Turning Off Auto Voice

That's fine with me. I just don't want to hear it. Happy for you to hear me telling you in exactly the same tone as 4 seconds ago that I'm reloading

You are controlling an emulation of a human, but it cannot be said to have many (if any) guarantees that it will behave as a human would. Your character doesn't allow you to control breathing. Your character never tires or needs rest and can sprint indefinitely. The game simulates sensory responses to various conditions (camera shake, sound direction and volume). It should not be unexpected that other aspects of the human emulation would be automated. That is, after all, what automation is about; providing action without directly having to force the action.

You are sending commands to an emulator. The emulator dictates what behavior it allows to be commanded and what behavior it simulates, all of which are tools by the designers to augment the distinct need for the user to NOT have to worry about those commands. If you want to take the stance that certain things don't help and you would like the option to turn them off, that's one thing. Arguing that because you do something as a human and the emulation should do that because you think so is a sense of entitlement that I hope the developers ignore.

Quite a strawman really. Arguing that because it simulates some behaviours outside of player control, it's fine for it to simulate any and all other behaviours at its own arbitrary will is a nonsense. You've just said it yourself; 'Arguing that because you do something as a human and the emulation should do that because you think so is a sense of entitlement that I hope the developers ignore.' The character never coughs, or scratches, or falls over, or needs to shower, eat, or drink. I'm pretty sure that if those things were added, they'd be readily removed courtesy of an incredibly irritated populace. I, and clearly many others, find the involuntary vocal spasms to be just as irritating, and it's more definitely FAR more entitled to insist that you should be able to hear things from my character that I adamantly do not want you (or I) to hear.

The character never steps forward unless I tell him to. He doesn't fire his weapon unless I tell him to. He doesn't look around unless I tell him to. All of those things are things I have the option to tell him to do, and if I don't take that option, he doesn't do it. I have the option to tell him to speak, yet if I elect not to do it, he does it for me, arbitrarily/randomly, in the most irritating of manners, with no option to stop him.

You should be able to turn it off. How hard is it to just have a tick-box option?

Options stop all the arguing.

It's not a strawman, it's an explanation for why you shouldn't expect your cartoon representation to fully follow human actions. But you missed the real point.

Of course it's a strawman. You're attempting to refute a point being made about technologies in war that automate involuntary speech by screaming 'emulation' and the fact that you don't have to press keys to breathe. None of those were points up for discussion, nor any point that the poster you're responding to needs to refute in order to maintain the validity of his challenge.

Since you've brought it up though, the simple fact is that the 'emulation' is now taking a step into a level of automation that is not requested, desired or welcome (in the minds of a lot of players). The idea that your character should or shouldn't 'fully follow human actions' is absolutely irrelevant; it's about whether the emulation is enjoyable and fulfills desires of its users that reality does not fulfill. I most definitely do not wish to ever encounter a technology that makes me speak involuntary, nor do I enjoy this aspect of the emulation as it feels completely unimmersive and irritating.

Not at all. I was refuting the validity of his defense to the other poster, which was that he can do something as a human and the game should therefore follow that behavior. His ORIGINAL point that he just didn't like it is valid, his response supporting his original claim by going down the road of bringing human reactions as expectations of what the emulation does is not valid. Trying to fluff your argument with extra BS to further qualify it's validity is simply more BS.

Your last paragraph is valid with the exception of stating that it's "now" taking automated steps. It, by definition, has done that since creation. Too much automation, sure, I get that argument. However, the human ability aspect has no place in this environment. If it does, then let's start talking about why can't I toggle off screen shake.

"I don't like this feature so no one else should either"

Actually, it was the opposite. As a human there is nothing that can cause that behaviour to occur, so there is no reason to implement this into the emulator. It doesn't change in validity simply because you've noted this is a game; the point came from a discussion on the computer automating good communication within your team. As noted, no one is complaining that the emulator automates breathing for you; just the things that actually could affect balance and equate to skill within the game being removed. You're drawing a line in the sand for the sake of there being a line in the sand, no different than we are. We just feel the line should be further back. Your strawman in no way relates to the argument or its counterarguments.

Your choice to shorten the quote to that extent clearly made you misunderstand... What I said was, 'the simple fact is that the 'emulation' is now taking a step into a level of automation that is not requested...' This is entirely true. I did not state that it is "now taking automated steps", I noted already that it always has taken such steps, the key part is 'INTO A LEVEL of automation...', denoting an increase in automation.

The human ability argument is not relevant, I agree; the player ability argument is. Player ability is where balance and competition comes from. The reason you can't toggle off screen shake is that it adds an element of feedback that is equal for all players, and doesn't negate player ability. The reason that automated voice callouts are not a good idea is that they take what was previously player skill (communicating effectively and in a timely manner with your teammates) and automate that aspect such that good communication occurs without players playing well or even attempting to communicate. I agree it's not truly relevant whether this occurs in the real world or not (though still valid to note that it doesn't and thus there's no reason for an emulator to take on the behaviour...), it's simply relevant whether we're taking another step to dumbing the game down, which we are.

But don't worry, next we'll have auto-spotting and warnings flashing up on your screen that you're going the wrong way, Mario Kart style. It'll be awesome...

Worlds worst argument. Works both ways. I don't enjoy it, yes. It don't think it should be in game, yes. Is it relevant if other people should like it or not? No. If me and half the player base enjoyed a feature that allowed us to take over any other player character at will (so we could get heals and ammo that we've requested etc ), defending that feature by stating that 'I like it and everyone else should too' is a nonsense.

As stated above, I believe it's removing a valid element of player skill, on the tactical/strategic level (you know, the level that's already lacking quite substantially). Beyond that, it's also adding an incredibly irritating, repetitive and arbitrary chatter to the game which is so tiresome I've already had to toggle off all voice sounds, making me unable to hear the useful, intentional callouts players make. I still maintain it has absolutely no place in game, and whether people like it or not, it's still automating good communication and removing the requirement for that skillset in game; I would settle for being able to A: no longer hear it, and (preferably) B: no longer have my character forced to say it.

Honestly, I'd be perfectly fine with the option to just toggle it off locally. When they first announced it I thought it was absolutely stupid, a few days of playing with it and I hardly even notice it anymore. While I definitely don't think this was a priority they should've spent time or resources on compared to other things, there are plenty of people acting like these callouts are the downfall of PlanetSide and that's just a little ridiculous.

You'll be able to fully player control your shoutouts the same moment you'll be able to fully player control a reload instead of just pressing 'R'. (hint: 'Receiver' is currently on Sale on Steam)
complaining about the immersion of a game is really really f*cked up (except if there isn't any)

I am not a fan of the auto voice callouts. However, if it helps the players needing ammo or repairs, then I can deal with it. What I can't deal with is Q. There should be a key for spotting enemies and a key for interacting with allies.

That is exactly the point here. To many (myself included) these auto callouts don't any "immersion" but rather just an ambient noise that we can't control in any way. It's the whole "dumbing it down" problem all over again.
And while i admit that some of these auto callouts are nice and even useful in some situations, in no way is this a proper replacement for a functional voice macro system.

And even beyond these few useful moments it simply is stupid and tends to become annoying fast. There is a reason we want the control over the voice macros and not letting the game decide when it would be fine to use one. And it's not because we're "elitist jerks" or simply like to complain, but because programmed software simply isn't up to the task of using these in a believable manner.

These autocalls turn my character into a mental patient who mumbles to himself "i can repair this" when he is repairing his own vehicle all alone in the field. It lets the max i am supporting seriously think about murdering me because i let him know that "i got ammunition for you" every 30 seconds. I sound like a goddamn pusher with my ammo packs now; "Take some ammunition" - "Take some ammunition". In addition, my character is also some attention craving poser now because he feels the need to brag about what he just shot (which isn't even helpful in any way). He also whines about friendly fire at the slightest touch of a friendly vehicle.
And he does all of that CONSTANTLY. For me, that breaks immersion more than it helps with it.

Edit: Now to be clear, this game has a lot more pressing problems, but that doesn't make these auto callouts any better. More so, they are a symptom of the main underlying problem in this games direction of making it "casual", which usually means taking away control from the player and making everything automatic.
And the result is that i no longer can hold entire conversations with in game voice macros like in PS1, instead i am now an add ridden freak who constantly shouts for no reason and mumbles to himself.
Yeah..., if that isn't the perfect analogy for the entire de-evolution of modern fps gaming, i don't know what is.

then make a thread with some ideas for parameters the devs can set so it is more immersive and stop whining that you want the feature removed.
Constructive Feedback > whining

I think the idea is pretty obvious and has allready been suggested a couple hundred times now (including my own post): Give US the control over when to use voice macros. Simple as that.
Besides, as the title of this very thread reads, it's about the ability to turn these auto calls off (clientside), not about removing them completely.
If the request "i would like to turn off auto callouts" and the criticism "I would rather choose for myself when to use callouts" is "whining" for you, then you have your own little definition going there.

Your last couple sentences was exactly my point. Draw the line in the sand. But stop trying to justify a preference using an example that contradicts what already happens in the game to make your argument look better (not you, the OP).

Correct, I missed a word that altered the context of your statement.

Well, one might question screen shake negating player ability. I don't necessarily agree that automated voice callouts take away something that was skillful (using commanded voice macros or voice comm). I think the devs likely thought it was something that they could allow players to customize (voice packs) and relieved questionably mundane tasks that took focus away from what the devs envision are the important aspects of gameplay. I don't really see it as dumbing the game down; I see it as the devs creating individuality while trying to offload tasks that are (in my opinion) things the game can assist with in order to allow players to focus on more important things. I guess you could call that dumbing down, but I don't really see it as anything of the sort.

That being said, there's a point when it's sound overload and annoying, so I think it should be able to be turned off or muted.

Honestly I don't personally care about the repair and healing callouts, I already used Q for that. But I will admit I greatly appreciate the grenade tossing callout. 4 on the number pad is such an awkward key to hit when trying to poke your head into a door and toss a grenade.

I like how people say auto-voice adds immersion and complaining about auto-callouts is arbitrary something something.

You know what's arbitrary? Some calls being heard by the enemy (Q, V-menu), some not (automatic verbal diarrhea). That ruins my immersion and suspension of disbelief (not that shouting at the top of the lungs in 29th century as primary means of communication didn't damage them hard either)

Let's face it - this gaping hole in logic is allowed in order to sell stuff, that talk about immersion is nothing but smoke and mirrors. I bet that the 'enemies don't hear it' thing was introduced later, only after players complained en masse. SOE in their decisions don't bother to account for the damage dealt to tactics and they proved this time and time again, just look at implants and the deathscreen revamp ideas that will nerf stealthy approach.

I will look into it.

I like them...I think they add to the game. That said, I don't see why it would be a bad thing to give players the option to either have them on automatic, or let let them manually choose individual ones as and when they want. No need to disable them altogether.