PC Microphones (and the 4x community).

[Green1]

About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I lost another mic. It was in my backpack as I was on my bicycle to the East Baton Rouge Parish library. I was getting ready for an intense session of Doctor Who on a full speed library T1 internet line with no lag. That is, until I pulled out my headphone/mic combo. This was the nice 40 USD one from logitech. It was crumpled broken mess. Also, somehow, the wire got ripped out.

Now, in New Orleans, I used to buy this 10 dollar one from Family Dollar. I went through about 3 of those. I think you looked at them wrong, they broke.

My question. Do you know of any good headphone/mic combo that puts up well with being portable and does not break as easy? Or am  I stuck with these cheaply made stuff that only exists to make me buy more?


Oh yeah, and as Jarl was mentioning a bit back. I come from a MMO and RTS background where you are not allowed to even play if you do not use voice. Now, I can cope and I am not complaining, but how come the 4x community has never been big TS/vent guys? Always wondered.

[Buster's Uncle]

No capacity for that in MP?

[Green1]

No capacity for that in MP?

I am not sure.

I would doubt it as in 1999, broadband internet was a pretty expensive thing.

Not that for AC you would need it since the majority of the action is PBEM. But I am talking even big games like Civ. Most Civ MP games I have been in we sometimes talked by renaming cities. One was particularly hilarious. We had cities in the world called "Drew Brees scores!" and "New Orleans Saints Win!"!!

[Buster's Uncle]

Can they even do that (voice chat) in V?

[Green1]

Can they even do that (voice chat) in V?

Even if it exists, no one ever uses it in 4x. No matter the game. Nor do I want to change things. Hell, there were some really obnoxious folks in MMOs I would have rathered not talk to I understand.

As I said, not complaining. It just seems opposite of some other gaming communities.

[Buster's Uncle]

You're talking about games without much value sans online/LAN live MP, aren't you?  4x is different.

[Green1]

You're talking about games without much value sans online/LAN live MP, aren't you?  4x is different.

Yeah. But even the few live MP, no one uses it. Nor is it a requirement even for team games. It has been a while since I have done a live 4x, though. I am talking Civ 4 and gamespy.

[JarlWolf]

I personally don't know what Vent is, and Teamspeak is glitchy for me so Skype is what I use.
I wouldn't mind chatting with some folks, getting voices for factions that way can be easier because you can coach someone on how to enunciate certain lines a certain way.

I come from mostly an RTS background in terms of voice chat.
If you guys want I can give my skype details and we can chat: I think you lot already heard my voice once or twice anyways, I think I supplied the voice of the Comrades a little while back.

[Green1]

I personally don't know what Vent is, and Teamspeak is glitchy for me so Skype is what I use.
I wouldn't mind chatting with some folks, getting voices for factions that way can be easier because you can coach someone on how to enunciate certain lines a certain way.

I come from mostly an RTS background in terms of voice chat.
If you guys want I can give my skype details and we can chat: I think you lot already heard my voice once or twice anyways, I think I supplied the voice of the Comrades a little while back.

Yeah, I think you and I from our gaming backgrounds are the only ones who are really perplexed at this.

Particularly MMOs. You do not do voice, you do not exist.

@Jarl: vent is more of a World of Warcraft thing. Most FPS or RTS folks use TS. I agree I hate TS. Had to put up with it for Eve a few times because many Europeans swear by TS. That is the only MMO community I think that still uses TS. Good reason, too. You have to pay for ventrilo server. Teamspeak 3 is free to set up a server. Glitchy as hell, you are right.

[Green1]

Just to give you how critically important voice is in other gaming communities, I need to give you a story.

One of the guys in a guild I was part of in 2006 broke his mic. Since he was an amateur boxer and between gigs, he was broke and would not be able to afford one for a month.

Someone in the guild got his address, BOUGHT the guy one, and mailed it to California from Australia.

Yeah, that serious.

[JarlWolf]

If I tried that with my country's postal system you'd be getting that crap 10 years later. And that's on a good day 

[Green1]

If I tried that with my country's postal system you'd be getting that crap 10 years later. And that's on a good day 

US and UK commonwealth countries have a next day air and shipping company called Fedex. It is not government. You can get anything anywhere in those countries - for a price.

He got it in a week.

[JarlWolf]

Eh, lots of the postal system here is private as well now.
The postal system USED to be good under the Soviet Regime, I could mail someone across the globe (at that point in time) and they'd receive the message, or item within a week and few days. Infrastructure has gotten worse with the current government and its a crying shame, say what you want about the Union, but I find it had a lot more benefits to it then the current government. Of course, I also had a lot of personal problems with the old regime too. The Brezhnev's in particular...

[Green1]

All the US postal service is good for now here is these stupid grocery store mail ads and bills. No one uses it. Since then, they have closed down a lot of postal substations including one in New Orleans. that means a letter heading to New Orleans does not head straight there like it used to, but must head to Baton Rouge first. Even within cities, while it used to take 2-3 days, it takes 5. I one time made the mistake of mailing a letter from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Jackson, Mississippi one time because I was on a trip that lasted 3 weeks. I arrived back before the letter got there.

But oh well, I am sending messages worldwide over computer. Who needs the postal service? If only it was not for shipping actual things.

[JarlWolf]

Mhm.... the postal system in terms of mailing letters is just inefficient now, but for items? Until we get some crazy technology that can beam matter like in some Sci-Fi, physically moving it from place to place is our only option. And I'd rather that be efficient personally.

But back to the subject... my Skype if anyone is interested is JarlWolf. I don't mind a chat, but if you feel just like using text that's fine too. I know folks like Green may have issues with a microphone (In his case, lack thereof at the moment)