Talk Program

im not really sure where this post should go but oh well...

what is the best thing to talk with your guild: like teamspeak, and other programs like it. which one is like the easiest to run on an old computer that will take up the least ram? I just wanna hear some suggestions. If you use one, please post it as well as the pros and cons, etc.

Big thanks,

xpxzampop

a few things:

1) i prefer vent (ventrillo) due to the simple and small user interface and lack of voice lag.
2) can you honestly not be sure where to post this when there is a forum (the first of the page mind you) that says "post questions here"...and when this forum says "Guild Discussion"

Vent is the way to go. Whereas if I LFG'ed in tombs a year ago, I would run into teams that use vent about as often as TS teams, now vent seems to have displaced TS completely. Although there is no free option, like with TS. (You can set up your own teamspeak server without paying for any software - you only need a computer to run it)

However, there are numerous free ventrilo servers, such as "SB vent". And if you really want your own, it's not that expensive...

wait vent is not free? and you have to have a server? uhh...

well it looks free. i guess you mean you have to pay for a server or something?

Vent and TS are both free to download and use.

He means the servers.

With both programs you have to find a server to actually login to and talk on. There are numerous popular free "community" servers, like the infamous "SB vent" - but for slower connections or computers being on a community server like that will probably lag your game horribly, and theres always the constant risk of some jerk moving into your channel and playing crappy music into the channel to lag you out.

Its much better for lag proposes and privacy proposes to use a private server that you can password protect and everything. A 10 slot of either server (10 slot means 10 people at a time can be in the server - more than enough for Guild Wars groups, minus Deep and Urgoz groups) will not run you more than 4to5 dollars a month or so.

I would shop around and find the company with the best price-to-features ratio for the guild. There are bargian basement servers that cost pennies a month but you get no control features almost and you lag horribly. Then there are servers with multiple codecs, great web-based control panels, servers that you can pick from that lag less, etc - but these often come with a premium price tag also... So find a balance.

As for TS vs Ventrilo (the only two you should consider..) I pick Ventrilo also.

Its an ongoing argument between them. I find Teamspeak's interface to be large and clunky (and alittle ugly..) while ventrilo is a smaller slicker interface and IMO the options and controls (like sound controls) are more clearly visible and easier to get used too. Vent also has nice dropdown menus at the top for oneclick access to different servers and bindings. It also conviently shows your ping. Ventrilo is also the favorite of American teams in Guild Wars, if you ever want to HA or GvG with teams.

As for which is less of a resource hog...I don't have numbers with that. As far as lag that more depends on the server than the program. Thats why companies let you get on "test servers" for each of their cities to see which ones lag less for you.

Yeh , id have to agree, my guild uses vent, we find it alot clearer than ts

alright. so if my guild has a teamspeak requirement (like the opening message says- ts required), does that mean that

1) Someone in the guild is paying for a monthly server
or
2) We are going to use an extremly laggly public server

Is that right? so with both ts and vent you have to have a server?

Could you just use skype instead? cuz that runs on your computer (i hope :P) and it seems like less hassle.

You can download a client version of a Teamspeak server for free. You just have to have someone to run it for you.