Dancer Archive
Thread: Need Ideas to Keep Entertainers' Spirits Up
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Saleya
Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:47 am
#1
Gah. Double post. Sorry! *blush*
Message Edited by Saleya on 07-27-2005 01:50 PM
Saleya
Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:48 am
#2
Hey Guys,
I've been a Dancer since around Launch (didn't start playing 'til July 28th) and I will never EVAH give up this profession. I don't care what they throw at us. I love music and the art of dance and nothing will ever change that.
I've been reading the Dancer forums for a long, long time but have been either too shy to post (many of you have become like celebrities to me, which gives me a bad case of "the shies") or I'm justtoo anxious to get back in-game, so I can dance.
I'm in a guild that used to be solely an Entertainer guild until the dreaded holos came out. Now we have maybe 6 entertainers total.I'm doing my best to play cheerleader for the Entertainers in our guild as well as for all Entertainers on our server. So to help keep spirits up, I organized a cantina crawl along with a friend last week.
My serverisvery PvP-oriented,with lots of "uber leetd00ds" and many, MANY Jedi and very little roleplaying, whichI suspect is a big part of the problem. But we oooed and awwed a large portion of the crowds as we toured, especially with the gorgeous new dance and props which we had color-coordinated with costume changes, etc.
Then the commentsbegan. One person remarked (and laughed), "These are probably allof the entertainers left on the entire server." The sad thing is, most of the Entertainers I knew were there. The guy was right.
Our last stop on the tour was what really discouraged me. We arrived in Mos Eisley and, at first, the performance went very well.
Then the Jedi showed up.
I know there were at least six of them, although I'm sure there were more, but I was trying to ignore them. For some reason, they decided to duel each other in the EXACT spot where we were performing. When they weren't dueling, they thought it'd be great to heal themselves by sitting right on top of us and doing that "uber" cool trick where they shoot lightning out of their behinds.
Then came the questions from players. They would say things like, "Why do you bother dancing?" or "How can you do this day after day and find it fun?"
At the beginning of the tour, these remarks didn't bother me at all. I found them kind of funny actually and was quick with my witty little responses. But by the end, with all of those Jedi ruining our performance, I started asking myself the same questions. It felt almost like a battle just to be able to perform and if I wanted to do battle, I would have become a combat character.
My question for you is... how do you keep up the good fight? Does it feel like a fight to you as well? (It really shouldn't...) How do you continue to encourage your fellow Entertainers, even when things seem a bit bleak at the moment? I need some ideas to help keep my fellow Entertainers' spirits up, because I do not want to see them give up.
It's just that... well... it's getting more and more difficult to perform under these conditions!
*Throws a tantrum and goes back to her trailer*
Panthu
Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:02 am
#3
eek! i was tricked!
Message Edited by Panthu on 07-27-2005 02:02 PM
Panthu
Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:03 am
#4
*chases Saleya*
Saleya wrote:
*Throws a tantrum and goes back to her trailer*
Ha! 
Ok, I feel the same way exactly when that happens to me. I don't actually expect everyone to get dance performances, either doing them or watching them, but I do want to be free from harassment about it!
I think we need some ways to have a dance floor that can't be entered unless you are actively dancing and at the keys. A stage area with a check in - Sirii and others have posted some good ideas about this. Sure, you might still get heckled from the sidelines, but at least no one can stand on you. 
Also, I report anyone who harasses me for dancing and I encourage others to as well. I always have. I don't care what I'm doing or what my title is, no other player has a right to try to spoil it for me. They just need to move on if it's not something they enjoy.
As far as cheerleading for your fellow Ents, just talk about the fun stuff and try to create as many opportunities for that as possible. If something stops being fun, stop what you are doing and do something else. Better to leave the stage in a stomping fit to go do something else than force yourself to stay there.
You can't put on a good show or be a fun social interaction if you are upset anyway. 
Esharra
Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:06 am
#5
Meh..tried to beat Pan to it but she's fast! What she said is good stuff though. I've found the best thing to do is just stay busy and keep my friends busy too. Getting everyone together to dance in a new and different place is fun stuff. Ewok village is always good. Getting a couple of bodyguards to go there with the dancers helps and once they've had a great time with you, you'll probably find they're the ones to come up with the excuse to go somewhere different next time. What server are you on, btw?
Panthu
Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:12 am
#6
Mwahaha! /flex
Esharra wrote:
Meh..tried to beat Pan to it but she's fast!
Squid771
Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:40 am
#7
Know that the childish acts of the few do not represent the views of all. Many of us enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and a friendly chat with a nice ent after hours of combat. ATK ents are a great part of this game. No matter what the devs give or take away for ent enhancements, I will still be stopping in to my local cantina for a drink. And I know I'm not the only one.
Gothywench
Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:49 am
#8
Saleya wrote:
I need some ideas to help keep my fellow Entertainers' spirits up, because I do not want to see them give up.
1. Boot to the head for all the people who continually drop in our forum and tell us we're worthless, useless or demand for our professions to go away.
2. Stop fighting *each other*.
Saleya
Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:10 pm
#9
I'm on Lowca, hon. ("Hon"in this instance meansRL female living in the South. That thread cracked me up, btw.Especially n'Jessi's reply, "My most common in-game appellation is 'smacktard.' What gender does that make me?" Pure comic gold right there, baby cakes!)
Oops. Tangent. (*lays off the caffeine*) Anyway, don't get me wrong. There are lots of nice peeps on Lowca. I think they had just taken that particular night off.
Thank you, Squid771, for your encouraging words. You are the type of person whoI love performing for the most, and I really appreciate your kindness. 
DanceRulez
Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:53 pm
#10
Gothywench wrote:
1. Boot to the head for all the people who continually drop in our forum and tell us we're worthless, useless or demand for our professions to go away.
...
Student 1: Yes Master, I have learned two things. First that anger is a weapon only to one's opponent.
Master: Very good.
Student 1: And second, get in the first shot. Boot to the head! (foomp)
Master: You missed!
...
Shaizann
Wed Jul 27, 2005 6:43 pm
#11
I'm sorry that it happened to you. I had a similar yet much less offensive thing happen to me two days ago. I'm sure not all Jedi players are like that, and I'd love to meet some of them one day. Sadly, I have not yet.
EevaaAmor
Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:38 pm
#12
I've been Lowca only a handful of times, but what I've noticed is just how small the population is there... Empty, lonely cities etc.. but everyone I've met there has been nice. /shrug.
Keep your chin up... The people that disregard what we do, are not the people we are playing/dancing for anyway. Make your own fun... ent profs are only as good as YOU make them... just like in life, you have to make your own happiness, and not depend on the validation of others to make what you do worthwhile.
I used to really get upset... almost to the point of tears at some of the jerks in the cantinas that gave me trouble. I used to have combat skills, and even dealt my first deathblow to one guy that harrassed me once (he later appologized), but I eventually learned to roll with it and just ignore people that disrespected me and my chosen prof.
Back on topic... Keep dancing and having fun. Change it upa bit, and try different things... Go back to old dances that maybe you haven't done in forever... and get your friends to do them with bandflos with you. Anything! Go out and perform in the street (my favorite pastime)... Just don't let the "leet" guys get to you..
I do this... Imagine that annoying "leet" guy as your most annoying little brother, or nephew around the age of 14... Then imagine going to his house, and beating him senseless with a wet rolled up newspaper.
Works every time! /grin
VMA
Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:55 pm
#13
A useful set of commands for audience control:
/beckon;
"You beckon at ### to come here"
(wait as they approach you)
/backhand;
"You slap ### in the face with a swift backhand"
That will usually get you some applause from bystanders and make you feelvery very satisfied!
I personally have never had these experiences myself... I'm sorry to hear that you have, entertainers are definitely one of the professions that is least-deserving of harrassing. On Intrepid we do get the occasional leetsauce-dueling-Jedi coming into the cantina, but that is usually just because they are wife-hunting and we all know that wife-hunters = big tippers!!
Master Dancer / Master Image Designer / Psychiatrist (Respec'd from Master Bounty Hunter / Master Carbineer!)
Message Edited by VMA on 08-20-2005 10:11 AM
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