Why TeamSpeak should abandon TS5

TeamSpeak Client Suggestions and Feedback
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So, first of all, everything I am gonna say in this post is my personal opinion and if you have a different one thats perfectly fine and you are more than welcome to change my mind.
Also one thing I wanna say before beginning to share my view with you is that I will always be a TeamSpeak-User regardless of what happens. I really like the idea of having the choice about everything and self-hosting my server.
However in the last couple of months or even years there were some decisions made by TeamSpeak which in my opinion might not be the best for the community and are counter productive for the growth of TeamSpeak.

So, the story began when TeamSpeak released a Trailer of the upcoming TeamSpeak 5 (or just “All-new TeamSpeak Client”). I watched it and I was seriously excited. But what I immediately bothered me, that from the Trailer you can already tell it’s much like Discord.
Which yes, is in fact nowadays the VoIP Software with the most users, which is quite sad to be honest, but as a TeamSpeak user I want to have a client that fits TeamSpeak that isn’t like other programs, that isn’t like Discord.

But to be fair, at this point I haven’t tried the client out myself so it might be too early to judge.
So, about a few months ago I finally got access to the Beta of the new TeamSpeak Client (I am just going to call this “TeamSpeak 5” in the continuation of this post because “All-new TeamSpeak Client” ist just too long).
And what can I say, it’s much what I expected it to be: It’s much like Discord.
Of course what TeamSpeak is trying to do with this design, is to get the people who previously switched to Discord back to TeamSpeak.
But the thing is, the people currently using TeamSpeak 5 are folks who have been using TeamSpeak for years, maybe even for decades.
And until the target group of TeamSpeak 5 (that is, again, obviously Discord users) gets their hands on the new client just too much time will have passed.

But let’s come to why I personally think TeamSpeak 3 is still miles ahead of TeamSpeak 5 in almost everything and why I don’t think TeamSpeak 5 will ever replace TeamSpeak 3 for me.
[If you want a more detailed post just on this topic and more reasons why TeamSpeak 5 is just so much worse than TeamSpeak 5 check out this post:Meinung zu TS5 - Opinion on TS5 (yes, some things have changed til today, but the core points still remain).]
The things I love about TeamSpeak 3 is the ridiculously low resource usage and the freedom of customization: Everything from plugins and themes to something as simple as the UI, which is heavely customziable by moving the toolbar, adding new actions to it etc.

And guess what? These two things aren’t available almost at all in TeamSpeak 5.
There is no plugin support, not nearly such a customizable UI, and for themes there is only dark and bright. That’s it.

Let’s take a deeper look at the UI in general.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but compared to TeamSpeak 3 where everything was arranged sensibly and clearly, TeamSpeak 5 is just the definition of confusing.
Instead of opening option menus in new windows to still have an overview of everything else, they just open in the same window overlapping with other things.
For instance, when you open the options/settings in TeamSpeak 3 you get a nice and clear window that you can move around wherever you would like, in TeamSpeak 5 on the other hand the settings take up the whole client and still do not make good use of all that space.

Features of TS5 compared to TS3
I am going to make this one pretty short since there isn’t really much to say.
TeamSpeak 3 still has tons of features which I miss in TeamSpeak 5 and I don’t think it makes sense to devolop features exclusively for TeamSpeak 5 (which TeamSpeak has done with the push-to-mute button) for two reasons:
-It would make much for sense to implement the missing features from TeamSpeak 3 first.
-What the public sees is TeamSpeak 3, TeamSpeak 3 Updates keep TeamSpeak alive.

What the public sees
For the average user who wants to use TeamSpeak or is using TeamSpeak there is TeamSpeak 3. Which is amazing, yes, but:
It is ridiculous that TeamSpeak 3 has not received a single update for almost 4 months now, while TeamSpeak 5 has received 16, yes 16, updates during this time.
I see that TeamSpeak wants to focus on the new client, but now comes the point why I write all of this at all: I don’ think it makes sense. Let me explain:
To get TeamSpeak 5 to a state where it’s usable, has all the great features from TeamSpeak 3 and is ready to release as a stable client or even a public beta it would take way too much time and effort.
Again, what the public or average TeamSpeakUser sees is TeamSpeak 3, which, again, hasn’t received a single update since 4 months.
And I think it would make a lot more sense to just continue working on TeamSpeak 3, invent brand new features rather than trying to implement features that already exist in a different client for years and just improve the already existing, amazing version of TeamSpeak which is, again, the one the average TeamSpeakUser sees.

And even if you really want to continue working on TeamSpeak 5 so badly then please, please for the sake of god give us at least monthly updates for TeamSpeak 3 because this is the client which the public sees, is using and the community is loving.

Thanks a lot for reading and sorry for my bad english, my native language is german

Cheers.

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And now I would love to hear your thoughts on the situation. Do you agree with me or do you see potential in TeamSpeak 5?

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Let me start by giving you some background on where I’m coming from. I joined the Teamspeak 5 alpha (aka, the client was under NDA and not shown anywhere publicly) somewhere in July 2019, and haven’t really touched Teamspeak 3 since then. My opinion will probably be biased since I’ve been using the Teamspeak 5 client for almost 2 years, but I’ll try not to be.

// Looks like Discord
I can definitely see the point you are trying to make, but I have to disagree. The only thing that could remind me of Discord is the 3 contextual panels that the client has. Personally, I don’t think TeamSpeak is trying to become a Discord copy or really try to replace it at the moment. They are working hard to create a better and more up-to-date Teamspeak client that is easy for everyone to use. And by everyone, I include people who have absolutely no idea how the client works and don’t want to bother with it just to understand the system (aka, ts3). Plugins are a thing and will definitely come to the client, just not now, these things take time to implement into a new client/system that was created from nothing. TeamSpeak has also mentioned a theme editor in the past that allows you to share your creations with the community as well.

// TeamSpeak 5 UI
I was definitely skeptical of the new design myself when I first started using TeamSpeak 5, but over time it has changed a lot and definitely for the better. I don’t really understand how the UI can be confusing when Teamspeak 3 is the definition of confusion and a really outdated client when it comes to today’s standards. As for your example of opening the settings in both clients, in Teamspeak 5, when you’re in the settings and on a server at the same time, the client shows a little channel overlay in the bottom left of the sidebar of who is currently connected and talking in your channel. To be honest, I don’t really know what else you want to see when you’re in the client settings. The client also remembers what part of the settings you were in, so if you need to leave it to answer someone or check a server, you can just click back and continue with what you were doing in the settings.

// TeamSpeak 3 Comparison
You haven’t really mentioned any features you miss, but I can see the point you are making.

// What the public sees
You cannot say what the public sees by determining which client is publicly accessible and which is not. TeamSpeak and the community(in a small way) are the ones responsible for what the public sees and doesn’t see, but it’s mainly TeamSpeak’s job. TeamSpeak 3 is definitely not the only thing that the public sees and that it does not receive updates. If the TeamSpeak team decides not to post anything about TeamSpeak 5 on social media and websites, then it’s completely their fault that no one cares and no one knows it’s even a thing. TeamSpeak 5 is just as public to see as TeamSpeak 3. A quick Google/Twitter/Youtube search and you’ll find plenty of screenshots and videos about the new client and what it has to offer, even if some of the information is outdated.

// My last words
After all the time they have put into this project, even if it doesn’t show, they would never give up or let the new client go. I can understand your frustration with TeamSpeak 3 not getting updates, but you also have to understand that TeamSpeak wants to show everyone what they are capable of, so they will do their best to make this client the best for everyone out there, even if it’s not what you want it to be right now, I’m sure you will love it in the future.

There are two mistakes that anyone can make.

  1. Not starting
  2. Not going all the way

  • (1) They have come to the conclusion that they need to create a new client, which they did.

  • (2) They have already started and put so much effort into this client, now imagine they give up on it. If they gave up on the client or abandon it, it would make 100x bigger news on the internet than it did when they announced the new client and would not make them look good at all.

Giving up should never be an option, they took a break (we don’t know the reason) after releasing 5.0.0-beta.25. To be honest, I really felt like they gave up on it after not releasing a single client update or giving us any information as to what happened for almost 5 months, but look at them now.

Thanks for reading.

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The Teamspeak 5 Client is completely different to discord but ok.

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@OLFMSQL I have a feeling that most people just haven’t really gotten used to it yet. If someone has been using TeamSpeak 3, the transition to a brand new and more modern client will naturally take a bit more time. Overall, I think they are skeptical because there is no plugin support or ability to freely customize it to their liking. E.g. the possibility to change the toolbar or have different designs for the sidebar and so on.

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These Features are Missing because the Client is in the BETA and not fully released.

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agreed

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It makes no sense to focus on TS3. There are tons of reasons why 90%+ of all gamers are using discord now. You will get ZERO Users back to TS if you focus more on TS3 again. But… unfortunately, they will also don’t get any significant amount of users back with TS5. Because its simply too late and on top of that, are all the other reasons you put down already. Licence problems, mission Features compared to discord etc. But the biggest problem is, that discord just sits to tight in the chair already. All the big streamers and influencer have discord server. Even the freaking Pro Gamer Events etc. are using discord. I was honestly confused in the last SC2 Tournament when I heard from the casters that they are on a TS Server. That’s maybe because the event was in Germany…but yeha…

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In fact, the majority of professional players use TeamSpeak instead of Discord. You can also find a lot of TeamSpeak recordings of the teams playing on youtube and Twitter, etc.

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I’m watching SC2 Tournaments for years now…and you know what? They always use Discord. I mean…yes…for offline Events…there is still a little rabbit hole for TS…but thats it in my opinion. Not that the E-Sport is relevant. In the end the Streamers are the one who make the difference.

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well the SC2 community is relatively small nowadays

sc2 player count

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while other games are massive compared to that

csgo player count

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image775Ă—164 89.7 KB

But why is this interesting?
Especially fps games, like CS:GO, R6S, Valorant, etc. rely on precise and especially fast communication. A lot of (pro) players in those games use TeamSpeak (or mumble) and not Discord as it can simply not live up to the required standards.

Regardless of that tho, I personally hate to watch yt videos recorded on discord with more than 2 people. The loss of quality when multiple people are talking is simply unbearable. The same goes for playing games myself. Imaging 3 people giving call-outs at the same time. DC: well try again, no one understood anything… TS: all clear.

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Having come from using TS3 for years, I feel TS5 feel more modern like, easier to use for first timer, and thus more appealing in term of UI/UX. However, what I recommended to my friend for using TS is its lightweight-ness, and the new UI just rob that… I know it’s a trade-off, but beside that, TS5 still doesn’t have its own game overlay. I’m not sure if it’s still compatible or need to use Overwolf, since it already took more than double the RAM/resources needed when running TS3.

So yeah, I agree that devs should still manage the TS3 as their main product and regularly update it.
Regarding abandoning TS5, they already spent so much time and resources to TS5, so completely abandoning it is not wise, it has better UX afterall.

I just really hope they will still maintain and regularly update TS3 if TS5 ever become a final / finished product.

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I joined TS5 beta in january 2020 and only use TS3 sometimes to adjust permissions as this feature is still more comfortable there. I don’t see any reason to abandon the way more modern TS5 client, but plenty to not focus on TS3.

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At first, I want to talk about Teamspeak 3 compared to Teamspeak 5.

Currently, I’m using Teamspeak 3 because of all the administration features. I work for a little Gaming Community and the administration part of TS3 is much better than TS5. But that can change too because TS5 is in the BETA now.

I used TS5 for a few days and looked around for the new features and all that new stuff. What I really like is the new layout. It looks more modern and more structured than TS3. And I think that is one point why people don’t want to deal with TS3.

Now I want to talk about the Discord thing…
For me, Discord is not an alternitive to TS. I don’t want to criticize DC or the Community but I don’t understand these users. Often, when I talked to DC Users and we had that typicall discussion about which programm is better they said that it’s much easer for them. You can build up a server with a few clicks, got a friend list with private talks and a few other things.
But what really annoys me is that argument that DC is more stable then TS. I don’t know which server they visited but… I can’t agree with that. I used DC a few times and it was a horrible situation for me… Often, the calls shut down and I got a lot of other problems.

Why I wanted to include this is the simple reason that the DC Users should know what a really qualitative voice server is. I hope that most of them want to try out the new TS5. I think TS5 could consider them to change because of the new simple layout. You got the friend list things to and you can turn it off if you don’t want other people to message you private.
And if they want to say something like “Meh, I won’t use it because TS stole these ideas form DC”, damn… Than I will show them an interesting German Programm for companies and than they will see what stealing really is xD

And I would enjoy it if some of the DC Users will change to TS or at least get the old TS Users back because for me, DC is just an overhyped thing with a some own ideas and a horrible voice quality.

So, this is my opinion and my experience with TS3, TS5 and DC. I hope you guys got some kind of overview about this.

And I would like to say that we should give TS5 a chance! I think you should give erverything a chance when it’s new.

Thx for reading :3

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I agree with you on this part :

Yes, the low resource usage is the best thing about TS3.
But does it looks like Discord ? I think not. You are saying this just because it’s using Chrome under the hood.
Yes, Chrome eats resources, lots of them, but releasing a cross-platform app is easier this way.
My Task Manager reports a 200MB RAM usage with a 0.1% CPU usage in idle and 0% GPU usage, it’s nothing compared to Discord.
Maybe with time they will add support plugins and UI customization. Personally, I would stop using TS5 if there is no plugin support.
But for now, let’s help them develop the app, and we’ll see what the future holds for us.

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I’m now using TS5 for about a week, i started with ts1. After all I run my own ts3 server for about 10 years now. First on a local PC at home, now on a small vserver, it just runs with a 1 vcore, 512MB ram, which I get for 1€/month! Server runs mostly on 2% CPU and 15% RAM. Just had to read a little bit into Ubuntu-OS…
I like the new Teamspeak, except the bugs… the first voice setup could be easier, so new ts users will get it, but I was used to, due to ts3.
The new menu I find easy to navigate, even as I have only a small ts3 bar from top to bottom, works well. Couldn’t find anything I miss and found good new features.

Discord on the other hand imho is the result of our “facebook”-generation, I can absolutly understand to use Discord. Much more community features, but I don’t agree with the terms of condition (or whatever AGB is translated to), as like facebook, “if the product is free, you are the product”. But who cares about that today? sadly, not many …
Still sometimes I use discord, the screenshare is nice for private support, it just works.

Most annoying in Discord is the minimum window size, which is to big, that’s what I realy realy like with ts5!

I realy hope that Teamspeak will have a comeback with ts5, but it realy is late and doesn’t look like will be ready this year, realy sadly.
As of some posts say, it feels like a one man project in his free time, but I have no idea what happens in the back ground and just hope…

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I f*** love TS, even if I didn’t used it for likely… 6 Years? Roughly… (well I did sometimes, but it may was every 2 Years? for a few hours and than well…)

Why?..

  • Discord got released and was simply much more superior with it’s Free Servers, Adding Friends etc…
    I wanted to have a simple overview of my friends… and TS simply didnt could provide me any of those Features and so much more what Discord had for the time being :frowning:

Also I currently looking at TS5 and well it seems way better than TS3 and I also see you now can create an Account and may add Friends? let’s see

Well ya the only thing that is holding me back, is that TS5 is using a kind of JavaScript, doesn’t seem like Electron more like Vue? but it’s still kinda annoying, seems like I need to buy more RAM (16GB isn’t enough for todays standarts, at least for the things I do at the same time)

& @SkyRunnerNick es ist lesbar was du geschrieben hast.
Deswegen brauchst du nicht nach einer Entschuldigung Fragen :slight_smile:

Stattdessen bitte einfach die user darum einfach mal korrekturen zu deinem text zu machen, dann kannste es neachstes mal besser umsetzen :wink: