You heard me right. The GB BF3 NA server is full of retards. Wonderful, hilarious, fun, chatty, co-operative, sometimes frustratingly-skilled, tards. It's a blast and if you aren't filling up the server 24x7, you are missing out on a fucking fantastic time. I've played on a lot of servers so far and the GB one has been the most enjoyable by leaps and bounds. Whether it's joking about target "C" being VInny's favorite on the whole map (because, you know why), or all of us bitching at Mitch completely raping us. Get your headset and get on Mumble and then get on the GB BF3 NA server. If the server had a big population 24x7, I would frankly never ever leave. It's just that good. And it's inviting. If you haven't played BF in a long time or it's your first time playing any BF, you'll find a pretty warm environment to learn, brush up on your skills, talk, co-ordinate, and just have a good fucking time.

(It's kind of dead right now, but it's also only 8am PT. Don't forget, the TNT is tonight, so it'll get full again... and maybe stay that way!)

How To Install Mumble: http://mumble.sourceforge.net/Installing_Mumble

Main GB PC Thread with all the "howto" info: http://www.giantbomb.com/battlefield-3/61-27006/the-giantbomb-battlefield-3-thread-pc/35-516404/#292

Yeah seemed like a good place to play the short time I played there. But doesn't always have an abundant players and when it is full, 64 players is just too many for some of the maps.

@BigBlueCheese said:

Yeah seemed like a good place to play the short time I played there. But doesn't always have an abundant players and when it is full, 64 players is just too many for some of the maps.

I haven't felt that way about any of the maps, so far. I love a nice full game. GB isn't quite there, yet, but it's only been a day. Hopefully the GB servers will become one of those popular "always almost full" servers and not one of those sad ones in the battlelog browser that never have enough to even play.

Cool I gonna try if I also get a ok connection from europe.

I agree, its has been a ton of fun since day 1, some crazy shit have happened, especially yesterday being part of the invincible helicopter run. 

How can I join the mumble server?

Sounds crazy. Once I buy the PC version I'll have to drop by.

Goddamnit Branthog, your post alone makes me want to buy BF3.

I guess I need to download mumble now...

Could someone tell me what it's called or give me a link so I can add it to my favorites?

@Matt said:

How can I join the mumble server?

• Giant Bomb UK => IP: lon.eoreality.net / Port: 64739
• Giant Bomb US => IP = ny.eoreality.net Port = 64747

This makes me wish I had this game. I don't want to buy it for the Xbox, though.

I'm not retarded; I am very special and unique.

Misleading title. Ahah

mumble?

If the server had a big population 24x7, I would frankly never ever leave. It's just that good. 

Mumble is pretty easy to install. Just download it and run the installer. It has a configuration wizard to walk you through setting up your mic. Then just add a new server to your list and enter the addresses and ports YoThatLimp gave above. I guess the only downside is that since it's one channel for the whole server, it makes working together kind of hard as you're hearing everyone and they're hearing you (not just your team), but it's still good fun.

I think we learned from the masters. 
  

Retard is a pretty awful word to use, just saying.

@Red12b said:

mumble?

Mumble is basically like Ventrillo, but open source and free. You can install and run your own server and it has pretty decent high quality codecs so it uses low bandwidth. It's almost the only thing people who play EVE-Online use and has kind of become a standard for game hosting services to bundle in with their server rentals. I put some links at the top of this in my original thread comment that should help. It's really easy to install (download a *.msi file and run the installer, then the configuration wizard).

@AhmadMetallic said:

@Branthog said:

If the server had a big population 24x7, I would frankly never ever leave. It's just that good.

I've played a lot of BF2 conquest 64 and I can tell you that the only way for a non-commercial server to get a decent amount players during the day (as in, when there ISN'T a bombing run / evening time), is that you stay in it even if it's empty. What I mean is, this is not Call of Duty or Team Fortress 2, it's not 16 or 24 people to populate a server, it's 64. So i advise anyone who wants to have a random skirmish and get a game going, to stick with the empty server, fly jets, test out the vehicles and weapons until OTHERS see that you're on, they join and they mess around until MORE notice you and come online, and then you have a decent amount of people. I know it's boring to wait up to an hour for something like that to happen, but it's worth it. It will erase the impression that "the server is always empty" and encourage people to connect to it more.

I'd love to do that, but I was under the impression, that on an empty server you can not do anything. Otherwise I thing its a great way to practice piloting.

@Wuddel said:

@AhmadMetallic said:

@Branthog said:

If the server had a big population 24x7, I would frankly never ever leave. It's just that good.

I've played a lot of BF2 conquest 64 and I can tell you that the only way for a non-commercial server to get a decent amount players during the day (as in, when there ISN'T a bombing run / evening time), is that you stay in it even if it's empty. What I mean is, this is not Call of Duty or Team Fortress 2, it's not 16 or 24 people to populate a server, it's 64. So i advise anyone who wants to have a random skirmish and get a game going, to stick with the empty server, fly jets, test out the vehicles and weapons until OTHERS see that you're on, they join and they mess around until MORE notice you and come online, and then you have a decent amount of people. I know it's boring to wait up to an hour for something like that to happen, but it's worth it. It will erase the impression that "the server is always empty" and encourage people to connect to it more.

I'd love to do that, but I was under the impression, that on an empty server you can not do anything. Otherwise I thing its a great way to practice piloting.

I haven't played with the admin functionality, but I believe it's configurable. I've seen some servers where it won't start until there are at least eight people - even if it's only a 24 person server. That can be a bit frustrating. I presume the intention behind that is prevention, to some degree, of boosting?

@jetsetwillie said:

and this thread by the biggest retard on GB.

Thanks. It means so much coming from such a constant prick.

What was I owning with? -blush- This thread makes me want to install mumble now :) And thanks for the fun and the laughs everyone!

is there a way on mumble to split into teams or even squads. I joined it last night but I'm really not interested in listening to everyone on both teams talking at once.

@Branthog said:

@jetsetwillie said:

and this thread by the biggest retard on GB.

Thanks. It means so much coming from such a constant prick.

Get a room you two.

@Wuddel said:

@AhmadMetallic said:

@Branthog said:

If the server had a big population 24x7, I would frankly never ever leave. It's just that good.

I've played a lot of BF2 conquest 64 and I can tell you that the only way for a non-commercial server to get a decent amount players during the day (as in, when there ISN'T a bombing run / evening time), is that you stay in it even if it's empty. What I mean is, this is not Call of Duty or Team Fortress 2, it's not 16 or 24 people to populate a server, it's 64. So i advise anyone who wants to have a random skirmish and get a game going, to stick with the empty server, fly jets, test out the vehicles and weapons until OTHERS see that you're on, they join and they mess around until MORE notice you and come online, and then you have a decent amount of people. I know it's boring to wait up to an hour for something like that to happen, but it's worth it. It will erase the impression that "the server is always empty" and encourage people to connect to it more.

I'd love to do that, but I was under the impression, that on an empty server you can not do anything. Otherwise I thing its a great way to practice piloting.

I haven't played with the admin functionality, but I believe it's configurable. I've seen some servers where it won't start until there are at least eight people - even if it's only a 24 person server. That can be a bit frustrating. I presume the intention behind that is prevention, to some degree, of boosting?

really wish i had a pc capable of playing this with you guys. someone record some games showin all of us who cant play what we're missing haha

@Mmmslash said:

Retard is a pretty awful word to use, just saying.

I don't wish to digress (or maybe I do), but let's recognize that the clinical label "retarded" is no longer used to describe people who are mentally slow. The proper clinical term is now mentally challenged or intellectually disabled. Also note that "retarded" was the clinical term chosen as the polite replacement for "idiot, imbecile, moron, and stupid" which were the medical terms applied to people who were mentally challenged, before they were called "retarded". Specifically, "retarded" fell on a scale of intellectual measurement, along with some of those previously listed words and therefore it is not even originally intended as any type of "slur", no matter how you may perceive it.

However, people now commonly use the words idiot, imbecile, moron, and stupid to describe dumb people and dumb behavior every single day and almost always as the less offensive choice compared to calling them assholes, fucktards, and dumbshits. Presumably, this is acceptable because idiot, imbecile, moron, and stupid no longer refer to those with the aforementioned medical diagnosis and therefore no offense is intended or assumed toward them when you are using that word (which simply means "slow") toward other people. Since "retarded" is also no longer used to refer to any group of people or medical condition, it also falls into the same category of idiot, imbecile, moron, and stupid which we commonly and openly use every day. Words and their application do, indeed, matter as does consistency.

Now, if you were to refer to a mentally challenged person as being "retarded", I would say that was pretty fucking insensitive of you. (Not that I am suggesting you'd do that, because I know you obviously wouldn't).

PS: I know that I could just simply avoid using the word and make everyone happy, but the history of the word and the words that preceded it and the hypocritical way in which we use all of them but not this one just really irritates me in a very "grammar nazi" sort of way. I do understand your comment and where you're coming from and it's refreshing to see as opposed to the slew of racist and homophobic slurs so often encountered online, so by no means am I suggesting that I'm inherently right. In fact, my continuing to use the word despite it's fall from acceptable use in the last two years is clearly a bit petulant, but there it is none the less. :)

Guess I know where I'll be spending my Thursday.

@mpgeist said:

is there a way on mumble to split into teams or even squads. I joined it last night but I'm really not interested in listening to everyone on both teams talking at once.

I haven't used Mumble much in over a year, so I'm not sure if you can create your own channels or if only the administrator can do that.

(... meanwhile: testing ...)

Yes, it does seem that you can create your own channel. Just right click on a top channel and click "add" and enter a simple name. Problem solved, then (hi, I'm a fucking idiot and that never occurred to me to try last night!). *sigh*

@Mitch0712 said:

What was I owning with? -blush- This thread makes me want to install mumble now :) And thanks for the fun and the laughs everyone!

You weren't on Mumble? So you didn't even hear everyone swearing at you?!

You were at the top of your team non-stop and usually with like a 10:1 ratio and every five seconds, practically, someone was yelling "fuck you Mitch!" or something similar. It was glorious.

I really wish you could spawn on squad mates. Makes it really hard to work as a team when you cant chat with your squad as well as not being able to spawn on them.

@olegyef said:

I really wish you could spawn on squad mates. Makes it really hard to work as a team when you cant chat with your squad as well as not being able to spawn on them.

I'm sure that'll be considered. The servers have only been up for under two days and things are kind of still being formed and input consumed. I definitely agree that spawning on *all* squadmates instead of just leader is better, though.

@Hero_Swe said:

Kinda REALLY want to get BF3 now that you've fellas set up TWO mumble servers.
(Even though I'd prefer to have one. Why separate the community? Could have UK and US channels in either one if they become the single server)

Had some great times with Ahmad and other bombers with BF2.

The Mumble hosting is facilitated by the same company that we're renting the game servers from as part of a bundled package, so it's not a completely separate server/service that is being run outside of the games (though a GiantBomb-wide single Mumble server for all games and even outside of games would be kind of awesome to set up). More specifically, I believe there a limited number of slots on each Mumble server from this host (100 slots, I think?). So you can have 100 per server or you could cram both into only one and be under the same 100 user limit. So far, we haven't reached more than two or three dozen, but that may grow over time.

Hope that helps. GOOD LUCK; HAVE BATMAN.

@Branthog: The issue isn't in definition or implication. The most common interpretation of the word retarded is still, and will likely remain for long to come, a term used to refer to the mentally-handicapped. Using it to describe dumb, or bad, or in some way negative is a very indirect form of harassment. It is no different than using the words gay or jew to describe something in an untoward fashion.

I know it's not your intention, but this is the very reason this sort of society judgement exists. We all do it quietly and unknowingly, and nothing ever changes.

Does anyone know how the squad leader gets chosen?

I am so wishing I had a PC that can run this! Ugh!

@Mmmslash said:

@Branthog: The issue isn't in definition or implication. The most common interpretation of the word retarded is still, and will likely remain for long to come, a term used to refer to the mentally-handicapped. Using it to describe dumb, or bad, or in some way negative is a very indirect form of harassment. It is no different than using the words gay or jew to describe something in an untoward fashion.

I know it's not your intention, but this is the very reason this sort of society judgement exists. We all do it quietly and unknowingly, and nothing ever changes.

I don't see it carrying the same connotation as "gay" or "jew", since we're essentially talking about a word that refers to nothing more than one's mental aptitude. I appreciate where that point is coming from, but I just can't quite agree with it. And, for the record, when I asked a mentally challenged friend of our group a long time ago if he found it offensive when that word was used interchangeably with "idiot" and similar words and he asked me if I was retarded, because it was a dumb concern to him.

Anyway, I do continue to use it defiantly, out of some weird linguistic haughtiness but when people who are not normally overly sensitive to supposedly "offensive" statements take issue with it, I do have to give it fair reconsideration. Times and words change and all.

@Branthog said:

@Mmmslash said:

@Branthog: The issue isn't in definition or implication. The most common interpretation of the word retarded is still, and will likely remain for long to come, a term used to refer to the mentally-handicapped. Using it to describe dumb, or bad, or in some way negative is a very indirect form of harassment. It is no different than using the words gay or jew to describe something in an untoward fashion.

I know it's not your intention, but this is the very reason this sort of society judgement exists. We all do it quietly and unknowingly, and nothing ever changes.

I don't see it carrying the same connotation as "gay" or "jew", since we're essentially talking about a word that refers to nothing more than one's mental aptitude. I appreciate where that point is coming from, but I just can't quite agree with it. And, for the record, when I asked a mentally challenged friend of our group a long time ago if he found it offensive when that word was used interchangeably with "idiot" and similar words and he asked me if I was retarded, because it was a dumb concern to him.

Anyway, I do continue to use it defiantly, out of some weird linguistic haughtiness but when people who are not normally overly sensitive to supposedly "offensive" statements take issue with it, I do have to give it fair reconsideration. Times and words change and all.

Retard just means slow. Something that is flame-retardant is something that doesn't take to fire quickly. It's only in America that the word seems to be a derogatory term for someone who is mentally handicapped. It shouldn't be any different to calling someone an idiot, or a fool.

Anyway, fuck I cannot wait 'til tomorrow.

I get that the point was a bait-and-switch, but you probably didn't need to make that thread title sound so nasty, dude. You're really giving people the wrong impression.

Last night was pretty rad. The dudes in the Mumble server are pretty cool duders. Looking forward to TNT and the Bombing Run tonight.

Sweet! I was wondering if there would be a server. New at the game. I'll most likely get rocked. But if its empty I wouldn't mind trying to learn to fly a vehicle.