Is there any way to communicate with someone you are (or want to be) flying with in multiplayer INSIDE the sim itself? Voice or chat of some kind? Or are the only options to use Discord (or Skype, or Teams, or whatever else you want to use as an outside comms app)? If the answer is no, that would seem to make an impromptu MP session a bit difficult, because all you can do in that case is play follow the leader if you can’t even text chat.
But regardless, I’m just interested in the base question- Is there an in-sim mechanism to communicate with each other, or are outside tools the only option?
Thanks in advance!
Signed,
It would be nice to be able to chat with my buddies inside the sim
@Crunchmeister71, well drat. I was afraid that was the answer. So, just to clarify, that means if I invite you to come fly with me, and you accept my invite, you just have to show up where I am and we can play follow the leader unless we make separate arrangements to be able to talk to each other?
Glad I created that Discord server then, for that very purpose, but it doesn’t help much if I can’t even tell you to meet me there.
Only solution I have used requires that you have that person as friend on Xbox. If you run into them in game, winkey+G, invite to party. I guess you could do the same with Discord, I haven’t tried. My ‘friends’ aren’t members.
Yeah, the whole “multiplayer” aspect of the sim seems very disconnected. You only see others but can’t interact with them in any way.
Although I haven’t tried this myself, from what I understand (and I could be wrong here), if you play in a private group, you get to share ATC. I could be mistaken here as this was said by a 3rd party and I’ve never personally tried it to confirm it.
In FSX we used Teamspeak as a back channel, but working radio comms were a basic, staple ingredient of Microsoft Flight Sims seemingly since Pontius was a pilot. The default freq was 118.75 and you could bet that anyone entering your session airspace was on that and Lo! You could contact them and get them onto a more appropriate frequency. Life was simple and you could keep Teamspeak for chat and use the radio for flight related matters, clearances and the odd piece of sarcasm. Life was grand.
And now, we have a Mickey Mouse system, and a need for a crystal ball, or possibly a Ouija board. In Asobos vast shared World, we can’t communicate with each other and it is more than a shame. It is a sham. The opportunities here are immense and had this been thought through even slightly (we still have no native Hectopascals for instance) this glorious masterpiece of a World, looks more like a cod piece. Rant mode OFF and time for medication.
I was that 3rd party Crunch. And you are sort of correct. You cannot communicate but when we fly as a formation we designate one pilot to deal with comms for the flight. The others can hear the comms and so we get the same instructions. This prevents multiple radio calls to accomplish the same thing.
Sadly we do get a lot of, “confirm you have the Baron, 1/4 (actually about 15 feet, I don’t think ATCgoes less than 1/4 mile ) your 3 o’clock” if we use flight following. So we don’t.
Nice. Yeah, I remembered someone had mentioned it, but it was some time back and couldn’t remember who it was or the exact details. Now I recall it a little better that you’ve jogged my dusty old memory.
Unfortunately, the only 2 people I know personally who use the sim are my son, who only flies airliners, and a buddy who’s a real life Air Canada A320 captain. Not much needed to guess what he flies in the sim. And I only fly GA. So ‘grouping up’ opportunities with friends have not really materialized for me to test that out personally.
lol I don’t even have multiplayer enabled most of the time. Although a few times I have had it on, I’ve bumped into them at their favourite airports which also happen to be regular spots for me (CYYZ and KSAN). I can compare my little C172 or Bonanza to their airliners.
IRL if a pilot happens to be flying next to some other aircraft, there is no universal communications channel. At an airport or during an approach, a pilot COULD talk to other pilots on the tower or approach frequency but ATC will be VERY ■■■■■■! Pilots can talk to other pilots on the Emergency frequency 121.5 but since emergencies aren’t implemented in MSFS, neither is pilot to pilot.
Feel free to HMU @Crunchmeister71 to have a flying buddy. My gamertag in the sim is (surprise!) KevyKevTPA, and I have my own discord server setup and ready to go with voice channels we could use. I don’t “always” fly anything, I’ve been flying the WT CJ4 a lot recently, and thanks to @Fmgc320 I’m learning to fly the A32NX, but it’s going to take a bit of time for me to be competent in that. I also like doing GA stuff, either IFR or VFR just for grins from time to time, so with just a tiny bit of pre-planning, we could do some formation flying wherever. Maybe you can come on down to Florida and we can hit up Key West for some (virtual) partying on Duval St.!!
FWIW - our group uses skype voice only but use it WITH headphones and mic so the sim sounds do not rebroadcast to the others. They will hear you perfectly but not your airplane sounds, ATC, etc. But that wouldn’t address communicating with an unknown plane/pilot,
Then just let me know when you want to go flying, and in what and from/to where and we’ll make it happen. Or, just let me know when, and we’ll hop on discord and figure the rest out from there.
And as far as I’m concerned, anybody else who wants to join is welcome, too.
I see one more preachy word about social distancing (a phrase I only wish I had never ever heard of) and Ima gonna jam a banana up your tailpipe! And just hope you’re flying something turbocharged!
) your 3 o’clock” if we use flight following. So we don’t.
