Dancer Archive
Thread: Potential idea...?
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Kylrathin
Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:00 am
#1
I'm sorry, I don't typically lurk these boards, but something just occurred to me I'd like to share. I apologize if it's beenoffered upalready. It doesn't necessarily solve the problem of buffbots or AFK macroers, but I think it would go a long way to resolving issues with people saying they need them at certain starports because they don't know who's playing where.
What about a 'Now Playing' terminal? This would work along the lines of the Bazaar. A terminal would be placed outside every cantina in the galaxy, with selections for local, planetary, and galactic (just like the Bazaar). It would work something like this:
1)A performerwould go into a cantina and bring up the radial on the bartender. If any skill points at all are devoted to an entertainer profession, the selection 'Set up contract' would appear. The bartender would offer to pay the performer based on the skill level of the performer, say 50 credits per hour for novice Entertainer, up to 2000 credits per hour (or whatever) for Master Dancer/Musician levels. Once a player accepts the terms, he/she only needs to revisit that bartender again to 'renegotiate' based on if he/she has gained or lost any Entertainer-related skill boxes since the last contract was signed.
Ex: Joe Bagadonuts is a Master Musician. He enters the cantina in Kor Vella, Corellia and brings up the radial on the bartender there. Joe selects 'Set up contract', since he has skill boxes completed in an entertainment profession. The game checks his skill level, and the bartender offers him a contract for 2000 credits per hour if he'll perform there. Joe clicks 'I accept', and the contract is set. Joe will now get two more radial menus available, 'Cancel contract' and 'Perform here' the next time he selects the bartender.
2) The performer would then access the bartender's radial menu again. He/she would select 'Perform Here' from the radial menu of this terminal.
3) The performer has 180 seconds (3 minutes) to head out to the stage area and begin performing. Once the performer has started, he/she now shows up on these 'Now Playing' terminals all over the galaxy.
Ex: Joe, having already set up a contract with the Kor Vella cantina owner, now selects 'Perform Here' from the bartender's radial menu. The bartender replies, "Knock 'em dead!" and Joe is now on a 3-minute timer to begin performing. Joe starts playing, and his name appears on all 'Now Playing' terminals across the galaxy.
Fred Toughguy, Master Fencer, has just returned from mopping up the Dathomir landscape of Rancors, and has about 600 or so Battle Fatigue. Fred heads back to the Dathomir Science Outpost and goes into the cantina, which he finds is completely empty. Fred walks back outside and accesses the 'Now Playing' terminal. He selects 'On Planet' and sees nobody is playing anywhere on Dathomir. He then selects 'In Galaxy', and at the top of the list is 'Kor Vella: Joe Bagadonuts (Master Musician)'. Fred takes the short trip to Kor Vella, and Joe gets a shot at some tips in addition to his hourly wage.
4) The performer's name would be removed from the 'Now Playing' terminal if there was ever a 300 second (5 minute) break in his/her performance. This should give time for people to sit and regenerate any lost action, if necessary. He/she can also select 'Stop Performing' from the bartender's radial menu to instantly take himself/herself off the galactic terminals.
Ex: Joe, who now has to log out, stops playing. His name does not come off the 'Now Playing' terminals until he logs out, selects 'Stop Performing' from the Kor Vella bartender's radial menu, or 5 minutes go by without him starting again.
Obviously, a solution should be found to the buffbot problem first before something like this is implemented. Otherwise, you have AFK alts just farming 2k credits an hour minimum just for being online. But something like this opens up a lot of things.
a) It provides a minimum income to entertainers, regardless of how many tips they receive. It's not so much that people will change their minds and not tip an entertainer where they otherwise would have, but it provides at least maintenance money for houses, etc.
b) It brings legitimacy to entertainers in the galaxy, besides the need to heal BF.
c) It gives people one more reason to visit player cities! If I'm at a starport and I need some brandy and a new sword, plus I have 300 BF, if I see someone's performing at a player city that also happens to have a good chef and weaponsmith, I'm going there to get everything done in one shot. People will not only deck out their player cantinas, but an audience could actually gather spontaneously!
d) Scheduling: You could add scheduling to player cantinas as well. Maybe add a 'Upcoming Events' section to the 'Now Playing' terminal (ok that naming wasn't thought through very well, hehe...but hopefully you get the idea) by which entertainers or their agents could list upcoming tour dates at certain cantinas. Currently, I know this kind of thing is handled on the forums, but why should any game mechanic exist solely outside the game?
e) Bands/Dance Troupes/Performing Groups: Master Entertainers/Dancers/Musicians would eventually be able to form official, lastinggroups. The group names would appear on the 'Now Playing' terminal instead of individual names, something like 'New Coventry: The Lekkutones (Band)' (New Coventry is a player city on Intrepid for those who aren't aware). Bands (groups of musicians), Dance Troupes (groups of dancers), and Performing Groups (which would be a mix of musicians and dancers) would appear at the top of the list. Even if a group was created on the fly, the 'Now Playing' terminal should allow the option to do so.
Well, I know these ideasare very, very rough and need a ton of polish. But I'm curious what youfolks think. Any merit here? Has this already been thought up and either thrown out or put on hold? In any case, thanks for reading!
Devitt Kylrathin
Goldy_Lhim
Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:27 am
#2
I love new ideas, lol. I'm just a sucker for em.
Ok first off which you already mentioned, AFK macrotainment would have to be removed first. Its just another way for combat folks with entertainer alts to farm more money.
Secondly, it could bring tips to a screeching halt all together. Why should they tip me, I'm getting paid to dance with them there or not? The passiveness of our healing allows this to happen. This keep money in the hands of combatants instead of spreading it around which I think is the goal.
I remember some other new idea that was sort of similar except the terminal issued a mission to the entertainer to pick up when someone found their name on the list as available.At least I think that's what I remember. Perhaps a mission terminal that sucks money outta combat folks and into the pockets of entertainers would be better than just NPC generation of money. /shrug but again I could be wrong, I often am 
Kylrathin
Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:30 pm
#3
Thanks for the feedback!
I guess in reply to your second point (since we totally agree on the first), I would have to say that it really wouldn't be different from the way it is now. Those who currently tip would, I believe, still tip under these conditions, as they realize that 2k credits per hour really isn't that far above 0 when you consider the rate at which a combat class can earn them. Those who do not tip now, probably still wouldn't, but that's an entirely different problem that isn't covered by this.
The ideas I offered were intended to add some serious RP to the entertainment professions, give legitimacy not only to the professions but also to the myriad of venues around the galaxy, provide people with an easy way to access the facilities (the easier it is on the customer, the more customers you get), and to at least get something started on cash flow for entertainers.
Devitt Kylrathin
I guess in reply to your second point (since we totally agree on the first), I would have to say that it really wouldn't be different from the way it is now. Those who currently tip would, I believe, still tip under these conditions, as they realize that 2k credits per hour really isn't that far above 0 when you consider the rate at which a combat class can earn them. Those who do not tip now, probably still wouldn't, but that's an entirely different problem that isn't covered by this.
The ideas I offered were intended to add some serious RP to the entertainment professions, give legitimacy not only to the professions but also to the myriad of venues around the galaxy, provide people with an easy way to access the facilities (the easier it is on the customer, the more customers you get), and to at least get something started on cash flow for entertainers.
Devitt Kylrathin
Rence
Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:12 pm
#4
What is the whole point of the register macro entertainers have?
I've went into cantinas and type /register then it says you have been successfully registered to this cantina.
whoo hooo!!! Then what?
I leave the cantina I get a message that says you are no longer registered with that cantina.
Why not Improve on something that is already in the game instead of recoding it?
Can anyone tell me a benifit of the /register for enterainers?
PS. take away the protection of afk players. Let a drunk NPC Brawler go beserk on an AFK performer once and awhile. If a character is active thing should happen, right?
Goldy_Lhim
Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:44 pm
#5
its supposed to list in the planetary map that that cantina has got at least 1 entertainer in it. Unfortunately, it currently does diddly squat. Its broken 
Kylrathin
Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
#6
Well hell, this /register command is pretty much what I'm talking about. Although it'd be nice if they could flesh it out a bit, and give players a way to check who is /registered where. Devs please fixage! 
Devitt Kylrathin
Devitt Kylrathin
Goldy_Lhim
Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:34 pm
#7
no one looks at the planetary map for entertainers though. and its not obvious like the little moon turns to a little sun when occupied.
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