The gaming world has been the primary driver behind several major developments in the internet realm, and one great example here is the Discord platform. Originally targeted specifically toward gamers, and still a major platform for gamers across numerous games, Discord has become so popular and beneficial that it’s expanded its scope well beyond gaming and is now an all-purpose communication tool used across workplaces, learning institutions, social groups and more.
At Xidax, while our primary services come in the realm of designing and manufacturing custom, limited edition gaming computers and other computing devices for all our clients, we’re also highly cognizant of platforms like Discord and their impact on our client base. We’ve assisted many of our clients with basic Discord themes, including situations where specific Discord server needs require unique server setups on the client side. What exactly is Discord, how can you download and install it if you’re just getting started with the platform, and what are some of the other top themes and concepts to be aware of when it comes to Discord? Here’s a general primer.
From a broad standpoint, Discord is considered what’s known as a Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP, communication software platform. First formed back in 2012 by – you guessed it – gamers, Discord was actually first an attempt at creating a game similar to League of Legends – but this effort failed, and the creators actually discovered that the text and voice chat technology they’d created was far superior to options like Skype and Teamspeak, which were currently leading the market at the time.
As a result, the modern version of Discord came to be. This is an app that’s free and simple to use, though there’s also a subscription level known as Discord Nitro – this allows for several additional benefits and uses of Discord.
Discord is enormously useful for users across many industries and areas, with dozens of helpful features. However, for those just getting started, this plethora of uses may seem a bit confusing or overwhelming. Our next several sections will go over some basic startup and related themes if you’re new to Discord and looking to understand how it works.
Firstly, if you’re planning to download Discord, know that you won’t have to worry about platform. Discord is supported by Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and even Linux, with nearly identical functionality across all of these platforms. In fact, it can even technically be used on Xbox and PlayStation devices, but these tend to come with very low functionality and no voice chat or message sending, making it somewhat useless for most who use these.
And while Discord is large and multi-faceted, one of the great benefits is how simple it makes things for those who are new. Setting up a Discord account is easy and requires nothing more than an email address to link your account; deleting it is also very easy if you decide, later on, that it’s not where you want to be.
Within the Discord world, servers provide the basic structure that all users adhere to. Servers are free to set up within Discord, and whoever creates a given server “owns” it – meaning they can control who joins it, which permissions they have, whether they get banned and more. And within each server, separate Discord channels can be set up, functioning as different “chat rooms,” if you will, where people can communicate in several different ways.
Servers within Discord are free, as we noted, but there’s also the theme of server boosting to be aware of. This is a monthly paid subscription that allows you to level up your server, unlocking better audio quality, higher member upload limits, better emojis, upgraded streaming quality and several other perks. Many who use Discord often find it easily worth it to boost their server, though this isn’t always necessary.
In addition to the above, Discord roles are used to allow server owners to assign different powers and functional control to members. Trusted server members, for instance, can be given added privileges or even admin access; less trusted ones, on the other hand, can have their permissions restricted. There are numerous specific themes you can hit on within Discord roles, which are very important for those who regularly start up new servers.
On top of everything we’ve gone over to this point, an additional feature of Discord that’s often useful is the presence of automated Discord bots. You can add these to any server you start on Discord, and they improve functionality and user experience in several ways.
The primary function of Discord bots is to respond to basic comments that can be typed into the Discord chat box within a server. There are dozens of different Discord bot types out there, including “music bots” that can be added to allow for fantastic playlist and audio functionality.
Finally, while Discord is an incredible platform that’s changed the internet in several positive ways, it still has its issues from time to time. You may find it won’t open or update, or perhaps your mic or screen-sharing feature isn’t working. There are also several potential back-end errors, from Javascript concerns to routers, RTC and more. Luckily, all of these are very easy to deal with, with Discord itself offering numerous troubleshooting resources for users to utilize.
For more on Discord, or to learn about any of our gaming computers or other custom computer services, speak to the staff at Xidax today.
