Articles
Gamers choose Ventrilo
posted on January 26th 2007
It has become commonplace amongst many users to use voice over IP as a method of communication. The most popular voice over IP software package, ?Ventrilo?, is well respected for its quality and support. Ventrilo is also known for its reliability and network performance.
Online Gamers oftentimes use Ventrilo as a method of communication while playing various games with each other. So let us analyze how PC gamers use Ventrilo to help improve their gaming experience!
In this article, we are going to cover the basic technical fundamentals of Ventrilo's feature set. For more information on Ventrilo and its features, you may refer the Help menu on the Ventrilo application interface. It is always better to go through the manual and help files before becoming frustrated with something that may not be working for you.
First, go to www.ventrilo.com and download the Ventrilo client. The step by step installation wizard will aid you in installing and configuring the software. The software will automatically detect and adjust the sound card and microphone settings to the defaults needed for quality use. The initial setup is that easy! Now you are ready to begin a lively gaming experience.
Before you can start communicating, however, you must create a user name! Type in what you would like the other users to know you as and press the ?enter? key. Then, specify the Ventrilo server in which you wish to connect to. You will require the host name or IP address, Port number, and password. All these can be found by contacting the Ventrilo server?s administrator.
Use the option 'Use DirectSound for Input Device' to ensure that any sound you hear comes out of either your speakers or headsets plugged into your computer?s soundcard. Also, use the Sensitivity feature to establish how loud you must speak in order for your voice to be transmitted over Ventrilo. This setting is known as the 'Voice activation parameter'. Don't set a low value as it will result in high bandwidth consumption as every surrounding noise will pass through Ventrilo, which could include your breathing and ambient noise! On the other hand, if the value is set too high, you will have to scream for anyone to hear you! The best way to configure the voice sensitivity is to set an appropriate value level which is a compromise between how loud your talk and how much ambient sound you wish to have transmitted through your microphone. Click on the ?Test? button and speak, and you will receive an indication of how loud you must speak in order to be transmitted. Adjust the settings as you feel fit!
The other option is to convert the voice activation function to ?Push to Talk?, which allows you to use a keyboard key to begin and end a transmission. Common keys used for this function are the control and alt keys, for they are easily pressed in the heat of battle!