SanderVR
Background:
Public worlds have become an audio roulette: one stranger joins with a boosted microphone, another drops a full-volume music bot, and suddenly every conversation is drowned out. Users with tinnitus, hyperacusis, or simply low-cost headphones are forced to crank the master volume just to hear their friends—then get hit with ear-splitting peaks. My friend left a recent session in pain for exactly this reason.
Current Limitations:
  • Master “Voice Volume” slider is global; turning it down punishes friends when strangers shout.
  • Per-user volume is reactive; you can’t adjust a screamer until after the damage.
  • Block/Mute removes all voice, not just excessive gain.
Nothing offers a proactive, persistent baseline difference between friends and everyone else.
Proposed Solution:
Add one extra control under Settings → Audio:
  • Friends Voice Volume (existing control, default 100 %)
  • Non-Friends Voice Volume (new control, default 100 %)
Users set the non-friends baseline once—say 40 %—and it persists across sessions.
How It Works:
  1. VRChat already tags each player as friend or non-friend. The new slider multiplies incoming voice gain for non-friends only.
  2. Manual per-user adjustments still stack on top of the baseline, so power users keep granular control.
  3. When someone becomes (or stops being) a friend, their voice automatically follows the correct baseline.
  4. If both sliders are equal, behaviour is identical to today: zero regression.
Edge Cases:
  • Baseline range remains 0–100 % to avoid clipping or negative gain.
  • Works the same in private, friends+, and public instances.
  • Streamer mode could expose the non-friend slider to a hotkey for quick on-air balancing.
Impact:
  • Accessibility: immediate protection for users with hearing difficulties or sensitive ears.
  • Quality-of-Life: no more master-volume yo-yo when DJs join public lobbies.
  • Content Creation: streamers keep friends audible while background chaos stays civil.
  • Community Health: encourages better mic etiquette without forcing harsh mutes and blocks.
Conclusion
One additional slider leverages existing friend logic to deliver major accessibility and comfort gains with minimal development effort. Let us keep our friends loud and the random karaoke soft—before the next 110 dB jump-scare hits.