Dancer Archive

I see us as entertainers and outside of JTL the only skill based professions in the game. Our skill and creativity in using the limited tools that SOE has made available to us show that we are by far the best and most skillful players in the game. We create content, we create entertainement, we create an environment that brings life to SWG. We are the ONLY UBER class in the game.

Arrr!

Ravanne Esi
Master Dancer, Master Entertainer, Master Musician
Ragin' Rancor Enterprises
New Hope, Naboo

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Dancers pwn, and are l337. It's true.

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I have always viewed my role as healer and combat support. I also love spending time putting together dance routines but that's usually secondary and it's been a while since I took the time to really do that. There was a period of time where the vast majority of my time was spent traveling to one cantina or another to provide mind buffs. Alas with the influx of robot buffers, I usually only buff guildmates these days, and much of my combat support comes from my T-21 instead of my dancing shoes.

Ikewe, Master Dancer Shadowfire

Hm...well this particular dancer (my 2nd, but only current) is a Fascist Imperial Diva. She comes from a long line of Tatooine dancers, but her family was too soft, and the scortching suns of Tatooine too ugly. She has a morbid beauty and taste, desiring waterproofed gungan hide boots, and an ewok parka. She has covered her native desert tan with the white body paint from an image designer. She is an utter servant to the emperor himself ( a shame neither he or vader clap) and is jealous of Mara Jade. She wants to be the emperor's hand. She has felt the darkside of the force flow through her and it moves her body across the dance floor. She revels in performing for patrons, and is not shy about discussing the flaws of the other races. (I'm really too sweet to be "evil" but she's supposed to be). She stars in imperial propa....*ahem* patriotic holo's and is seeking fame throughout the galaxy while harboring a need for a secret lifestyle wielding force lightening. If there is a day to come where she can spy on rebels who would seek her entertainment services, she would be most excited. To sum it up...She has stars and force lightening in her eyes

Ironically the majority of her friends is made of alien rebels. There's just something cute about her evilness I suppose.

Khristial Lightdancer on Wanderhome she is. (Master Dancer, Semi Pikewidower, and aspiring force lightening wielder)

Gorath, Chilastra, Wanderhome.

Elder SL, Rifleman, Pistoleer, Scout, Marksman, Tailor, WS, Merchant, Entertainer, Dancer, Musician, Pikeman, TK, Smuggler, Commando, Combat Medic.
Currently Officer, Medic, Entertainer, Jedi, Smuggler, Domestic Trader

Ooh! I missed this one over here. Explained my dancer but now for my musician. My musician is sorta an undercover place for me to go and experience diffrent aspects of roleplay challenges that I would normally not experience. Aspect of the character, not musician. That aside, My musician is also Tat born (got a thing for Tat born folks...Cooler surnames) Though a staunch supporter of the alliance, when it comes to actually *serving* with the army, thats not really happening. No hidden agendas, other than partying, playing, flirting *heavily* I might add, and being one of the best dressed on the server are what I"m about. The Smuggler's Alliance seems to have a lot more folks like my musician, so plenty to fly with and party hardy with. Its all about the great tunes, the great instruments, and fun. Can't forget about fun. And its pretty relaxing for the most part.

Gorath, Chilastra, Wanderhome.

Elder SL, Rifleman, Pistoleer, Scout, Marksman, Tailor, WS, Merchant, Entertainer, Dancer, Musician, Pikeman, TK, Smuggler, Commando, Combat Medic.
Currently Officer, Medic, Entertainer, Jedi, Smuggler, Domestic Trader

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~ The RockMites - a german Music Band ~

http://www.rockmites.de.vu

I consider myself as an entertainer first and foremost.

I really enjoy my profession and love playing my Nalargon with one of my droids as a backup with the bandfill. Healing and buffing are nice but asI don't tend to spend much time in the cantina I rarely get asked to buff. Come and see me near a starport and let me entertain you

ATLANTISS
ElderCreatureHandler
PsychopathicCommando

As a couple others have pointed out is the case for them, I too had a little different vision than what has actually happened. I guess at first, I just thought I was a dancer. I mean, I thought that it was very cool to have a profession like this in the game. I considered it to be a profession. I expected to make money off of it. But, I didn't really know how at first. I just naturally assumed that there'd be a reason people paid me for dancing, because it was a profession. lol

At first the healing did seem very secondary to what I did. But, my vision, after a couple months, really had more to do with being a celebrity than anything else. It's why I joined the now defunct Rift Runners. It's why I wanted to be in videos. I just vicariously enjoy living the life of a celebrity, I guess. The whole idea seems very fun and unique to me in a MMORPG.

At the same I guess now things have been overshadowed with the whole afk/buffbot thing. I guess I figure that's what the devs gave us to be part of the "world" we live in, so I tend to take it personally that it's been taken away from us for all intents and purposes. Even I have gotten away from my original vision. Due to lack of time, and other content I'm enjoying I haven't put nearly the effort that I originally wanted to into my original vision.

Relying on the game world evolving to a state where entertainers actually entertain and get paid for simply entertaining is difficult to do. Not everyone wants to roleplay. And, while I'm not a heavy roleplayer by any means, I think you really need a large group of people who are into rp'ing to some extent in order to have people that want to be entertained...people that want to actually go take in a show or go to the theater as part of their normal game life.

It can be done, though. I remember when I was with the Rift Runners. We had multiple gigs a week, and we were actually paid really well for it. Certainly not as much as doing combat missions. But, if I could take in 50K a night, 2 or 3 times a week by putting on a performance, I thought that was great. And, the entertaining didn't even always have to be dancing and music. We had a mon cal who joined up with us. He used to do a comedy routine in between sets and he was a hit. The Rift Runners even put on "Death ofa Jedi." I remember going to Temenos Island before I even became a member, and I remember them performing their play, and I remember the player theater actually being packed. I mean, there were literally a hundred people sitting outside in the audience watching. It seemed amazing to me at the time. And, I suspect it would seem amazing to me now if anybody actually did something like this again and had such a huge turnout.

It begs the question, what happened? My only experience for this is Kettemoor. I don't know if things like this ever happened on other servers. But, that was the heydey of entertaining in my mind. I know what happened to the Rift Runners, it's a long sordid story which I won't get into here. But, even towards the end of my affiliation with them, there were others who were writing more plays, making more plans, choreographing, writing new songs to play music and dance to. And, then somehow, somewhere, it all went flat. There are Cantina nights on Kettemoor now, which is nice. But, it's not like it used to be.

How can we get that back? When I think about it, it doesn't even have anything at all to do with healing and buffing. And, those were the best times I had as an entertainer. Now, even I find myself consumed with exploring other things...flying around in space, doing things for force sensitivity just because it's something to do, dancing theatrical just to get theatrical2. It's kind of an odd thing. So many people complain about lack of content. And, the reality is, every single time I log on I feel like there's something that I have to do. I'm always busy in some way or another. And all of that being busy keeps me from developing what I wanted to do to begin with. I want to be in a band again, I want to perform, I want to be part of something big, something that makes me a celebrity.

How can we make that happen again? Is this something we can try to push for in our revamp. Providing us with things that make it so people really want to come see us, for no reason except to take in a performance of sorts? Is it possible to get rid of healing and buffing by providing us with so many tools to perform with that we are guaranteed money? Are the true blue entertainers creative enough to make this happen if we are actually given those tools? I miss it. And, I think the reality is that this isn't something the devs can give us. Yes, they can give us more tools. But, if we want to make money performing..and I don't mean by chatting and being friendly, but actually performing, we have to do that ourselves. There's no getting around it.

So, I think I may have gone off topic here. haha. But, after a couple months of gameplay this is what I envisioned myself to be...a well known star/celebrity on the server. To this day, that's what I'd like even though I readily admit I haven't put forth the effort that I should have.

Its an interesting question

I always saw myself as an entertainer first who had the bonus ability to help their customers "forget the troubles of thier minds". At launch, I loved the idea that I was a dancer, in the hub of activity talking to people, gleaning information like some kind of slinky spy, as well asbeing able to offer advice or information to those who were looking to put their feet up for 5minutes.

Being also a dancer in RL up until 2years ago, it just seemed natural that our role was to perform, to entertain. Its part of the reason why seeing the profession degrade so much is sometimes so depressing - but maybe I'm biased due to my own experiences and the excitement I've had performing myself, perhaps I expected to much to think itwould translate here.

Musician to me is almost fully 99% entertaining. Though it definately isnt my music that entertains. It just gives me a backdrop to do what i do best- meet new people )and people i have met before) and make their day a little more interesting if not more fun.

My goal everyday i played was to help remind people this is a game with other players playing it. Whether it is by helping new players, or cheering up somebody that just had a frustrating death. It may be giving out interesting information, or spending 3k+ to go to a location one of my friends (or aquantances)might need help.

Not to sound arrogant but i see entertainers as the glue that binds SWG together. Who else gets to meet so many different people all the time, and hopefully doing their job correctly, making them feel more at home in the SWG universe.

To me healing and buffing just happen to be the thing that initiates any type of interaction. It is a catalyst for the socializing to happen. People come to us for these services and we provide more. (well atleast we did before all the bots....)

DinaJa Erso
Master Doctor
Master Musician