As Massively Multiplayer Online Games grow in popularity, aspects of gaming need to change to fit with the times. Classic style gameplay pretty much allowed a game to play itself, with the player inputting a few keystrokes every now and again. We're seeing a gradual end to that kind of gameplay with current and upcoming titles which exchange the deliberate style of play for faster, more exciting gameplay. But are the methods of communication keeping up with the changing game style? Instead of clicking on an icon and waiting for something to happen, MMOFPS games have all actions happen in real-time. Games like Auto Assault are so fast paced that coordinating with a team becomes increasingly difficult using traditional typing methods. Furthermore, as more games come out that are cross platform, like the upcoming Huxley, it seems clear that incorporating voice communications into MMO games is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity.

Even after spending a few years playing MMOG's my preferred method of communication is through typing. I have, on occasion, used voice over IP programs like Teamspeak and realize its benefits first hand. When chatting or coordinating with fellow players, there's simply no substitute for saying things directly instead of hurriedly trying to type a message out, or frantically trying to hit the quick key to cry for help. There is no better way to get to know your fellow players than by talking to them and using inflection to tell jokes instead of being soulless text on the screen.

The developers of Tabula Rasa have stated that voice communications will no doubt be an integral part of the game. But as updated forms of communication take hold, what will it ultimately mean for the overall gaming experience? There are dozens of reasons why people play MMOG's, ranging from graphics to gathering loot to a feeling of power and prestige. One reason cited is escape into fantasy. So, let's pretend for a moment that MMOG's might not be the end of role-playing, trading in the fantasy story-telling experience for a massive XP and loot grab. Sure, World of WarCraft has servers completely dedicated to role-playing, but those are still exceptions. It doesn't even seem like players of Dungeons and Dragons: Stormreach are too interested in investing themselves completely into the role-playing experience. In the future, will there still be any game left for those who simply wish to play to escape from their daily lives for a little while?

It's a well known fact the vast majority of female avatars in almost any given MMO universe are played by men. There are dozens of explanations for this phenomenon, but they are beside the point. The truth of voice communication is that a large dose of reality is being thrown into the fantasy world. Guesswork and pretending will be much less of an issue. We're talking about the end of any sort of suspension of belief. True gender is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a great deal that can be told through voice alone, including an idea of nationality and region through accents. Their style of speech sometimes gives away the player's ethnicity. Some of the same things can be determined through word choices in a chat window, but those situations aren't as obvious. Text-based chat windows are the great equalizer, making it much easier to believe that someone is truly in the role of a lizard or cat person.

Then you have to remember that MMOG's are moving over to the console systems, which might not necessarily have a keyboard and mouse hooked up. They will no doubt be using voice communications for just about everything. How will this translate to actual gameplay? In an average play session, I could have up to three or four conversations going on at once. I could be communicating with my team on one channel, speaking to my guild in another channel, while simultaneously sending and receiving private messages from multiple people. Not to mention, the general broadcast channel, filled with questions, requests, guild advertisements, and general spam. Translating all that into a constant stream of voices is enough of a headache to make most people throw down their headsets and give up. Auto Assault includes voice communication, but only within teams (convoys), leaving all other communications text-based.

Sure, one could always say that they'd forego using voice communications. Or they can simply listen in and not be heard. From my experience with voice chat, it's often the case that if the majority of people are communicating through headsets, then the few people who are limited to the chat window are often overlooked, simply because players become accustomed to not looking at their chat window. The pacing gets chopped up when players need to interchange between sending and receiving information from voice and text. In cases like twitch-action first-person shooters, having no voice is practically a disability because of all the action. One can still get by, but not coordinate nearly as well as those who are talking to each other.

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