Taming the monster they helped create (Destiny)

by RC , UK, Monday, December 09, 2013, 18:12 (4003 days ago) @ Kalamari

- It was said that max Fireteam size will be six players with different game types having different sizes and the matchmaking system filling in extra players as needed like in Halo. Interestingly, if I heard right, you still don't get voice chat with those extra people. You still only communicate with your hand picked fireteam.

Okay, I think the recent trend of automatically restricting chat between players in multiplayer games is disappointing. Sure, other players can be assholes some of the time, but other times they can be pretty funny and/or cool people. I would prefer to have the option to mute other players rather than a system that auto mutes them. Let me make the choice!

In most games, hearing other people is opt-out. Even if you don't have a headset, their audio is played through the speakers by default once you enter MP. If the multiplayer portion of Destiny is literally all of it then the problem of jerks now applies to all your players rather than just those who opt into the multiplayer. Making chat opt-in universally then makes sense.

Hearing strangers talk to other strangers like you're sitting next to them, or even directly at you, just because matchmaking decided you should play together, can be pretty invasive and intimidating to be honest.

Frankly I'm glad Bungie seem to be designing for the reality that exists rather than than some idealised world.

Don't forget Bungie's implementation of push-to-talk in Halo 3? They already realised that not everything out of a player's mouth needs to be heard by everyone else. ("Sure mom, just after this game!.... I can't right now I'm playing with other people!... but MOM!!!")

If you must hear everyone in your MP game then invite them to party chat like Lars said. Bet you that most players won't bother - because in reality, the expected return from the average player isn't worth the small extra effort and the risk of having a jerk.

It's a multiplayer game, we are supposed to interact with other players, are we not?

Yes, and some of the best multiplayer matches I've ever played have been without voice chat, using body language and character actions alone. Experiences of spontaneous cooperation and rivalry so perfect and pure I doubt that voice chat would have benefited them in any way, shape or form.