google tts defaults!

webui/src/components/ChatPanel/index.jsx

@@ -16,15 +16,24 @@ const CHROME_TTS_VOICES = ['sfg', 'iob', 'iog', 'iol', 'iom', 'tpc', 'tpd', 'tpf
 const ESPEAK_PITCHES = Array.from({ length: 10 }, (_, idx) => idx * 10);
 const GOOGLE_TTS_VALUES = [0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.0];
 const DEFAULT_GOOGLE_TTS_VALUE = 1.0;
+const DEFAULT_GOOGLE_TTS_VOICE = 'tpf';
 
 const TTS_SETTINGS_DEFAULTS = {
-  engine: 'flite',
-  voice: 'rms',
+  engine: 'chromegtts',
+  voice: DEFAULT_GOOGLE_TTS_VOICE,
   pitch: 50,
   googlePitch: DEFAULT_GOOGLE_TTS_VALUE,
   googleSpeed: DEFAULT_GOOGLE_TTS_VALUE,
 };
 
+function formatGoogleSpeedLabel(engineSpeed) {
+  // Chrome's local Google TTS model treats this parameter like a duration
+  // multiplier, so larger raw values sound slower. Keep the raw saved value and
+  // rover payload unchanged, but show the reciprocal so the dropdown reads like
+  // a normal user-facing speed control where larger means faster.
+  return (1 / engineSpeed).toFixed(2);
+}
+
 function resolveTtsSettings(settings) {
   return {
     engine: settings?.engine || TTS_SETTINGS_DEFAULTS.engine,
@@ -122,7 +131,7 @@ function TtsControls({
           const next = event.target.value;
           const nextVoice =
             next === 'chromegtts' && !CHROME_TTS_VOICES.includes(voice)
-              ? 'tpf'
+              ? DEFAULT_GOOGLE_TTS_VOICE
               : next === 'flite' && !FLITE_VOICES.includes(voice)
                 ? 'rms'
                 : voice;
@@ -176,7 +185,7 @@ function TtsControls({
               >
                 {GOOGLE_TTS_VALUES.map((value) => (
                   <option key={`speed-${value}`} value={value}>
-                    speed {value.toFixed(2)}
+                    speed {formatGoogleSpeedLabel(value)}
                   </option>
                 ))}
               </select>

webui/src/components/HudOverlays/HudChatInput/index.jsx

@@ -28,8 +28,11 @@ function HudChatInput({ compact = false }) {
   const roverRoster = useSessionSelector((state) => state.session?.roster || []);
   const { sendMessage, onInputFocus, onInputBlur, blurChat, registerInputRef, setTypingActive } = useChatActions();
   const { value: ttsSettings } = useSettingsNamespace('tts', {
-    engine: 'flite',
-    voice: 'rms',
+    // HUD chat shares the normal browser TTS defaults, but it has no visible
+    // controls of its own. Keeping the fallback here on Google speech prevents
+    // the compact HUD path from silently reverting to flite for fresh users.
+    engine: 'chromegtts',
+    voice: 'tpf',
     pitch: 50,
     googlePitch: 1,
     googleSpeed: 1,
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ function HudChatInput({ compact = false }) {
   const ttsPayload = useMemo(() => {
     if (!ttsSupported) return null;
     const engine =
-      ttsSettings?.engine === 'espeak' ? 'espeak' : ttsSettings?.engine === 'chromegtts' ? 'chromegtts' : 'flite';
+      ttsSettings?.engine === 'espeak' ? 'espeak' : ttsSettings?.engine === 'flite' ? 'flite' : 'chromegtts';
     if (engine === 'espeak') {
       let pitch = Number.isFinite(ttsSettings?.pitch) ? Math.round(ttsSettings.pitch) : undefined;
       if (typeof pitch === 'number') {