Mac Gaming Mods

I have been using Ventrilo on the PC to communicate to team-mates during games - it's a terrific piece of software, but is there anything like it for the Mac???

I notice GameRanger has built-in voice coms. - but only if you become a premium player.

What do u use?

PS - Ventrilo apparently have an OSX version in the pipe-line, but this may be some way off.

Yes, Ventrillo already has a Mac Server version, but not client version. watt?!

Teamspeak has been saying they are gonna release their new version soon (TS3), and it's supposed to be ported to Mac. Apple gave them computers to do that well over two years ago. watt?!

There really isn't anything on the mac that compares to Teamspeak or Ventrillo. There are some apps that work fairly well tho.

-netfone 1400 (older version)
-KDX 1600 (its like netfone, but with more bells and whistles)
-skype (kinda like ichat).

I am a premium subscriber on GameRanger... i like the set-up, tho the voice com's have been rather buggy lately, cutting out mid-game. I'm sure there are a few other apps, i just can't think of them right now.

Vir2L™ wrote:Yes, Ventrillo already has a Mac Server version, but not client version. watt?!

LOL - yes, 'ehhh?' - but I suppose they would have to have the server version ready before the client (though both at the same time would have been better! LOL)

What's funny is how I always seemed to managed playing Ghost Recon without voice comms (but using the text bindings)...

However, now having used Ventrilo and then coming back to Ghost Recon I am amazed I ever managed at all! LOL - the voice comms doubles the enjoyment of the game in my book.

Vir2L™ wrote:I am a premium subscriber on GameRanger... i like the set-up, tho the voice com's have been rather buggy lately, cutting out mid-game. I'm sure there are a few other apps, i just can't think of them right now.

Yes, I heard a few people saying that it crapped out...Which is funny as the latest update of GameRanger was supposed to address this!

I really love voice comms now, it really lends even more of a tactical element to the game. Further more it allows experienced players to help out 'newbies' - it's hard to find the time to type complex tactical suggestions to newbies when u are using keys to move as well.

One thing I like about Ventrilo over GameRanger comms is Ventrilo is voice activated - u don't have to press a key to speak....

The down side of this is you have to watch what u say sometimes (! LOL) AND if you are eating noisy food (like potato chips) everyone in your team knows about it!

GR voice comm is merely a way to talk with the ppl playing inside, but not specifically the people u are on the same team as...

so when u actually wanna talk about tactics, ur telling the whole world

GR Voice has 2 options: team and all.

yup, but most players dont seem to know which keys are what. lol

This is the problem with GameRAnger voice comms....Because it is a premium service it is actually restricting people trying it out!

All the voice comms software on the PC is free! Therefore a great many more people uses it and are used to it and how it works.

As I have said - Ventrilo is a major part of the game when I play Joint Ops with friends, we would not be able to do a lot of the tactical stuff we do if we had to rely on the keyboard...

However, at the moment the opposite is true on the Mac. Not many people playing GameRanger seem to have actually tried voice comms at all - and even those with a premium account don't seem to use it much as there aren't enough other players using it to make it worthwhile!

(Bit of a vicious circle there!)

The answer would be, either for Ventilo to finally get it's client software out for the Mac (coming soon they promise) OR for Gamernager to bite the bullet and make voice comms open to non-premium players.
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Endnote: I was playing a co-op on GameRanger the other night and something happened which highlighted exactly why we need vc on the Mac...

We were playing a mod of Red Square (the one where you have to rescue the US soldiers before progressing) - anyway, every time we started the game a 'newbie' sprinted off on their own to tackle the Russians single-handed. In such a situation, when u are involved in a fire-fight yourself, there is just no time to stop and inform the 'newbie' what the best tactics are!

Basically the 'newbie' lost the game for us FOUR TIMES, despite fumbled attempts using text comms to explain to them what they were doing wrong!

Voice comms would have allowed the more experienced players to tell the player quickly and easily how to play that particular game.

I concur. That's is why we at SOG are required to have premium, or some other alternative when we play games. It definitly adds to the immersion, not to mention the advantage IMO.

Voice comms is also handy in igniting hostility in "some" players who have not taken it upon themselves to acquire it. I won't name any names, but now and then one may notice the presence of such users on GameRanger.

Sweet mother of god.

Ya, i'm not exactly sure why "they" get so mad. It's not our problem they don't have it. lol.

InSiPidus wrote:Voice comms is also handy in igniting hostility in "some" players who have not taken it upon themselves to acquire it. I won't name any names, but now and then one may notice the presence of such users on GameRanger.

I can perhaps see why - VC gives you and your team a HUGE advantage. Believe me that being able to constantly update your team-mates instantly allows you to really take advantage...

Playing against a non-VC team you would definately have an edge. It would be akin to one team playing with sensors and the opposition not having sensors.

It also allows one to bring in command and co-ordination. You could literally have a CO who 'sits back' and simply watches the action and update his crew as to any dangers he sees on the map...

Yes, you could do this by keyboard - but often by the time you have typed or even hit a binding it's all too late! Plus, who wants to be typing when u are in a fire-fight anyway!

Yes, I can see how some might not like VC players (epspecially as they mights see them as elitist as they are also premium players.)

i remember ....
the time i was playing the bran new Rogue Spear Game, on my imac, G3 350, we were able to use all the voices program on gameranger. Roger wilco , that was pretty much it,
after a bit osx came out and i remember using netfones with buddys, it was great when GR was not sensored,
i notice that everything on the internet have a tendency to become filtered.

I think you can use KDX without any interference with GR.

Mono, Ghr will start from a game within Gr if you are premium,
If your not premium, Ghr app starts for one second and quits, Gr give you a message in the gameroom,
"Failed to start game"
Somebody like to play monopoly.

Lets say im chatting on MGM irc chan. and i use my built in Kdx irc client,
Gr wont start a game, if KDX is running.
its also a sort of discrimination.

I thought KDX creators had created something to bypass that or someone had figured out how to use KDX and GR.