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

[b4k4]

I don't know about PC gaming, but on the 360 I never use my mic for in game chat (because LIVE seems to work opposite from your quote, anyone I've run into who *does* talk usually turns out to be an asshole. So I only ever use my 360 headset when im in a party with my friends.

 

[Desert Tiger]

I'd prefer it if the game just gave me the option of making some soundbites and letting me hit a key for whichever one I need, which I know some already do.

...


Just not the ones I play.

 

[wgreer25]

Mics are vital for L4D, they're the most reliable way of communicating, you can type when it's quiet but when there's a horde rush or a tank you can't expect people to stop not dieing to read your message and/or location.

It's incredibly annoying to have players get silently dragged to their death only to ***** on the rest of them team for not noticing when they made precisely no noise.

Plus you get to hear people's anguished cries for help in versus...


A mic's not vital and you'd never get kicked off the servers I play for being silent, but in any team based game sooner or later you will need to communicate. A mic's the fastest and most likely to noticed method of doing it, it's convienience more than anything.

This, exactly this. Not all games require a mic, but a TEAM BASED CO_OP does (I'm speaking from 360 point of view).

L4D is a perfect example (so is Borderlands). If you start getting dragged away by a smoker or a hunter is ripping or nipples off and noone sees it happen, the only way you can tell them is with a mic. You can also coordinate attacks on the fly, IT IS A MUST for these type games. If you are going to play these online, use a mic for f**ks sake. If you are not going to use a mic, then why are you playing a TEAM BASED co-op anyway? If you want to be a loner and go at it on your own, then don't play online co-op games, play by yourself. If you want to play a co-op game, then you better be ready to TALK to your teammates.

This is not a hard concept.

 

[DazZ.]

I only use my mic for L4D at the moment, and TF2 servers that aren't full of mics already as apparently my poor internet connection can't take it.

I've played in L4D with people without mics and we have dominated the other team anyway, and versus needs more communication than the campaign game. Campaign game doesn't need a mic, you can talk through the voice commands if you need to well enough for strategies against the games AI.

 

[Mezrev]

I only use my microphone when playing with people I know. Vast majority of the time when playing on public servers, the only difference between having a microphone and not having it is people with barely understandable english nerd raging at eachother instead of actually trying to co-operate. And when I'm wrong and people actually use the microphone properly, it's never been a problem if everyone doesn't have one. And in the latter case I always start using my microphone if asked nicely.

 

[Nimbus]

Typing is always, always slower than speaking. Especially was you can't play and type at the same time.

No mic means you are a worse player. Some people don't wat to play with people who not only will be less fun to play with because you can't start up a conversation, but also have a giant handicap.

It's totally fair. Buy a goddamned mic.

Also, stand alone mics are not good enough. Buy a headset. We don't want to hear everything you hear.

A headset costs, like, $5. It's not a big deal.

 

[Jonci]

It would depend on the game. Something like CoD4, where you join some random group and fight doesn't usually require a mic. No one is going to coordinate their attacks, they just want to kill the enemy. If I play with friends, we just make our own XBL party and talk in there.

But a game like L4D where teamwork is a key aspect to winning, without a mic to communicate plans, give warning, and call for help, you become a liability. I usually play with friends on L4D, and we have a strict rule on having a mic. We'll even kick people from the lobby if they don't have a mic and will be on the other team, because we want the other team to be challenging, too. If someone that has a mic doesn't even use it or allows themselves to be beaten up by not calling for help, they are out.

 

[maffro]

People associate players with no mic as being players who don't co-operate. I've added a few friends on L4D because they happened to be consistently fun to play with. They'd help you up. They'd only resort to TKing when the match had descended to it in a fun way. They'd come to set up ambushes, and respond when you spoke to them.

But they NEVER had a mic. It's more obvious in L4D, but it's the same for all games. Not having a mic doesn't mean you can't be an interesting and fun person, while being more helpful than most to boot. It's just harder to demonstrate. I'd rather have you on my team than some asshole who refuses to play properly any day, OP.

 

[TPiddy]

I don't know about PC gaming, but on the 360 I never use my mic for in game chat (because LIVE seems to work opposite from your quote, anyone I've run into who *does* talk usually turns out to be an asshole. So I only ever use my 360 headset when im in a party with my friends.

I'm curious as to what games people are playing where they meet all these LIVE assholes?? I have met a few in my time, but I've mostly played Gears and L4D online and the vast majority of people I've met have been nice people and fun to play with.

 

[Amnestic]

Why do you need a mic to call for help in L4D? Are you guys playing with your UIs turned off?

 

[TPiddy]

Why do you need a mic to call for help in L4D? Are you guys playing with your UIs turned off?

The UI will help if you get pounced or licked, but not for tanks... you have to rely on music for that and if you're not close enough to the tank you may not hear it. Bottom line, you can't downplay the helpfulness of a mic for L4D.

 

[bobknowsall]

Mics (Or the ability to type very quickly) are fairly vital in games that require a lot of communication and teamwork, but that doesn't mean you should be derided for not owning one.

 

[RanD00M]

I have the mic for the 360 but it's hardly worth it. Either nobody talks and it's pointless or EVERYONE talks and they're obnoxious 14 year olds broadcasting hip-hop, which is equally pointless.

The silence is not pointless.However the hip-hop is.

 

[Geamo]

I don't havea mike for my PC (except for a shitty one built-in to my webcam) so I don't usually bother. The main multiplayer game I play is TF2: in that, I usually go spy anyway so most of the time i'm working solo there. I do type-talk in the chat channels occasionally to point out key things.

Half the people on there insist on either shouting thier heads off, playing comedy soundbites/music, or just generally having a laugh, so I don't feel the need to purchase an entirely new mike just for that case.

I've got no prior knowledge for Left 4 Dead, although I intend on buying L4D2.

 

[WolfLordAndy]

For something like tf2, I feel quite lost without my mic, I ened to be able to yell at people for when they have a spy behind them, or to tell people whats round a corner, etc. My clan have a ventrino server that we all use whenever we play different games, so guess I'm use to being able to chat to people all the time in any game now. I know our l4d nights wouldn't be half as funny if we couldnt hear people screaming when something jumps out at them fro around the corner!

Especially a particularly panicy swedish person, lol.

A lot of games do help now with quick voice macros that shout certain things like "go left" "go right" etc. But no substitute for a mic

 

[Sampsa]

Mostly I find use of mics disturbing in online gameplay. Usually it's some idiot playing music over his mic or just shouting to mic for no apparent reason. I think that all downsides of using mics in multiplayer have been already listed in this topic, so no more about 'em.

Actually I very seldom use mic in online gaming eventhough I've got headset for what, 6 six years now. Then again when I play with my clan I always use it. But it's not that pesky VOIP-chat that nowadays always is attached to game we're using. It's either TeamSpeak or Ventrilo. Once we used Skype.

But as a final statement no mater how well you play, use mic if you're playing co-op game.

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

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?

Any other game, and I'd say you'd be correct. Anyone who believes people without mics to be 'assholes' are idiots.

But, the thing is, the game is Left 4 Dead. Sure, 'assholes' is a very strong word, (a little too strong, in my opinion) but I still think that he is correct. Left 4 Dead is an intensely co-op game, and if you don't have a mic (and therefore can't communicate with your teammates well) you are hindering the rest of your teammates. With that in mind, I can fully understand why many people would want to kick you from their lobby - Left 4 Dead is just that kind of game.

That said, anyone who uses that same arguement in a game like Halo 3 is a douche.

 

[Ghostkai]

I can admit to kicking people on L4D who don't have mic's on my team. I feel it makes the game very boring with the constant communication and the resulting teamwork makes the group more successful. (Planning ambushes as infected, Grabbed by smoker etc.)

Can't say I've ever done it with any other game... Oh wait, Tom Clancy's EndWar.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I've mostly just heard it in L4D, but the again, don't care much... I have a mic but it broke... I think... whenever I try to get it to work, people don't tell me if I can hear it or not... even if I type asking, no response...

 

[Davey Woo]

I don't like being kicked for not having a mic. Especially seeing as it's just the same as having a mic, but being in an XBL party. Which you don't get kicked for.