Armor crew radio

[badmojo420]

When driving armor, a delay in communication or even miss-communication often leads to your vehicle being destroyed. Nothing is worse than watching an enemy vehicle take aim and fire while your trying to get your driver to STOP! Most of us know the voip system has a delay, mumble is better, but some people don't have it, or don't have it configured correctly.

In a tank squad for example, you have up to 3 tanks rolling around, all using the same voip channel. So simply saying "Hold, i have a target" doesn't work too well unless you know everyones voices. In most cases, all 3 tanks will stop, or look south west or whatever the one person said. So unless you're all right next to each other, it can be confusing and lead to failure.

Mumble is good, because now we can have 3 tanks in one squad, and the drive/gunner can communicate in mumble, using voip for squad wide chatter. But, like i said before, not everyone has mumble, it's not part of the game, so it can't replace an actual game feature that would help everyone.


My suggestion is to use the same idea as the humvees' radio, I believe you press X (in default controls, I could be wrong there, i don't use default myself, it's V for me) and you hear some radio chatter that is basically a sound file added in by the devs. But, for all armor instead of just hearing some random radio chatter, take the Enemyforcesspotted.ogg from each faction and add a distinctive tone or static chirp or something for half a second in front of it.


What this would accomplish is giving the driver/gunner an easy, one button, way of signaling to one another. Without, at the same time signaling the people around you or the whole team. Like you would, with a commo rose command, or pgup/pgdn, or firing your coax into the ground, or popping smoke, etc. Also if you are a squad leader you can't just spot like a normal soldier, ie. yelling it out for everyone to hear, they report it to the commander.

Now, when your manning armor with someone, you could just say "Stop the tank if i call out an enemy, it will sound like this..." then hold X, and then tell them how to do in case they see a target. You would need the chirp at the start to identify that it's local to the tank and not someone around or in team-wide comms calling something out. Or even the commander putting markers down.

I know it's a not a reason for any feature to be added. But, this would also help people without mics. Or people whos voip has died. Something that happens to me regularly. But, on top of that, it would help stop bad habits. Like honking when they see an enemy, and/or spamming voip with 'NW enemy, enemy, enemy, enemy! NW NW!' i'm guilty of it too, you feel helpless.

[Rudd]

reasonable suggestion, though I do urge everyone to try mumble as their intra-vehicle coms.

[OkitaMakoto]

Personally, I think its just simpler, and better, to get into the habit of using better radio protocol. Stating your name and/or the name of the person you are directing the statement to.

"Okita to Rezza, Ive got a contact 300 degrees in those hills. Hold here."

Or reverse the names, whatever you two decide

My whole 3 tank squad hears it, and not only knows it is not directed at them to stop, but they also know WHO to look 300 degrees from to scan and see if the enemy is also a threat to their tank as well, or if they can assist in some way.

A radio call saying "enemy spotted" would lead to more confusion as it wouldnt be specific in the least. Those at VOIP would still get screwed because they have no idea WHERE the enemy is or what distance. The way I see it, theres no substitute for Voip[or better yet, Mumble] and you have to use it effectively.

Thats just the way I see it...

[Razick]

I suggest you give crews call signs when you run multi-vehicle squads. Not only does it improve the direction of commo and conciseness of it but also encourages the members, who are most likely strangers, to be better crews. When 2 guys are identified as one unit they act like one unit. So instead of hearing someone say stop and seeing the entire group come to a halt the order can be directed specifically to whom it is intended.

Simple scenario would be a tank column is moving down a road and then you hear "Charlie hold". If everyone knows their call sign then you should only see one vehicle stopping. Also works wonders for organizing pubbers in using some basic formations since you dont have remember each individual drivers names.

The only problem with call signs in public play is that people often leave mid round and you have to continually inform new comers to the squad on how it works.

[charliegrs]

this is often the reason why i used to lock my tank squad at 2 people. it kept the radio chatter only between me and my other crewman. however, i know the stigma about a 2 man locked tank squad, so i stopped. but i it did make it alot easier.

[Thermis]

I've had great success with tank squads all using the same TS. Even though the delay is there after a while you get used to certain peoples styles of gameplay and can realize when something is up before they tell you. In my mind thats the best way to do it.

Now a chatter key might help, however it will still have lag between when you press the button and the other guy actually hears the message. The only fail safe sure fire way to get real time communication is to be sitting next to your gunner in the same room.

So really if you want to be good at tanking, play with the same people over and over until you are a tight nit tanking machine.

[wookimonsta]

mumble works a treat for armor squads.
simply because it allows you to communicate with your driver only with mumble, and the whole squad in voip.

[SkaterCrush]

Personally, I think its just simpler, and better, to get into the habit of using better radio protocol. Stating your name and/or the name of the person you are directing the statement to.

"Okita to Rezza, Ive got a contact 300 degrees in those hills. Hold here."

I've started using something like that for more specific chat...helps a lot especially when you play with people you've played before

[badmojo420]

And you would still need to do that. This is just a warning right before the voip comes. You would see a contact, hold the voip and radio button and by the time it's done playing the radio the voip is arriving. Even just a tone or something. It's more of a 'PAY ATTENTION TO RADIO, THIS ONES FOR YOU' thing rather then a replacement for voice communications. Of course if everyone used mumble this wouldn't be needed at all.

[Dev1200]

It's already in game.. Hold Q and click.

Althought it would be good for multi-tank squads.. where only the tank crew can hear. But it would be confusing, since you still have to find a way to get the direction across.

Also, I find that using a "callsign" system works well. 3 tanks in a squad, assign each a number. Before saying anything, say your number. Then you know whats going on.

[DankE_SPB]

reasonable suggestion, though I do urge everyone to try mumble as their intra-vehicle coms.

problem with mumble that on high speed sometimes you can hardly hear the driver(or gunner) its like he is 30m away

[badmojo420]

It's already in game.. Hold Q and click.

And if you're the squad leader?

This would not be a replacement at all for voice communications, i can't say that enough it seems.

Since there is no way to have localized voip without 3rd party software, i tried to think of a way to at least signal to the other players in your vehicle. Sure, you can spot the normal way, Q and click, but how am i to know if that is coming from my tank crew, or just some random blue guy walking by? Or even commander placing markers on the map, they all play the same sound, sure i guess i could look at the text and read the names, etc. But then why not just use all text for tank communications. It would be easier since all the names are there, there would be far less miss-communication. But the speed of VOIP is superior to text chat. And i believe the speed of this signaling device would be faster than voip, further increasing the reaction time of tanks. In real life, those tank crews are tight nit, spent countless hours training together and they work like a well oiled machine. Even in the best situations in PR, you could never really come close to their teamwork and efficiency. But this is another step in that direction in my mind.

This would not replace anything, it would just be there for people who could make use of it. I really don't care what the sound is, it could even be the same radio chatter that is in the humvees.

[Celestial1]

Sure, you can spot the normal way, Q and click, but how am i to know if that is coming from my tank crew, or just some random blue guy walking by? Or even commander placing markers on the map, they all play the same sound, sure i guess i could look at the text and read the names, etc. But then why not just use all text for tank communications. It would be easier since all the names are there, there would be far less miss-communication. But the speed of VOIP is superior to text chat. And i believe the speed of this signaling device would be faster than voip, further increasing the reaction time of tanks. In real life, those tank crews are tight nit, spent countless hours training together and they work like a well oiled machine. Even in the best situations in PR, you could never really come close to their teamwork and efficiency. But this is another step in that direction in my mind.

Well, for one, the commander doesn't play an audio clip anymore when he spots targets.


Blue guys walking by shouldn't even be able to be heard inside your tank, regardless of the fact that most infantry do not USE the contact call since they use voip (again, because it's a superior way of communicating).

[badmojo420]

Really? Really? These are the responses I get to this suggestion? No wonder people think of us as an elitest community. God forbid someone in a pub game, doesn't have a mic, or doesn't use mumble, or doesn't care to compile a entire squad and train them all in proper usage of comms, or is new to tanking, or new to PR, and just wants to play the game, and have some fun.

Honestly, do you think if this suggestion was used your TANK VOIP squads would then be flooded by mic-less players texting you "I'll just use the radio when i see something, that'll work as good as voip."?

Every comment has mentioned mumble, voip manners, fireteams, callsigns, etc, etc. This isn't a thread about proper communications procedures.

It's very frustrating to propose a change like this and have all these other topics (which i agree with every one) being brought up as some kind of reason not to even consider this suggestion.

I'm done with the whole discussion, my points have repeatedly been made, it's in the hands of the devs to decide.

[Sgt.Heine]

i agree with badmojo420 on this topic and idea.its a great one.and lets hope the DEVs say yes.

[Qaiex]

reasonable suggestion, though I do urge everyone to try mumble as their intra-vehicle coms.

I second that, mumble is fantastic.
In fact... It should come bundled with all future releases of PR, just for simplicity.

[Celestial1]

Really? Really? These are the responses I get to this suggestion? No wonder people think of us as an elitest community. God forbid someone in a pub game, doesn't have a mic, or doesn't use mumble, or doesn't care to compile a entire squad and train them all in proper usage of comms, or is new to tanking, or new to PR, and just wants to play the game, and have some fun.

No, the reason some people think of us as an elitest community is they jump to their guns when their opinions aren't shared...

In all honesty, I would hazard to guess that about 80% of players in PR use VOIP. If they don't, they already have other means to communicate; for instance, if you want to avoid VOIP delay you can tell them that typing 'stop1' in squadchat means vehicle 1 should stop. You can come up with other was to do what you are requesting, other than adding a button that just makes a beep.

Not to mention the fact that new players to the game probably won't USE it this way, or won't know what it's for. Most players don't read the manual as it is, expecting them to know what 'beep' means is far-fetched. A lot of players don't even know that you can hit X in a humvee to play the audio. Expecting them to know it's there, and how to use it, is a little over-shooting your goal here.

Honestly, do you think if this suggestion was used your TANK VOIP squads would then be flooded by mic-less players texting you "I'll just use the radio when i see something, that'll work as good as voip."?

Every comment has mentioned mumble, voip manners, fireteams, callsigns, etc, etc. This isn't a thread about proper communications procedures.

Yeah... it is. Communicating with your fellow soldiers is by talking to them, whether it be through VOIP, chat, or a fancy button that beeps.

It's very frustrating to propose a change like this and have all these other topics (which i agree with every one) being brought up as some kind of reason not to even consider this suggestion.

You can't expect everyone to agree with you. A lot of people don't see a need for something like this considering the large number of players in game already using other forms of communication, so it's bound to be ignored or disagreed with.

It's an opinion, there's no reason to get frustrated because someone disagrees with you.

[HAAN4]

well, many of the basic commands can still. be put on Q mode.

since STOP in the way of reload.

that's my matter,

hoever nice ideia

[bloodthirsty_viking]

i have had this problem before, and sometimes, you just cant say STOP in time, with or without the relay....

what if your driver is driving twards a mine, you yell STOP but its to late.... if i could hit a buttion to tell him to stop, that would work great....


(recent example) i was playing in a apc squad, and we are driving back to main after being engaged on fajula west...

we drive throw the largeis chokepoint by the gas station, and i yell "stop!" by the time the driver gets the message, hits the buttion, and finnally stops, were halfway over the mine and dead....

a "beep" sound that come us faster would have been nice, becuase he could have recognized it and stoped before we hit the mine.


also, what if the other tank sees an e, and your gunning, you see something else, you hit the buttion and boom, he can stop, you can aim in, and kill then.