Dancer Archive
Thread: AFK Dancer (& Musician) Acrimony
My advice to you is, get out of Theed. :-)
Seriously... on most servers, there are a few "big" cantinas -- Theed, Coronet, and usually one or two others that vary from server to server. Since AFKers are trying to powerlevel up really fast, and since big groups = big XP = fast levelling, the large venues attract AFK performers like dung attracts dung beetles. The best solution is to go someplace small and out of the way. First off you will be appreciated more, since people there will be used to an empty cantina and a shuttle trip for a heal. Secondly, the place being smaller will attract way less AFKers. This should make your experience MUCH better.
On Naboo, I recommend Kaadara or Keren. On Tatooine, I recommend Mos Entha or Mos Espa, which are typically less "manned" than Mos Eisley, Anchorhead, or Bestine (again, depends on server). On Corellia, I recommend Kor Vella over Coronet. Etc.
Each week I have been having my dancer move from her home city (Keren) to another planet for a 1 day trip. During the day she hunts things and does missions with one or two friends. In the evening another friend (totally not into combat) and the 3 or 4 of us perform somewhere we've never been before. Last week I ended up on Rori and we performed in the hotel. On my server there's often no one performing on Rori. We were thanked profusely by people used to having to go to another planet for healing, and given lots of tips, and greatly appreciated for our efforts. And there wasn't anyone AFK macroing there either.
So if your venue isn't working for you, my advice is, change venues.
Yes, I know it is annoying and a bit galling, to have to concede places like Theed and Coronet to the AFKers... but it's not worth the fight you have to go through on a daily basis with these people. Games are meant to be FUN. If they are "having fun" by being at school but gaining XP off their screensaver... let 'em. Just find someplace where they're not and have your own fun.
C
Oh, it's almost weekend and I need 90.000 XP more for dance knowledge 2, I think I'll be there saturday afternoon if my master doctor friend is online friday and he buffs my stamina, see I don't have to go AFK to level up at a decent pace *giggles*
I do notice a decline in AFK entertainers in the cantina where I can always be found, maybe they notice how customers greet me when they walk in or they just do as I asked of them and do it out of sight or one of the other dancers I sometimes dance with told them to go away or they got utterly bored with entertaining at all, I do not know.
When Iwriteabout my view, then I have to say, that the afk dancer In the outer places hurted me most.
I normaly travel from one outer place to the other, to find cantinas, where Iam needed like Taike, Lok, Talus, Keren, Rori ... .
If there an afk dancer /musican stands, I made my way in vain. Now as a masterdancer its not such a big pain, at least I can earn some money there and heal faster then the afk dancer. Anyhow I feel useless there, if the audience can get the healing free and anytimeit wants.
But for me it was very sore as a novice dancer, when I traveled to Lok, and the cantina was occupied by an high skilled afk dancer "aiding" the community. Sometimes I had to travel to 3 or 4different planets and different towns there, only to find a place to dance without such a selfless helper.
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Aniella (Gorath) Dancer
Tuscus wrote:
If you can't put on a better show and interact with customers better than an afk entertainer, you probably don't deserve tips anyways.
I do not talkabout the show.
I talk about the common customer, who wanted healed as fast as possible. This one is not interessted in the best show out of the galaxie and cares a crud about a show or a conversation. He wants as fast as possible leave the cantina. So he watches not the active, perhaps brilliant dancer, he watches the dancer with the highest skill.
Above all, he can not know, that the noviceentertainer does not benefit from his watching.
You never had the experience, that a cusomer talks to you, tips youeven but watches the higher dancer?
Actually that is just how I feel about it too Mondkind. I have gone out to far off places now and again to entertain out there, but almost all the times I have gone there an AFKer will be there. And as you say, sure I heal better faster and a lot more entertaining (I sure hope so) then any AFKer, but I just feel I done my trip in vain. And I have stopped going to far off planets becourse of this.
Last time I did go an Master Musician was stood on the same spot playing her music when I logged off in the cantina, I thought that maybe she would be gone by the time I logged on again. But no, when I woke up the day after she was still stood there... So I went back to Tatooine with a not so happy feeling.
Yesterday, on my day off, I spent my time in the Coronet Cantina. For most of the day I was the group leader. Late into the day we had many many people trying to join into the group, however not enough to justify a 2nd group. So, as is typical of my style I went through and began booting AFKers to make room for active players. Before I know it I have this guy jumping up and down cursing at me, calling me too many names to remember, and generally being a horses arse. Anyhow he was trying to convince everyone that it wasn't fair to kick AFKers, that the active players should just form another group. "How was he expected to get experience if he could dance while he was asleep". Needless to say after 2 hours of him babbling on and on I had had enough.
I am a Master Dancer and spent every bit of that time actually AT THE KEYBOARD. I don't care if someone wants to AFK dance, but they are going to take a 2nd seat in my group. If I have to boot them to make room for an active player then I shall. I caught a lot of heat from the AFK dancers but my friends and fellow Masters seemed to have sided with me. I don't feel that I was wrong for taking this stance seeing how entertainers are ENTERTAINERS with the ability to enhance the mind and help speed up healing processes.
Hi beautiful people. 
Look I can definately understand everyone's problem with afk performers. I personally do not understand why becomes an entertainer if they aren't interested in activly getting involved.
I am an entertainer because, well personally, Im not into shooting guns in this game. The community is great on our server and I am content with healing my fellow imperials (and some rebels-shhh). But for me, the whole roleplay thing is why at times I AM afk. I don't work in a city cantina. I don't have a "group" of others performing with me. I opened my own cantina on Dantooine's imperial outpost to perform an actual service for other players, hoping to keep it real.
Personally I do not like the pub city cantinas, because I don't feel I'm playing a role, I feel I'm more in a chat room. It's too repetitive and the clientelle take many of us for granted when we are there. After raising the issue with clients in the outpost, I found that many of them that actually stop into .. say the Theed cantina for example do not tip very well (by their own admittance) because it's a matter of convenience. Especially if just passing through. Big city pub cantinas are just so impersonal.
After my first visit to Dantooine, I realized I had been robbing myself, and others! Not only was I litterally a starving artist, but the players on Dant were quickly wilting due to brain damage. After a few nights there, I felt it was MY duty to make sure these guys could carry on. I couldnt see myself going back to a pub-cantina ever again, especially after the first couple tips I got. It's amazing how much money they were spending to fly back to Coronet for mind healing daily. So my 3 to 5k tips started making Dantooine look better and better.
Ok so back to the afk-ing issue. Because I have built a reputation for myself, and because the outposters know they can depend on me to be there for them, my cantina stays busy. If I have some rl issue to take care of, such as checkin on the roast, putting the laundry in the dryer, having a quick smoke etc.. than I will sit down at my omni box and hit a macro. I by no means support people being afk for a day or even an entire hour. However, if I am sitting in a corner when my clients walk through my door, I'm hurting them.I am playing my role as hard as I can. Even more so when I'm afk. Why? Because I care about the other players in my community. Because I feel its important that I am there for them when they need my services.
Now the issue of pub-cantina-afk-dancers/musicians getting complemented for being around... hmm. I am sure they are thankful for the heals, no doubt about that. But how much money do you honestly make doing that? If you arent there to acknowledge them, or if your client thinks you're not looking, he'll walk out without leaving u a dime most likely. And my problem with that is in defense of the entertaining community. The more afk-ers we have performing in the pub-cantinas, the more clients will become accustomed to not tipping you guys period.
When I danced in Theed, we laid down ground rules to each new performer invited to our group. Back then we seemed to always hit our group number limit, while other entertainers continued to log in and poor through the doors. For those of us that were regulars, we found that a group chat macro was essential in laying down the law while remaining descreet. Newly invited were made aware from the start that they were to leave the group if they needed to go afk. Once afk, if they didnt leave the group on their own they were kicked by the bandleader and a new person was invited in his or her place. Eventually the chronic afk-ers got the point. But on a different note, keep in mind that 9 out of 10 entertainers will accept your invites and expect to be tolerated just because you invited them. This is why it is so important to stress the rules to all performers in your band.
Good luck everyone,
Neeah Saara
MasterDancer/MasterImagedesigner
Dantooine, Chalistra
Please continue with your sub-standard --COMMUNITY SERVICE--!
Once the word get's around the SWG community about the new buffs entertainers have, you'll find your --COMMUNITY SERVICE-- just a little lacking. I can't see anyone saying 'thankyouthankyouthankyou' once they realise you're not there and they can't buy the buff of you.
Grats you on becoming redundant!
Just a footnote. Word has been out on buffs in my community for a week at least. Ive been telling them all about it, making sure they understood how it worked and such.
I dont need tips for mind buffs,I dont ask for tips EVER, yetI get tipped plenty. I dont expect someone to tip me if I'm afk for a moment or twoand performing. I think that was a main point in my reply. Afk dancers don't get tipped. But you see I am not an afk performer. And even if I was afk full time, it wouldnt make a difference to other performers because I am the only one. Anyone who has a problem with what I do, clearly has issues within themselves more than concern for fairness.
My other point was that I am performing a community service for the people around me. The pointthat THEY know that I won't let them down if they need me is again,very important to me, and the role I am playing. If you want to take it a step further, Idon't feel that many performersknow how to role play. And its a shame. We should be all doing so well.
Safe journeys and happy melodies
Neeah Saara