Why do so few people use a mic in Warframe?

[Thylacin]

I've played this game for years now, and I realized that with all the super cool space-ninja moves we pull off, hundreds of enemies coming at us at once, and high-end Grineer or Corpus ripping through our shields like paper, people still take the time to TYPE in the chat. In all of my time playing, I've met about 10 people who actually speak through a microphone. I understand that a majority of people playing this game don't own mic's, i get it, but there's so little time to type an entire sentence in such a fast-paced game. It is so much simpler to press a quick button and speak, or have an open mic and simply talk. I've seen too many players take the time to type something, and die within seconds of opening the chat window. Come on guys! Use your voice, we don't bite.

[stormsasuke180]

6 minutes ago, Thylacin said:

I understand that a majority of people playing this game don't own mic's

You just answered your own question.

[Gremlin]

Voice chat still feels like a new feature to me. Managed without it for a long time so I'm used to just typing. Discord is my go to voice chat.

[Cptcuddlybuns]

The voice netcode isn't so great, so it ends up being really muffled and of bad quality. A lot of people got annoyed by it, so nobody uses it. Nobody uses it, so new players don't want to use it. Also there's the fact that a huge number of people plain don't realize there is VOIP in Warframe. Generally if you want to find people to actually speak with you need to join a clan with some kind of third-party utility. 

[Lored]

Wy are the space-ninjas.

We are the teno!

We kill in silence... 

Or use chat for our Haiku.

Spoiler

 

[Gran_Maw_Sigmus]

Most people don't have mics, and I don't think the occaisonal chat-induced death in one game they play is gonna persuade them to drop 40 or so bucks on a decent headset. Also, many people simply aren't comfortable with using their voice with total internet strangers.

[CaptainPepeg]

You don't need to talk in missions really. The only mission type that requires communication is Raids and not everyone plays that.

Edited December 4, 2016 by CaptainDavian

[Berserkerkitten]

I hate voice chat in videogames. Whenever I enable voice chat in any game I get people watching super noisy tv or playing awful music in the background, half of the time you get people talking to themselves for Twitch or Youtube, you get kids crying in the background, domestic abuse or, if you log on using the European gateway, lots of random screaming in Russian and Polish. Then you get some guy impersonating Darth Vader. Or maybe he was just born without nostrils. Somebody has a terrible cold and you can feel the snot dripping through your headphones. Somebody's eating the crunchiest potato chips (or crisps, depending where you are) they can find, without muting their mic.

I'm not saying this happens all the time or that it's exclusive to Warframe. But my negative experiences far outweigh whatever little benefit I might get from turning that stuff on. I'll save voice chat for clan mates and loved ones. If you happen to be from Russia or Poland, please don't feel offended. People from all over the globe can be horrible on voice chat, I just prefer to understand the insults my fellow players throw at me. Though I do know what a kurwa is now, thanks very much. -_-

Edited December 4, 2016 by Berserkerkitten

[AutoPhox]

I was mic spammed by 10 y/o trolls too much in counter strike to ever unmute the voice chat ever again.

[KingTaro]

Because Warframe's voice-chat sounds like a radio transmission from 1920's.

[Caelward]

Those of us who use voice chat will use third party programs. I used to use teamspeak and now I've migrated to discord.

Many of us who have become accustomed to voice chat still want to regulate our experience to those we are comfortable with.

[RIOT]

IMO the game is easy enough that it doesn't really feel necessary to use mics.
I've rarely played any games that people seem to actively talk in unless its to over come a great challenge that needs coordination.

Honestly, if I have a wall of text that I need to write in chat for whatever reason, I make sure it's clear, take cover /use an ability and then I type it out.
 

Spoiler

It wouldn't surprise me that many people who play games have social anxiety, and feel more comfortable typing things out rather then voicing it out to strangers.

 

Edited December 5, 2016 by RIOT

[Aurea_Hiigara]

I'm in Europe.

95% of the time someone using voice chat is speaking Russian or another similar Eastern European language.

If I hear anyone using voice chat, I mute them IMMEDIATELY to spare my ears and focus on the game.

[Cray]

The only missions I've done that really needed voice chat were done with people I was already talking to using external voice programs, namely Teamspeak and Discord.

[AerinSol]

I don't want to hear porn in the background. Or here them talking about porn.

[WrathAscending]

I often find it difficult to hear other players over the Simulors going off.

Typing might take longer but at least it's a medium that can't (yet) be disrupted by weapon or ability effects.

[DeMonkey]

Nerves I guess, people generally aren't comfortable talking to people they don't know. 

I know I'm certainly not.

[Hixlysss]

Early on the netcode for VOIP was horrible in warframe, so everyone came through like garbled static horrible dubstep. So I just muted it. Occasionally I unmute it only to hear some guy blasting "BABY BABY" over their mic, or breathing heavily, various other unpleasant sounds. Suffice to say...if I find someone who is willing to chat, I just invite em to discord.

[Eldnacpeek]

Personally, typing works just fine for me. Plus, if I'm the only one with a mic in the squad, it'd feel awkward using voice while everyone else responds by text.

[Wolfdoggie]

Because Warframe players are shy and innocent and using voice makes them feel naked and vulnerable. 

[NinjaTrainee117]

Trying to crap out a comment in text while a nullifier bubble covers you is quite thrilling. Not even being sarcastic, it's quite entertaining.

[ShirokiHagane]

Someones have people behind them who don't like to hear when you scream "kill the FXXXXXX nuliifier!!!"

[SeaUrchins]

I don't use mic because I don't want to talk to people, I also have voice switched off because I am not interested in listening to random strangers on the Internet.

[Aurea_Hiigara]

9 minutes ago, Wolfdoggie said:

Because Warframe players are shy and innocent and using voice makes them feel naked and vulnerable. 

Well, at least we're not narcissistic teenagers who desperately want to feel cool and important by having other people listening to us.

[Berserkerkitten]

And sometimes you just happen to live with somebody else and you don't want to be a d1ck by wearing a headset all day, communicating with strangers in a foreign language.