AGDC09: Easy voice chat for PUGs with Puggable
by Elizabeth Harper 
Sep 17th 2009 at 7:00AM
So what do you need to do to start chatting? Just fire up your web browser, point it to Puggable.com and create a chat room for your group. To invite others, all you need to do is share a link. The site will display character stats for your player from the armory (as seen in the above screenshot) for easy viewing by your entire group. And if you wish to select the instance you're running and the boss you're going to fight, Puggable will automagically pull up links for strategies, videos, and loot. No one needs to download or configure software (unless you're playing WoW with people who don't have web browsers... but that would just be silly) and there are no passwords to remember, share, or change. I'm hesitant to say it's fool-proof, but it certainly looks like group communication and organization simplified.
Puggable is presently in closed beta (though if you're interested in testing it, you can sign up on their site) with plans for a more open beta in the next few weeks.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Events
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kyreal Sep 17th 2009 3:57AM
I don't want to talk to pugs.. :( they annoy me anyway
Plastic Rat Sep 17th 2009 4:09AM
They're generally pretty good when they get to know you. Scratch them behind the ears a few times and just take it easy. Most dogs aren't big on conversation.
mtsadowski Sep 17th 2009 9:09AM
Australian Shepherds FTW!!!!
Plastic Rat Sep 17th 2009 4:07AM
Just wondering, this looks cool and all, but why does nobody ever seem to use the in-game voice chat?
Plastic Rat Sep 17th 2009 4:12AM
Built in game VOICE chat to clarify.
crunk Sep 17th 2009 5:00AM
From my experience, in WoW's voice chat, it's terrible. The first time I used it, I couldn't hear anyone, their volume was so low, and you couldn't do anything about it.
Clbull Sep 17th 2009 7:17AM
What crunk said pretty much. The volume settings are far too low, to the point where you can barely hear people, it is very difficult to configure the microphone, plus for me, its quite buggy to the point where it messes up ingame sound when I activate it.
Albrechtae Sep 17th 2009 3:41PM
I've never used the in-game voice chat, but there are settings where you can make the overall game volume go down and the voice volume go up when people chat in it :)
Effimero Sep 17th 2009 4:10AM
lol @ Kyreal
I have the suspect this isn't going to stay free for much.
Alex Ziebart Sep 17th 2009 4:27AM
Begone, vile blog post!
For a few more hours, at least.
Sir7 Sep 17th 2009 5:04AM
That's just mean. I thought it was pretty informative...
Slimm Sep 17th 2009 8:11AM
I never knew that a Prot Warrior could heal and the priest would tank.... I've been doing it wrong all this time.
Just another classic example of how hard pugs fail...
bushkanaka86 Sep 17th 2009 10:52AM
With a Gear score of 2535...I will let that Warrior do whatever he wants.
Hasteur Sep 17th 2009 8:28AM
I'd be interested to hear a follow up once one of the editors has an opportunity to try this and see how it works.
Netherscourge Sep 17th 2009 9:13AM
Is it FREEEEEE?????
That's all I need to know.
Bubsa Sep 17th 2009 9:15AM
Is there a limit to chatroom size, does anyone know?
snowleopard233 Sep 17th 2009 9:27AM
Why does nobody ever use in-game voicechat? And if it’s because it sucks, why doesn’t Blizz do anything to improve it. The whole feature just feels like a waste.
Sir Broose Sep 17th 2009 9:55AM
Even though both of my guilds (one ally, one horde) have vent and we use that all the time, I sometimes do use in game chat. The sound quality is pretty inferior. The bit rate and compression scheme - or both - must be much worse than a vent client. Also, vent gives you excellent control over individual player volumes, which is SO important in a large group.
Another IMPORTANT point about vent - it is not dependent upon the game to function. So, if you get DCed from the game, you can still communicate in vent. And, if the realm is down, you can still communicate in vent.
The times I do use game chat:
1.if I'm grouped with someone who doesn't have vent or I don't want to give my vent's access info to.
2. I want to be able to listen to and, if necessary, talk in guild vent, but still have a separate conversation with someone in game chat. (I use different key bindings for each, obviously). This has come in very handy a couple of times.
Heimdallw32 Sep 17th 2009 9:29AM
Great idea, and I'll prolly end up using it at some point (PUGs are fine usually, I've met some great people that way)...but....jeeze, did they have to go and use the slang "Toon" instead of "Character"? Gawd. Makes me want to boycott it already despite how neat it is. Can't wait till that term dies out from our cultural vocabulary. -minirant-
elvendude Sep 17th 2009 1:36PM
I've never understood this. What is so bad about "toon"?