I don't speak Arabic!

[Ace42]

So could we please have some more key phrases visible in the SQUAD (and only squad) chat for those of us who like having the voice-messages set to foreign languages for the atmosphere, but hate not having a clue what our squad mates are saying? My insurgent speaks Arabic, I don't.

Some stuff I'd really like to be able to see my squad-mates say is:

• "Thank you";
• "<sniper/APC/Contact/whatever> spotted";
• "Grenade!";
• "Grenade / mine trap placed, check your map numbnuts!" (team rather than squad-wide that one I think...);
• "First-aid available here!";
• "I need pick-up".

[Adriaan]

I second the grenade/mine trap placed, though for the rest i think VOIP is sufficient. Besides, after hearing some phrases a couple of times, you know what they mean.

Kumbula!!

[Tirak]

So could we please have some more key phrases visible in the SQUAD (and only squad) chat for those of us who like having the voice-messages set to foreign languages for the atmosphere, but hate not having a clue what our squad mates are saying? My insurgent speaks Arabic, I don't.

Some stuff I'd really like to be able to see my squad-mates say is:

• "Thank you";
• "<sniper/APC/Contact/whatever> spotted";
• "Grenade!";
• "Grenade / mine trap placed, check your map numbnuts!" (team rather than squad-wide that one I think...);
• "First-aid available here!";
• "I need pick-up".

If you want, and I do not endorse this option, you can go to your sound settings and set all voice commands to English, of course, you loose the ability to hear enemy chatter and know it's the enemy.

The Option I do endorse is that you're going to learn these easily. After a few matches of using them, you'll know what all these are.

[Ace42]

I second the grenade/mine trap placed, though for the rest i think VOIP is sufficient. Besides, after hearing some phrases a couple of times, you know what they mean.

I don't want to interrupt everyone's comms on VOIP just to say a simple "thank-you" as a matter of courtesy, ditto for gently reminding people that there's a medic standing directly behind them, etc etc.

VOIP isn't meant to be a cluttered mess of minor pleasantries and requests, and this is a good way of unjamming that communication line. The last thing a SL wants to hear when listening to the CO talking to him is "thanks for that; don't mention it; wait for me to get in that vehicle; I've got a grenade in my hands; there's infantry miles and miles in the distance that-a-way;I'm a medic, just so you know" etc etc.

If you want, and I do not endorse this option, you can go to your sound settings and set all voice commands to English,

I know, which is why in my initial post I said:

for those of us who like having the voice-messages set to foreign languages for the atmosphere

And no, while I may pick up a few phrases here and there, I have no intention of learning half-a-dozen phrases in Chinese, Russian and Arabic just because the text didn't get added back when spamming "contact" became redundant (due to not marking up contacts anymore).

[Tirak]

And no, while I may pick up a few phrases here and there, I have no intention of learning half-a-dozen phrases in Chinese, Russian and Arabic just because the text didn't get added back when spamming "contact" became redundant (due to not marking up contacts anymore).

It's not something you'll do consciously, play a few rounds, using the voice commands and you'll understand what they mean simply because you're hearing them and associating an action with them. Trust me, I had the same problem when I first started playing.

[Ace42]

It's not something you'll do consciously, play a few rounds, using the voice commands and you'll understand what they mean simply because you're hearing them and associating an action with them. Trust me, I had the same problem when I first started playing.

I've been playing BF for years, and PR since before .6. I haven't been living in a bubble. If this were an acceptable solution, I'd not've bothered posting, right? And while learning these phrases is great for me, it's hardly great for the 5 people in my squad who don't know any of these phrases, is it?

[Tirak]

I've been playing BF for years, and PR since before .6. I haven't been living in a bubble. If this were an acceptable solution, I'd not've bothered posting, right?

Mate, people have come through here making the same suggestion. The answer every time has either been to learn what they're saying, or to change your sound options. It's something that was removed from the game and 99% of what has been removed from PR (i.e. Minimap for infantry, squad leader spawning) is not coming back.

[Ace42]

The answer every time has either been to learn what they're saying, or to change your sound options. It's something that was removed from the game and 99% of what has been removed from PR (i.e. Minimap for infantry, squad leader spawning) is not coming back.

Team-wide comments got removed to stop irrelevant stuff (thank-yous the whole team can see, etc etc) spamming team-chat off the screen. "Spotted" got removed specifically due to people spamming it to get contact marks to show up on minimap (now removed) and then on the main map (also now removed).

As making these comments squad-channel only wouldn't spam the whole team, and as there is no longer any practical benefit to spamming contact reports, the reason for their removal has since become redundant; unlike the two examples you gave (minimap and SL spawning) where the reasons for their removal would still be in place for their reintroduction.

The reason these chat binds were taken out is gone, so there's no reason not to bring them back. Contact reports is debatable, certainly, but the rest should be a no-brainer.

Furthermore, with the wider uptake of VOIP, Mumble, and to a lesser extent TS and Vent; team-chat is less and less significant (cluttered) and thus squad-chat is even more viable. Moving the load of minor chat from the (now heavily populated) VOIP channels to squad-chat is more prudent than ever before.

[Tirak]

It's not coming back mate, there's a learning curve to PR, if you want to use the voice commands, you're going to have to learn.

Resuggestion,

Please use the Search Function and *** List before posting suggestions.

[Agent Parker]

It's not coming back mate, there's a learning curve to PR, if you want to use the voice commands, you're going to have to learn.

No it is not. I played BF2 for some time and I still can not understand what they are saying in chinese or arabic. I had to switch to all german, but this is bad for atmosphere. I do not get why they did remove the onscreen messages at all. It does not add to realism.

[DankE_SPB]

I do not get why they did remove the onscreen messages at all

try typing something in chat on full 64 vanilla server and you'll understand why it was removed

[Ace42]

there's a learning curve to PR, if you want to use the voice commands, you're going to have to learn

This is so silly (please note the neutral term used here for sake of decorum, rather than accurately conveying my sentiments)... The learning curve is learning the meta-game, the interface, the tactics, the etiquette; it ISN'T learning a selection of foreign languages.

My character in game already KNOWS Arabic / Chinese / Russian / whatever; I can already set the language to English so that I can hear it in English. This isn't about adding a new function, or changing a gameplay dynamic or balance. This is about making the current implementation of the comms system *coherent*. ATM the implementation is nonsensical and incongruous; and arguing for it to remain the same is nonsensical. Although so far you have yet to actually argue the case, simply made some vague assertions.

It's not coming back mate

And I am sure there are good reasons for it not to; but you've yet to posit a single one. A good place to start would be "I'd rather they spent time doing other stuff" or other thought-terminating clichés of that ilk.

And, as should be so obvious that I don't need to state it; previous suggestions of this were shot down because, in previous versions, they were unsuitable. At present, for reasons I outlined above and you very carefully skipped over, many of the reasons for a lot of these chat-binds being removed has gone, and it is worthy of reassessment. As you seem unwilling to actually assess it on its merits, why not at least have a dev or other spokesperson give me the courtesy of dismissing it out of hand, yes?

[Agent Parker]

Having cool foreign voices adding atmosphere to the game outweigh this tiny problem of overcrowded chat screens. Also people would type much more in PR than normal BF2.

[Ace42]

try typing something in chat on full 64 vanilla server and you'll understand why it was removed

Congratulations on not reading my posts and missing the point completely. In vanilla BF team-chat was spammed because those binds went to TEAM channel, not to SQUAD channel, so everyone saw everything. Similarly, in vBF, contact reports flagged targets up on EVERYONE'S mini/combat map, and thus they were spammed to get an in game advantage.

In the *CURRENT* version of PR there is no minimap (except in vehicles), and contact reports don't show up on the main map. Spamming the "contact spotted" no longer conveys the same advantage, which is why it doesn't happen. Similarly, putting the binds to SQUAD rather than TEAM chat would also cut down on the spam.

I am aware why it was removed, as is EVERYONE. The reasons WHY it was removed are not specifically valid anymore, hence the post.

AND, as an added bonus, because the bind would be set to squad chat, you wouldn't have people accidentally typing "thank you" and "I'll throw a grenade!" to TEAM chat because they hit the wrong chat-channel button in the heat of the moment. That would cut DOWN on team-wide spam...

[Tirak]

I am aware why it was removed, as is EVERYONE. The reasons WHY it was removed are not specifically valid anymore, hence the post.

I fail to see how it's not valid. Because VOIP, Mumble and TS are in more use? If so, not a good answer, all these options were available for vBF2 but it was removed from PR anyway.

[Ace42]

I fail to see how it's not valid. Because VOIP, Mumble and TS are in more use? If so, not a good answer, all these options were available for vBF2 but it was removed from PR anyway.

Because in vBF2 it was team-wide, not squad-channel specific; and because in vBF2 and in PREVIOUS versions of PR, spamming contact reports was vital for highlighting enemy positions on maps, which no longer applies to PR. And because in vBF2 *ALL* chat binds were spammed, so the effect was cumulative. I am proposing only a handful, which reduces the number of comments available, and thus the total spam available. These are the primary reasons.

VOIP / Mumble / TS use is MUCH more prevalent in both PR in general, and in this version in specific, than in vBF2 - if you were not being deliberately obstinate, you'd admit this. So that is a tertiary reason.

I already stated all of this in more than one post. Please try to read my post and think about its contents before coming up with a knee-jerk retort. I am getting tired of repeating myself.

[V4.SKUNK]

Ace42 stop acting like a retard or go play vBF2 where you belong...Your giving us British a bad name...

Edit: User was warned for "insulting/flaming other forum members". Whatever your differences may be this attitude isn't accepted here.

[Deadfast]

Ace42 stop acting like a retard or go play vBF2 where you belong...Your giving us British a bad name...

While I may disagree with him you're the one who really bricked it now...

[Tirak]

Because in vBF2 it was team-wide, not squad-channel specific; and because in vBF2 and in PREVIOUS versions of PR, spamming contact reports was vital for highlighting enemy positions on maps, which no longer applies to PR. And because in vBF2 *ALL* chat binds were spammed, so the effect was cumulative. I am proposing only a handful, which reduces the number of comments available, and thus the total spam available. These are the primary reasons.

And then people will spam the Squad chat channel. Part of the removal was also to remove as many elements of the HUD as possible. One of these elements was many of these chat messages.

VOIP / Mumble / TS use is MUCH more prevalent in both PR in general, and in this version in specific, than in vBF2 - if you were not being deliberately obstinate, you'd admit this. So that is a tertiary reason.

Where have I argued otherwise. Of course PR uses VOIP/Mumble/TS, that's possibly one of the central features of the game. I have not, nor will I ever, say otherwise.

I already stated all of this in more than one post. Please try to read my post and think about its contents before coming up with a knee-jerk retort. I am getting tired of repeating myself.

And I have said, more than once, other people have made the exact same suggestion as you. There is a Search Function and the Already Suggested Suggestions List for a reason. You are highly encouraged to use them. Until such time as you do use them, you will keep getting a "knee jerk" reaction because your idea has already been suggested and shot down.

[Chuc]

Keep things civil please.

While I'm not totally versed in how the HUD works, I'm really not sure keeping commands within squad-based chat is actually possible. If someone can prove me wrong, then by all means.