New to the game and have some questions

Hello all. I'm new to NMRIH 2 (haven't played the first) and it's downloading as I type this post. I don't often play multiplayer games due to anxiety, so...

Do I need to use a mic? Can I get by with pings and text chat?

And what's the community like? Toxic? Friendly? Apathetic?

Thanks. I'm a big zombie/Romero fan so this game feels like a no-brainer.