About Ventrilo
Ventrilo (pronounced ven-trill-oh orjust vent for short) is a free program that allows the Vanu Rangers to communicate in real-time in a way that uses microphones allowing us to talk instead of type. In many of the games that we play, this type of real-time communication is critical to our coordination. It allows us to explain plans easily and quickly while at the same time providing a more indepth social interaction than text chat does, providing a greater feeling of camaraderie and esprit de corps (aka morale).
While the Vanu Rangers will, in most cases, not require the use of Ventrilo by its members, it is HIGHLY encourage for all members and friends so that they can experience what it is like to be amongst rangers.
To use Ventrilo, all you need is a computer and speakers. While a microphone is required to be able to speak, it is not required to be able to listen. Listening is a HUGE benefit as it allows everyone else to talk to you quickly and you can reply via text chat, which they can read, handsfree. The goal here is to be 100% handsfree for those with microphones - if we have one member that is not on Ventrilo, then it is not handsfree for everyone OR that person who is not on Ventrilo feels left out because nobody is taking the time to talk to that person by typing into text chat.
If you do not have Ventrilo, you can download it for free from the Ventrilo website.
For those worried that it might contain a virus, spyware, malware, or other nasties... The installer is quite small and it is guaranteed virus, spyware, and malware free by not only the company who makes it, but the Vanu Rangers, and hundreds of companies that rent Ventrilo servers (like our host, GameServers.com). On top of that statement, the fact that the hundreds of thousands of gaming groups, clans, and guilds and even corporate enterprises that use it world-wide as a voice conferencing solution should be proof enough that it is safe to install.