Dancer Archive

Beery said:

Dancers are highly trained in agility. Agility plays a big part in combat. A Teras Kasi Artist who is also a dancer would surely have an advantage over a Teras Kasi artist who is also a cook.

Yes, we do. My Master Dancer status grants me +7 Ranged defense and +7 Melee defense. See a post over on the Musician's forum by NewJedi, who did his first brawl duel (even though he's a carbineer, not a brawler) and actually beat a Brawler. His Master Musician status surely helped a little.

It's not that hard to adapt a dancer to combat. I did it (human female), though I think I'd urge Twi'leks to pursue something other than TKA. I migrated a chunk of my mind pool and a little Action over to health, and in a day I had the stats I needed to be viable. It's been a great diversion from dancing for me, and had I not also decided to take up Creature Handler I could even have mastered it. Now I'm content just getting some skill in both classes to augment my social side -- and allow me to use a trained pet snake in my dance routine ... if only I could put him around my neck

I'm fine with that and as far as I'm concerned thats all we need with regard to combat supplementation.

There is no way a master dancer is equivalent to a martial artist. In no way is the body used, trained or supported by practice in the same way or for similar things. A martial artist trains a body to take damage, to react defensively and offensively, to toughen up to react to something else, none of which is true for a dancer.

Different muscles, different actions, different training period. Not equivalent. Are they both in great shape? Yes, are they both muscular? Yes. Do they both have good reactions? Yes, but all for different things. Any bonus gained in being a healthy athletic trained person is already accounted for in the master bonus.

There are plenty of combat classes. There are plenty of opportunities for a dancer to take one of them too. We don't need dancer to be a combat class or even to support combat classes during battle.

I'd rather see ways we can be creative and make our own dance steps, match music, put together performances, add in singing for entertainment or other methods of entertainment, tumbling, juggling. Find ways we can be more integrated and supplemental to the non-combat classes, give city bonuses with cantina use, supplement the chef trade, create entertainment modules for limited uses, etc.

---

Beery wrote:

Somehow I get the impression that SlickRiptide is scared to death that Dancing skills might give great modifiers to combat professions. He's afraid that, in order to 'be all that he can be', he's gonna have to spend serious game time dancing around like a pixie. Oh, the horror! The horror!

Grow up, Slick!

---

---

Beery wrote:
I'm sorry, Slickriptide, but the tone of your post makes it clear that you just have a HUGEchip on your shoulder about dancers. A Master Dancer is not just useful for doing the Charleston. Have you even the first clue about how much muscular training goes into dancing at the highest levels? Clearly not. A Master Dancer is in the same league as a master martial artist. If that conceptis too difficult for you to grasp, then you cannot possibly contribute to this discussion.

---

If I put lots of smileys in my post will that lower the perceived belligerence factor?

Let's say you're right. Let's say that in real life a master dancer is in magnificent physical shape. We put Mikhail Baryshnikov in a room with a Green Beret and let 'em go at it. Who do you suppose will win that fight? My money's on the trained soldier. Make it the reigning world kung fu champion? I'll still go with the martial artist. I'll even lay you odds if you really think that Mikhail would have even a fighting chance in that matchup just because he has great reflexes and physical coordination.

Game-wise, master dancers get a +7 melee defense bonus. That represents their superb physical conditioning.

None of this addresses the question I asked - If entertainers are entitled to combat skills, then why aren't other non-combat professions also entitled to combat skills? It has nothing to do with having a chip on one's shoulder and everything to do with balanced game design. Entertainers were never designed to be a combat class. Chefs weren't designed to be a combat class. Architects were not designed to be a combat class. What's more reasonable? A dancer dodging blaster bolts and charming the enemy or an architect using advanced knowledge of structural weakpoints to take down a structure faster? I can tell you which one I find to be more plausible...

---

VernaAldora wrote:
OMG I can't believe you even said that! I'd take the grinder any day! AFK Macroers are the debil!!! At least they're not going to beg for tips and macro stupid emotes at every customer coming in. I can't believe you're so selfish as to think that pure entertainers should only have Master Dancer. Besides, what combat bunny do you know that is willing to grind away months at making it? I surely don't know any.

---

Oh, believe me, if a power gamer can find an advantage, he'll try to get it. It doesn't matter if he has to "waste" time to get those skills. It's bad enough that combat bunnies take Novice Entertainer so they can heal their own wounds.

And yes, I would choose an AFKer over a powergamer who would choose to gain Dancing skills for some combat benefit. At least the AFKer is quiet (except for the horrid spambots). The powergamer might try to talk about his l33t skills or something. It's bad enough I have to hear that crap from patrons, but those types tend to get healed and get out. Heaven forbid if these people actually have a reason to stay there for hours. Bleh.

I'm not sure why it's selfish to believe that Dancers (and Musicians) should not have as large a role in combat as Marksmen and Fencers and so forth.

"Yes, we do. My Master Dancer status grants me +7 Ranged defense and +7 Melee defense."

I guess I should have clarified. It should be a 'real' advantage. The above are not a great deal if you ask me. Anyway, surely a TKA withMaster Dancer should have an advantage over a TKA with Master Musician. Why on Earth do musicians get ranged defence and melee defence bonuses??? Musicians don't train in agility.

"the trained grace of a performer is reflected in the defense adjustments at the Master Level. These are modifiers that augment (or "stack" if you will) with a combantant's training,"

But they're not all that good - just look at the defence adjustments you get simply by being ina combat class, and you see how weak these advantages are, and they only kick in if you're at Master Dancer level. Also, why is there no advantage in weapon speed - that has to do with agility. Finally, if it's purely a result of the agility of dancing thatgives these adjustments, why is it that Master Musicians can give the same modifiers?

I thought Master Baiters were already in the game - they own 3 AT-STs and until recently they used toshow 'em off in cantinas every chance they got.

Again, I'd like to say that I think our colored lights line should be helpful not just in being pretty, but in combat as well.

First off, you would have to be allowed to use them when you aren't dancing.

Second, I see them as more defensive in nature. As a dancer, I'm not looking for offensive abilities (I mean, as a TKA I am, but that's different). Look at the names..."Distract"...."Smoke Bomb". My thought is this...allow them to screw up the targeting of enemy combatants. For instance, the lowest level light show doesn't let the enemy target you for a second or two (maybe letting you get a free shot in, or just run away). The highest level could perhaps allow for a several second delay, or perhaps block the targeting of multiple people (thus you could protect yourself and your group for several seconds using Smoke Bomb)

Now, there might be a problem with you using the Light Techniques in the cantina ("Hey! I'm watching you to get healed and when you do that light effect, I can't watch you anymore!"). This can be solved by having the lights have 2 effects. When you're dancing, they act as simply a pretty show. When you're not dancing, they act as a defense against targeting.

That tittle reminds me of Star Trek The undiscovered country. Remeber Urla and the veils?