Dancer Archive
Thread: A solution to Long-term AFK Macro Entertaining
I macro. Typically when I'm at work. I don't have the luxury to play "3-10" hours a day. I wouldn't want to even if I had the time. I work 9-5, 5 days a week. I take 16 credit hours of classes. I've already managed to get to Master Bounty Hunter with what I would consider my "main" character.
When I macro, I'm out of the way, not saying a word, not grouped. If there's someone else performing, I guarantee they are the ones getting the exp and tips. If there's nobody else around, then I can also guarantee the combat classes who watch me are happy I'm there.
I love to roleplay, but macros are in the game. I'm not going to hamper my own progress because I aspire to do more than make $10/hr my entire life, and have 4-5 papers due a week. It's hard to roleplay a dancer when you're falling on your arse constantly because you're a "newbie."
As my Bounty Hunter, I "powergamed" continuously for the two weeks between summer and fall term. I couldn't, for the life of me find entertainers half the time. There was one AFK dancer that I could count on to be in the cantina. Thank God. If there was someone else around who was actually manning the keyboard, they got my tips. But at least I knew this AFK dancer would be there to heal my fatigue when I was hunting on Tattooine.
Finally, I don't like being flirted with by the masses of horny dipsticks who frequent cantinas. I know a lot of women actually enjoy this sort of attention from the 15 year old boys who are confused about what to do with their first stiffy. I don't. I'm playing to roleplay with a specific group of people. EVERY TIME I have roleplayed my dancer actively in the cantina (and can't you tell I'm a take no prisoners type of girl?) I have inevitably been flirted with in grotesque and inappropriate ways. It's disgusting. I don't want to have to think up witty replies about their member size. I just don't want to deal with it.
In short, I don't care if they take macroing out. But while it's in, I'll use it. Got a problem with it? Take a number and I'll get to you when I give a **edit**.
AnariaMalVek wrote:It's hard to roleplay a dancer when you're falling on your arse constantly because you're a "newbie."
Master Dancers fall with the exact same frequency as novice entertainers. So this isn't really a good reason to macro.
If you find playing anything but a Master Dancer boring and unacceptable and you want to macro till you get it, fine (in other words, you'd take a "punch this button to become a master dancer immediately" option if it were available).
But don't do it to stop falling. You won't. Certain dances seem not to have falls in them (oddly, Footloose is one) or to cause falling less (Poplock). But the rank you're at has nothing to do with the rate of falling (well, other than which dance you can perform, for example, you can't do footloose until a certain point).
C
Frankly , I dont care how many hours anyone macros to gain in either dance or music, but allowing the afk healing to continue is destroying the profession. More than one entertainer that I started with on my server has now surrendered their skills and more will in the future. Fortunately I have a combat class character on another server, and only dance for the social and entertainment value my favorite cantina offers, but in my travels I see so many cantinas that are almost dead if not totally so,,due to lack of income for the dancers and afk healing that currently takes place.
AFK healing needs to be removed,,,dance or music exp,,its a personal choice,,but not healing ,,healing has an impact on the entire galaxy and every entertainer in every cantina,,,so argue if you will,,but it has to be stopped, for the good of the entertainer profession as a whole,,
Athough I am not that big of a fan of dancing with other people who are AFK for hours on end, I can tell you I have done this as well in Anchorhead and Karen where I often find an empty cantina. In order to help -OTHERS- I AFK dance.
I am master dancer so it really doesn't help me anymore to obtain XP so no need to make any selfish comments.
I do prefer the social parts of the game, however I also don't want people to have to pay to fly somewhere just to get rid of the BF.
Regards
AnariaMalVek wrote:
I macro. Typically when I'm at work. I don't have the luxury to play "3-10" hours a day. I wouldn't want to even if I had the time. I work 9-5, 5 days a week. I take 16 credit hours of classes. I've already managed to get to Master Bounty Hunter with what I would consider my "main" character.
When I macro, I'm out of the way, not saying a word, not grouped. If there's someone else performing, I guarantee they are the ones getting the exp and tips. If there's nobody else around, then I can also guarantee the combat classes who watch me are happy I'm there.
I love to roleplay, but macros are in the game. I'm not going to hamper my own progress because I aspire to do more than make $10/hr my entire life, and have 4-5 papers due a week. It's hard to roleplay a dancer when you're falling on your arse constantly because you're a "newbie."
As my Bounty Hunter, I "powergamed" continuously for the two weeks between summer and fall term. I couldn't, for the life of me find entertainers half the time. There was one AFK dancer that I could count on to be in the cantina. Thank God. If there was someone else around who was actually manning the keyboard, they got my tips. But at least I knew this AFK dancer would be there to heal my fatigue when I was hunting on Tattooine.
Finally, I don't like being flirted with by the masses of horny dipsticks who frequent cantinas. I know a lot of women actually enjoy this sort of attention from the 15 year old boys who are confused about what to do with their first stiffy. I don't. I'm playing to roleplay with a specific group of people. EVERY TIME I have roleplayed my dancer actively in the cantina (and can't you tell I'm a take no prisoners type of girl?) I have inevitably been flirted with in grotesque and inappropriate ways. It's disgusting. I don't want to have to think up witty replies about their member size. I just don't want to deal with it.
In short, I don't care if they take macroing out. But while it's in, I'll use it. Got a problem with it? Take a number and I'll get to you when I give a **edit**.
AnariaMelVek, to me you have a sensible opinionof and approach toAFKMing. I respect that.
I applaud you for the ungrouped, out of the way approach. You're admittedly AFKMing, but you're staying out of the way. Shows you respect others.
Granted, the roleplay experience is a common one, especially if you're playing a female avatar. As much as I have my doubts about the /deny command, it will help here.
Regarding the experience with the AFKMing dancer that was always there, to me that speaks more of the need for SOE to look at the entertainer's role in SWG and make it more involving. Right now, nobody wants to be an entertainer because there's 'nothing to do'. It's not really a reason to start AFKMing yourself in itself, but rather a reason why you don't feel it's a bad thing.
But I did want to impress something upon you (hopefully). This game, and indeed the entertainer professions especially are not meant to be 'powergamed'. Most of the pro-AFKMing folks I've read have a notion that they are expected to play 3-10 hours per day. I don't know where that comes from--perhaps the amount of experience to gain mastery--but it's not designed to be played that way. By Holocron's estimates, it should take 3 months to master any elite profession in around 5 hours per week (may be a little off in Holocron's definition of 'casual gamer', but I believe it was around there).
I say this because it sounds like trying to powergame entertainer is only stressing you more (hence the need to AFKM to make the maximum possible gains). I want you to know that you get nothing at master dancer. It's simply not worth it. There is nothing special you get to do once you reach Master Dancer--no real reward. In EQ, you get to go to new planes and explore new places. Not here, you'll still be stuck in the cantina. The fun...all of the fun...in the dancing profession is gotten in the experiences you, as a player, have while trying to get there. As a result, powergaming through the profession and AFKMing serves you no purpose but to give you the illusion that you HAVE to play 10 hours a day.
To give you a different perspective: I'm a staff engineer. I don't work 9-5, I work 9am to 10pm, 5 days a week (but still only get paid for 8hrs of it--**edit** salary). It's a miracle when I can take a day off during the weekend. I spend maybe an hour a day, maybe more when I can, playing SWG. I tried AFKMing once. I came back and my character had gained 2000xp. But as a player, I lost a day of fun.
Good luck to you. You're on the right track in RL, if you ask me. 
Just relax, though...there's no race. 