So I don't have a mic. So what?

[sov68n]

I think the biggest issue myself and others take with people not having a mic is that mics are cheap. I paid $12 for a quality Logitech desktop microphone, and I have been graced with the ability to effectively communicate with my allies in real-time without having to stop to type something out.

We get mad because you act as if microphones are some sort of expensive luxury when you can pick one up at Wal-Mart for tenbux.

 

[MurderousToaster]

If you don't have a mic, people with mics WILL find you infinitely annoying in Left 4 Dead, a communication-heavy game. It's simply not convenient for them to have to fend off enemies whilst you stand still typing to them. Microphones are cheap, my friend bought a good-quality one with an earpiece for £3. IMO, if you're playing a high-end game like L4D, there's no reason to NOT have a mic if you can afford the PC tech to play it.

 

[Kair]

Voice communication is a lot quicker than text communication. The only thing quicker would be linking thoughts.

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

Alot of games that use mics don't need them. It isn't hard to work out what you need to do.

 

[Azulito]

I'm a little irritated with the L4D mic thing. I do have a mic but I refuse to use it most of the times because I feel like an ass having to talk down my mic when I want to have a quick enjoyable game (Although due to the ammount of A******s on L4D a quick enjoyable game is asking for too much).

One thing that has annoyed me about the who no mic on L4D is the fact that there is a redial menu. Hell, it's quicker than mic. Look at an enemy, tap Z and tah dah. The team is now alerted!

 

[Pillypill]

It's very agrovating to play a game like L4D with a mute. TF2 is fine, as are straight death match games, but people will not want to play L4D with you if you can't talk to them, because the game relys on team work and inter-player comunication.

"tank behind you (player name here)" takes too long to type, by that time your friend is on the floor, and you're pinned by a hunter. Even if you're a lightening fast typer, it's just not speedy enough.

I think however that you can use a 360 mic with a PC, if not there are quite a lot of cheap mics on sale.

 

[[Cold-Shoulder]]

I have a microphone for the ps3 but I barely use it.
Most of the time the people that I come across on the internet that use microphones are kids that are prone to swearing and I'll be damned to get in a conversation with one of them. :[

Something I've noticed in the past is that people seem to be instantly hating of any person who dares to play a game online without a microphone. Apparently, if you don't have a mic, you can't play the game. And it makes me wonder. Am I the only person who thinks that's unfair?

Now, I have a PC and an Xbox 360. I have a headset for the Xbox but it's useless because I'm not on Xbox Live. I play online sometimes on my PC, especially L4D, but I don't have a mic. Yet whenever I see threads on the internet, especially on the Escapist, about people playing games such as L4D, TF2, COD and so on, people seem utterly disparaging of those who don't have a mic. To quote:

I haven't had anyone randomly add me from the GT in my profile, I have found some good players using the groups, though, and can't think of any bad players I've met from Escapist. I guess you should't expect to be annoyed by random adds, but if you actually want people to add you, use the groups.

You...don't really think we're all assholes...do you?

no just YOU!!! nah just kidding, i was just reffering to assholes in general. u know the people that think they are the best at codwaw or the assholes that play l4d without a mic for example.

Note the end of that last sentence.

the assholes that play l4d without a mic for example.

See what I mean?

I don't have a mic. Does this mean that I can't play L4D? Should I automatically be kicked from any online game because I can't actually talk to my allies, even though I can just as easily type something to them in the same amount of time? And the same goes for other online games. Is it really fair that people who don't have a mic shouldn't be able to enjoy online gaming like everyone else?

On a side note, what about dumb people? People who can't talk would have no need for a mic, yet may well enjoy gaming as much as anyone else. Where do people stand on that issue?

wow first time i said something in one thread and it got quoted in another. i dont know about l4d on pc as i cant stand pc gaming (not flaming i just personally cant stand using a mouse and keyboard as i have always played consoles)but as far as the 360 goes you are hindering both yours and everyone elses chance of survival by not using your mic. for competitive games i really dont care either way but in games that are co op i think a mic should always be used, not only does it aid in performance but usually everyone has a much better time. and yes i have kicked people out of my lobby in l4d for not having a mic.

Have you even gave anyone the chance to play in a match with you that wasn't using a microphone? What you said in that thread was just idiotic.... No offense...

 

[CartoonHead]

I have never used a mic, and I play Left 4 Dead quite regularly. I personally dislike it when people I'm playing with keep talking nonsense, singing, screeching, etc. (I know not everyone does, but quite a few do) as I feel it breaks the immersion I feel for such a game.
In Left 4 Dead in particular I prefer to listen to the audio cues and character voices rather than have some kid repeatedly shouting at me or others to not shoot the alarmed cars when nobody has. Indeed, often I find I rarely need to type anything during a campaign, or even listen to the commentary of those with mics.
Sure, I'm certainly not the best L4D player, scraping by on Advanced difficulty usually, but whilst I play for fun (I don't take part in tourneys etc.) I dont want the game to turn into something ridiculous.
It's similar to not wanting to watch a horror film with somebody sitting next to me narrating/singing or talking the whole time - it breaks the suspense and consequently the game for me.
Now, if I played, say, Dragon Rising anywhere nearly as often (impossible right now due to server issues) I could see where a mic comes in handy if used correctly.

EDIT: Oh, and thankfully I have never been kicked for not having a mic in any game.

 

[Xanadu84]

I'm a bit antisocial, and for the most part, I let others lead and don't talk. So I rarely need to use a mic. Usually, people talking don't add much anyways. You could always do what my friend does: He doesn't use a mic, and just occasionally type chats. He was called out on it once, and he told them that he was deaf, and didn't have any speakers. Made them all feel guilty, never came up again.

He's not deaf.

 

[I_LIKE_CAKE]

It makes it difficult to coordinate strategies or warn your teammates without a mic. In the days of diablo, it the delay caused by typing was acceptable, but if you have to take your hands off the keyboard in today's shooters, you at a disadvantage, and when you are on a team, that makes you a liability.

 

[Mad max 20]

Mics are expected if your playing a good co-op team game where you have to help each other out. But in versus games they're usually rubbish as no one cares to speak. Like Halo3, you can really go without a mic there =|

 

[Nullphantom]

Another topic where both sides are right. Some games don't need them and some do. Games like CoD MW and WaW multiplayer do not need them and most of the time I don't want people to have mics in them since it's mostly just whinny 12 year olds or people blaring their shitty music. However, in games like L4D and WaW Zombies, I won't play unless everyone on my team has a mic. Nothing worse then someone that's pinned and doesn't speak up

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

Props to you man. You're really lucky if I'm not using my mic in L4D, because it sounds something like:
"DUUUUUDE WHAT THE FUCK IT'S A FUCKING TANK SHOOT THAT ***** OMMMMG I'M DYING COME SAVE ME YOU ASSHOLES SERIOUSLY FUCK THAT TANK."

Or something along those lines. I like screaming while I game. 'Tis peaceful. And obnoxious I imagine, especially if I've been hittin' the booze.

So fuck those people that give you shit for it. Unless you're playing a game that heavily stresses player cooperation, who cares?

 

[kidragakash]

I dont play Silkroad Online with Ventrillo... and I have the whole "You're not a real girl" thing too... *sighs*

I do use voice chat when I assist as healer for my sword partner when he is away... easier than trying to text-chat, and faster

 

[Quad08]

Don't worry if you don't have a mic, people are idiots. Play the game and enjoy it, mic or not

 

[Ammadessi]

So just out of curiosity, I have a question for everyone who says mics are mandatory.

What if the player is deaf, mute, or otherwise incapable of communicating (severe speech impediment, tenuous grasp of the english language)?

 

[Yuriatayde]

I'm a mute in L4D, and I know many people whom would kick strangers-with-mics to let me join them instead. Not because I'm some close friend or anything, but because they know they can depend on me.

How is that possible when I don't have a mic? Well for starters, I'm a follower anyway, I spend the majority of my time glancing over to allies to make sure they're okay.

*THUNK* Excuse me a moment, that's the sound of somebody getting pounced behind me. (YES I can tell that he's both behind me, and that it was a hunter who did it, without him telling me that with his mouth.) My average reaction time to getting a hunter off of somebody (when I have my sniper rifle) is less then a second, even if they aren't pounced right in front of me. I'm not always that fast, but when I'm on the ball people rarely even have enough time to ask for help before I've saved them.

I personally don't worry about having a mic because I don't think I'd get much use out of it. I rarely feel like I need to so much as type, and whenever I do it's when we're hiding in a closet stratagizing. In all other situations, I've set up custom radial menus that pretty much have everything I ever need to say.

It's not a smart assumption to say that I'm going to be typing when my time would be better used shooting, you don't have to have a mic to have common sense...