Hey Manchester! So I have been writing Game On articles for a few months now and I just realized in the past few days that I have left out one key ingredient that could be linking us ALL TOGETHER: A public DISCORD server for Ink Link Gaming! It could be another layer to the cool things I get to do at Ink Link and be expressive with the knowledge I have in the digital world! Ok so for those who are wondering……what the heck IS Discord?
BUT before we answer that, I want you to take a walk with me. Think about how much people love to stay in touch. It could be chatting with friends and family on video calls, messaging on IG/WhatsApp or working remotely touching base while using Microsoft Team
People love to stay in touch. Whether that’s chatting to friends and family on video calls, messaging on WhatsApp or touching base while working remotely with Microsoft Teams or Slack. Gamers are no different.
In the old days, gamers would make use of text chat services like X-Fire or VOIP servers like Mumble, Teamspeak or Ventrilo. (VOIP = VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL) Things have come a long way since then though and both technology and demands have changed.
Now the modern gamer needs something that can do it all and Discord is the free software that does just that.
WHAT IS DISCORD?
“Ever since childhood, founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy both shared a love of video games, cherishing the friendships and connections that formed while playing them. At the time, all the tools built for this job were slow, unreliable, and complex. Jason and Stan knew they could make a better service that encouraged talking, helped form memories, and recreated the feeling of togetherness all found through gaming.”
As someone who has used DISCORD for the past five years I have never even considered the idea of a rival platform or even going anywhere else to round up my gaming buddies from different communities. This platform is WAY ahead of its time but I am so glad that it exists in my lifetime. Discord is the #1 VOIP (VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL) in the world and it isn’t even close. Anyone, anywhere can make a discord account in a matter of two minutes, start or join an existing server and be in communication with anyone in the world. It’s truly magical!
DOWNLOAD
Download Discord to Talk, Chat, and Hang Out
An adventure awaits. Hang out with your friends on our desktop app and keep the conversation going on mobile.
CREATE A SERVER
So once you have Discord downloaded you are ready to build your server! You can create your own OR use a template! Assuming this is your first server… let’s take a template! For this article ill select the Gaming template.
CHOOSE YOUR SERVER TYPE
You can pick the server to be for a club/community or you can make a server for you and your friends! I choose community since the template will have what I am looking for. (always remember to stay up to date with Discord Guidelines)
IF YOU BUILD IT … THEY WILL COME!
Now that you have set up your Discord server you can create text or voice channels! You are allowed to create an UNLIMITED amount of channels for FREE! This is my favorite part of Discord that you can have so many different channels for anything you want and any number of people in the server!
Inside the dropdown menu, you are going to find the settings that will help you make your changes to the server. You can select server settings and more here. Inside server settings you can find, ‘community’ and ‘user management‘ categories with channels underneath them that are self-explanatory!
Congrats! You have set up your very first Discord server, time to invite your friends to your new free online hangout!
WHAT MAKES DISCORD DIFFERENT?
Discord was made specifically for gamers, but nowadays there are many Discord servers whose topics range from anime and manga, comics, movies, art, self-help, and simply socializing. It’s just a matter of what you’re into.
Discord gives you the power to create your own place to belong. Your Discord server is your home, shared with only the special people you invite. An invite-only place with plenty of room to talk.
