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A thread on gaming accessibility:
I am so tired of being ablesplained to and told that hyperacusis doesn't matter.
That I should be excluded.
I wanted to give feedback about a new game that's in alpha right now, that I demo'ed. I really liked playing it.
1/14
I am so tired of being ablesplained to and told that hyperacusis doesn't matter.
That I should be excluded.
I wanted to give feedback about a new game that's in alpha right now, that I demo'ed. I really liked playing it.
1/14
They had no microphone volume slider in the settings. You couldn't increase/decrease your microphone volume in-game, and you couldn't lower the voice chat volume either. A few people's microphones were clipping and hurting my ears, constantly.
2/14
2/14
This game relies on the in-game audio and speaking into microphones. It relies on sound localization of the audio.
I want to be able to play this game when it comes out, so just in case, I found their discord and posted in the feedback channel to add audio features.
3/14
I want to be able to play this game when it comes out, so just in case, I found their discord and posted in the feedback channel to add audio features.
3/14
I tried to explain that I have hyperacusis, which is pain with loud sounds, and that I basically couldn't play without being in pain. I tried to explain that people's microphones were clipping and there was no way to turn them down.
4/14
4/14
I said it would be helpful to have a mute button (either to mute all of voice chat or individual players) so people like me could use other voice chat programs.
Other gamers replied (not the devs) saying "Well that's not how the game is supposed to be played."
5/14
Other gamers replied (not the devs) saying "Well that's not how the game is supposed to be played."
5/14
Other gamers tried to give advice to me, an adult who's experienced hyperacusis my entire life, by telling me that I can lower the volume in windows.
That I could lower the volume of the game.
Seriously.
They thought I didn't know I could lower the volume of my computer.
6/14
That I could lower the volume of the game.
Seriously.
They thought I didn't know I could lower the volume of my computer.
6/14
I then had to explain dynamic range, and that if I turned it down so it didn't hurt my ears, I wouldn't be able to hear most people's microphones at all (the microphones that weren't clipping).
Talking about disability to abled people is utterly exhausting.
7/14
Talking about disability to abled people is utterly exhausting.
7/14
I was then told how dare I "use my disability" to get in here to talk about this, how dare I be so mean! The devs worked very hard and it's only in alpha!
This was the channel for feedback by gamers had who played the game.
I was giving feedback.
8/14
This was the channel for feedback by gamers had who played the game.
I was giving feedback.
8/14
When you talk about your disability, you are immediately assumed to be selfish or wanting attention.
I didn't want attention.
I wanted to be able to play the damn game, how it was supposed to be played, like people were telling me in that channel how I should play it.
9/14
I didn't want attention.
I wanted to be able to play the damn game, how it was supposed to be played, like people were telling me in that channel how I should play it.
9/14
At the very minimum, I asked for a mute button & a microphone volume slider in the settings.
People moderated a bit, and I gave my last bit of feedback: It would be really cool if you could have individual volume sliders for each player in the game. That would be helpful
10/14
People moderated a bit, and I gave my last bit of feedback: It would be really cool if you could have individual volume sliders for each player in the game. That would be helpful
10/14
A well-meaning gamer in the chat responded, who is a programmer but not a developer, saying that volume sliders for each player would be "hard to implement."
They said there's a reason most games don't have this feature.
A feature that would include me.
11/14
They said there's a reason most games don't have this feature.
A feature that would include me.
11/14
I know there are lots of reasons certain accessibility features aren't implemented in games. A lot of it comes down to time, money, or not knowing.
But sometimes we see the harsh truth - most gamers do not care about our inclusion. I learned that today.
12/14
But sometimes we see the harsh truth - most gamers do not care about our inclusion. I learned that today.
12/14
If you are making a game with audio as an integral part of it, you cannot pretend that you're not excluding people with auditory disabilities when you refuse to add necessary audio settings such as volume sliders (as well as subtitles/visual cues).
13/14
13/14
If your response to disabled people is "that's just how you have to play the game" when the person is telling you they literally cannot play it that way,
You are knowingly excluding us.
We see you.
We are tired of it.
We just want to be included.
Do better.
14/14
You are knowingly excluding us.
We see you.
We are tired of it.
We just want to be included.
Do better.
14/14
@AbleGamers Even games that are in alpha don't seem to want feedback on accessibility needs.. sigh..
To clarify something - I don't think any of the developers of games are bad people or intentionally doing any of this.
I do think however that speaking up specifically about accessibility needs in games is seen as pathetic or weak in general, and this needs to change.
I do think however that speaking up specifically about accessibility needs in games is seen as pathetic or weak in general, and this needs to change.
The developers did listen to my feedback. I'm not sure if they will implement what I asked about, but I will be happy if they at the very least provide a compression slider in the settings, even if they don't add separate player volume sliders.
Please be ready to listen to us.
Please be ready to listen to us.
Other auditory sensitivity info unrelated to this thread:
In case anyone wants to know what it "feels like" to hear how I hear - https://autisticscienceperson.com/2021/01/12/how-autistic-people-hear-the-world-auditory-chaos-and-the-search-for-silence/
In case anyone wants to know what it "feels like" to hear how I hear - https://autisticscienceperson.com/2021/01/12/how-autistic-people-hear-the-world-auditory-chaos-and-the-search-for-silence/
And in case any parents stumble onto this thread, here's a list of possible signs that your kid has auditory sensitivity/hyperacusis: https://twitter.com/AutSciPerson/status/1358916813241921537?s=20
Just to explain this to people who may be confused after reading the thread:
The issue is the dynamic range between the player with the quietest microphone and the player with the loudest microphone.
Here are 2 images showing high dynamic range vs. low dynamic range.
The issue is the dynamic range between the player with the quietest microphone and the player with the loudest microphone.
Here are 2 images showing high dynamic range vs. low dynamic range.
When you have a very large difference between the loudest player microphone and the quietest player microphone, to hear the quietest player, you are forced listen to the loudest player at a very high volume to understand the quietest player.
An in-game global voice chat does not fix this problem because you still have a wide volume range between those 2 players' microphones.
Changing your volume on your computer doesn't help either, for the same reason.
It's more complicated than some people would initially think.
Changing your volume on your computer doesn't help either, for the same reason.
It's more complicated than some people would initially think.
Adding a compression limiter slider for the user to change would allow them to reduce the loudness of the loudest player's microphone without changing the volume of the quietest player's microphone and therefore help level out the volume.
If this wasn't on a slider, the dynamic range would likely still look closer to the high dynamic range image than the low dynamic range image, so it's important that it can be controlled by the user, because I need to play on much lower dynamic range than most people.
So by only adding a compression limiter default value and not being able to change it on the user end, I'd likely still end up with the same problem due to the higher dynamic range I would have to play on with in-game audio.
I really hope compression limiter sliders become standard in the future (as well as individual volume sliders) - for any kind of technology, such as online conference software, games, etc.
It would probably make people's audio more pleasant for everyone.
It would probably make people's audio more pleasant for everyone.
