would satisfy most people. If you tank or heal you might need to speak at some point, but don't always need to. I know some fast typers that just listen in voip.

[Zer0]

This got me to thinking, are there any raiders that deal with some form of anxiety or social anxiety that could help me... well, not do that? I mean... if I'm really going to push forward, I'm going to need to accept that at some point I'll be having to introduce myself to 7 strangers on a microphone.

Quite a few people in my FC are like that. In fact we don't even have comms at all. Some of the progression raiders will use it just for that, but you're not required to talk just kinda listen. Outside those progression raiders, nobody in my FC does any voice chat. It's all text.

[Andrea]

Try to talk to smaller crowds first, like for example you and an fc member then increase from there.

I feel that if you are in a static and they use voice chat the very least you have to do is just sit in it and listen. Im sure some groups would be fine with you not speaking as long as you are in the call with them to hear call outs as they happen.

So if thats the case you can sit in call and when you're used to them and they aren't no longer strangers then you can begin speaking.

[Chasely]

Start slowly by downloading voice chat and just enterring chat with one person you trust. You can listen to their voice and respond back with text until you're comfortable enough to start talking. thne, you can add people to your voicechat group slowly over time until they're all there. As each new person gets added, go back to text until you feel comfortable enough to begin talking.

If you don't eer feel comfortable enough to start talking, that's okay, too. If they care about you, they'll understand.

[Uhm]

This is what keeps me from raiding and it is sad but at the moment I can't do anything about that. I hope someday I'll manage to get myself to use voice chat but until then I guess I wont find a static that works for me.

[Eight]

Best thing to do is join in on the chat and just listen. You'll know if the people who are in there are the type of people who make you feel comfortable. Then if you feel you like these people try joining the conversation here and there you'll feel much more comfortable once you do it a few times.

Worse outcome is that they're idiots and you can just leave.It's like real life you'll meet some really cool people and some that are well.... but I think you will find that if you try it, it really isn't that bad and I mean you are who you are just go with it. Hell I sound like a real life lalafell lol.

[Odstarva]

The way I see it, it's only as awkward as you make it out to be. I don't have any -good- tips to give....

It's just people. The only thing that is happening is your both giving up some anonymity (unless you're using a voice modifier I suppose!), and there's pros and cons to it.

For me personally, the pros outweigh the cons by a large margin. Made a bunch of friends via TS!

[Cherie]

I've encouraged a handful of reluctant people to talk in voip (the ones that expressed to me they wanted to, but felt compelled to be silent). That first time talking does feel scary of couse, if it's something you don't normally do. My advice would be to break yourself in with a small handful of trusted friends and work your way up to the 7 other people on a raid group. I know many think their voice sounds awful or some such. I know I feel that way about myself. It gets more tolerable when you talk to people a few times and they don't shriek in disgust. :P

[AskaRay]

I also have pretty bad anxiety about this; the first time my friend asked to chat with me on TS I was like "nope".... think it took her about three months to finally convince me?
And the first time I did it in raid I just muted myself. I sorta honestly wanted to mute them too since it's loud , but since I use audio cues a lot, calling out stuff helps me a ton so.... I do find that useful at least

I hate voice chatting. I still do. I know some people prefer it but...ugh no thanks. Just as bad as the phone; I have pretty bad phone anxiety too (this was fun when my friends and I all lived together and none of us wanted to order something over the phone..we'd all fight about it. good times).

[Mirili]

none of us wanted to order something over the phone..we'd all fight about it. good times.

LOOK. I WILL PAY FOR THE WHOLE DAMNED PIZZA IF YOU JUST ORDER IT. PLEASE.