Proposing a Change to the Walkie Talkie and the Earpiece

Unturned U3 Discussion
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Currently, these two are merely scrap and have ZERO value for solo players and most groups. My suggestions aim to change that.

The endless, limitless amount of frequencies is replaced by a small number of dedicated channels, from 1 to 10. The number of them could potentially be changed in the server config. By default, everyone is connected to channel 1.

The earpiece is no longer used only for listening - you can communicate with it too.

Spawn rates for walkie talkies and earpieces are slightly increased.

Q: Why?

A: Instead of being virtually useless, these items will now serve as a vital addition to the in-game chat. As everyone is initially connected to the same channel, conversation will be bound to happen. This means more player interaction, and player interaction is usually good.

Q: Why only ten channels? What if I want to have a private chat?

A: The fact that you can be eavesdropped on add an entire new level to the conversation. Just like with the global chat, you’ll have to decide whether you want to risk saying confidential information. Imagine eavesdropping on others too! Hearing two people talking about trading gear and sweeping in to kill them both!

Q: Why the increased spawns? Also, how would you be able to talk with an earpiece? It’s not a headset. It does not make sense.

A: Neither do a lot of other things in Unturned. For radio chat to be a viable supplementation to global chat, communication (in our case, walkie talkies) need to be easily accesible. Unfortunately, however, walkie talkies are quite uncommon, and furthermore, police stations are looted a lot less frequently then military bases. Thus a reasonable solution would be buffing the earpiece, increasing the spawn rates, or both.

Do you approve of this change?
  • Yes. Spawn rates should be increased and earpiece should be buffed.
  • Yes. Spawn rates should be increased.
  • Yes. Earpiece should be buffed.
  • Yes. No spawn rate increase and no earpiece buff.
  • No.

0 voters

5 Likes
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we need to all agree to uninstall discord and use walkie talkies instead

4 Likes
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I get too many earpieces myself but walkie talkie not much, probably because I don’t go to the police station that often.

With that being said, I once posted about making either of the two items as part of blueprints to make “spy-devices”, which you can install everywhere (including claim locations) to hear what other people are speaking nearby. Mostly to use at enemy bases, to hear when they open doors, or are walking around. Then you will know which base to “live-raid”.

I post too much to check which was the thread where I’m commenting about this for the first time but I know it’s there somewhere.

So I agree in giving both items more ingame “use” but spawn rates can stay the same. And I would add to give Earpiece the chance to repair to 100%, which as of now, you just can’t.

1 Like
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@Fenyusha Make it 15 or 20 channels and we got a deal. It’s not too many but also not too little. Also, language creoles for hiding a real message exist for reasons and you’d be surprised to see how much creativity players would have in terms of language creoles.

Try to decipher the meaning of the following term being transferred over a radio. “The Cookie Monster’s cookies are being baked.” as well as the term “The Party’s found Winston’s spot.” I’ll be waiting for anyone who guesses correctly.

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“The Cookie Monster’s cookies are being baked.”

[PLAYER] is crafting C4.

“The Party’s found Winston’s spot.”

[GROUP] found Winston’s base.

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I like the ideas only thing i would change is walkie talkie && earpiece can be turned on and will stay on without beeing held. This would have 2 ways to be used one with a shortcut for talking with it, two if you die and it gets taken, same with earpiece that could be crafted into armour and helmets to spy on people wearing your armour after you no longer own it. Would be nice to have that with gps too, but it would be way more valuable then, if you are able to pinpoint a specific gps or all moving gps items it would need ballancing spawns and some interface… The use of a gps via the interface could be for locating airdrops (while its stormy / foggy / snowy) so when you hear an airdrop and use a gps you could see others heading to it or away from it to thier base.

2 Likes
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if boombox could use the frequency it would be cool too dont you guys think?

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@Fenyusha The second guess is correct, the first is wrong.

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these items are pretty much only for RP so i dont think they should be changed to suit a playstyle (survival) they were not designed for

1 Like
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I do agree the ear piece needs to be changed to allow speaking at some point, however I would be hesitant to restrict the number of radio channels because it would be a further disadvantage compared against Discord / Teamspeak. By default everyone is on the same radio channel, and signs can be used to advertise channels to friendly players.

At some point I think it would be fun to add more audio items like megaphones, loudspeakers, voice over boombox (as Supercool mentioned), etc.

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By default everyone is on the same radio channel

For real? You’re not given a random one when you join the server? My bad. If that is the case, the suggestion is mostly pointless. I just naturally assumed that everyone starts on a random channel and that’s the reason behind radio chat not being used enough.

Audio items would be absolutely fantastic though

2 Likes
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Oh wow there’s ideas are really cool

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@Fenyusha “The Cookie Monster’s cookies are being baked”
Airdrop supplies are secure or Supply convoy en route to another outpost.

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Since most people use external communication software anyway would it really be this bad? There are a lot of occasions when I see other people communicate via proximity voice chat simply because they have their reasons of not using aforementioned Discord/etc.

The second thing is even though by default everyone is on the same channel, I believe it needs to be clear that is the case. Say, make it a whole number that is always the same and add a loading screen tip for that. Some people read them. Also, maybe if not limiting the channel amount by a whole lot just chop off the decimal values? Make 1 being the lowest frequency (even though being unrealistic it is very strainghforward, given the fact there is no radio tutorial as I remember)

I’d also suggest limiting the amount of channels at least to 100, but removing the decimals is a limiting factor by itself…

1 Like
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After getting some sleep I need to clarify this idea comes together with making “1” the lowest and default frequency…

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This actually makes sense. Earpiece is an earpiece - they can (and most of them do!) indeed have built-in microphones IRL.

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I think not the Earpiece, but the Walkie-Talkie should be buffed, so it will gain feature of actually playing sounds from other players on it’s speaker. That’s because the Earpiece I think should be used only as a eavesdropping tool, not a copy of another item mentioned here. Yes, there’s no need of another Walkie-Talkie.
Besides, Walkie should also gain a feature of changing modes from listening to speaking. In this case this would limit it’s purpose and possibly force players to use Discord or Teamspeak etc. etc., but I have a decision for this problem - the Radiophone. This item will use all current options and features from current Walkie-Talkie and ofc it could also play sounds to fully communicate, but as another item, that, I suggest, could spawn at Military locations dividing spawns with Earpiece OR, as an alternative, It could spawn at Ranger locations. This is probably what I prefer, because it’s reasonable (oftentimes all the rebel groups and other illegal factions across the world use such stuff for communicating), there’s no specific item that spawns there (unlike Military which has Earpiece) and like Military it’s still high-tier loot that spawns there.

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Judging by it’s current (I know the model could be changed) appearence the Earpiece item definetily has no in-built microphone. Only headsets has it. It’s only a very small speakers for your ears that you connect with your Walkie-Talkie by some wire port.

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Wireless headphones have mircophones built into them. Let’s just imagine that this is the case here aswell.

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