Dancer Archive
Thread: What would you do....
Esharra wrote:
Is that all that any profession is worth..a bunch of skill points? Is that really a true measure of the value of our professions?
No, a profession is woth more than the sum of it's skill points. Ours in particular holds true to this. Ours is a set of professions that rely much MUCH more on the actual player's skill than any other in the game. Take me, for example...I'm just as 'entertaining' as a Novice visiting a server as I am in my fully realized Grand Master Entertainer on Bria self. Anybody can make a Dance/Music macro, but having an entertaining, sociable personality that makes combat patronsfolks say, "Wow, I've been here a half hour after all my BF got healed and did not realize it because I had a good time, thanks, man" comes from the person, not the skill box.
That said, if they removed our skill points and anyone could be everything I am (game mechanic wise)for free it shows now investment of self in the profession. Any level 80 combat wombat could also hold all four Enterainter professions, and they would have no form of worth attatched to those professions because it does not cost them anything tangible (Skill Points in this context). They would think of us as nothing (some already do) and removal of points would, for many, reaffirm their beliefs. To say nothing of the fact that SOE could and probalby would then stop any and all improvements for us. For me, it's the sign that they've given up on us and the 'grand experiment'.
We have a chance here to allow many more people that play this game to experience how much fun a social profession can be. Why would we say no to that? It can only help our effort for attention if we have greater numbers. Now, there will still only be so many who do something truly unique with these skills - our real artists.
I understand what you mean but it's a gameplay balance issue. SWG being a game, everyone has to make choices about his or her character.
I agree that a "basic social behavior" should be available to everyone. Everyone could/should be able to dance a little, for example.
More, almost everyone, I suppose, is able to cook a meal, many are able to do cocktails, some have some skills at hunting, etc even if it has no ties to their profession.
I personnaly have some skills at music but I hardly qualify as a professionnal musician.
There is a lot of things in SWG that could be considered as part of that "basic social behavior". In game, I can't even serve a meal composed of bofa treats and travel biscuits if I don't have Novice Artisan. If I want to decorate a table with full plates, I need someone else help (artisan or chef)
Now, I would strongly support the idea of adding a "common pool of social abilities", to everyone, whatever their professions and career choices.
Such "common pool" should provide no game benefits at all, the socialization itself being the purpose.
Throw in this pool basic dances from entertainers (or, more, create a couple of new ones), a couple of songs, a number of totally useless schematics that will just help to create decorations, add to the mood of a party etc...
Take a bit from every profession, from Novice skill box because items and abilities there are often soon disdained, and hand it to everyone. If needed, just copy the items appareance, remove any game benefit.I'm ok with that.
Now, dancer will still be a choice, a profession, like IRL, yet everyone will be able to perform basic dance moves and enjoy a party. People don't have to able to perform like top dancers to party.
But be fair, don't just take from entertainers. Socialization can come from many resources, not just entertainers'
Chali
Quiet master dancer on Starsider... ready to cook a meal for her friends, like IRL, that's also social
Shaizann wrote:
If we get de-SPified, then I have nothing to identify myself as.
Most of that time, I'm not healing or buffing anyone.
Panthu wrote:
Shaizann wrote:
If we get de-SPified, then I have nothing to identify myself as.
I think Ent Guild tags and your own personal reputation as a performer will step in to replace this.
Bingo! I Y Panthu! 
I'd love for our game to be content-centered, and not quite soservice-centered. It would just make things more...fun.
Oi vey...Panthu, you and I have had this discussion before (more than once, actually ). I still think it would be bad for us if any Joe BagofDonuts can see me playing, walk out of the cantina,get trained, come back, and pull up a Nalargon next to me. I just don't want what I enjoy so much and take my in game identity from to be taken away. I've come to grips that we're supposed to be fluff and not hardwired into the game. I see how that leads to us being played by achievers and makes life miserable for us.
I guess I want to be unique, right now I have 250 SP invested in Entertainment. Everything I am in the game is Entertainer. That SP investment represents significant commitment to being an Entertainer. If we get de-SPified, then I have nothing to identify myself as. Right now, anyone can be a Politician no matter what their template. There is nothing special or meaningful about being a Novice politician.
I just would like to see this set of professions remain fun and worthwhile..plus stuff added to it, of course, like anyone else. Even if our points got reduced, I'd only spend some to get enough self-defesnse such that a gnort breating on me does not incapaciate me.
Schardour wrote:
Since there will no longer be BF healing, as just recently posted by a developer, do you really believe most will feel the need to do that?
Also, do you really believe most combat players will want to waste time dancing? It's still not going to be for everybody. People who weren't interested in becoming a Pilot never finished the missions. People who weren't interested in becoming a Politician never picked it up. People who aren't interested in the dances won't bother to afk it. Maybe if they want another badge....but by that point, they've done most things in the game and are looking for something to do. Going AFK wouldn't be their solution, in my opinion.
You may see more afker's, but you'd probably see a LOT more at the keyboard, messing around and having fun in their downtime.
Keep in mind...they also intend to increase xp income, according to his post. It probably won't take nearly as long to level.
And from past experience, combatants that take up entertaining for the first time are extremely happy with just the novice dances, if somebody does it with them...