Text versus voice in Internet play

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>>51848884
I guess voice chats in RPGs are kind of like CGI animation to me: I can understand there's some benefit to it, I can see why some people would prefer it, but I really honestly can't begin to comprehend how the hell it became the absolute standard, how no one at all does the method I feel objectively superior any longer, and how I tend to get a whole lot of hate for even broaching the subject. Potential players back away from my games when I tell them I run through text. I can't join games myself unless I bring out my mic and speak with them, sacrificing some essential parts of the gaming for me in doing so, not to mention going through other various inconveniences and hurting my body. And we will probably never see another goddamn masterpiece like the Prince of Egypt because Hollywood is a bunch of assholes.

But I digress.

Can someone add some more items to the voice chat part to explain this shit to me?

It's the difference between playing around a table and play by post.
I like being able to feed off the other players, able to react to them better, my character is able to interject where they may etc.

Different strokes for different folks, but I'm sure you can find a forum based RP still if you really want.

>>51848884
>Games go a bit faster
They really don't. As you said, things slow down to a halt when someone shifts their attention away for a bit and has to be personally caught up to speed.

>>51848927
>It's the difference between playing around a table and play by post.

I've played on meatspace either, and I find it to be pretty superior to playing over the internet. But voice chat is but a poor imitation of this.

Once technology evolves enough for a full virtual tabletop where we can throw actual dice and see all the body language of other players, hit me up. I'll be all for it.

Being able to write decently is a much less common skill than being able to speak decently. I think you're underestimating how much it slows games down and overestimating how clear a typed message will be in comparison.

>>51848940
It's not a perfect analogy, but the basic concept is the same.
None of the drawbacks in the OP aren't present around a table.
It's also much easier to play online than gather everyone in a physical location every week or two (especially for me, as I play with mates from the other side of the globe).

I play with a lot of ESL folks. Super thick accents, plus hearing impairment, make GMing a game over voice a no-go. I run games over text. If another person in the group wants to GM over voice, I'll play, but I probably won't enjoy it.

Voice games and gatherings being superior to text games is overrated shit spouted by dumb grognards who just can't deal with people doing things differently, and in this case "different" directly coincides with "better".

It is simply a fact that a game of make-believe is much better played when you don't spend every waking moment being reminded that the player playing the hot female rogue is actually an unattractive guy with a deep voice.

text best

>>51851164
Text in-character with voice for out-of-character asides and discussion is best.

>>51848884
Is this pasta?

>>51848884
Text has an additional side benefit for me. I have TMJ so talking for prolonged periods hurts. So do chewy and crunchy things. I miss baby carrots and ranch...

I'm still waiting for programs like Facerig to get in on the video chat RPG scene. Combine that with a speech filter program and the DM could take on the face and voice of all the NPCs...
If I ever got my hands on a good program like that with a library of customizable faces {Kinda like skyrims face customizer} and preset or adjustable voice filters and I would be DMing like a madman....
Some one really needs to get on inventing that....

>>51848884
Where can I find text games?

>>51851425
Jesus Christ, I hope so

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>>51848884
the only reason I like voice over text is the fact that text has a tendency to make time pass a lot slower, there's a lot of latency between someone asking something, and a character replying yes. compare that to voice when you literally just reply with what you want to say.

I find text to be superior in every other way than that. makes finding games pretty difficult and I always feel like a cunt when I get bothered by people typing slow, and like an autist when I can write out a paragraph in a few seconds.

beats the spaghetti you'll hear in people over voice though, pic related.

>>51848884

problems I have had by playing trough text:
>no skills to even use a computer. they only know how to use Microsoft Word. what is roll20, what is irc. how do I install programs.
>people standing and leaving whenever they want because they can't seem to focus on 1 thing for more than 2 minutes. (are you there joe?)
>2hours thinking what to say +2 hours typing IC "hello"
>your epic speech gets a one liner as a response
> the places you describe with a paragraph? they forget about after 2 minutes when their attention span runs out.
> what did you mean the character was being ironic? did he said that in a friendly tone or an aggressive tone? because if it was x then I would have y instead of z
>fuck your choice of music everyone hears their own whatever YouTube video they can hear in the background.


the only game of text that i really enjoyed a lot was one where everyone spoke as if it was a chat. a lot of one liners in a lively chat where i struggled to keep track of the conversation.

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>>51851425

>Is this pasta?

>>51852105
>fuck your choice of music everyone hears their own whatever YouTube video they can hear in the background.

Isn't this a problem with voice rather than text?

>>51848981
It's also impossible to do things like taking notes of PC's mindsets in a horror campaign while you're describing something horrific or unusual, and making them roll SAN or give some other mental health related penalty. For horror games it's a no-go.
Playing with real humans is objectively superior, because these games are supposed to be social. Unless you actually can't get together with the people you're playing, there's no reason to prefer digital. If you have to go with digital, whether you communicate by text or speech doesn't always matter. One can be better than the other according to the game in question. But speech is still superior most of the time.

>>51852512

One big advantage that comes with text and just simply doing so over the internet is the fact that distractions don't often spread to the other players. What I mean is that if a player gets distracted by something stupid (It will happen), the other players don't feel so much incentive to follow suit by being distracted by that thing.

This is one of the biggest reasons why I find doing the games online to be the best if you want to focus mainly on the game on hand.

As far as the factor of hanging out and shooting the shit as it were, then yes, you need to be in person for that.

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>>51852512
>Playing with real humans is objectively superior, because these games are supposed to be social.
Good opinion, post more.

not

>>51848884

I presume that another kind of advantage of text over voice, is that deaf and/or mute people can participate without feeling out of place.
Might be a small advantage, but just threw my two cents there.

>>51848884
I agree with your point, just mot your argument. People are less likely to interrupt a speaking person than a typed message. Speech is also way faster. Also, all those mechanical complaints about using a headset... go to /v/ to see what they say is comfy. My headset never bothers me. Also, grandpa, wireless headsets exist. Your battery life should last a whole session.

>>51852898
>People are less likely to interrupt a speaking person than a typed message.
How the fuck do you interrupt a typed message?

>>51852923
Just by having someone post something while you still write your response. It happens.

>>51852966
How is this a problem? Nigga just move your eyes two centimeters up.

>>51853052
And adjust your words to the guy that just said the thing.

>>51853088
As opposed to someone just straight up speaking up first??

I give up, you grognards will bend over sideways and climb into your own ass to try and come up with a nonexistent "flaw".

>>51848884
I agree with you but just buy a fucking desk mic Jesus H Christ

>>51848940
Tabletop Simulator with voice is the closest I've come to simulating meatspace tabletop. You can also play it in virtual reality which I guess conveys at least a bit of the body language.

>>51853150
It happens all the time that I might be typing something like, "I pick up the grail & blah blah blah" & before I hit send, someone else sent, "I throw the grail off the cliff." In person / with voice, people are just considerate enough not to interrupt. Text just doesn't have the same "wait your turn" aspect.

>>51852245

text. i set up a playlist for the players to listen that would set up the mood thinking they would listen to it.

turns out that i prefer to be told that i have bad taste in music than being lied to.

Typing slows down the game to the point where clearing a D&D module could take thrice as long. Not worth it desu.

>>51851376
This seems optimal
I haven't found a game that does it
They're either all-voice or all-text

>>51851608
By accident

>>51853353
Oh, that is a rather strong point.

I guess you could enforce "turns" a little loosely, like making sure everyone gets done typing if they're going to say something, provided they started typing first.

>>51848884
>voice chat
>suddenly so popular
you understand that RPGs were played in person first?