Which features in communication apps for gamers are important?

[mikegirobari]

I'm not a gamer, but I'm curious to know more about which features are important when it comes to gaming (specifically on desktops where all gamers are on the same LAN).
Here's what I assume is important (you can correct me if I'm wrong, add or subtract):

• Ranked importance: audio, chat, video where video is the least important
• Audio latency should be low (what is low though?)
• The app should not be a distraction to the gamer
• Configuration should be easy and super quick
• Should be possible to assign keyboard shortcuts to almost anything in the communication app
• App UI should be minimalistic (not take up too much screen space)
• Standard features: mute/unmute speaker/mic, adjust mic/spk gain, record audio conversation, clean mic audio using noise cancellation (eliminate background noise), switch between push-to-talk, voice activated streaming, always on, noise cancellation on/off switch, see who else is on the network, private 1-1 communication, group communication.

Looking forward to learning more...

 

[Charagma]

Started by replying to this point for point and all pretty much came down to the same answer. So will try and answer all of them in one reply. Sorry if it comes across blunt but English is not my home language so saying it how I think it with spellchecker and grammar correct assisting.

LAN games are a different breed of games, but most LAN games are already set up to accommodate communications. If you are using steam, this can be done via your steam overlay and then setting it up is simple and fast as long as you remember to switch on your microphone in windows as well (7 hours trouble shooting experience talking here). Latency, the faster my team hears me and I them the faster we will be getting somewhere. Anything over a 20ms latency is too much. Video is not important at all. Unless I am watching a live stream, I do not care what is happening on your screen or what you look like while playing. You keep referring to a communications app. During LAN games every last bit of resources is squeezed into the game. Adding an additional resource using an application would be a waste, especially if the developers already have something in place or if steam is already running in overlay. Last point, pretty much yes to all of them and already part of steam and built into most "team" LAN games.

If, however it is a LAN party, I have been to a few where there was normal Microphones on the stations, and we were able to talk to everyone over a separate speaker system. But must add it is competitions and whatever is said through your microphone is heard by everyone in the room. It's great fun, not "team" games, but speed competitions on puzzle solving and winner gets the points towards the final prize. In this case 0 Latency as well as 0 unneeded applications running in the background,