Steam voice codec quality improved (14/04/11 update)

[ThatGuy]

Hope yall can get an fix up soon...

[Recon]

Renegade, I know I'm being greedy here, as this is not a commercial product, and I know I have absolutely no right to demand something of you, but I'd say about 70% your program's users play it on TF2 regularly. There's also the fact that, in eventuality, all Source 2007+ games will be updated to SILK.

I honestly don't think that letting "the dust settle" is the greatest idea. I believe there are other ways to stream, but not without a total revamp of how HLDJ works.

[Renegade]

I think it applies to the games that got updated for instance CSS, HL2DM etc. Since HLDJ suddendly stopped working for me in those games, I tried to reinstall to a newer version without success.

I think you're right. They implied the voice changes were only for TF2, but it would explain the recent problems reported with CSS and other games as well.
edit: confirmed it affects most Source games such as TF2, CSS, DoD:S, HL2, etc, but not games which use a modified Source engine such as L4D, L4D2, or Alien Swarm.

Renegade, I know I'm being greedy here, as this is not a commercial product, and I know I have absolutely no right to demand something of you, but I'd say about 70% your program's users play it on TF2 regularly. There's also the fact that, in eventuality, all Source 2007+ games will be updated to SILK.

I honestly don't think that letting "the dust settle" is the greatest idea. I believe there are other ways to stream, but not without a total revamp of how HLDJ works.

Updates can and have been retracted in the past based on feedback from the playerbase. If players complain (and scouring the web, already there are a lot of complaints on the update, and not just about the new voice codec), stop playing, or only play on servers with the old codec, then Valve will need to re-asses it if there's a significant drop in player satisfaction.

Also, the only workaround I can see for this would require writing/using a virtual audio driver, and writing device drivers is not something you want to do as a knee-jerk reaction to an update. Give it a few weeks, see what players do, see what server ops do, and see what Valve does.

[Trar]

I think it applies to the games that got updated for instance CSS, HL2DM etc. Since HLDJ suddendly stopped working for me in those games, I tried to reinstall to a newer version without success.

I think you're right. They implied the voice changes were only for TF2, but it would explain the recent problems reported with CSS and other games as well.

Renegade, I know I'm being greedy here, as this is not a commercial product, and I know I have absolutely no right to demand something of you, but I'd say about 70% your program's users play it on TF2 regularly. There's also the fact that, in eventuality, all Source 2007+ games will be updated to SILK.

I honestly don't think that letting "the dust settle" is the greatest idea. I believe there are other ways to stream, but not without a total revamp of how HLDJ works.

Updates can and have been retracted in the past based on feedback from the playerbase. If players complain (and scouring the web, already there are a lot of complaints on the update, and not just about the new voice codec), stop playing, or only play on servers with the old codec, then Valve will need to re-asses it if there's a significant drop in player satisfaction.

Also, the only workaround I can see for this would require writing/using a virtual audio driver, and writing device drivers is not something you want to do as a knee-jerk reaction to an update. Give it a few weeks, see what players do, see what server ops do, and see what Valve does.

That's probably the best course of action. Let's hope it works.

[Haua]

HI , i am portuguese and i just want to says that you guys rules , and hldj is worldwide .
i hope that you can fix this problem , so we can enjoy hldj once more .
sorry for my , english . Long live S.L. BENFICA

[Vergus]

Hi, I'm from Russia, for a long time does not work HLDJ, you will solve problemma? or will you wait in the trenches?
My nickname =ЗеЛёНыЙ=

[Trar]

Let's hope they'll be able to find a workaround! Until then, I suppose we could use http://www.hldj.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1105 for the time being.

[Vergus]

Updates can and have been retracted in the past based on feedback from the playerbase. If players complain (and scouring the web, already there are a lot of complaints on the update, and not just about the new voice codec), stop playing, or only play on servers with the old codec, then Valve will need to re-asses it if there's a significant drop in player satisfaction.

Also, the only workaround I can see for this would require writing/using a virtual audio driver, and writing device drivers is not something you want to do as a knee-jerk reaction to an update. Give it a few weeks, see what players do, see what server ops do, and see what Valve does.

Has already passed 2 weeks, they won't change a sound back.

[Kusuri]

Well I for one just join my usual micspam-allowed servers and those use the old system of course.

Would still be neat if we could have HLDJ make use of the better quality, but from what I read it seems like it's not possible.
It's ok really, as long as we have a way to play any sound at all, be it low or high quality.

HI , i am portuguese and i just want to says that you guys rules , and hldj is worldwide .
i hope that you can fix this problem , so we can enjoy hldj once more .
sorry for my , english . Long live S.L. BENFICA

Olá . I'm portuguese as well by the way... but I'm not sure anyone here would even know about Benfica... considering the state in which they are now hehe. FCPorto ftw

[d1mon]

plz....make a working version for new voice codek, it
became very boring to play on
my fun server trikz

[auditor]

I guess the dust is settled by now and it's unlikely that Valve will change anything, as usual.

Are you guys planning on making HLDJ compliant with the new silk codec?

I'm a programmer (not used to C++, though) and i saw the great effort you guys put into this and i feel like it shouldn't go to waste. I'm not nagging about a quick solution here, since i've poked around quite a lot and i understand the dificulties in making the system work with the new codec. I'm just wondering if you guys have any plan to carry on with the project. If not, i (and other people) can start searching for new alternatives and/or develop something new, even it not being the best course of action.

If you're in need of any help too, let me know.

[d1mon]

I'm just a user of this program if I knew how
to do, of course I helped by.mne just have to
wait a working version

[Renegade]

If a new HLDJ is in the works, then it will probably be a rewrite (in C# or Java). Although the current HLDJ can be modified to workaround the new system.
When a rewrite might happen just depends on how much time I have to write a virtual audio device driver, plus re-implementation.
Of course if anyone wants to develop an alternative, it can only be a good thing.

[auditor]

Well, the question was more on "are you willing to make a new HLDJ"? I feel like the interface you made with the console integration isn't something worth just tossing away, really.

If i can help in any way, count me in.

[Renegade]

It's a sticky set of issues:
1) The interface and HLDJ currently works as-is, as long as server operators enable the functionality. Any new HLDJ that circumvents this would be going against server operator's wishes if they had chose to disable it.
2) If a virtual audio device driver is used for the "new" HLDJ:
a) It won't sound as good as the current (voice_inputfromfile) method
b) It will work for all games that enable microphone input, which means the interface shouldn't be HL-specific (later on, HLDJ's HL-specific console interface can be added as a plugin)

so the issues are primarily: sound quality, abusability, and interface