Yes and no. As a commander its a must ( though some try without, though it usually doesnt end well... )
As a squad player it helps a lot, but you could get away with some brief reports ( though your other half might get concerned if you start screaming "I need a medic!!!"
You can also type to squad,local, etc.
Thanks, I'll give it a try then. I'm used to chat and use it a lot, but as much as I would have loved voice comms fifteen years ago, it's just not viable.
