SRS use for ACG - Feedback

[Steel]

Post any feedback here

[Firefly]

Posting after first stint, second stint pending.

Comms is a shambles. SRS works quite well, and is piss easy to install and get working (at least from the quick 15-minute dash I made an hour ago to get it installed and working properly, successfully I might add).

But..

It's like we've gone backwards. Technical issues etc. have forced leadership roles onto pilots that are woefully unprepared for such a task at such short notice, and it has shown in this mission. No question of ability, merely unprepared due to this mad dash to get SRS working. Hence, cohesion has been affected, which has left to straggling pilots, the wipe-out of an entire flight in my squadron, and otherwise basic mission-critical details that have been overlooked in the furore.

All things that will improve in time, I'm sure. But initial feelings aren't there from the perspective of one of those pilots who take Sunday nights as one of those moments that aren't always possible due to work etc. and therefore get frustrated when avoidable things cut the enjoyment short. Maybe this move should've been something to try during a campaign break, where everybody had a practice mission to get to grips, rather than testing it on a real-world scenario.

Fully support the move to SRS, but the workings of it (yes they are simple, I know) have left some with little time to prepare, which is as much the client-side faulting as it is the program. Overall, it's better than TS, which is the point.

(Take what I say with a pinch of salt. I'm venting, after a disastrous sortie)

[Steel]

Definitely mayhem with the communications from time to time, but I know 9th runs quite strict comms anyway so probably helped a little there.

All this was to be expected from the first missions and this I made clear to the Luftwaffe pilots in the brief.
I look forward to the next test in the next mission. Comms need to be cohesive and concice.

Notes:
Need to possibly change Luftwaffe Tactical channel to Channel 1 and 1./JG26 channel to channel 2

@Firefly, personally I disagree with the "mad dash" and little time to prepare, from the announcement of this test there has been 5 weeks to prepare and just shy of 3 weeks since the instructions were posted for everyone to see AND after 2 workshops were hosted by volunteers to help people set it up. So in my personal opinion there is no excuse for setting it up an hour or two before mission, after all this. Technical issues were expected, perhaps a break would've been better for the initial get go, but these two campaign missions (and more if necessary) should set us up with opinions that we can then vote on with the BoD.

[Jackman]

Overall experience was quite positive for SRS. I was very sceptical about it at firts but now after this first mission I would be happy to run with it. But one main thing is we need to have strict discipline on comms.

[Dubsy]

I was pretty satisfied overall, we got all of 501 working with a bit of delay.
One problem we did have was getting folks from discord into the right place on SRS. So when we joined we were in spectator SRS channel with everyone else RAF and LW, and it was difficult to do SRS checks. Then as we spawned, we couldn't go by sections over SRS, because as each pilot joined they'd move to faction radio and no longer in contact.
So it seems like we need to spawn still talking through discord, then mute there and do SRS checks sitting on the field?
It may be worth building timing next week assuming at least an extra 5 mins for squadrons to set up as well.

[Sods]

I beleive everthing worked as envisaged and Yes, it will get some getting used to.
Now that many of us has it installed, i beleive the worst is over.

Difference from TS i found
- We need to call pilots to spwan in via discord. (Although its possible for the last person to spawn, calls everyone in.)
- We need to reduce Coms chatter. No Longer, do/should we need to be told how green is the grass and how blue the sky is.
And who knows maybe one day we could have ATC calling us in to spawn

Sods

[Rob]

Thought it was awful.

Really concerned that we will have to use two systems, SRS for campaign missions and discord for briefings and casual flying with ACG members.

With SRS you can't get your radio set up before you enter the game and the server, so you don't know if you have an issue until just before you spawn in, messy if you have VR.

Sound quality is terrible seems more like gimmick than realistic.

Just don't think it works for a group our size.

TS does everything we need in one program. Get set up before you load the game up, no need to use a different app for briefing and then move to another for the mission.

Absolute shambles.

[ArcEye]

I was pretty satisfied overall, we got all of 501 working with a bit of delay.
One problem we did have was getting folks from discord into the right place on SRS. So when we joined we were in spectator SRS channel with everyone else RAF and LW, and it was difficult to do SRS checks. Then as we spawned, we couldn't go by sections over SRS, because as each pilot joined they'd move to faction radio and no longer in contact.
So it seems like we need to spawn still talking through discord, then mute there and do SRS checks sitting on the field?
It may be worth building timing next week assuming at least an extra 5 mins for squadrons to set up as well.

We have discussed within the campaign team on starting the server earlier or building an extra few mins into the start of the mission to get every one across on to SRS. At least until people get used to the system.

[ArcEye]

I enjoyed the use of SRS, was also worried about the transition but I found it much better than Team speak especially being able to set up one ear for Staffel comms and one for Freya/Luftwaffe wide.

Also being able to bind it to my Stick that I havn't been able to do with Team speak for months now was good.

[Muddy]

With SRS you can't get your radio set up before you enter the game and the server, so you don't know if you have an issue until just before you spawn in, messy if you have VR.

There are two radio channels to set. Turn on Text to speech in SRS, it will assist you in knowing you are in the right channel without having to tab out and faff about. I'm using this in VR to good effect.

Sound quality is terrible seems more like gimmick than realistic.

Turn off radio effects, this is likely your issue

Just don't think it works for a group our size.

Plenty of groups using SRS very effectively, this is not a valid argument imo. None of the issues you are presenting are due to the groups size, but the radio discipline of those using it. They also existed on teamspeak.

TS does everything we need in one program. Get set up before you load the game up, no need to use a different app for briefing and then move to another for the mission.

The version of TS we use to support binding of PTT to Joysticks (3.6 and older) are depreciated and not supported. On the enevitable day an update renders it useless, we will then be stuck with no comms and no plan. Better to have the bandaid off now and be ahead of the problem.

SRS is the best suggestion we have had so far, for a modern application thats supported and has the functionality we need (the ablility to speak to multiple channels of users at once)

Teething issues are to be expected, but honeslty most of the feedback here is down to people not taking the time to get setup and test on their own. Help will always be on hand, post and ask for it.

I would suggest you as a Squadron or Staffel roll your SRS integration into your training. That is what we did with 7th and tonight it was fairly smooth. Dubsy has a good point on getting everyone spawned in while still on Discord, if you do that and hit the shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+M it will mute discord for you without having to tab out.

I quite enjoyed using Discord for our briefing and I think making them more interfactive will be fun moving forward

Thanks to Fritz/Sods again for all the work with SRS