Discuss: Grunts (muted) being in SL mumble channel - Pros/Cons

[Mouthpiece]

I remember when we had PR Mumble 0.5 that 95% of time when I played PR as a squadmember in a squad witch has a SL that I don't know or don't trust him for some reason (be it a too l33t nickname or something) I was joining Squad leader channel (but keeping it silent; or talking only when my SL wasn't on or wasn't responding).

It's an option I really miss (so I don't waste time in bullshit squads, although now I mostly can tell by asking the SL: "What's the plan?" or something like that), so I was wondering how does the rest of community feel about it. So how is it? You miss this function or think it wasn't a function at all, but a flaw?

It gave the grunt more awareness if he wanted it (con being the fact that he had to listen to every SL's conversation as there wasn't separate button-to-squad talk). And it gave him the joy of listening to how a good game is being played (squad interacting with squad, people working together - by just listening to it I felt more immersed [flashbacks of some games played on TG]). But not only that. It made grunt more aware of how to do things properly. How to talk properly. How to communicate efficiently. And how things are happening on a team-level. These insights can't happen anymore as only SL's are in SL channel.

Maybe I'm just biased but I think that I'm feeling the effect of it. Less new SL's that know the basics, less SM's that know the basics. I'm typing this because that was really a major factor for becoming a better SL/SM for me - the option to listen how teamwork happens.

In the end I wanted to say (note: it's not a suggestion, it's an idea about a possible suggestion) that from DEV screenshots we assume Mumble will be integrated in the mod itself, so I feel that It will be impossible or really hard to implement this kind of possibility for a grunt to have 2 options to choose from: to be in SL channel or the regular.

[ComedyInK]

I agree, it's a good option to have, and just incase, the mumble server admin should be able to control whether or not non SL's can talk in that channel.

[PLODDITHANLEY]

Yes it was good to relieve SL pressure but a very worthwhile trade off with the vastly improved New automatic mumble system.

[Moszeusz6Pl]

It can be sometimes useful, when you know what is going around, especially when you are FTL, but sometimes it should be avoidable, for example when your squad is in have contact, and you need to get new orders from commander. In current version, SL can concentrate on hearing CO only, when his FTL and rest of squad is doing best to carry current orders. If they all would hear everything what's going on SL channel, they would often use their time to Analise messages, which often wouldn't have any impact on your squad and in the meantime, won't cover his sector well enough, so enemy can ambush squad more easily.

In overall I think that it can be good option to have, but mainly for FTLs, not for every grunt, because if both SL and FTL hear orders they have to carry, they both have enough time to plan how they should carry it. For grunts, it would be mostly only a lot of unneeded information, because SL still need to tell him how they want the orders to be carried, and they won't focus on their main job. I think it would be good to have option to activate hearing though SL channel after pressing one button, and maybe even talking there, if formal SL is down, and FTL need to communicate by himself with CO or other SL, because he know situation better than SL who is down.

[Pvt.LHeureux]

Sometimes when I'm SL I can't hear my grunts talking and what's going on around because of the constant comms. Having all my grunts hearing the chatter and not be able to hear what's happening and being distracted? No, I'll rely the information to them :

"Okay guys, APC squad will send us backup, aim East"

For exemple last day, we had a really really annoying commander on =HOG=, his mic sucked and he was talking to all squads all the time and made it so hard for me to command my guys, now if all grunts would have suffered from his voice, the team would have just crashed.

We had to mutiny him, Labonte will remember lol.

[ryan d ale]

I have same opinions and experience as Hereux.

Being an SL is sometimes way too difficult for constant spam from squad and SLs and Commander. The grunts don't need that.

[Mouthpiece]

Moszeusz, thanks for the constructive answer (expanding the ideA).

Ryan, I agree that by default grunts don't need that kind of exposure. But the key here is the word "learning". And by giving people an option to listen, they learn. At least I did (on purpose).

[Gracler]

Perhaps for immersion it would be good to have a channel dedicated to "radio communication" To allow everyone to join that is not really practical and won't help the current teamwork... At best an aspiring SL could learn something, but on the other hand it could create more unnecessary discussions brought up on SL channel.

Something better for immersion which is more like a gimmick I guess would be to have the entire SL channel (squad to squad and all squad together) being broadcast to the UAV- command trailer externally so that anyone near it could be eavesdropping .

And to add on that gimmick/immersion .... all "Radio" com's on mumble should transmit the surrounding in-game sounds so that you could hear explosions and stuff through the radio. (this is not a suggestion since I believe it is technically impossible or impractical)

[Heavy Death]

Chain of command is there for a reason, so are the comms.

Inb4 PR=/=Realism

[PLODDITHANLEY]

Many people don't use the numpad for direct to relevant SL comms that causes a lot of useless spam.

[Mikemonster]

The SL radio net is still to quiet for my liking, not enough information is passed through it (poor quantity although what does get said tends to be good quality).

Allowing non-SL's to listen to the SL chat would just increase lonewolfing in my book - Basically you get to listen in and use the info to flank enemy positions, but you don't have any of the 'downsides' such as being expected to spot, talk to nearby squads etc etc.

If these lonewolfs make a squad currently, to be able to listen in to team comms, there is a risk to them that they might be told to actually do something useful with their HAT kit - I.e. currently they will be 'on radar' if they want to listen in to enemy movements etc.

[Mouthpiece]

What Mikemonster said.

[DesmoLocke]

Or how about something even more radical...

Grunts can't type in All or Team chat. It would force them to pass on what the observe to their SL who then in turn passes it to the team in chat or to the Commander.

Talk about a chain of command.

I'm only half liking my above idea myself, but like anything else, it would have its pros and cons.