When you are looking to compete in the online gaming world- - remember that good communication wins matches. Ventrilo is a feature-filled Voice-over-IP application that is commonly used in the gaming world and can improve your odds in your next match. RenIn the world of competitive online gaming, group communication is important above all else. Studies have shown that groups who communicate effectively in their environment will succeed in the competitive world. This applies to gaming, and Ventrilo is an effective tool that can be utilized by any group to improve their odds. As many people know, gamers are very touchy about everything that contributes to their gaming performance. Why would anyone ignore the obvious benefits of having a Ventrilo server at their disposal for team matches? Having a Ventrilo server for use in gaming matches is just as important as having that perfect gaming mouse or headset. Ventrilo is only one of the important things to have while taking part in pro-gaming. There is a common misconception in gaming that latency is everything. While latency is important, it is more important to play on a network that has absolutely zero packet loss. Someone playing with 1% packet loss with a 30ms ping stands much less of a chance than someone with 100ms ping and zero packet loss. When choosing to purchase services that are related to gaming ? whether a Ventrilo server, or a Counter-strike game server, make sure you look carefully at the network that the company places their servers on. When you are looking to compete in the online gaming world- - remember that good communication wins matches. Ventrilo is a feature-filled Voice-over-IP application that is commonly used in the gaming world and can improve your odds in your next match. Rent a Ventrilo server from a licensed Ventrilo host, and motivate your team to use the server during matches. Chances are you will perform a lot better! For those people reading this that have not used Ventrilo before, here is a quick rundown of how to get started. First, go to Ventrilo's web site at ventrilo.com, and download the Client software. For Mac users, ensure you get the Mac OSX version of the software instead of the Windows one. A step-by-step installation will help you through the installation, and you should launch the program and create a new username. Ensure that your microphone or headset is plugged in, and that your speaker's volume is set to a comfortable setting. Next, you will need to connect to the Ventrilo server you have rented. Enter the IP Address that you have been given, along with the port number. If you have any trouble during any time reading this article, feel free to submit a support ticket to DarkStar Communications and we will gladly walk you through the setup of any Ventrilo server, even if we do not host it. Once you have entered the appropriate information, you can click the Connect button on the client. For those wishing to tweak sound settings and use the ?Push to Talk? feature, which lets you bind a keyboard key to trigger recording (which stops once you let go of the button), click the setup button on the client interface. Ensure that ?Use DirectSound for input Device? is checked. This should be set for both Input and Output devices. If people complain that you sound too soft, or you cannot hear people, you can adjust the Amplifiers on the bottom right. Good luck in the gaming world ? and remember, Ventrilo betters your odds with improved group communication! Always have a Ventrilo server at your disposal.