Dancer Archive
Thread: So much hatred for AFKers.
Breestan wrote:
On a completely DIFFERENT note.... or not....
Wasn't it covered that unattended play (Which would be anything where your character is doing anying besides sitting or standing idle- be it dancing, crafting, killing etc) Is against the rules? Wasn't that covered?
AFK macroing is a violation of the rules and warrents banning.
Me, I would report every single person I see who has been dancing for extended periods of time into a wall saying the same thing over and over.
Success comes with WORK, not with cheating the system. AFK macroing is essentially cheating to get to your goal and... gee.... people don't like cheaters right? So now do you understand why we don't like them? READ THE OTHER POSTS
I agree with the analogy about the guy who gets a good bonus for not going to work. We worked hard to get where we are. To see some upstart without the pride to actually be at the keyboard for their job or customers is infuriating. What do you do if a waitress seats you at your table... then doesn't ever come to take your order?
For goodness sake, show some pride in your profession.
As much as I despise it, this isn't technically true. It's only against the rules to use third party programs for unattended gameplay. Using the tools that already exist in the game (macros)is, for the moment, considered to be a legitimate activity. Needless to say, this frustrates many of us to no end, but that's where we are right now. We can stick our tongues out at afkers, but they're not technically violating the user agreement.
Wrong. You still haven't read the other threads on this topic. It's not about the grind, and it's not about you making it to master faster than me. If you really want to debate this topic, start by understanding our pain point and address it.
- J
Bloodwax wrote:
Actually, I play an Image Designer/Dancer. I plan to keep the professions. It's helpful to my guild and my friends, and it's a lot of fun. In fact, I love to roleplay more than anything. Especially more than grinding...and sitting in a cantina every night for a few months really puts a limit on the extent of your roleplay opportunity.
Honestly, I'll play with AFK macros or not. I don't mind a little grind, (All of my artisan skills Ileveledattended and without macroing.) but I'll be damned if I'm gonna grind and grind for months to achieve a sense of accomplishment. This is a game, not a second job.
Like I said before, whine about the experience, not the other players who want to play the game and have fun.
Your post baffles me. You enjoy the roleplaying, but you hate the grind. When I roleplay, I don't even notice the grind. I get caught up in the moment and discover that I qualify for Wound Heal II.
If the cantina you're in is considered a grind, then you need to switch cantinas. Dance in a cantina where your friends are at. Travel with them when they hunt and dance in a camp when they need a rest. Role-play the camp-in-the-wild scenario.
I think the main problem you have is that you view this is a second job. The first purpose of the game is to have fun. If you aren't having fun doing the grind, then don't do it. I don't like crafting, so I don't play a Weaponsmith.
While AFK may help you reach a higher dance so that you don't need to bother learning how to use the lower dances, there is an impact to the community. There is less need for entertainers because every popular cantina has a guaranteed heal bot. And even isolated cantinas have some heal bots, which means that a dedicated entertainer has no guarantee of finding suitable work when flying out to Lok. How would Image Designers fare if people were allowed to just call up a menu and change their appearance at will? No one would need to consult an Image Designer except for maybe as a consultant.
And role-playing is worsened when entertainers see no reason to be in the cantinas. I often will walk into a cantina, do a few moves, strike up a few conversations, and dejectedly leave because none of the other dancers are there to talk with me.
So, do you AFK macro because the role-players left, or did the role-players leave because of the AFK macros? I remember in August how much fun it was to talk with the other dancers. It was a regular party. But now I hear of people dropping the profession because there is no one to talk to. And when I look around, I see that cantinas have been invaded with silent (or worse, spamming) entertainers. Not very entertaining.
I can see your frustration at the lack of role-playing. But really, it's AFKers who brought it upon themselves (and the rest of us). In their mad dash for the golden title, they have eschewed good role-playing, and they don't give us a lot to work with. I can only taunt AFKers for so long in a cantina. I'd like to have someone ask where my twi'lek is from and why she chooses to dance. Instead, I am faced with, "We like tips! Welcome!"
I'm a very tolerant person, which is why I still stubbornly dedicate 63 skill points to Dancer. Many dancers have said that this is not worth it. It's easy for me to consider that route too. What's the point in role-playing when people won't even role-play with you in the most role-playing-friendly establishment in the game?
You are technically allowed to AFK macro. Despite the wording in the EULA, the Powers That Be have expressed their opinion (and policy) that this is not illegal. You have free reign to gain skills without playing the game. But AFKing does cause problems, including RP problems. If you wish to contribute to these problems, then go right ahead. But you will not win friends that way.
Try to enjoy the game and the skills you do have. If you feel that the game is better by chasing out the role-players and employment opportunities of entertainers, then have fun doing it. I can only sigh and watch other entertainers leave the cantinas.
Bloodwax - I agree with you and support your comments in full. However, posting pro-AFK messages on this board will only result in flames by those who disagree. You likely aren't going to change anyone's opinion, and those who disagree are going to continue trying to convince you that you are wrong. I strongly encourage you to make your opinion known so that hopefully anti-AFK groups will not dominate changes regarding this issue, but leave it at that. 
But I eventually came to like AFK'ers, at least occasionally. Like the time an overt rebel came into Theed cantina, and was goaded into killing the AFK-macroing imperial entertainers. You know, the ones who stand right in front of the door?
I also get good tips from patrons who appreciate that I'm really there, chatting with them while they heal up, despite all the AFKness in the room.
Other than those occasions, however, they're annoying. Especially if they have an EVIL spamming macro, particularly a tip-begging one (AAARGH), or if they insist on leaving themselves in the middle of the room.
If you wanna AFK macro, do it in your house.
People say AFKers don't hurt others. Well let me tell you the other side of the story. I run a cantina. I don't allow any AFK performing atall. You step away for more than a quick break and you better be sitting down. I have quite a few regular entertainers that perform there. Whenever someone new drops by, the comment I hear the most is how much fun they are having, and how they didn't realize being an entertainer could be so fun.
That's why people hate AFKers.
C
Hi,
If you own your own cantina, can't you ban people? I mean most of these AFK macro people repeat the behavior. So you find the name and put it on your ban listing.
Don't hate them pity them. I mean they are spending all these time not playing the game. I understand a dancer isn't a profession for everyone. If you don't like it, it will be really boring.
Q
Digitalphobia wrote:
Hi,
If you own your own cantina, can't you ban people? I mean most of these AFK macro people repeat the behavior. So you find the name and put it on your ban listing.
Don't hate them pity them. I mean they are spending all these time not playing the game. I understand a dancer isn't a profession for everyone. If you don't like it, it will be really boring.
Q
I actually just posted in another thread why player city cantinas don't really have much effect. But yes, any repeat offenders will get banned from my cantina. (And any repeat offenders before the next publish will also be warned and attacked.)
It's not really the people I hate. People will do it because they can. I don't pity them though. Who I pity is people who might actually enjoy being an entertainer who are starting now. Being an entertainer now IS fairly boring. Being an entertainer in a lively cantina isn't. What I hate is the practice itself.
It is not just AFK macrotainers.
Check out the threads in the creature handler forum. Some people have just had it with AFKers in general.
I have read lots posts about why people hate AFK entertainers.Most of them aren't muchmore than "I hate AFK entertainers -- they should be banned", but here are the few real reasons that I could find (in my order of importance):
1. It's not fair. This is by far the biggest reason stated (though mostpeople don't state it explicitly, theirreasons essentially boil down to fairness).
2. It trivializes the entertainer professionsand the cantina experience.
3. It isborderline legal. The rules state that you can't use macros to play AFK,but theysay nothing about playing non-macroed AFK.
4. AFK entertainers don't group (though they can), and grouping is important for entertainers.
5. Theease of playing AFK leads tocrowded cantinas, which can be a problem. Disallowing AFK entertainers would reduce the crowding.
Now, just to be fair it must be noted that while many entertainers may want their AFK brethren banned, the rest of the professionsLOVE the AFK entertainers. Why? Except during peak hours, there are rarelymore thana few live entertainers onany of the populatedplanets, and there are NEVER any live entertainers on the remote planets.
Kharrissa wrote:
It is not just AFK macrotainers.
Check out the threads in the creature handler forum. Some people have just had it with AFKers in general.
It affects us more profoundly, though. Combat characters can, for the most part, go about their business and havea fun time without ever seeing or talking to another person. They can choose to be social and group, but their core function doesn't rely upon it. For us, our professions were designed specifically to facilitate social interaction; we're the chat room of SWG. Unfortunately, there's no one left to chat with. As time goes by and the situation remains unchanged, more and more of us are leaving to do something else (or leaving the game entirely).
I certainly can empathize with the brawlers, marksmen, and everyone else who has to deal with the afk macro problem, but they still have options.Our only option is to "get used to it."
FachaWimes wrote:
Now, just to be fair it must be noted that while many entertainers may want their AFK brethren banned, the rest of the professionsLOVE the AFK entertainers. Why? Except during peak hours, there are rarelymore thana few live entertainers onany of the populatedplanets, and there are NEVER any live entertainers on the remote planets.
I am amused that you numbered the first five complaints, but you didn't number this one. This is exactly the problem with AFK entertaining. The rest of the professions LOVE them? Of course they do; the AFK entertainer takes the bite out of the advanced planets. I'm fighting a big, bad critter and took Mind Poison? No worries. I'll just walk back to town and fix it with no risk whatsoever.
Do you respect Endor? It was a lot more respectable when people had to beg for Entertainers to come out there...or worse still, have to fly to Coronet to get healed.
The AFK entertainer has discouraged the active performer. Why dance in a cantina when there is already a heal bot? Why should hunting groups pay a Dancer to come out and perform on Lok? After all, there is a bot there.
Just yesterday, I stopped at Dantooine for some hunting. While I was at the Pirate Outpost, I decided to see if there were any potential clients in the tavern. I walk in and see an AFK heal bot. There were probably 20 people in that complex, and I bet half of them suffered serious mental wounds at some point. But hey, they didn't need me. They had a heal bot. I looked around, and no one had Mind wounds. If I did not have a secondary job, then this trip would have been a bust for me (although if I was willing to spend a couple of hours there, I could have sold Mind buffs probably).
It's the AFKing that causes the desolation in these cantinas. It's all based on demand. If there is a need for Entertainers, then you'll find us out there. Right now, people don't need Entertainers. The toughest planets in the game are nice and easy for those who can watch a heal bot for 10 minutes to fix all their Fatigue and mental woes.
And we don't have to stop with Entertainers. I think Dathomir would be a great place to go if its towns had automated service people:
Free Fatigue healing
Free Wound healing
Free Enhancements
Free Armor
Free Weapons
Free slicing
Free probot
Free lesser plains bol
Free spices
Free food
Free drink
Free bioengineered clothing
I mean, why restrict it to just Entertainers? With one fell swoop, we can make obsolete all those pesky Medics, Doctors, Armorsmiths, Weaponsmiths, Smugglers, Droid Engineers, Creature Handlers, Chef, Tailors, and Bioengineers. The fact that they aren't available 100% of the time makes the game too difficult. Let's just create bots of all those professions so that I can grab my sliced Scout Blaster, my rock beetle tank, my probot, my stat buffs (all nine stats), my sliced Composite Armor, my muon gold, my +15 camouflage vest, and my Tatooine Sunburn all in one place without interacting with anyone whatsoever.
Healing is a commodity, just like guns, armor, and vehicles. If the supply is not high enough, then a price needs to be paid to match the demand. The problem is that the demand is not that high right now. So, the supply is reduced to AFKers.
Some people think that AFKers are doing a service to those who play on advanced planets. In reality, they've hurt the game overall because the risk factor is no longer there.