HoneyBakedHam: I now have a pretty nice headset... but prior I had a simple Logitech headset that I found at a Target for $12. I surely didn't mean to imply one needed the WhizBang AudioMaster 6000 with built Dolby 9.1 Surround and UberThump Bass Boost... As long as you can hear and talk, you got all your bases covered...

I readily admit, however, that I have no idea what the retail landscape is like on The Isle On Man. Here in America, you can buy almost anything you need... especially if quality is not your primary concern. I tend to think of the headset/mic combo as an item where "good enough" is good enough.

And as for players who are deaf, well... that is a challenge... and I was clearly using deliberate hyperbole, but I had not ever considered that as I am not deaf nor do I even know anyone who is. Obviously I would never suggest that deaf players shouldn't play, but the speed of any shooter makes text chat cumbersome, IMO.

Hopefully, as speech recognition improves, games like TF2 might be able to add speech to text to the game interface, because if you are deaf, you will likely not be hearing some key tactical info from teammates, but like Virama says, he can still play effectively. Plus, having fun is to me, and many I think, more important than always winning.

Now I also think you need a good monitor... and I hope none of the blind players get mad at me for my continued insensitivity.