Radio Protocol

[xtyger]

First a question: Is there some reason some players can't receive the "Room" text messages? For you Rooks, those are the ones that show up in purple (pink?).

I've just noticed that, more and more it seems, people are using the country channel for either casual (text) conversation, or conversation that should properly done over the Room Channel, F12.

I realize there's a lot of newbies out there, but I keep trying to suggest players take local conversations to the Room Channel and I seem to be ignored. Seems the vast majority of flyers have no clue as to how to send messages over the Room Channel or, apparently, receive them.

Sometimes it can get confusing. For instance, someone texting someone else about sending troops to an airfield somewhere. You get the impression they might be talking about a field you're working, but it turns out it's on the other side of the map. Confuses me all the time.

My microphone doesn't work, so I can't give them a verbal heads up, so if any of you can, please do.

Second question: Why would some seasoned players not receive text messages via the room channel? I've tried to communicate with some longer time players and they won't respond via voice or text, if I try and IM them via the room channel. Is there some way people are configuring their radio so they can't receive those purple (or are they pink?) messages?

[Blooz]

Room/Range channel is limited in two ways.

1. People in the Tower can only chat with others in the Tower. People deployed in a plane or vehicle can only chat with others in planes and vehicles. If you are in the Tower you will not be able to use Room/Range channel to communicate with those that are not and vice versa.

2. Room/Range channel is limited to icon distance. People that are in your 'room' (inside or outside of the Tower) will be able to communicate with you if you are close enough to them in distance. This distance is roughly the range at which icons appear/disappear.

[xtyger]

I know, but I've had friendlies within a couple kilometers from me and still couldn't communicate with them. Sometimes, they wouldn't even respond on the country channel. They'd just keep using their mic and asking if I'd heard them.

Drives me nuts!

Not sure which drives me more nuts: Not communicating with someone that the radio panel shows is "in my room", or newbies talking local stuff- sometimes between pilot and gunner- and they won't take it to a local channel, even after I suggest on the country channel they use the Room Channel.

[hubsonfire]

Range vox is roughly icon distance. Room text is everyone sortied from a particular field, but not tied to icon distance, afaik.

I think most newer players just don't know how the radio/text setup works.

[Rolex]

hubsonfire is correct. Only those who begin their sortie from the same field can see "Room" text." It is not everyone within local vox range.

Blooz is correct about trying to communicate from the tower, but his point number 2 is not correct.

[Lusche]

Hehe, reminds me of my beginning days, when  I frantically wanted to warn some fellow GV guys on the Vfield below me about that tiger closing in. Trying to be a good noob, I tried not to "spam countrychannel", used the purple channel for my typed warnings, and all died...

That purple text is actually "room" and not "range" is one of the most hidden secrets of AH. Even lots of veterans don't know it and I have had several discussions with players who simply did not believe it.

Personally, I would like to see "room" text being transformed into "range", working the same way like local vox channel. It would not only help to communicate with the guys around, but would take away a lot of confusion. For example when getting a "Tiger up" typed in purple - everybody reading this will start to look for that tank, while the player who typed that warning is flying over a different field 50 miles away....

[Bruv119]

Learn something new every day !