Dancer Archive

Wow,

I don't even know where to begin on this...

I can't believe the level of whining that people on these boards do...

For the first time in a MMORPG the "entertainer" has a purpose and you can actually build a character without having to go out and hunt, and have a meaningful existence in the game.

The entertainer system in SWG is unbelievably incredible and the Devs should be praised for it. Any time I watch a player dance, I marvel and the game modeling that makes these dances look real... Completely Awesome. The music is also awesome (of course they do have John Williams music to plagiarize from).

This will be long, but I ask that you please read it all.

You know I was going to start with some of the issues you all raise that I agree with, but there's no point to that... I need to be a voice of common sense for the AFK / Hologrinder issue and macroing

Am I a hologrinder? NO...I'm a pure entertainer... Master Musician... Almost Master Dancer... Almost Master Entertainer

Do I love to socialize? Yep.

Do I AFK? Yep.

What is your problem with AFK'ers? And more importantly, why do you want the devs to do something about it when it is completely in your power to deal with it yourself.. Quit whining about it here on the boards and go play the game and deal with it there. That way we can clear these boards for discussions of real issues, like more music, more instruments, and improvements to the buffing system.

Or as I talk about below.. use them to get fellow entertainers to come join you in an empty cantina somewhere.

It amazes me how many people are crying "ALL the cantinas are full of AFKers". EXCUSE ME? What server are you on? I'm on 2 main servers (Scylla and Tempest) and with a few exceptions, the cantinas are EMPTY!!..

You have options..

1) MOVE!!:

a) Go to another cantina, like maybe the one in Deeja Peak.

"But that cantina in Deeja Peak is empty", you complain. Well it wont be when you get there. And if you want more people to socialize with, recruit them.

b) Go open a cantina in a Player city somewhere. (My solution)

Thsoe of you who really can't stand the AFKers and the macro'ers should really enjoy this option... don't like an AFKer, banthem from the building.

2) Work with your fellow entertainers on group management.

a) See what really cracks me up about this whole thing is that you complain about the AFKers, but you don't hesitate to group with them.. Why? Because you want that XP... Just like they do... just because you don't plan to drop the master tag as soon as you get it, like they do, doesn't change the fact that you are after the same thing.

Think I'm wrong? Then explain why I can never find an Entertainer "band" that is actually "Grouped" together on the floor like a band would be.... no, you're all scattered all over the place, or clustered in the doorway to make sure your the first one people see so they listen to you. A band should be nicely organized in a spot in the cantina, like on the stage, or in an alcove.

b) Don't let them in your group... form groups that are only TRUE entertainers. If you start doing this, then the AFKErs will have to group together with themselves, which is a pain for them since they are always AFK.

c) communicate on the boards about where your groups/cantinas are and recruit others to join you.

3) Don’t like the SPAM? Add them to your ignore list

If you organize and move to new spots you will have your cantina's the way you like them...leave the cantina's in the starting cities to the AFKers. Players who want buffs will search you out because they know they will get the better buffs by doing so. Or even get buffs at all, since they will have a problem getting one from someone who is AFK.

So many of the issues that you have could be dealt with in game, instead of here on the boards asking the Devs to do it for you… the AFK thing is an in-game issue…deal with it in-game.

There are plenty of cantinas with no one in them, but you don't go there for just that reason... If your so sick of the AFKers, why don't you move where they aren't. If you go somewhere else, and they try to follow.. Don't invite them to groups and they wont stay... TA-DA!!! problem solved.

One bright person calls on the EULA as proof that macro’ing is against the rules… are you serious?… the macros that are being used are IN-GAME macros… put there by the devs… HELLO?!? If macro’ing is against the EULA then why did the devs put it in the game?

‘nuff said for now… start flaming me.

Wrayth

And you see, this is EXACTLY why we are concerned with-not AFK play-mind you, but selfish play. Because every time we take the leadership role and do things like move to a different cantina, or not group with AFKers, or lobby for bug fixes and such, people who take NO leadership role seem to leech on to our efforts and exploit the hard work done by others in a greedy attempt to get XP. If you need to answer the phone, or make lunch, or go to the powder room, I don't think anyone would mind an AFK every now and then. But to get along side a group that likes to stay at the keyboard only to set a repeating macro and go sleep for a week (checking periodically)is just WRONG. This drivesour customers away, and makes it so we cannot practice our profession in a reasonable way. So what are we then to do? Move to a different cantina? How many cantinas will you want us to move to?

Wow, after 5 posts you've learned so much, Wrayth! Except for the fact that all of your suggestions have been tried in-game and the reasons why they fail have been discussed many times previously on these boards.

I won't read it all because I cannot be bothered. I know the original poster can empathize with me because he/she couldn't be bothered to read what other entertainers have already said on the subject. There is nothing new to be said on the topic. No argument for AFK'ing is new, none of the reasons against it are new. The lines are pretty clearly drawn.

I don't understand why AFK'ers feel it necessary to read or write about the issue at all any more, when it is clear that they have won over the cantinas. You won so why keep whining about the complaints of those who hold out so little hope that things will ever swing back in our favor? Not a single developer has even hinted that anything about the issue will ever change, not even a whisper. Clearly, cantinas no longer are the playground of the social entertainer classes. So why come here and whine about having won??

1) We should not be forced to move out of our home cantinas by a fly by night and their hoard.

2) Some previous posts (and onthe Ahazi board it was brought of) state that AFK people actually are refusing to let the live entertainers into a group. And the thread on the Ahazi board had an AFK person get angry at a live group kicking them out- feeling that they live group had no right to do such a thing to them.

3) We already do. But then others badmouth us for 'ignoring' billy bob. "He just wants training" oh, I didn't see him, he's ignored. "You are so freaking rude, man!" I, for one, have gotten flamed on the game for ignoring people's spam.

We have already discussed revivals and moving to player cantinas. We have discussed making our own groups.

We have also discussed that it was not the use of macros that was the problem (as we use them to coordinated dances, songs and change our clothing mid-dance with effects) but the AFK that was the problem.. Yet it was also discussed that SOE doe snot believe the AFK thing to be a violation of anything. Apparently unattended does not mean unattended. (Which makes me wonder why the pop up in grinding survey experience was implemented.)

These things have been discussed and argued in depth on our forums by the people who read and interact with them the most. And the people who do not try to solve our problems for us.

The best people to come up with ideas on how to get around these things are ourselves. We have already thought of these ideas and many of us have already taken the first steps in the direction we chose to resolve them.

I can not tell a real world doctor how to preform heart surgery. Please remember that we have many people who macro come and tell us what to do and how to solve all of our problems. We are doing it well enough on our own. Though your concern is noted and well placed.

We have given our support to the holocronrs as much as we should be expected to by posting a sticky to help them out at the toop of this forum. (as have other professions. I know- because I am also following the Holo and have visited them. But I refrain from telling the other professions what to do.)

Thank you for the concern. Those were good ideas, though we have already covered them.

One bright person calls on the EULA as proof that macro’ing is against the rules… are you serious?… the macros that are being used are IN-GAME macros… put there by the devs… HELLO?!? If macro’ing is against the EULA then why did the devs put it in the game?

So your point is that since it's an ingame feature, usage cannot be bad ? rotflpmpstc. Try to use the /tell ingame feature to harass me and see how far you get with "but it's an IN GAME feature, the devs must have put it in there so I can harass people".

"But Mr. Judge, that were my own in-world hands that killed him. God must have put them in for a reason, killing with them cannot bebad." ( This is kind of an anology. If you don't understand those marvels of written and spoken communication like many on these boards, please disregard the last sentence and pretend I said "u sux0r d00d". ) Macros are a tool. A tool is never good or bad. It's what you make of it. And using it for unattended gameplay can only hurt the game as about a bazillion games before this one have found out.

Guys...

... don't feed the obvious forum trolls, eh?

C

Oh thats right if we don't like your lazy AFK macroed butt parked in the middle of the dancfloor drifting all over our feet WE can move. I mean hell your at work why should YOU have to move your not even playing that CERTAINLY give YOU the right to grief live players. Oh I realize your probly equally a pain in the butt when you ARE at the keyboard, but at least there would less of you low class trash entertainers online at any given time if you wernt alowed to macro 24/7.

Sultrina, don't hold back now. Tell us how you really feel.

I agree 110% with you. I wonder how some of the other professions would feel if a squad of Rifelman say were to camp a needed spawn site and use AFK-macroing to kill everything that spawned. I'm sure it would go over real well.

So posting here on the boards is how you constitiute knowledge of a subject?

I would argue that since you have so many posts here, you must not be playing the game, so how can you comment on the game, so how can you have any expertise on issues in the game.

Sultrina,

Real classy response. Grow up.

Nvoit,

Ahh good work, but... wrong answer, try again...

You are missing the point. The person I quote is trying to argue from the EULA that does state 3rd party macros are illegal to say that macroing is illegal.

I'm simply pointing out that the EULA is referring to THIRD party macros and the in game macro'ing is NOT 3rd party... Do you understand now. I hope so since you profess such a high level of english comprehension.

I don't mind AFKing for grinding out a holo, but I absolutely HATE it when one puts a "heal me!" or a "invite me, I have invite in my macro!" or even worse.. those piss me off to no ends.