VoIP do we need it?

[Sasquatchias]

That pretty much would be VoIP without what makes it useful. If I can only talk to players I already know anyway, what's stopping me from just using Discord?

Discord's inability to talk to players outside of other discord users?

The hailing / invitation wouldn't just be for friends but anyone else in-game - like if you find a buddy during a mining excursion or something you can invite them to comm with you. Or if you're a pirate / fighter you could hail an enemy's ship, inviting them to comms as well so you can make your demands known.

Basically if you're wanting to chat in a group you can, but the random guy at base sitting next to you isn't forced to have to listen to your chatter nor everyone else's chatter.

 

[Elo]

Maybe add VoIP and "emote like" voice bits like "yes" "no" "gib cargo!" "leave me alone". Have settings to disable only VoIP or both.

Reduce the range for it at stations severely but not in space. That way if you dont want VoIP you disable it but can still be contacted with the voice bits?
If some pirate is about to blast me to smithereens Id liked to be threatened first

 

[Yasko]

Discord's inability to talk to players outside of other discord users?

The hailing / invitation wouldn't just be for friends but anyone else in-game - like if you find a buddy during a mining excursion or something you can invite them to comm with you. Or if you're a pirate / fighter you could hail an enemy's ship, inviting them to comms as well so you can make your demands known.

Basically if you're wanting to chat in a group you can, but the random guy at base sitting next to you isn't forced to have to listen to your chatter nor everyone else's chatter.

With this clarification, I like your idea better.

How about having different VoIP channels you can toggle on/off seperately? group channels for those who want/need it, and a proximity based channel with everyone provided they didn't turn it off.
That way everyone could use what they're most comfortable with.

Maybe add VoIP and "emote like" voice bits like "yes" "no" "gib cargo!" "leave me alone". Have settings to disable only VoIP or both.

Reduce the range for it at stations severely but not in space. That way if you dont want VoIP you disable it but can still be contacted with the voice bits?
If some pirate is about to blast me to smithereens Id liked to be threatened first

Reduced range for VoIP at (crowded) stations would be necessary.
Another option would be to have relatively limited range on VoIP no matter where you are, so you can talk to people on the same ship as you are on, but not others. That would require a radio transmission to their ship, maybe with speakers installed on their ship from which incoming messages on opened frequencies would be broadcast.