How widely do Balmung FCs/LSs use voice chat?

[Allurian]

Hello,

 

I'm new to Final Fantasy and just easing my way into the game.  I've loved the RP experience in other worlds and am hoping to convince my gaming partner to join me in moving to Balmung soon.  :thumbsup:

 

As the title of the thread implies, I'm curious to know how widely the free companies and linkshells on the Balmung server use voice chat.  For heavy game content I understand the need for at least the leader of a party to be able to use voice prompts.  Beyond that I've found that I don't really like voice communication for general socializing with other players.  Hearing people's RL voices and conversations about their everyday lives removes the sense of immersion for me in the game world for some reason.  I certainly understand why some people love communicating this way, but I've just found that it's not fun for me.

 

I would very much appreciate any suggestions you have on how to experience what appears to be a wonderful community without the use of voice for socializing with people in the game so I can maintain the feeling of immersion that I enjoy.

 

Thanks very much for any comments or suggestions!

 

Alli

[Maril]

Voicecom certainly isn't for everyone - I've met several people who actively seek to not know anything about their guildmates socially because it messes their immersion. 

 

For my own FC, we use Discord for voicecom purposes as well as a text-based skype group. It's entirely optional - but my FC is very social, so you'll see people chat on skype and on discord throughout the day/night. I also know Balmung has it's own discord server and skype group, but how popular it is I don't know. 

Perhaps the skype group would be something to look into for you, if it is still going.

[Faye]

For most people, IC is IC and OOC is OOC. They realize there's a great big world out there OOC beyond their role-play, so they're typically fine with voice chat or OOC chatter without it affecting their role-play. That being said, you'll find a lot of FC's and LS's like to voice chat regularly. But for role-play FC's, voice chat is almost never mandatory (outside of maybe their raid groups), and it's pretty baffling when it is mandatory, so I wouldn't worry about it. If you're looking for hardcore immersion, you're probably going to be joining heavy RP FC's and LS's, which will almost never demand that you voice chat.

[Jana]

Voice chat isn't something that anyone needs outside of progression raiding or first times at a new Ex Primal. I myself haven't used it since T9.

[Nebbs]

Well typically it is used for end game statics (raiding groups)

 

I have also been in guilds that use it to OOC chat as they play. Though i would say you tend to get two groups in such guilds.. then on the voice and them not.

 

Personally I only use it for raiding or on occasion coordinating larger RP events ooc. And sometimes when I PvPed in SWTOR we would sing Star Wars to each other (see https://vimeo.com/148990643)

 

I like to maintain some degree of IC whenever I play so i tend to avoid voice or even ooc text chat channels like Skype. In fact I could live with just IC interaction given the chance.

[Allurian]

Thanks very much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.  The resources here are excellent and I'm really impressed by the community involvement.

 

Have a great weekend

Alli