Skype

[Zeb Harley]

Skype is needed to coordinate an up-to-date disco-player's swarm behavior.

Since people go where the action is they rely on Skype to quickly switch from one char to another so they can build up a considerable force when jumping a good sized party on the lone non-skype-user.

I am using Skype as well now although I am quite sure it would fall under the cheating-rule regarding software if it was enforced.

Skype 3.0something running on an old 600Mhz notebook does the trick.

But I have to admit that I waited for a personal exception to the Skype-needed-requirement for my favorite faction before I even considered using Skype.

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for those who missed it: the moral of it all is ----> traders with teeth are fun for pirates. - within reason.

[DarthBindo]

Skype is highly useful. How else do you think i organize the Corsair raids into 07, if not for...oh wait, no, thats all done ingame.
What Skype does is allow us to get jumped by the combined SCRA/Hessian/RM/Powerminers and get ganked 4 to one.
So yeah, its useful, but it also tends to lead to overreactions when players go for pvp.

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gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|

[Daedric]

I'd prefer an IRC client but seems Skype took root here. It does have some features that are great. Being able to call and send files come to mind.

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[Lucas_Fernandez]

skype fun. because :



see?

[Tomtomrawr]

I didn't want to get Skype at first either. Now I wouldn't be able to play the game without it.

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[17:45:39] Wolfs Ghost (Murphy): Tom, you have problems. Go kill yourself.
[19:25:12] Johnny (Jam): Tomtom, I will beat you with a spoon.
[14:22:56] Prarabdh Thakur: KILL HIM WITH A SHEEP.
[17:40:48] Eagle (Junes): Tom should be slapped with a spoon.
[11:32:18] Warspite: Thank you for being so awesome Tom. <3
[18:17:36] Metano: I love you tomtom
[20:06:24] Warspite: I will seriously give you epic head.

Edit: also, Tomtomrawr, fappin' like a boss.

[Dart]

I cant see why an official faction would not enforce skype.

skype gives the opportunity for a member to have a say in how the faction operates. Without skype, the player is basically an indie with a tag....

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[TFinnegan]

I cant see why an official faction would not enforce skype.

skype gives the opportunity for a member to have a say in how the faction operates. Without skype, the player is basically an indie with a tag....

I would argue those points.
The Junker's Congress has our own forum site, (click my signature), and while it's not a 'real-time' solution, it certainly works, on a number of levels.

First- there the 'public' section where we show people who wander by (our enemies too) an idea (?false front maybe?) as to what we're up to. -This allows us to point any indie Junkers to the forum site so that they may be informed of what information we're willing to share openly. - a function not available with skype.

Then there's our private area, where only registered Congressmen can go, and much of our internal discussion is sorted by content -another function not available with skype.

Also, the command officers have easy access to everything that was said about any subject by any member without having to dig through miles of skype chat.
Time is invaluable, as any faction leader can tell you, they rarely get to play due to the constraints of management, and any time saved is worth its wieght in gold ore.

And all this without forcing people (who may be playing on a computer that isn't thiers -which noone's mentioned in this thread) to install buggy, laggy software that steals bandwidth and has security holes you could drive a barge through.

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[Daedric]

First- there the 'public' section where we show people who wander by (our enemies too) an idea (?false front maybe?) as to what we're up to. -This allows us to point any indie Junkers to the forum site so that they may be informed of what information we're willing to share openly. - a function not available with skype.

No Skype doesn't, however www.discoverygc.com does.

Then there's our private area, where only registered Congressmen can go, and much of our internal discussion is sorted by content -another function not available with skype.

Actually, yes it does. That is exactly what Skype is used for, to discuss things. No Skype itself cannot sort the discussion, but I as a person can.

Also, the command officers have easy access to everything that was said about any subject by any member without having to dig through miles of skype chat.
Time is invaluable, as any faction leader can tell you, they rarely get to play due to the constraints of management, and any time saved is worth its wieght in gold ore.

If I want the opinion of one of my members, I ask them via Skype PM or disco forums PM. I do not dig through Skype back log. So your point has merit but is rather moot.

And all this without forcing people (who may be playing on a computer that isn't thiers -which noone's mentioned in this thread) to install buggy, laggy software that steals bandwidth and has security holes you could drive a barge through.

No one here forces anyone to install Skype, I've yet to hear of a faction leader going to an applicants house and forcing him to install Skype. If you want to be in a faction, you play by the faction's rules, having Skype is a requirement for most because they use it for idle chat, organization, gathering a group to go online, etc etc etc.

Sure it has issues and I personally hate it, doesn't mean the program is the anti-Christ.

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[aerelm]

To be honest, I find Skype really helpful, but only in theory.

When it comes to the actual faction chats, its more of a spamfest (And trust me, I've been in 25+ chats during my disco-time, and none were any better than the other) than anything else. People like to sit in faction chats and talk about non-game-related stuff for hours, and even though I have nothing against that, it pretty much nulls the "Skype is mandatory for faction activity coordination" argument.

On the other hand, Skype is actually useful for factions when they want to get a number of members ingame, or when someone needs help and whatnot, or even for quick questions or heads-ups about whatever matter that might concern the faction. Sadly, most of these stuff get lost in middle of all that off-topic chatter.

This is why factions need to have a 'Spam' chat for non-faction talks, a 'Discussion' chat solely for discussion of matters at hand which concerns the ingame RP of that faction directly, and an 'Emergency' chat for when a member needs help and whatnot. But again, sadly, this have been tried too many times and failed for whatever reason, so most factions just have one chat, where many expect others to read through the +9000 msgs when they go away for a while and cant read them right away.

So in theory, Skype is rather useful for factions... But when it comes down to actually using it, eh, not as useful as it seems.

Is there any way you can keep skype "on top" while playing without using windowed mode, so you dont have to alt-tab back to the desktop to read it?

No, and that's why people should actually start using Xfire.

Sure, Skype works better for faction chats, coordinating events and whatnot, but once ingame, Xfire makes things -Much- easier, as you can just press a combination of keys, and have the chat screen pop up without having to Alt + tab. So, if all members use Xfire and Skype, they can talk about stuff in Skype faction chats, and just drop a quick PM at someone to come and help when they're getting shot at by 10 ships, without having to worry about getting killed while tabbed out.

Not to mention Xfire also lets you take screenshots, videos, browse web while ingame, and whatnot.

[Sanguines]

forums are not that good for all discussions... nor for help requests nor for...........

i could wirte a 20 pages long list but well.

the factions make their stuff via skype.

load it or dont do so.
You decision ye.

but

I dont think anyone will change it just because you dont like it.

//EDIT:
nobody forces you to do anything.
you're free to choose between:
-load skype
-play indie way

The only problem with indie way is that people either just dont like to rp with you because they dont know you. Pirates just ask tax. Navy's just make up a /setmsg 1 Waiting... waiting.... Free to engage. line which obcviously is not sufficient rp at all. In other words: Money or pew pew.

Now, Had factions like keepers, actually supported something more usefull then skype, which is IRC, which also has:

Logging
File sending (Much better then skype, I actually send max upload speed through DCC constantly.)
Excellent services
Excellent chat
Grouping in a different metter: IRC Server services will allow you to create a permarent passworded channel and to those who lets say: Are denied access in said faction, can be banned from it.

I refuse to use Skype because:

A: It memory hogs my computer.
B: Why use skype if I have mirc, xfire as well as steam?
C: Voice isnt that great either (In the case of voice id o always use ventrillo.)

Really, mIRC has been the best option ever since 1996 for clans/guilds/factions.

I dont really use mirc anymore but still,... why skype. Its memory hogging. Any of the programs I listed arnt memory hogging ><

mIRC has been used for 'gathers' to get people online, which skype imho cant do efficiently, apart from annoying someone who might allready be in game.

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Wiki: http://discoverygc.com/wiki/User:SonyaSilverfall (My chars, etc)