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Communication, Comms and Languages
Communication is key to winning and having a good time in Colonial Marines. Here are all the things you might need to learn to using them properly.
Basics
The default shortcut to open the comms menu is "t". If you type your message without anything you'll say it locally, and it can only be heard by people (and devices) within sight of you.
To access specific channels, start your message with ";", ":", "#", or ".". The last three are followed by a letter (for accessing radio channels) or a number (for a language) or a combination of the two. The letters are case-insensitive.
So ":n" will send a message over the engineering channel, same as ":N", "#n", "#N", ".n" and ".N".
Multicasting
If you want to send the same message over multiple channels, start your message with "," and then list up to four channels to multicast to. This ability has a cooldown, but can be very useful for command. So for example, ",abcd Get to the FOB" will send a message "Get to the FOB" over Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta channels at the same time.
Say / Radio Commands
Main channels
| Comms command | What is it used for | Main users |
|---|---|---|
| ; | General faction communication. Xenos use it to talk in Hivemind, Marines use it to talk in their Squad chat, Yautja, Survivors, ERTs, etc. use it for their special communication channels, and Almayer ship crew uses it for general comms. | Everyone, in their own way |
| :w | Whispering - talking in a way that only someone really close can hear you | Everyone |
| :h | Department - talking to your default department | Mostly USCM ship crew |
| :i | Intercom - activating the nearby Intercom on dropships, Almayer or elsewhere | Mostly Marines and Survivors on Almayer |
| :m | Medical channel | Squad Medics, Doctors, Research, etc. |
| :n | Engineering channel | Squad Engineers, Ordnance Technicians, etc. |
| :v | Command channel | Command Staff, Squad Leaders, Department Heads, etc. |
| :p | Military Police channel | MPs, Command Staff, etc. |
| :u | Requisition channel | Requisition Staff, Command, RTOs, SLs, etc. |
| :j | JTAC channel | Pilot crew, RTOs, SLs, etc. |
| :t | Intel channel | IOs, Command Staff, etc. |
Squad channels
| Comms command | What is it used for | Main users |
|---|---|---|
| :a | Alpha Squad Channel | Alpha Squad Marines, Command Staff, etc. |
| :b | Bravo Squad Channel | Bravo Squad Marines, Command Staff, etc. |
| :c | Charlie Squad Channel | Charlie Squad Marines, Command Staff, etc. |
| :d | Delta Squad Channel | Delta Squad Marines, Command Staff, etc. |
| :e | Echo Squad Channel | Echo Squad Marines, Command Staff, etc. |
| :f | Foxtrot Squad Channel | Foxtrot Squad Marines, Command Staff, etc. |
Niche channels
Channels that are rarely used, but might come up every now and then, or used by specific rarer faction.
| Comms command | What is it used for | Main users |
|---|---|---|
| :y | WY channel | CL, PMCs, whoever CL gifted a special decryption key to. |
| :o | CCT Channel (JTAC equivalent for HvH) | ??? |
| :z | High Command Channel | Members of the High Command (Provost, their crew, etc.) |
| :k | SOF Channel | SOF squad members |
| :g | Almayer Channel | People who want to use USCM general chat but don't start with it by default (such as Survivors with extra decryption keys). |
Languages
Every mob in the game speaks a language. Most often you won't notice it, because you communicate with friendlies in your default language, but sometimes there will be other languages you might know to communicate with other factions. Synthetics can communicate in all languages, Yautja understand all languages but need a communicator to talk back. If you're unsure what languages you know, check your IC verb Check Known Languages.
Main languages
| Chat command | Language | Who is it mostly used by? |
|---|---|---|
| :1 | English | USCM, Survivors, most other factions also know it |
| :2 | Japanese | CLF |
| :3 | Russian | UPP |
| :4 | Weltraumdeutsch | Various |
| :5 | Neospanish | Various |
| :8 | Chinese | Various |
| :l | Tactical Sign Language | UPP Commandos, MARSOC operators |
| :s | Sainja | Yautja, Synthetics |
| :h | Hellhound | Hellhounds |
| :x | Xenomorph | Xenomorphs, Synthetics, PMC Xeno Handlers |
| :q | Hivemind | Xenomorphs |
Misc languages
Stuff that is still in the code but is rarely if every used.
| Chat command | Language | Who is it mostly used by? |
|---|---|---|
| :6 | Robot Talk | Robots, AI |
| :7 | Telepath Implant | Event people with telepathic implants |
| :9 | Primitive | Monkeys |
| :D | Drone Talk | Robot drones |
Languages over comms
You CAN combine speaking other languages and talking over comms, but you have to do it in a specific way. First, specify the channel you are using, then specify the language without a space inbetween. So ":m:8 Test" will result in you saying "Test" in Chinese over the Medical comms, ";:3 Test" - in saying "Test" in Russian over the default comms (very useful for someone communicating with UPP over their headset). If, however, you say ":m :8 Test" you will say ":8 Test" over the Medical comms, while saying ":8:m Test" will result in you saying ":m Test" in Chinese.
FIRST Comms channel, THEN Language, NO SPACE INBETWEEN.