Suggestion: Proximity Voice Chat for PC

edward_frigidhands · June 2023

Hello,

As the title of the topic suggests, I believe proximity voice chat is a great addition to XBox and PS versions of the game. As a former Xbox player and now PC player myself, I think this would be a great addition to the PC version of the game.

It is quite silly to have this as an option for console players and disable it completely for anyone else.

I am curious to hear what other PC players think. Also open to hearing what Console players have to share regarding their experiences with using Proximity Voice Chat.

Kendaric · June 2023

Can it be disabled if someone doesn't want it?

edward_frigidhands · June 2023

Kendaric wrote: »

Can it be disabled if someone doesn't want it?

Yes it can. That is how it worked on Xbox when I played on Xbox NA.

It is an option. You can opt in if you want or disable it entirely.

InvitationNotFound · June 2023

Voice chats in game are pure cancer. No need for this.

JanTanhide · June 2023

Thing is on PC it would have to be part of ESO. If that happens then more bandwidth is taken from the game for VOIP.

I'm not a Console player but isn't voice chat on Xbox and PS part of the Xbox and PS networks and not built into ESO?

Besides that there are so many VOIP programs that PC players use that do not impact ESO bandwidth directly. We have Discord, Ventrilo, Teamspeak and I'm sure others.

I would not want this built into ESO. It would take more bandwidth from the game and cause even more lag issues i.m.o.

TaSheen · June 2023

No thank you.

As for being an option on XBox, yeah - but for a long time I remember XBox players complaining that instead of defaulting to "off" their chat defaulted to "on". I don't know that it was ever fixed.

I don't want it at all, personally - and if it gets added, it had better be defaulted OFF.

Gnesnig · June 2023

JanTanhide wrote: »

I would not want this built into ESO. It would take more bandwidth from the game and cause even more lag issues i.m.o.

Built into ESO can still mean it's provided by Discord and wouldn't impact game bandwidth much. It wouldn't impact game at all if you ditch the proximity option and just create group channels. That would already help immensely for those that want it.

dinokstrunz · June 2023

That would be fun

Fenris_Arainai · June 2023

I'd never use it myself. I'd turn it off permanently. I see no reason to listen to random people's screeching infant, their convo with a wife, or terrible music. I have discord for guild stuff.

Hamish999 · June 2023

No thanks. I will use Discord for the times I need voice chat for guild runs.
I don't use Zone Chat because of all the crap that is spouted in it and for that to be vocalised, F*** that!

Reverb · June 2023

No thanks

Jammy420 · June 2023

InvitationNotFound wrote: »

Voice chats in game are pure cancer. No need for this.

On the contrary, that is how I made some of my most long lived friends.

I am all for this, it would be a HUGE improvement for RP as well.

FayJolyn · June 2023

I would actually be interested in this. As someone who hates how fragmented communication has become and would like to see guilds being able to organize and communicate all ingame in one place and not spread out over discord, group chat, etc.

Toxicity aside. I think it could also increase the amount of social interaction ingame. I was actually watching a youtube video on how online games have become much more lonely. And while it's not a direct one to one comparison with MMO's I do feel that ESO suffers from a lack of need to communicate. How many dungeon runs I've been in where people don't even bother to type " Hi" anymore. If we would try to approach this idea from the possibility of more random but surprising social interaction I would actually like to be able to explore that. It could also be a tool for community building and I'm all for that.

Question: Is it possible to filter proximity voice chat to only be heard by other group members, friends or guildmates on console? Because while I am interested in the idea as a concept, I would also be worried for yet another noise pollution source next to all those noisy mounts and mementos.

Kendaric · June 2023

Jammy420 wrote: »

I am all for this, it would be a HUGE improvement for RP as well.

It wouldn't be an improvement for RP at all. It would give the trolls just another tool to disrupt RP and that alone is reason enough to never implement it.

I'd turn it off permanently even if it was there. I have absolutely no desire to hear a cute Bosmer girl speak with a gruff male voice and a horrible accent. I still have nightmares from the one time I used in-game voice chat in DDO for RP...

Nestor · June 2023

As an option, sure. Third Party comms are great only when everyone is on the same server.

valenwood_vegan · June 2023

If enough people want this and ZoS thinks it's worth it to implement... that's fine I guess. As an *option* for those who want it. IMO a terrible waste of time and dev resources, but it's not up to me.

I also question whether it would actually do much to improve communication in the game generally, as I suspect a lot of people would disable it at least some of the time.

A further concern is that it might lead to voice chat gatekeeping, where people who have it disabled are excluded from joining even more groups. And in less sweaty content, where it's not even remotely necessary. I don't PUG so this wouldn't matter much to me, but I can see it happening.

I would *immediately* turn it off permanently - zero interest in hearing random people talking / screaming / playing music / doing god knows what with a stuck mic, etc., while I play. And definitely no interest in having 90% of the stuff I see in zone chat turned into sound, lol.

There are more than enough options for voice comms when needed for a group activity.

Soarora · June 2023

Please no. If you do overland only then yeah can turn it off and vibe but I pug a lot so as to not miss out on information I’d have to have it on. There’s so much that can go wrong with that, especially as someone who’s sensitive.

Ragnarok0130 · June 2023

edward_frigidhands wrote: »

Hello,

I am curious to hear what other PC players think. Also open to hearing what Console players have to share regarding their experiences with using Proximity Voice Chat.

I've played on PC and console for many years and as a mostly PC player we honestly don't need it. We have easy access to a mouse and keyboard to use chat unlike our console brethren and if we have a need for voice people join discords.

Foxtrot39 · June 2023

As it might be good or bad depending of the situation

VOIP also can strain server and cause lag

tsaescishoeshiner · June 2023

Please no.

At the very least, it should be off by default.

Xandreia_ · June 2023

Oh heck no! I come from playstation to pc and one of the things I love about pc is there's no voice chat toxicity in main cities/craglorn. On PS/NA glenumbra was the most toxic place in the game. I'd rather just join a discord for pug groups and leave straight after 😂

edward_frigidhands · June 2023

Foxtrot39 wrote: »

As it might be good or bad depending of the situation

VOIP also can strain server and cause lag

I am not sure I know enough about it to state one way or another.

I would think if that were the case they would have removed it from console servers a while back.

edward_frigidhands · June 2023

Xandreia_ wrote: »

Oh heck no! I come from playstation to pc and one of the things I love about pc is there's no voice chat toxicity in main cities/craglorn. On PS/NA glenumbra was the most toxic place in the game. I'd rather just join a discord for pug groups and leave straight after 😂

Could you elaborate more about that?

fizl101 · June 2023

On ps i never join zone chat but i love the convenience for grouping for trials and dungeons. I know many say they wouldnt touch with someone elses bargepole but in trials etc its much easier to explain the mechanics rather than typing even with a keyboard

ghost_bg_ESO · June 2023

half an year on xbox and had to make my own guild just to switch on first log-in for the day at its channel... it is off by default and still half the time had been logged in zone chat - this when it actually works...

(morning coffee, happily doing daily crafting in silence and suddenly wild pop music starts blasting in my ears - what a way to wake up...)

Cadbury · June 2023

As a former console player, proximity voice chat was hilariously awful awesome. And I realize now how much I miss that. The drama alone was worth it.

So yes, please bring this feature to PC.

Xandreia_ · June 2023

edward_frigidhands wrote: »

Xandreia_ wrote: »

Oh heck no! I come from playstation to pc and one of the things I love about pc is there's no voice chat toxicity in main cities/craglorn. On PS/NA glenumbra was the most toxic place in the game. I'd rather just join a discord for pug groups and leave straight after 😂

Could you elaborate more about that?

I'm pretty sure there is area chat videos on YouTube you can watch that would explain why it's such a bad idea better than I ever could 😂

endgamesmug · June 2023

I was on xbox for 5 years, i didn't know anyone who used area chat most had perma off. I tried it here and there just out of curiosity😏, well pretty unexciting stuff just environment sounds- someone cooking their breakfast and talking to their family 😆. Mostly me and my friends used xbox chat, even when explaining mechs in a new dungeon it would be invite to voice chat so easy! Saying that alot couldnt afford mics so alot of runs were text only.

Aorys · June 2023

too much toxicity in text chat already, no, thanks

FeedbackOnly · June 2023

Aorys wrote: »

too much toxicity in text chat already, no, thanks

Not really idk what chat you see in zone as it's clean from what I see

edward_frigidhands · June 2023

tsaescishoeshiner wrote: »

Please no.

At the very least, it should be off by default.

Proximity chat is generally off by default in any game, including ESO.