Improvements needed on KF VOIP

[Deltaforce$Raserisk]

Killing Floor has always been an side-favorite game of mine that I could always rely on if I was bored . I remember getting it back when it was released and playing it to death, I still consider it better than L4D! The new patch is what brought me out of 'KF Hibernation' and its better than ever.

To the point however, I would like to say that the VOIP system (what you use to talk to people on the game, via mics) is...bad. To say the least, I have tried messing with the sliders and ajusting inbound and outbound but still, people's voices come out very muffled and it's a bad thing when you gotta crank up the speakers until your ear drums get blown out just to hear someone!

I was so unsatisfied with the VOIP in this game, that I switched over to Vent but being the case that I can't keep my friends with my 24/7 (lol) that I have to play on PUG servers occasionaly, so my questions are,

1. Why hasn't there been improvement on the VOIP system thus far?

2. What can be done to fix/improve it that is ingame rather than using external applications? (Vent)

 

[Bobdog]

CSS L4D and GMOD are all source engine games, so they use the same VOIP that is built into all source games. This has nothing to do with being steam-supported.

 

[Anzu]

This wont answer all your questions - but there is a setting in servers which controls the distance you can hear people and such. I assume that if you are right on that border the sound will be muffled on purpose.

Besides that though, there are also a few other problems. I agree.

 

[[UIT] Akame]

I have never had issues with the VOIP in killing floor. If anything I had more issue with L4D because people would be using a mic while they had music playing in the background or they would have their outbound mic setting very low. The biggest issue I have with killing floor VOIP is people not using it often enough.

If it's really such a bother you can set up a server with a ventrilo address in the server messages.

 

[omarfw]

The KF VOIP works decently but it SERIOUSLY needs a new codec. A higher quality one that uses less bandwidth like Speex.

 

[Darkcoder]

Under default settings the KF VOIP is almost useless, I can barely hear anyone, especially during any combat, in CSS and such the game volume goes down a bit when someone talks thus making this better, currently I've had to settle for setting the game volume to about 20% and mic to 100% just so I can hear both.

 

[omarfw]

I agree we need the ability to crank up the voip volume.

Sure you can dampen it but then the game volume dampens TOO much.

 

[Zetsumei]

a voip boost button would be a lovely feature. i have all my sounds at 10% and voip to the max.

There is a high quality codec but its disabled on servers by default, and users need to tick it on in the settings menu. Although a different codec would be nice as well.

 

[[UIT] Akame]

in CSS and such the game volume goes down a bit when someone talks thus making this better

There is an option to decrease game volume only when someone is using VOIP. Currently I have it set so that the volume is perfect when VOIP is being used (I can still hear other sounds and the person clearly) and when it's not being used (the normal game volume is fine too).

The KF VOIP works decently but it SERIOUSLY needs a new codec. A higher quality one that uses less bandwidth like Speex.

Lowering bandwidth would be nice (I personally have to deal with 256 kb/s) but the quality seem ok currently.

 

[[TW]schneidzekk]

The KF VOIP works decently but it SERIOUSLY needs a new codec. A higher quality one that uses less bandwidth like Speex.

It is using Speex.

 

[Benjamin]

I don't think the quality is too bad (and I'm pretty sure Speex is one of the best codecs out there, or at least the best free one ), but I think people tend to have crappy microphones.

 

[DeSTrOYeR]

I have the same problem with the in-game VOIP. People voice are so quiet/muffled that I can never understand anything there are saying. That's with the voip volume maxed too.

The funny thing is that for my friend it is the opposite. He says that no matter how low he tries to reduce the volume, people's voice are still a bit too loud.

 

[Deltaforce$Raserisk]

Good to know I wasn't the only one that found the VOIP sound quality to be an issue in KF. I already knew that both KF and Source game engine had radically different technology, I was simply saying that since KF is a apart of Steam that they should also meet the standards/quality of Valve's catalog in a sense.

Regarding that, I've removed that question since its a moot point now anyway. Back on topic, I think the focus of the thread now; Is that KF needs better mic sound quality or a better "codec"?

In the future I would like to be able to jump into a game and experience high-quality VOIP like I enjoy in Valve's games. Other than that, TWI has done a great job with the game thus far.

 

[omarfw]

It is using Speex.

I had a hunch that it did but I've never been able to discern it while killing specimens.

Maybe raise the minimum bitrate a bit? Just that would do wonders. Oh and boost the volume.

Source engine games also use speex but they use a higher bitrate and the difference is tremendous.

 

[Colt .45 killer]

this is very likely related to the quality of the mic, just tell the person theyr coming through too quite. alot of people have mics that sit on their desk, and those sound very quite if they are further away, second that with how many morons have fans blowing on them / their mics, and well you get the idea...

 

[hajalie24]

Yes a lot of times when there is a lot of action going on I can barely understand what they say, i could set the option to lower the volume when someone talks but then the game kinda gets ruined with the sound changing.

 

[omarfw]

this is very likely related to the quality of the mic, just tell the person theyr coming through too quite. alot of people have mics that sit on their desk, and those sound very quite if they are further away, second that with how many morons have fans blowing on them / their mics, and well you get the idea...

Most mics actually record at very decent quality. The quality you hear is after it's been shoved through the crappy low quality codec.

 

[zYnthetic]

Anyone that says the voip is too quiet should check the box in the sound options to duck sounds when voip is active/players speaking. It comes very close to muting game sounds.

 

[omarfw]

It comes very close to muting game sounds.

This is a bad thing imo. Sometimes i WANT to hear the game sounds. I don't want to not hear the game just cuz some botard is yapping. I want to be able to turn up the voice a little bit so I can hear both just about equally.

 

[[UIT] Akame]

Most mics actually record at very decent quality. The quality you hear is after it's been shoved through the crappy low quality codec.

Well it would be easy to hear them with a desk mic is they actually had no other sound source near it. People will sit multiple feet away from it and it will pick up ambient noise. Besides if you have the volume calibrated for people with headset mics it rarely is loud enough to easily discern people's voice from a desk mic.
I would also disagree with all mics using decent quality. Any cheap bluetooth mic has terrible sound quality (see this all the time when using my PS3 since the system has built in bluetooth).