Voice Communications Etiquette

This page is specific to EVE University. Other corporations or groups in the game may operate differently. For a summary of EVE University's rules and code of conduct, see EVE University Rules.

Whilst we all try to be civil and respectful when communicating on voice chat it can also bring with it some unique challenges. In the spirit of imagining each other complexly and making the voice chat experience as awesome as possible, here are some suggestions for how to use it:

1. Normalize your settings. Spend time before adjusting your settings, use Comm Check channel or ask someone else to let you know how your settings sound on their end. Make sure your mic isn't so close to your mouth that you sound like a bear or so far away that nobody can hear you speak clearly.
2. If someone's talking try to not interrupt them by talking yourself, be respectful and try not to raise your voice over theirs, it's grounds to eventually make someone upset or cause confusion over too many people talking at once. Try waiting 30 seconds after joining a channel to ensure comms are open. If using Push to Talk (PTT) then try counting to 3 before speaking this will help reduce talking over someone.
3. Watch your language. Never assume that because nobody has said anything (yet) that they're cool with the blue streak you just cursed up. You're in a public social setting; conduct yourself accordingly.
4. Zip your lip when it's time to focus. Keep the channel clear for strategy and coordination during combat and during strategy briefings.
5. When you are doing something that creates a lot of noise (like eating something crunchy or rustling around), please mute your microphone or turn on Push to Talk. Also, unless it’s open mic night, keep instrumental and vocal serenades to a minimum.
6. Don’t barge into other channels where players may be focused on their own events. If you do pop in, listen carefully first to make sure you're not interrupting.
7. Be aware of your airtime and be considerate of the fact that many people wish to participate. Merely waiting for your chance to speak, as opposed to listening actively, creates a less-than-optimal environment.
8. Managers and certain officers have moderator powers which can “Mute”, "kick" and "ban" members. This power should be used VERY sparingly. With great power comes great responsibility.
9. There is an AFK & Idle (away from keyboard) channel that can be used when someone has stepped away from their computer but has kept mumble open. This will mute the member until they are ready to come out. When a user comes back, they can move back to the voice channel they wish to join.
10. You can individually mute anyone else (it will only apply to you, everyone else will still be able to hear them). But muting a member and forgetting about it creates a lot of cross-talk that is very difficult for others. You can also adjust local volume settings if someone’s too quiet/loud.
11. Keep in mind that people, including brand new people, enter the chat all the time. We would like people to not be scared away within the first minute. It’s also nice to say hello and goodbye to people.
12. Be respectful as you would (or even more so) over text to others, while text can be easily dismissed as silly, voice can sometimes be misconstrued and small problems could arise from miscommunications!
13. Very important! Try not to treat the opposite gender any differently than you would if you didn't know their real gender. Gamers who talk want to do just as anyone does, and are generally not aiming for extra attention. Be courteous and treat them like another normal player, lest you end up annoying/offending them.
14. Always try to speak loud and clear. Mumbling will almost always make you have to talk again since people will seldom understand what you're trying to say. If you need to slow down your talking some so others can understand you, it saves you the precious seconds of you having to say it all over again!
15. Keep in mind you will be hearing a lot of different people should you enable voice-chat, including people with strange accents or hard-to-understand english; remember to always be polite and try to converse with them the best you can! if all else fails, just go back to text.