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Voice Chat Mode Visibility Feature

Overview

This feature implements an admin-controlled setting to choose between direct audio voice chat and text-to-speech (TTS) voice chat mode. When direct audio mode is enabled, all voice-related UI sections are hidden from players to provide a clean, simplified interface.

Repository 645af62

Fix voice chat mode visibility - hide voice sections when UseDirectAudioVoiceChat is true

Changes Made:

Player Page (/Player):

Add debug display showing current UseDirectAudioVoiceChat value
Wrap entire Voice section (lines 52-110) in conditional @if (!useDirectAudioVoiceChat)
Voice section now only visible when admin allows TTS mode
Fix HTML structure issues and remove duplicate content

VoiceSettingsPanel:

Hide Audio Processing section when UseDirectAudioVoiceChat is true
Hide Voice System Choice section when UseDirectAudioVoiceChat is true
Hide Audio Testing section when UseDirectAudioVoiceChat is true
Add comprehensive debugging for admin settings loading
Add OnParametersSetAsync to handle parameter changes

AdminGroups:

Fix null reference warnings by adding empty list fallbacks

DraftsGame:

Fix unawaited call warning by discarding result with underscore
Comment out unused _sttActive field

Admin:

Comment out unused _voiceSettingsMessage field

Behavior:

When UseDirectAudioVoiceChat = true (Direct Audio Mode): All voice-related sections are hidden
When UseDirectAudioVoiceChat = false (TTS Mode): All voice sections are visible
Debug display on Player page shows current mode for easy verification
Clean compilation with no warnings or errors

Features

Admin Control

Setting Location: /Admin page under voice chat settings
Setting Name: UseDirectAudioVoiceChat
Default Value: true (Direct Audio Mode - Recommended)
Control Type: Checkbox with descriptive help text

Player Interface Changes

When Direct Audio Mode is Enabled (`UseDirectAudioVoiceChat = true`)

Player Page: Entire “Voice” section is hidden
Voice Settings Panel: All voice-related sections are hidden
- Audio Processing settings (echo cancellation, noise suppression, etc.)
- Voice System Choice (Enhanced vs Classic voice chat)
- Audio Testing (echo test, noise test, recording test)
Result: Clean interface without confusing voice options

When TTS Mode is Enabled (`UseDirectAudioVoiceChat = false`)

Player Page: Voice selection UI is visible
Voice Settings Panel: All voice sections are visible and functional
Result: Full voice control options available to players

Debug Features

Player Page Debug Display: Shows current voice chat mode at the top of the page
- Green: TRUE (Direct Audio) when direct audio mode is enabled
- Orange: FALSE (TTS Mode) when TTS mode is enabled
- Red: Loading... while settings are being loaded
Console Logging: Detailed debug information for troubleshooting

Technical Implementation

Database Schema

-- Settings table includes new column
CREATE TABLE "Settings" (
    "Id" INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
    -- ... other columns ...
    "UseDirectAudioVoiceChat" INTEGER NOT NULL  -- 1 = true, 0 = false
);

Model Changes

// AppSettings.cs
[Required]
public bool UseDirectAudioVoiceChat { get; set; } = true;

Service Changes

// SettingsService.cs
public async Task<bool> GetUseDirectAudioVoiceChatAsync()
public async Task<bool> UpdateUseDirectAudioVoiceChatAsync(bool newValue)

UI Conditional Logic

Player Page (Player.razor)

<!-- Debug Display -->
<div style="background: rgba(255,255,255,0.1); ...">
    <strong>🔧 Debug - Voice Chat Mode:</strong><br/>
    @if (useDirectAudioVoiceChatLoaded)
    {
        <span style="color: @(useDirectAudioVoiceChat ? "#4CAF50" : "#FF9800");">
            UseDirectAudioVoiceChat = @(useDirectAudioVoiceChat ? "TRUE (Direct Audio)" : "FALSE (TTS Mode)")
        </span>
    }
    else
    {
        <span style="color: #F44336;">Loading...</span>
    }
</div>

<!-- Voice Section (conditionally hidden) -->
@if (!useDirectAudioVoiceChat)
{
    <h4 class="rainbow-heading rainbow-heading--sm">Voice</h4>
    <!-- Voice selection UI -->
}

Voice Settings Panel (VoiceSettingsPanel.razor)

<!-- Audio Processing Settings -->
@if (adminSettings?.UseDirectAudioVoiceChat == false)
{
    <div class="settings-section">
        <div class="section-title">Audio Processing</div>
        <!-- Audio processing controls -->
    </div>
}

<!-- Voice System Choice -->
@if (ShowVoiceSystemChoice)  // Only when admin allows TTS
{
    <div class="settings-section">
        <div class="section-title">Voice System</div>
        <!-- Voice system choice controls -->
    </div>
}

<!-- Audio Testing -->
@if (adminSettings?.UseDirectAudioVoiceChat == false)
{
    <div class="settings-section">
        <div class="section-title">Audio Testing</div>
        <!-- Audio testing controls -->
    </div>
}

Admin Page (Admin.razor)

<label style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px">
    <input type="checkbox" @bind="_useDirectAudioVoiceChat" />
    Use Direct Audio Voice Chat (Recommended)
    <br />
    <small style="color:#666;">
        @if (_useDirectAudioVoiceChat)
        {
            <text>Players will use direct audio transmission (natural voice). Voice selection options will be hidden.</text>
        }
        else
        {
            <text>Players can choose between direct audio and text-to-speech. Voice selection options will be available.</text>
        }
    </small>
</label>

User Experience

For Administrators

Navigate to /Admin
Find “Use Direct Audio Voice Chat (Recommended)” checkbox
Check the box to enable direct audio mode (default)
Uncheck the box to enable TTS mode with voice selection
Save settings to apply changes

For Players

Direct Audio Mode (Default)

Simple Interface: No voice-related settings visible
Natural Voice: Players just talk normally - no configuration needed
Clean Experience: Focus on game, not technical settings

TTS Mode

Voice Selection: Choose from available system voices
Audio Controls: Configure echo cancellation, noise suppression, etc.
Testing Options: Test audio quality and settings
System Choice: Switch between enhanced and classic voice chat

Behavior Details

Voice Chat Transmission

Direct Audio Mode: Real-time audio transmission between players (WebM with Opus codec)
TTS Mode: Text-to-speech synthesis for voice output

Settings Persistence

Admin Settings: Stored in SQLite database Settings table
Player Settings: Stored in browser localStorage (only relevant for TTS mode)
Default Values: Direct audio mode (true) for new installations

Error Handling

Graceful Degradation: Falls back to direct audio mode if settings can’t be loaded
Debug Logging: Comprehensive console logging for troubleshooting
UI Feedback: Loading states and error messages

Migration Notes

For Existing Installations

The UseDirectAudioVoiceChat column will be added automatically by the database seeder, but existing databases may need manual column addition:

ALTER TABLE "Settings" ADD COLUMN "UseDirectAudioVoiceChat" INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1;

For New Installations

The setting is automatically created with the default value of true (direct audio mode).

Troubleshooting

Debug Information

Check the browser console (F12) for debug messages:

[Player Debug] UseDirectAudioVoiceChat loaded: true/false
[VoiceSettings] Loaded admin settings - UseDirectAudioVoiceChat: true/false
[VoiceSettings] UI Check - adminSettings null: false, UseDirectAudioVoiceChat: true, ShowVoiceSystemChoice: false

Common Issues

Voice Section Still Visible

Check the debug display on the Player page
Verify admin setting is saved correctly
Check browser console for error messages
Ensure the application has been restarted after changes

Settings Not Loading

Check database connection
Verify Settings table exists and has the UseDirectAudioVoiceChat column
Check for database migration issues

Performance Issues

Debug display has minimal performance impact
Console logging can be disabled in production by removing debug statements
Settings are cached after initial load

Future Enhancements

Potential Improvements

Per-Game Settings: Allow different voice modes per game
User Preferences: Remember individual player preferences when allowed
Voice Quality Settings: Advanced audio quality controls
Real-time Switching: Allow changing voice mode during active games

Voice Activity Detection: Automatic voice activation
Audio Quality Metrics: Real-time quality monitoring
Voice Recording: Voice message recording and playback

Security Considerations

Settings Access

Admin Only: Only administrators can change the global voice chat mode
Player Isolation: Players cannot override admin settings
Database Security: Settings are stored securely in SQLite database

Privacy

Local Storage: Player settings stored only in browser localStorage
No Tracking: No voice data is stored or transmitted unnecessarily
User Control: Players have full control over their local audio settings

Version History

v4.6.0 - Current Version

Added: Voice chat mode visibility control
Added: Debug display for current mode
Fixed: All voice sections properly hidden in direct audio mode
Improved: Clean compilation with no warnings
Enhanced: Better user experience with simplified interface

Previous Versions

Voice selection was always visible regardless of mode
No admin control over voice chat mode
Audio settings always shown even when not relevant

Support

For issues or questions about this feature:

Check the debug display on the Player page
Review browser console for error messages
Verify admin settings are correctly configured
Consult the troubleshooting section above

Last Updated: March 19, 2026
Version: 4.6.0
Author: Development Team

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