Do you use Voice Attack?

Werewolf13

Werewolf13
I used to use VA all the time. Even had a custom response profile for for EDDI with VA that I called sarcastic that cracked me up all the time. One of the EDDI updates or VA updates crashed it and I never bothered to rebuild it. I still use VA occasionally- usually on the weekend with a 6 pack or 2 sitting by my side on the rare occassions that I feel like a Boston Ale or Guiness.

That said it didn't take long to figure out it was quicker to use my HOTAS than VA.

I bought, installed and used the Astra voice pack for about a week. It was highly repetitive, the command set was not intuitive and like most things once the novelty wore off my attitude changed to eh... (bought it very, very early in HCS ED product cycle - one of their first I believe so...)

IIRC it only cost me $19.99 - so no big deal. Still get the updates from HCS. The last update looked like some interesting new features had been added but it is such a pain in the rear to install I still haven't done it. ce' la vie...
 
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Werewolf13

Werewolf13
Jake Savage said:
The only time I use the keyboard is to type in the comms panel when I'm chatting to a friend.
Click to expand...

I believe that VA has a text to screen feature where you say the letter and it sends it to the screen. So you wouldn't even have to touch the keyboard to type in your message. Or maybe not - might be an HCS feature or some other thing. <shrug>
 

Iron Body

Iron Body
I found the default keybindings in the HCS packs a pain - and difficult to change to my custom keys.
I then wrote my own simple pack for the most useful commands for use in VR - without any talkback.
Used that for quite a while, but then I got my bindings to a point where I don't need voice commands any more.
 

Jmanis

Jmanis
Nope, because I:
  • don't have a mic; because I
  • never use voice comms in games... apparently Australian accents are hard to understand; regardless
  • the delay between use of voice and activation of the command is too large compared to simply doing the command myself; because
  • I'm entirely comfortable with my KB+M setup; and besides all that
  • Other household occupants would throw bricks at me if I was using voice commands all the time.
 

Vasious

Vasious
I use Voice attack, but have two "roll your own" Virtual Ship personalities rather than the HCS Packs.
Currently getting/teaching/[programming them to sing sea shanties as a duet
Added EDDI and it makes for a lively game with the events as you can add calls and replies to the in game ATC
 

m0rl0ck

M
I like it. Its nice to, for instance, say "target frame shift drive" and let VA cycle through sub targets to the appropriate system, or really anything i dont have mapped to a HOTAS button, landing gear etc. It will even distribute pips for you on the fly. When i interdict an npc i use it to distribute pips to weapons and when combat is over i tell astra "power to engines and systems" and "engage supercruise".
Its an essential piece of gear for ED imo.
 

Shiro Akai

Shiro Akai
No, to both.

Voice packs - none of those available sound good to me - no reason to get one. On top of the fact I like my ship as mute as possible. I don't need constant computer chatter, reminding me of everything. In the long run it's more annoying than helpful.

"Fuel scooping, warning, heat damage, fuel scooping completed, charging, fuel scooping, warning, heat damage..." Ugh.

Voice attack - at first it was tempting idea. After second thought i'd fell weird speaking to my PC. I'm as my ship - mostly mute when playing and suddenly having to speak would be awkward. I prefer buttons.
 

Stealthie

Stealthie
Rock Hunter said:
and because in VR I manage to hit silent running no matter what I'm actually trying to do, unless of course it's trying to run silently in which case I deploy my cargo scoop and launch chaff whilst shouting "woo-hoo, I'm over here."
Click to expand...

See, that's part of the real reason I'm not keen on stuff like Voice Attack.

I love the idea of VR and I was really into it back in the days of the DK1.
Trouble is, I'm also a big fan of the tactile aspect of a sim' environment.
If I had the space, I would absolutely build a full-on sim-pit with swappable control-panels for use with flight-sims, ED and racing games.

Trouble is, VR actively prevents interaction with a tactile environment.
When you're using VR, pretty-much everything has to be HOTAS or voice-activated.
It's no good having banks of secondary buttons, switches and knobs in front of you if you can't actually see them in order to use them.

I've seen some VR demo's where the hand-tracking has been used to allow people to activate dummy-controls in the real-world which are translated into real control-changes in the VR world.
It'll be great when/if this becomes a regular thing but, until then, I'm firmly in the "multiple monitors/projectors and a sim-pit" camp because the tactile immersion is more important to me than the visual immersion VR offers.
 

VR andysonofbob

VR andysonofbob
Another VR user here

I use it for non critical things:
Request Dock
Landing Gear
Cargo Scoop
Lights
Supercruise (also have handy button)
Jump (also have handy button)
Deploy weapons
Attack (SLF)
Flight Assist
System Map
Galaxy Map
Night Vision
Resume Course

For most of the above I have a joystick button, but VA is so used to my voice I rarely have to repeat now.

TIP
I see what VA thinks I have said and use that as the command words to listen out for
 

jnTracks

jnTracks
no.

No need to. I've seen enough videos where people are using it with limited accuracy that I'll stick with mapping everything to HOTAS.
 

Spaceman Si

Spaceman Si
Stealthie said:
I'm firmly in the "multiple monitors/projectors and a sim-pit" camp because the tactile immersion is more important to me than the visual immersion VR offers.
Click to expand...

When I win the Lotto, I am definitely going to build one of these :)

I would actually still see a place for some VA in there, because it can be fun to tell your crew to do stuff for you like lower the landing gear or target the next hostile whilst you do other things. They act like a third hand, which can be very useful! (And yes, I expect you'll think of that as cheating in some way :) :) )
 

Rock Hunter

Rock Hunter
Stealthie said:
See, that's part of the real reason I'm not keen on stuff like Voice Attack.

I love the idea of VR and I was really into it back in the days of the DK1.
Trouble is, I'm also a big fan of the tactile aspect of a sim' environment.
If I had the space, I would absolutely build a full-on sim-pit with swappable control-panels for use with flight-sims, ED and racing games.

Trouble is, VR actively prevents interaction with a tactile environment.
When you're using VR, pretty-much everything has to be HOTAS or voice-activated.
It's no good having banks of secondary buttons, switches and knobs in front of you if you can't actually see them in order to use them.

I've seen some VR demo's where the hand-tracking has been used to allow people to activate dummy-controls in the real-world which are translated into real control-changes in the VR world.
It'll be great when/if this becomes a regular thing but, until then, I'm firmly in the "multiple monitors/projectors and a sim-pit" camp because the tactile immersion is more important to me than the visual immersion VR offers.
Click to expand...

Oh I get that completely. I love the switch buttons on my X-55 HOTAS and have everything I can have mapped so that it is as tactile as possible but I also enjoy having voice commands for some functions as that is also a level of immersion I enjoy.

If your idea of VR, sim pit and a full on control panel(s) ever become a realistic ‘thing,’ I’m having it. Divorce or no divorce ;)

As an aside, it’s extremely easy now to use your own commands for certain functions rather than those once prescribed by HCS. For instance I have pips settings for various stages of combat that work from commands such as ‘Prowl,’ ‘Attack,’ ‘Defend’ and ‘Banzai’... I’ve also adjusted the response time for some commands to make them much quicker than I could ever be.

Whichever method a Cmdr opts for we’ve got a staggering level of choice and that is a boon for all of us, certainly judging from the responses to this thread.

Fly crazy Cmdrs
 

Watcher

W
Relvor said:
Don't use it because want to keep the noise level down, so no microphone. I also use headphones or speakers on very low setting.
Plus I think it's faster to just press one or two buttons instead of yelling "all power to shields!" or "deploy cargo scoop" or "Set throttle to seventy five per cent!".

I must admit however that it does sound interesting to chatter with your ship ai.
Click to expand...
Like others have said I tend to keep the noise levels down - I wouldn't want to rely on it.

I'm also not convinced by the integration in to the game. This isn't something I'm familiar with but I believe asking VA do to stuff essentially just pushes a bunch of keyboard commands into the game - this is pretty messy and if I have to change my keyboard bindings it'll break. I'd much prefer if you could have VA set up as a controller (like a keyboard or HOTAS), actual integration. This would presumably require some additional work on the side of VA or HCS and cooperation with FD to make it happen.

If I get around to VR I'd probably end up leaning on this in any case but until then I guess I'll be doing without and missing out on the extra immersion it brings.
 

m0rl0ck

M
Actually if you change your keyboard bindings it just re reads the binds file and you are good to go.
You can also crank up the input volume on your mic and whisper to it if you want to.
 

Watcher

W
m0rl0ck said:
Actually if you change your keyboard bindings it just re reads the binds file and you are good to go.
You can also crank up the input volume on your mic and whisper to it if you want to.
Click to expand...
That first item is certainly useful to know.
Though presumably I'd have to actually set up some bindings :D

Still prefer some tighter integration though - be nice to say things like 'target engines' and have that happen (which I assume you cant?) and also not have it happen by the system flicking through the UI (which it did with various things last I looked). Still, that is me perhaps being overly demanding and picky..

Thanks again for that info though :)
 

Miczi

Miczi
Yes, but I'm a developer and I love messing with such things. I think around 30% of my time spent with ED was setting up voice attack, Eddi, writing Python scripts, thinking of possible commands and responses.

I use VA and Eddi, not Voice Pack. Why? Because I have a lot of my own scripted responses and I want the ship to speak with with one voice all the time. The mechanical voice doesn't bother me, I roleplay that it's my ship. It's very immersive and satisfying. Is it faster than manual? In most cases it's not, but I play for fun, so I don't really care.

Example conversations:

Bounty hunting:
  • Computer!
  • Yes sir.
  • It's party time!
  • Let's roll. [Deploys hardpoints, pips to weapons, plays AC/DC]

And when the party is over:
  • Tango down.
  • One less scumbag in the galaxy. [retracts hardpoints]

Navigation:
  • Computer!
  • Yes commander.
  • Set course for Sol.
  • Current destination: Sol star system.
  • Update navigation data.
  • Yes captain. [runs a script downloading neutron route to Sol from spansh]. Navigation plan updated.
  • Load next waypoint.
  • Next waypoint: Deciat.
  • Navigate to next waypoint.
  • Yes sir. [Opens galaxy map, pastes new star system, plots route, closes Galaxy map]. Route updated.
  • Hyperjump please!

Some chat when I'm bored:
  • Do you want to do some exploration?
  • Maybe another time, sir.
  • What about hunting some pirates?
  • I'm in.

And when she misheards me it can be quite funny too:
  • Computer!
  • Yes commander.
  • Deploy heatsink!
  • Silent run.
  • F*ck you.
  • F*ck you too, sir.

I'm currently working on a system which would generate real time news, such as "Transmission incoming: new conflict has just broke out in x system, 7 light years from here".
 

m0rl0ck

M
Watcher said:
That first item is certainly useful to know.
Though presumably I'd have to actually set up some bindings :D

Still prefer some tighter integration though - be nice to say things like 'target engines' and have that happen (which I assume you cant?) and also not have it happen by the system flicking through the UI (which it did with various things last I looked). Still, that is me perhaps being overly demanding and picky..

Thanks again for that info though :)
Click to expand...
It does target subsystems for you.
 
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