Let us turn off area voice chat permanently.

Vorpal_Spork · June 2015

So I just heard what sounded like someone rubbing sandpaper on their mic underwater transmitting constantly. I told the person to mute their mic before everyone went deaf and the response was "F*** you! How's this sound?! F*** you f*** you f*** you f*** you..." and he kept repeating it until I left. People don't beat their kids enough anymore, but I digress. Here's a list of things I've heard today. Note that 'stuff I wanted to hear' is not on the list.

Answering machine messages.
Screaming babies.
Squeaky-voiced twelve year olds
Heavy pervert breathing.
Various assorted bodily functions.
Constant unintelligible mumbling.
Unidentifiable eardrum shattering noises.
Barking dogs.
What appeared to be a business phone call.
Very loud and very horrible music.
Way too many other things to list.
Voice roleplaying, which is the second saddest and most woman repelling activity there is, after LARPing.

PC gaming taught me that voice chat is awesome. Console gaming taught me that giving voice chat to random strangers is never a good idea. Ever. For any reason. Under any circumstances. No exceptions. For the sake of my sanity please let me turn off area chat without it constantly turning itself back on.

[Moderator Note: Edited per our rules on Inappropriate Content and Language]

Talcon · June 2015

You sir, are awesome, and very correct.

madchuska83 · June 2015

I'm pretty sure that you can just leave area chat whenever you wanted. I'm usually in Guild chat but I don't think you have to be on a chat channel at all if you choose not to be.

Merkabeh · June 2015

Vorpal_Spork wrote: »

PC gaming taught me that voice chat is awesome. Console gaming taught me that giving voice chat to random strangers is never a good idea. Ever. For any reason. Under any circumstances. No exceptions. For the sake of my sanity please let me turn off area chat without it constantly turning itself back on.

There is so much truth to this. Voice comms with friends, guild members, clan mates, etc is always awesome and often the best form of communication; why, because most involved respect each other (and if they do not, then the problem can be removed from the group). Randoms are egocentric and often lack respect for their fellow gamers, this breeds a horrible environment to subject one's ears to.

It is the reason I leave Area Chat immediately (I've heard many on your list personally); and it is much easier to just use VCs for what it is great for, talking with friends, and let the randoms be completely ignored.

Of course, this opens the problem of now you have no way to communicate at all with anyone who isn't your friend (or associate through your community), hence the demand for text chat.

Talcon · June 2015

Yes you can leave it, but once you zone to a new area it puts you back in it

Pman85 · June 2015

Here is an idea. Go to the social tab, voice area chat, click the button that says "leave channel"

CONGRATZ YOU ARE NOT A NOOB ANYMORE

Vorpal_Spork wrote: »

PC gaming taught me that voice chat is awesome. Console gaming taught me that giving voice chat to random strangers is never a good idea. Ever. For any reason. Under any circumstances. No exceptions. For the sake of my sanity please let me turn off area chat without it constantly turning itself back on.

but then again you stated you now how to turn it off. Once you leave, it doesnt randomly put you back in it. If you think it does, youre not paying attention!

Ace_of_Destiny · June 2015

Talcon wrote: »

Yes you can leave it, but once you zone to a new area it puts you back in it

^THIS^ is THE problem.
AND...if you leave a one guild's chat, select another, when you go into a new zone it puts you back into the old (or maybe a random) guild chat.
I was waiting (in guild chat) for a friend of mine to restart his console due to an ESO bug, and about ten minutes later I get a party invite from him. In PS4 Party he asked "why did you leave guild chat, you knew I was coming right back?". Well...I didn't... the GAME decided I didn't want to talk to him anymore!
L-A-M-E!

Pallmor · June 2015

If ZOS had included push-to-talk by default then they wouldn't have to eliminate it. I still don't know what in the hell they were thinking by including open mics as the default (especially with a good chunk of the Xbox community having kinect mics on all the time that they probably don't even think about). Could that NOT have failed?

Pman85 · June 2015

Pallmor wrote: »

If ZOS had included push-to-talk by default then they wouldn't have to eliminate it. I still don't know what in the hell they were thinking by including open mics as the default (especially with a good chunk of the Xbox community having kinect mics on all the time that they probably don't even think about). Could that NOT have failed?

When you are balls deep in DSA trying for 11k, will you take a finger off the button to talk? didnt think so. Its not like you can leave area chat or anything........

The problem with the open mics are the chats these players are joining. You will find turds on the mic no matter what game it is, it is up to you to find a way around that. Dont like it? leave the chat. If you guild is just as bad as area chat, you should find a better quality guild imo.

Laxdirt · June 2015

area chat being text chat solves a lot of these problems real quickly.

Ace_of_Destiny · June 2015

Pman85 wrote: »

Here is an idea. Go to the social tab, voice area chat, click the button that says "leave channel"

CONGRATZ YOU ARE NOT A NOOB ANYMORE

Vorpal_Spork wrote: »

PC gaming taught me that voice chat is awesome. Console gaming taught me that giving voice chat to random strangers is never a good idea. Ever. For any reason. Under any circumstances. No exceptions. For the sake of my sanity please let me turn off area chat without it constantly turning itself back on.

but then again you stated you now how to turn it off. Once you leave, it doesnt randomly put you back in it. If you think it does, youre not paying attention!

Please read my last post because I am not typing it out again on this console with no copy/paste.

It DOES put you back into area chat. Period. End of sentence.
And, it does more than that.

Odds are if more than one person is reporting the same thing...it IS actually happening.

markt84 · June 2015

Area chat is essential to build building a group with just a few people, no way it works without it. And I always keep my area chat on and people are annoying while I'm waiting for my group to get set up, then I just walk away from the people and I'm still in group chat. This isn't a huge problem, it's part of the game. Learn to play around if it bothers you so much

Banky71 · June 2015

As much as I dislike it for the most part there are a few gems I have heard from people. I even heard people making a love connection. That was kinda nice and weird.

Merkabeh · June 2015

markt84 wrote: »

Area chat is essential to build building a group with just a few people, no way it works without it. And I always keep my area chat on and people are annoying while I'm waiting for my group to get set up, then I just walk away from the people and I'm still in group chat. This isn't a huge problem, it's part of the game. Learn to play around if it bothers you so much

The solution isn't just cope with a-holes (who I have had chase after me just trolling, actually chasing after my guild while we were trying to get a guild picture, which this troll also was making sure to ruin, by standing in the shot); it is providing a better method of communication. Your answer here punishes the victims, instead of giving people proper tools; brilliant!

Ezareth · June 2015

Let's see.

Console game? Check.
Free to play? Check.
School season over? Check.
Anonymity? Check.

Is there any reason you wouldn't expect this game to be full the least mature players possible? Opt-out Voice chat sounds like an absolutely terrible idea.

Pman85 · June 2015

Ace-2112 wrote: »

Pman85 wrote: »

Here is an idea. Go to the social tab, voice area chat, click the button that says "leave channel"

CONGRATZ YOU ARE NOT A NOOB ANYMORE

Vorpal_Spork wrote: »

PC gaming taught me that voice chat is awesome. Console gaming taught me that giving voice chat to random strangers is never a good idea. Ever. For any reason. Under any circumstances. No exceptions. For the sake of my sanity please let me turn off area chat without it constantly turning itself back on.

but then again you stated you now how to turn it off. Once you leave, it doesnt randomly put you back in it. If you think it does, youre not paying attention!

Please read my last post because I am not typing it out again on this console with no copy/paste.
It DOES put you back into area chat. Period. End of sentence.
And, it does more than that.

Odds are if more than one person is reporting the same thing...it IS actually happening.

if you leave a channel, it will not put you back in. that is if you actually clicked "leave channel". If the chat messes up while you are in it, it will automatically put you back in it when it gets done pooping itself. The only time you will be put back into the channel automatically is when that happens.

when area chat craps out (and you are in it) sometimes it will leave you in a channel by youself, or it will remove the ability to join area chat or guild chat or what ever it decides to do. If you are in the channel when this happens, you will not notice it unless you look for it. There is no notification of this happening, however you will get the notification of you joining back it. It may look like you left the chat, even though you are still in it, but it is just glitching out.

Orthodoxa · June 2015

I agree with the OP, when we switch Area Voice Chat off, it is extremely annoying that EVERY SINGLE TIME that we zone into a new area it turns Area Voice Chat back on.

Please give the consoles text chat as an option, and please change the voice chat system so that when we switch a channel off it will stay switched off until we switch it back on (if we ever decide to do so, like the OP I cannot stand the barrage of noise pollution that streams out from the default "all mics are on all of the time" system.)

Ace_of_Destiny · June 2015

Pman85 wrote: »

Ace-2112 wrote: »

Pman85 wrote: »

Here is an idea. Go to the social tab, voice area chat, click the button that says "leave channel"

CONGRATZ YOU ARE NOT A NOOB ANYMORE

Vorpal_Spork wrote: »

PC gaming taught me that voice chat is awesome. Console gaming taught me that giving voice chat to random strangers is never a good idea. Ever. For any reason. Under any circumstances. No exceptions. For the sake of my sanity please let me turn off area chat without it constantly turning itself back on.

but then again you stated you now how to turn it off. Once you leave, it doesnt randomly put you back in it. If you think it does, youre not paying attention!

Please read my last post because I am not typing it out again on this console with no copy/paste.
It DOES put you back into area chat. Period. End of sentence.
And, it does more than that.

Odds are if more than one person is reporting the same thing...it IS actually happening.

if you leave a channel, it will not put you back in. that is if you actually clicked "leave channel". If the chat messes up while you are in it, it will automatically put you back in it when it gets done pooping itself. The only time you will be put back into the channel automatically is when that happens.

when area chat craps out (and you are in it) sometimes it will leave you in a channel by youself, or it will remove the ability to join area chat or guild chat or what ever it decides to do. If you are in the channel when this happens, you will not notice it unless you look for it. There is no notification of this happening, however you will get the notification of you joining back it. It may look like you left the chat, even though you are still in it, but it is just glitching out.

Dude...
I log out every day in Daggerfall.
I log in the next day.
I TURN OFF AREA CHAT....because it is ON by default when you log in.
I make sure I have an empty inventory, and all the things I need to do some quests...this can take between 10 and 20 minutes.
I go to the Wayshrine in Daggerfall.
(((REMEMBER I HAVE TURNED OFF AREA CHAT AND HAD IT OFF FOR A WHILE NOW AND HAD COMPLETE SILENCE IN MY HEADSET WALKING AROUND TOWN)))
I use the wayshrine to go the the wayshrine closest to the quest I want to do.
When the loading screen ends and I am "back in the game" it is not long before I HEAR somebody/something.
I open up area chat, and GUESS WHAT?!?
AREA CHAT IS ON AGAIN.
It happens EVERY time I use a wayshrine.
And, YOU saying "it doesn't" does NOT change the fact that it does.

All people seem to want is for it to STAY off when set to off, or to have an "OFF BY DEFAULT" setting in the options settings.

Pman85 · June 2015

are you on the ps4? once i leave area chat, wayshrines do not turn it back on. nor does any loading screen of any kind

maybe its a difference in xb1 and ps4?

Ace_of_Destiny · June 2015

Pman85 wrote: »

are you on the ps4? once i leave area chat, wayshrines do not turn it back on. nor does any loading screen of any kind

maybe its a difference in xb1 and ps4?

Yes, I am on PS4.
Maybe it is just one of "our" "features". (lol)

Davadin · June 2015

PC Gaming has taught me that voice-chat it's great.

It is available when I'm in a group of friends and I can enable it or mute it whenever I want. And it will stay that way until I change it back.

How did we get to this sad point? What's with this "area chat"? Who ever thought that "hey, let's make it so everyone within the vicinity can hear each other" and they CAN"T MUTE IT? or can mute, but by default it's ENABLED.

Insane.

demendred · June 2015

Sounds like his parents did p*** poor at raising him.

Pman85 · June 2015

Davadin wrote: »

How did we get to this sad point? What's with this "area chat"? Who ever thought that "hey, let's make it so everyone within the vicinity can hear each other" and they CAN"T MUTE IT? or can mute, but by default it's ENABLED.

Insane.

They said that text chat is near impossible. Area chat is the next best thing. while it might not be perfect, there are plenty of ways to only have to deal with it when you want. Its not forcing you to listen to the babies on the kinect mics! =P

loupokamib14_ESO · June 2015

I think something simple like push to talk in area chat would help out immensely.

OneBadHuskerFan · June 2015

Ezareth wrote: »

Let's see.

Console game? Check.
Free to play? Check.
School season over? Check.
Anonymity? Check.

Is there any reason you wouldn't expect this game to be full the least mature players possible? Opt-out Voice chat sounds like an absolutely terrible idea.

Free to play huh? That's new to me. I paid my $60. Should I ask for a refund!

navyspeed · June 2015

Please tell me how you have met all of the people that you ever played with online? Unless you are playing with people you already know then at some point you likely met them at random on an open mic.

What they should do is make it easier to mute someone.

Shunravi · June 2015

The only reason i can think of that text chat would not work on console is if they completely failed to acount for it in their engine and archetecture. Thats on ZOS though, as console text chat has been a thing for over a decade.

OnThaLoose · June 2015

Agreed whole heartedly

Bostonpancake420 · June 2015

Let us stop all of the crying babies, the crappy music, the beatboxing and the not so funny sex noises blaring through the mic. Just turn off your headset when you arent using it please.

Orthodoxa · June 2015

Shunravi wrote: »

The only reason i can think of that text chat would not work on console is if they completely failed to acount for it in their engine and archetecture. Thats on ZOS though, as console text chat has been a thing for over a decade.

Exactly. It drives me crazy when I see statements along the lines of "it is too difficult for console players to use text chat...". I've played DC Universe Online since it launched and the overwhelming majority of the players there use text chat with the only exception being push-to-talk voice chat in raids where speed is helpful. But the LFG, Trade, and similar subjects are handled with text chat quite nicely.

A cheap $10 USB keyboard makes it easy to type on the consoles.

Ace_of_Destiny · June 2015

Orthodoxa wrote: »

Shunravi wrote: »

The only reason i can think of that text chat would not work on console is if they completely failed to acount for it in their engine and archetecture. Thats on ZOS though, as console text chat has been a thing for over a decade.

Exactly. It drives me crazy when I see statements along the lines of "it is too difficult for console players to use text chat...". I've played DC Universe Online since it launched and the overwhelming majority of the players there use text chat with the only exception being push-to-talk voice chat in raids where speed is helpful. But the LFG, Trade, and similar subjects are handled with text chat quite nicely.

A cheap $10 USB keyboard makes it easy to type on the consoles.

Yep...the last time I checked you had to BUY a keyboard and mouse if you wanted to use them with a PC as well!
Sure...if you go "noobieeee" you can get a premade PC which comes with one of each...but..."PC-Master-Race"!