Dancer Archive
Thread: My idea to eliminate AFK Buffbots
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Space_Gunny
Thu Jul 08, 2004 11:13 pm
#1
I apoligize if this has been brought up before.
I can see most of us agree on what the issues is: AFK Buffbots. I don't think anyone really wants afk macroing to go away entirely. From my viewpoint this is a very easy fix. I would suggest our repsective correspondents (Entertainer/Dancer/Musician) simply ask the devs to eliminte the ability to use the /join command. If we make joining a group a totally interactive process (i.e. the only way to join a group is by clicking the yes button on the popup box) this eliminates the ability to afk buff all together. Has this even been suggested? I just recently began tracking the three entertainer forums after starting my newest alt. The only other tweak needed would be to make sure the join button is the one on the right which would eliminate the ability to use the default button command. Just a idea that i think might work without the need to eliminate afk all together.
BraindG
Fri Jul 09, 2004 4:29 am
#2
Thats not going to work..
why?
try tucows.com for auto text programs..
Zilod
Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:53 am
#3
i think that it have been alredy suggested
anyway the idea is still good in my opinion and i don't really see any drawback in it (exept for buffbots of course)
so /up
hoping our correspondant will suggest it 
Xyrdre
Wed Jul 14, 2004 5:21 am
#4
Well, I'd like AFK macroing to go away entirely. Buffbots and zombies all. And loot campers, and anything else taking something from the game without a playeractively being there playing. As a former professional game designer/developer, I think thatit's full-on, flat-outcheating, and am still amazed that it's allowed to continue. If the argument that professions are 'boring to grind', well, either at the development levelmake those things more fun to do, or at the player level go do something that you actually enjoy doing. Allowing AFK macroing doesn't help the of game play stiuationfor anyone.
That said, changing the /join command alone won't stop all thebuffbots. They'll just switch to theother method rather than the autojoin method.
We'd need to have a bit more to really take care of the automation of the entertainer professions. See some of the other threads on these fine forums for ideas that the community has been generating.
Zilod
Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:20 pm
#5
I like to see all AFK macroers go away too, but i see it more difficult than to remove buffbots
the thing that can help with afks is to remove reasons that 'force' them to play a profession they don't like
before hologrinding cantinas where full of real entertainers, yes there where some afks but not that much mostly cause entertainer in my opinion is very fun to grind, actually is not a true grind you do the same things you will do at master: socialize to adventors, chatting with other entertainers, jamming with the band....
yes you will not use a bandfill or play virtuoso but entertainer is not that, is not like theswordsman that have to be powerfull to kill a NS elder and grab a good lot, is all about socializing and having fun with other people.
as i see it now (after hologrinding's death) the main reason that keep people doing entertainers even if they don't like it is buffs, and most player do it using afkbuffs.
if will be no more possible to make afkbuffs i think that many players will be forced to chose to play entertainer for friends or to rely to 'professional' entertainers.
about the idea to remove /join and autojoin as i said i think is really good.
whitout it i don't see many way to make an afk buffbot whitout using some external program (eula violation), yes maybe some other method will come out, but let's start to put an end to this one, expecially as the change will not probably need a big work as will be just to remove a command whitout develop any new structure
sorry for some confusion but it's really late eheh 
Aleyo
Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:29 am
#6
Zilod wrote:yes you will not use a bandfill or play virtuoso but entertainer is not that, is not like the swordsman that have to be powerfull to kill a NS elder and grab a good lot, is all about socializing and having fun with other people.
Actually, I took up musician originally because I just like music. Therefore, there was a desire for me to have all the instruments/songs available so that I'd be able to experiment with them all and be able to play whatever music was available to me (hence the mastering of entertainer, to get my hands on the mandoviol and play ceremonial).
I'm not saying that this is the most popular reason to pick an entertainer profession, but I just didn't want a blanket statement that the socializing is the reason someone picks entertainer, or the only thing that can come from it.
Of course, I do enjoy the socializing and have made many friends
. I've recently been taking missions to build up money to decorate my cantina, and I've been missing my friends in Theed.
Aurakean
Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:53 am
#7
I disagree. I offer afk master musician group buffs as a service to our customers and I can think of a lot of other AFK macros that give an unfair advantage that should be fixed before afk dancer/musician buffers. If I've spent the time and skill points to Master Musician then I will do whatever I can do within the restraints of the game. It's not exploiting and it costs me nothing to give them to my customers. If you're worried about afk buffers taking away your profit and role playing time then you should pick up a crafting or combat profession to make some extra money.
MajorCurt
Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:09 am
#8
That's just it. We should'nt have to modify our template so you can continue to offer a service to your customers. However, I can also state that most musicians arn't interested in the money primarily. It's just sad because people that would normally come to ATK musicians for buffs are now going to AFK BuffBots and that takes away the interaction with the customers that us Entertainers so dearly love.
Kreistor
Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:29 am
#9
Aurakean wrote:I disagree. I offer afk master musician group buffs as a service to our customers and I can think of a lot of other AFK macros that give an unfair advantage that should be fixed before afk dancer/musician buffers. If I've spent the time and skill points to Master Musician then I will do whatever I can do within the restraints of the game. It's not exploiting and it costs me nothing to give them to my customers. If you're worried about afk buffers taking away your profit and role playing time then you should pick up a crafting or combat profession to make some extra money.
Here's this excuse again. "It's my $15 a month and I can do whatever I want"
Actually, you can't. SOE doesn't like it when people are griefed, and that's what you're doing to our professions.
See, a killstealer is also working completely within the constraints of the game, and it is not allowed. By setting up a buffbot and ruining live entertainers' professions and taking away their source of income, you are griefing, and that's kinda frowned upon.
Besides, why should we give up a profession that we want to do? We have the right to play an entertainer and enjoy it and make money. That's all we're trying to say here.
Vermicious_Knid
Sat Jul 17, 2004 12:08 pm
#10
You're making that up. The devs have said that they don't like afk macroing, but they certainly have never said it was griefing, or that it was not allowed.
Killstealing is not illegal either, per se. Tacky, yes, bannable, probably not. People have gotten an earful for arguments and behavior stemming from a "stolen" kill, but I've never heard of anyone being disciplined for just stealing the kill. Krayt hunters and others deal with it as a fact of life. SWG does not have a formal "play nice" policy like Everquest.
And while you certainly have a right to play an entertainer , you have the right to make money only so far as you do something that people
want to pay for, which may or may not be your first choice of things to do.
Kreistor wrote:
Aurakean wrote:
I disagree. I offer afk master musician group buffs as a service to our customers and I can think of a lot of other AFK macros that give an unfair advantage that should be fixed before afk dancer/musician buffers. If I've spent the time and skill points to Master Musician then I will do whatever I can do within the restraints of the game. It's not exploiting and it costs me nothing to give them to my customers. If you're worried about afk buffers taking away your profit and role playing time then you should pick up a crafting or combat profession to make some extra money.
Here's this excuse again. "It's my $15 a month and I can do whatever I want"
Actually, you can't. SOE doesn't like it when people are griefed, and that's what you're doing to our professions.
See, a killstealer is also working completely within the constraints of the game, and it is not allowed. By setting up a buffbot and ruining live entertainers' professions and taking away their source of income, you are griefing, and that's kinda frowned upon.
Besides, why should we give up a profession that we want to do? We have the right to play an entertainer and enjoy it and make money. That's all we're trying to say here.
Message Edited by Vermicious_Knid on 07-17-2004 04:10 AM
Message Edited by Vermicious_Knid on 07-17-2004 04:11 AM
Message Edited by Vermicious_Knid on 07-17-2004 04:11 AM
Straker_Atrella
Sat Jul 17, 2004 12:19 pm
#11
Nobody needs nerfed, the answer is simple. In my opinion.
When somebody starts watching / listening to a dancer, a RANDOM flourish screen pops up on the group leaders (only his) screen. The Group leader then tell the dancer to do that Flourish and that Flourish only.
Then the attended benefits kick in.
-The buffs last 3 hours at master level.
-You get an extra 10% buff
If the attended benefits don't get activated, everything remains the same as now.
People still get the conveinaince of AFK buffbots, but the live people get a benefit.
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