Voice Attack – why do you like it?

Oogie Boogie

Oogie Boogie
Hi,

Currently I am using a HOTAS and have plenty of button, which still are unused with functions. Always thought about to use Voice Attack, but just for “landing gear on and off” I thought this was too mundane. Would you please share with me, if you use Voice Attack with a special voice pack, why do you like it so much and what is the best feature for you?

Thanks,
Oogie Boogie
 

Shanaeri

Shanaeri
I use it for a number of things, but especially pip management. With just a single voice command I can configure my pips to be 4 to sys,2 to weapons or 4 to eng and 2 sys etc etc. While you can do those manually it's a lot easier and faster just to use voice, esp in the middle of combat when I don't really want to move my fingers away from the triggers, after off or boost buttons
 

dayrth

Volunteer Moderator
dayrth
I tend not to use voice commands at all now, but I have voice attack set up to trigger on keypress and mapped to mu usb numeric pad that sits next to my throttle. I use it for power management with 5 preset settings. Auto docking permission request. Launch sequence (launch, retract gear, thrust up). Some pre-set messages and a few other things.
 

punkerich

punkerich
I use it for many different tasks. Starting VA first, then have startup commands for various progs. Using it for TCE (updating EDMC, showing / hiding panels), toggling / recentering Trackir, plotting routes to known, HQ surrounding systems, transferring cargo from srv to ship, playing me different kinds of music...
The possibilities are endless.
And all that with replys of William Shatner (Orion).
Immersion, i say.
 

Itaki

Itaki
I used Vocals, a freeware knockoff of VA. I also made a bunch of mp3 voice responses using a text to speech website (for free). It works good for targeting, setting throttle (50, 75, 100), docking sequence, landing gear up/down, pip management, dropping chaff, most anything requiring a single button push. I really got a kick out of 'telling' my ship what to do... 2 problems cropped up for me, though. One was forgetting the command phrase I wanted during the heat of battle and secondly, after the novelty wore off it just seemed like it was a whole lot easier to just press X than say "full stop."

One major advantage though is you dont have to search for buttons (like multi keypress macro keys on a gamer keyboard) if you use VA. I could play the game mostly with just the joystick and voice commands.
One disadvantage is sometimes it doesnt recognize your speech and so a command is ignored. You have to talk loud enough and fairly crisp and clear ... while you're being shot at. :)

It's sorta cool having a pleasing female voice respond to my commands too. I programmed some other fun voice responses too just for a bit of personality. My setup is rather simplistic though. I suspect the official Voice Attack software is much more comprehensive; and when you put that together with the Astra (or other well done) voice packs, this could open up a new dimension for gaming in ED.

Give it a try. :)
 

hunvagy

hunvagy
I'm using VA with DARK, and i just love the Spock imitation voice. It's fun asking it random stuff if the journey is long. Also I use it to do functions that don't fit on my X360 pad or require me to look at the left and right screens, like "next target in route" if I stop honking planets and want to get back on my planned route. You can also add more complex commands, like clearing mass lock etc.
 

BlackSpaceCowboy

BlackSpaceCowboy
punkerich said:
I use it for many different tasks. Starting VA first, then have startup commands for various progs. Using it for TCE (updating EDMC, showing / hiding panels), toggling / recentering Trackir, plotting routes to known, HQ surrounding systems, transferring cargo from srv to ship, playing me different kinds of music...
The possibilities are endless.
And all that with replys of William Shatner (Orion).
Immersion, i say.
Click to expand...

Interesting...like the OP I have so many things mapped to my HOTAS that I felt I didn't really need this. But some it would be cool to just say "request docking" instead of always fumbling with the menus. And landing gear on etc would free up a button.

This game has turned me into such a nerd. I have a HOTAS and this Voice Attack is pretty exciting. When my Oculus arrives I'll be full fledged wizard. :)
 
Last edited:

Andragon

Andragon
Poll: Who uses Voice Attack who is in a serious relationship or marriage?

I for sure know that my wife would send me to the doctors if I would start talking to my computer ;)
 

ilo

ilo
Andragon said:
Poll: Who uses Voice Attack who is in a serious relationship or marriage?

I for sure know that my wife would send me to the doctors if I would start talking to my computer ;)
Click to expand...

pro trick: tell him/her you are on the phone.. I've found I can spend hours without interruptions :)
 
Last edited:

Zen17h

Zen17h
Before answering, I'd like to give a summary of my control setup:
Main controls are Logitech G700 mouse(3 mouse +7 extra buttons) + G13 gamepad (All 25 keys + dpad are set to a single keypress, no macros)
Additional controls are nearby on a G19 keyboard in the middle (Using only the 12 macro keys)

I therefore have a HUGE number of macro keys I can assign if needed, without even getting into alternate key profiles
This means I can easily assign any key presses or macros I want to a key, so VoiceAttack SHOULD be completely redundant (at least for basic actions and macros)

I'm still using VoiceAttack as well, since you can do much more advanced macros:
-Set a 30 minute PP timer (a VA action can't pause that long, so wait 15 minutes/900 seconds, say 15 minutes left, and wait another 15 minutes before sounding a buzzer)
-Deploy hardpoints(set a 'hardpoints_out' variable, press hardpoint key, if it is already set say 'already deployed'*)
-Retract hardpoints(reverse of above)
-Reset hardpoints(change variable to the opposite if it goes out of sync with the game)
-Landing gear and cargo scoop(I still do the same variable stuff as with hardpoints, but 'gear_out' and 'scoop_out' variables)
-Jump (check if 'hardpoints_out' are set, if they are retract them, ditto with gear and scoop, full thrust, wait a few seconds and then jump)
-Cruising speed(Using EDDI plugin as well to determine if in supercruise or normal space, set speed to either 75% or 50% - right in the middle of the blue zone)

I also find it much easier to use VA for 'basic' frequent commands instead of hunting for keys that are not quite always right under my fingers:
-Power profiles(Noncombat - 4 Eng,2Sys ; Defensive - 4 Sys,2Eng ; Quick combat 2 Wep,2Eng ; Heavy Combat - 2.5 Wep/Sys,1Eng)
-Docking request(All the steps to go request landing, note that I added steps to go back to the first tab[systems?] afterwards so I can repeat the command without issue)

It's also useful since it can actually give audio feedback on what buttons it/you just pressed, instead of you having to guess what just happened(obviously not set up for everything, but a just few actions)

*Note that I actually disabled the 'already deployed' thing for hardpoints since they can still deploy on their own when pressing the fire button (which can be turned off in ED's options) - the macros just press the button and sets the variable to what they think it should be
 

Ghosty

G
Why I like it... well... it provides a bit more immersion. Though I don't have it currently installed (it requires setting my Windows to English), but a friend of mine does. It's great to hear him talk to his computer and the computer reacting when we're talking.

I kid you not, we were discussing plans to get out and assist in the community goal when his voice attack went: "selfdestruct squence innitiated."
My mate first <AHEM> and then tried to cancel it.
A few minutes later we were hovering next to eachother in a RES and talking about.. things (Brexit probably) when the program suddenly went: "launch sequence innitiated." and his ship just went up and boosted away.
Again, my mate went: Oi! Wot are yu doin' ya daft <AHEM>

Ofcourse I'm <AHEM> myself laughing. That's why I like it. Ofcourse it's also nice you can change settings on your ship without taking your hands off the controls. Great feature in combat.



Ok, so my post got edited for "swearing". That's fine, if it actualy was swearing. Little over the top moderating going on here.
 
Last edited:

Ghosty

G
This is true. With VR you can't see your controls (and taking the goggles off every time is a bit annoying. But even without VR it is ver, very usefull.
 

punkerich

punkerich
Ghosty said:
Why I like it... well... it provides a bit more immersion. Though I don't have it currently installed (it requires setting my Windows to English), but a friend of mine does. It's great to hear him talk to his computer and the computer reacting when we're talking.

I kid you not, we were discussing plans to get out and assist in the community goal when his voice attack went: "selfdestruct squence innitiated."
My mate first <AHEM> and then tried to cancel it.
A few minutes later we were hovering next to eachother in a RES and talking about.. things (Brexit probably) when the program suddenly went: "launch sequence innitiated." and his ship just went up and boosted away.
Again, my mate went: Oi! Wot are yu doin' ya daft <AHEM>

Ofcourse I'm <AHEM> myself laughing. That's why I like it. Ofcourse it's also nice you can change settings on your ship without taking your hands off the controls. Great feature in combat.



Ok, so my post got edited for "swearing". That's fine, if it actualy was swearing. Little over the top moderating going on here.
Click to expand...

Aaaand that's exactly the reason i set a switch on my hotas that would not only stop VA listening but stopping any running commands/macros as well. Panic switch, if you like. Being german, i set my Windows to english, too. Was a bit tricky in Win 7, but upgraded to Win 10 now, all running fine.
 
Last edited:

W4rSkuLL

W4rSkuLL
VA has changed the way I play. I feel i´m interacting with my spaceship on another level, telling it what to do. Its a powerful feeling. But sometimes you tell it to do stuff which like jumping when mass locked. Since I use my own text to speech lines when the command is executed. It sometimes get out of tune. How we can fix this I don´t know. And we should be able to add a keystroke to more commands in game. So its easier to bind them in VA. Not making a combo. Example of this is different fire groups and request landing. Request landing needs to go through a combo of 6-7 commands. It doesn´t always work well in VA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom