Armorsmith Archive
Thread: New top issues
The issues I don't really discuss but which have the greatest impact:
1) reduced health compared to CL 80's
2) no FS quests despite the fact that the Heightened Senses affects one of our dancer skills
3) No involvement in the Galaxy or the Galactic Civil War
Issues I freely complain about with other entertainers
1) The ability to AFK the profession. Not only do they spam effects that cannot be ignored but they prevent coordinated performances by taking up all available space in the cantina.
2) NPC StormTrooper Spam. This cannot be ignored and fills the chat box with the same, often non-sensical, drivel for hours on end.
3) Inconsistent knowledge about the inspiration buffs. Some crafters are reporting the buffs make things worse while others won't craft without them. We need this fixed as this is currently our only interactive service role in the game.
2. protection. There is nothing to keep my level 10 (and I'm high) entertainer protected while trying to move to the more interesting and less accessible locations.
[edit]
Ok my real top issue is AFK but I'm simply tired of thinking about it.
Message Edited by LyteFoot on 10-17-2005 10:11 AM
1a) AFKing -- most people seem to be putting this in "topical" so far, but for me it still belongs firmly in dancer related. It has completely removed the entire need for me to EVER log in, because of the acceptance that my chosen professions are "properly played" AFK. So it not only effects my gameplay as a dancer, but completely destroys it and replaces it with a deaf macro.
2a) Lack of content or anything to do at all, really -- this relates back to 1a. If cantinas were a healthy social atmosphere, I would not be lacking so much for content because there would be people to interact with. I would ENJOY the passivity aspects of entertaining because I would be too busy to do more than type /inspire. As it currently stands with cantinas being more like cesspools of all the most annoying aspects of the game brought to one place (AFKers, spam, light spam, tip lists, rude and demanding patrons, etc.), I have no content and there has been no replacement offered.
That said, I still prefer and will fight for cantinas to be restored to what we had back near launch and keep our current blend of passive mechanics that require a single activation, instead of giving us some sort of out-of-cantina jobs to do. It's obvious how to fix this -- ***get rid of the AFK***, give ATKers a SHORT time (maybe 2 months top) to recover some/resubscribe/remember where the public cantinas are, and then add combat related inspirations to the crafter ones. This will NOT WORK if the first step of removing AFK isn't taken, just like it didn't work to give us crafter inspirations without removing AFK. It might work if the first step is to make 100% of our mechanics require being ATK, but it would be infinitely more difficult because interaction would be improved with no improvement in the cantina atmosphere (see topical issue 2b).
3a) Lack of group dance commands and registration system -- group start dance, changedance, group lights, etc. etc., and a system for finding live entertainers easily.
Topical issues:
1b) AFKing -- it's annoying everyone now, except the people who do it and the combat people who don't have a crafter alt. Live entertainers have always hated it. Crafters are starting to hate it (or us all, really) because it interferes with them being able to find someone ATK to give a buff. I've still found crafters to be a much more understanding, sympathetic and patient bunch in general, but everyone's patience runs out sometime.
2b) Spam, visual and text -- Spam is bad. Very bad. From the guy who puts his inspiration alt bot in the cantina to spam his crafter wares, to the chick (/cough) in the exotic leotard who spams /distract every 3 seconds, it's reached epic proportions. When you have to have an AFK spam filter installed as a game option, there are serious issues. Light spam cannot be ignored, and has seriously led me and other people to getting migraines/headaches just from the visual overstimulation. Add in the fact that 99.9% of the people spamming are not even really playing the game and are AFK, but they're allowed to drive away people who come there to play? Pitiful.
3b) Respect -- Why so little respect? Heh, well, 1a, 1b and 2b have pretty much taken over. When the sum total of the activities of 99.9% of the profession are to log in, turn the macro on, leave the keyboard and then come back in 8 hours to check bank tips and add them to their bios, what is there to respect?
I used to be respected for my dedication. For being willing to stay in a cantina, when so many people did not understand the appeal. For being helpful and (well, sometimes..) nice. Now I'm laughed at and asked why I'm not AFK.
Message Edited by Doriana on 10-17-2005 11:46 AM
1. Group size - Reducing group size to 8 might begood for combat to keep content from being totally trivial but perhaps an exception could be made inside cantinas and player structuresor evencity limits, which would allow large group performances atplaces likestarports and parks. Ifan individualleaves the dedicated zone he/she is removed from the group. This way we could entertain in a large group but not have this exploitable by combat types who would likely pick up novice entertainer to enable large groups if it was based on profession rather than location.
2. Buff system tweak - I would like to be able to listen to the musicians without loosing my buff please. Dancing in silence is beyond annoying.
3. Client Drift - I am lucky enough to have my wife game on a computer right beside me. When we dance together on many dances I soon find that her effects are no longer centered on her but rather about 3 meters ahead and to the left of her. I look at her screen and they are centered on her. My client is displaying her where she started at and her client is following her drift and oddly enough so are the effects on my screen. If clients don't actually show dancers where they really are that can reallyimpact a performance.
My personal 3 most relevant issues
1. The inability to participate in any form of game content due to investment in entertainment. What exactly is a dancer supposed to do outside of a cantina? If the answer to that question is "nothing" then what exactly is a dancer supposed to do INSIDE of a cantina? What meaningful contribution are entertainers supposed to make to thegame and what meaningful reward should we be expecting from the game? Is there a reason we are expected to stay "barefoot and pregnant" in the cantina?
2. The inability to properly coreograph a show. People are all over the place, some afk chode is doing the wrong dance, someone smiles at a freind and now they are facing the wrong way, the base dances aren't synched so the formation is ruined in about 3 seconds. Sure I can control my movements but it's entirely too frustrating to instruct an entire dance troupe who are really just trying to chat and goof off (thier only available game content, mind you). I shouldn't have to manipulate the dances and flourishes in order to coreograph my movement around the dance floor and i shouldn't have to stop dancing to reposition.
3. Inability to self buff.
Most topical issues (it's important to note that most of the ents i hang with are the alts of the combatants I hang with and I don't knowmany folkswho playents as thier main characters anymore)
1. Slow rate of XP gains ( go to any NPC cantina and find a live entertainer who's trying to level up. Talk to them for 5 seconds and this topic will arise)
2. Inequity between combat classes and entertainment classes in regard to sp investement, time investment, and functionality
3. Inability to self buff
C
Doriana wrote:
Relevant issues:
1a) AFKing -- most people seem to be putting this in "topical" so far, but for me it still belongs firmly in dancer related. It has completely removed the entire need for me to EVER log in, because of the acceptance that my chosen professions are "properly played" AFK. So it not only effects my gameplay as a dancer, but completely destroys it and replaces it with a deaf macro.
2a) Lack of content or anything to do at all, really -- this relates back to 1a. If cantinas were a healthy social atmosphere, I would not be lacking so much for content because there would be people to interact with. I would ENJOY the passivity aspects of entertaining because I would be too busy to do more than type /inspire. As it currently stands with cantinas being more like cesspools of all the most annoying aspects of the game brought to one place (AFKers, spam, light spam, tip lists, rude and demanding patrons, etc.), I have no content and there has been no replacement offered.
That said, I still prefer and will fight for cantinas to be restored to what we had back near launch and keep our current blend of passive mechanics that require a single activation, instead of giving us some sort of out-of-cantina jobs to do. It's obvious how to fix this -- ***get rid of the AFK***, give ATKers a SHORT time (maybe 2 months top) to recover some/resubscribe/remember where the public cantinas are, and then add combat related inspirations to the crafter ones. This will NOT WORK if the first step of removing AFK isn't taken, just like it didn't work to give us crafter inspirations without removing AFK. It might work if the first step is to make 100% of our mechanics require being ATK, but it would be infinitely more difficult because interaction would be improved with no improvement in the cantina atmosphere (see topical issue 2b).
3a) Lack of group dance commands and registration system -- group start dance, changedance, group lights, etc. etc., and a system for finding live entertainers easily.
Topical issues:
1b) AFKing -- it's annoying everyone now, except the people who do it and the combat people who don't have a crafter alt. Live entertainers have always hated it. Crafters are starting to hate it (or us all, really) because it interferes with them being able to find someone ATK to give a buff. I've still found crafters to be a much more understanding, sympathetic and patient bunch in general, but everyone's patience runs out sometime.
2b) Spam, visual and text -- Spam is bad. Very bad. From the guy who puts his inspiration alt bot in the cantina to spam his crafter wares, to the chick (/cough) in the exotic leotard who spams /distract every 3 seconds, it's reached epic proportions. When you have to have an AFK spam filter installed as a game option, there are serious issues. Light spam cannot be ignored, and has seriously led me and other people to getting migraines/headaches just from the visual overstimulation. Add in the fact that 99.9% of the people spamming are not even really playing the game and are AFK, but they're allowed to drive away people who come there to play? Pitiful.
3b) Respect -- Why so little respect? Heh, well, 1a, 1b and 2b have pretty much taken over. When the sum total of the activities of 99.9% of the profession are to log in, turn the macro on, leave the keyboard and then come back in 8 hours to check bank tips and add them to their bios, what is there to respect?
I used to be respected for my dedication. For being willing to stay in a cantina, when so many people did not understand the appeal. For being helpful and (well, sometimes..) nice. Now I'm laughed at and asked why I'm not AFK.
Message Edited by Doriana on 10-17-2005 11:46 AM
QFE
Agree 110% with Dori's post ........ what more can be said .....
Alphessa
Please list your 3 most relevant issues; those issues which are most important to you or have the greatest effect on your game play as a Dancer.
1. I'm bored - I have nothing to actually do. I've Mastered, I've done the quests. Now what? The only folks in the cantinas are AFK bots grinding. I can dream of visiting Jabba's and dancing for him there, but I can't get there on my own! There's no reason for ANYONE to actually visit a cantina. The players who do want social interaction avoid the cantinas thanks to botting and grinders, so they go to player run events. That's pretty much all I log my Dancer in for; playing at my one Friday night gig. The most fun I have outside of that one gig is hanging out in the ENT channel. What's even more sad is that most of the time, the ENT channel is mostly combat folks who are there for the socializing. They never go to cantinas because we're not there, so they hang out in our chat channel.
2. AFK Bots - I agree with Doriana. This is both relevant as a Dancer *and* topical. I would LOVE to visit Dant Mining outpost to do a real show with musicians, but I can't. The Dant MO is *flooded* with grouped AFK bots. (Please send DJMs to the cantina to target AFK bots kthnxbye). The Dant MO is a GREAT place to find folks you know and get to know them. Good place to drum up some business. Many combat folks have Crafter alts, so many are happy to learn who's ATK so they can log in later and do business with you. Not to mention all their spam, lighting effects, begging for tips. How is a true ATK entertainer supposed to be seen/heard through all that...well..CRAP.
3. Grouping grouping grouping! - The group size doesn't bother me as much as not having a /group change dance command. When I was with The Kreetles on Gorath, we'd split to two groups and had our own chat channel. Yes, we actually had 16 ents on stage at once. The musicians, it's easier to manage. Dancers? Not so much. It is hard to make sure everyone hits /changed at the same time. A musician can do it so why not Dancers? WE DISCUSSED THIS AT FAN FEST AND WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE FIXED.
And your 3 most topical issues; those issues pertaining to your game as a dancer which you discuss with other entertainers you play with.
1. Lack of Inspirations - I've spent all night in a cantina and not had one person need a buff. Most crafters I know thing they're not worth tracking down an ATK Dancer. Musician? Not a problem. But my dancer never gets any requests. The dancers sit around without selling any and the musicians fight over the AS who walks in the door.
2. Spam - both text and visuals from AFK bots - Yes, this is in two places. It is both topical and relevent to the profession. Not only is it frustration to the profession as it has destroyed it, but we can't even *converse* with each other through it. We can't be heard through the spam or seen through all the blasted light shows that they insist on doing. It is as if to say "LOOK AT ME! I'M AFK! I JUST WANT YOUR MONEY! I AM NOT A REAL ENTERTAINER AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM!"
3. Dance drift. As an ent who works in performing groups..this is a huge concern. With some of these dance drifts, we have to stop our routines and synch up again. Totally annoying and not very professional. Why *can't* these dances be rooted to the spot? I mean, a wee bit for server placement...but have you seen Breakdance lately?
Message Edited by Rodie on 10-24-2005 09:20 AM