Dancer Archive
Thread: retraining the crowds an update
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Ikewe
Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:51 am
#1
I had the opportunity to test out some new training tools this past weekend. The usual robot vending machine was broken so I traveled to the outpost. There was another buffbot there (though not afk) and the vast majority of people chose the bot. I did get a few /invite with no conversation and a few /invite after telling them that yes I could buff. I simply declined the invite and then invited them myself for the buff explaining that I "prefer to be in control". It became immediately obvious that very few people seeking buffs pay attention to group chat when they are in the group - heck they may not even have it viewable. So I stopped having the timer message go into group chat and instead sent each of them a private tell. Of the buffs I gave in the 30 minutes that I was there, only one player was "tiresome". At the end of the buff he announced in spatial that it didn't work and then instantly disbanded and ran to the buff bot. Interestingly he then waited 20 minutes to get his mind buffs (they can't waste time looking for an entertainer but they sure can waste time trying to get into the buff bot group...) I decided not to bother trying to help him further and although it is not normally my policy he won't be getting a buff from me, ever, as I suspect he was simply trying to stack the buff.
Those who I did buff were courteous and appreciative that I was ATK. At one point the other robot also broke but since it was monitoring it was able to fix itself.
Three patrons also announced in spatial that I was providing 2 hour buffs and one added that I was a "real entertainer" (even gave a plug for me about how I had achieved Master Dancer without ever going AFK). I thanked them all but assured them that those at the buff bot didn't care (also in spatial).
So what did I learn....
1) It's not really a matter of the time it takes to find a real entertainer. They are perfectly willing to wait to get into a group - some repeated "invite to X group" at least 20 times before getting an invite.
2) there are people who appreciate a live entertainer. They don't hold conversations with us so I'll assume it's because they too dislike the idea of an elite profession being AFK'able
3) They did not mind my being the group leader and readily accepted my invitation after I had refused theirs. I really do think it's just a matter of habit.
4) those who tipped me for the dance mind buff then sought the music buff from the bot. Had I been both a dancer and musician I believe I might have been able to "steal" more business from the bot. (but I could be fooling myself)
5) the end of the "solo group" payout has made it easier to avoid encountering the grouped hunter who wants a mind buff. I did not buff anyone who was in another group. Be aware there are still plenty of people looking for the "solo group" not for payout but for higher experience gained.
I did not advertise at all that I was buffing other than to have my master dancer tag visible. This particular outpost is filled with enough spam so I chose not to add to it. It is entirely possible that I could have garnered a larger portion of the market had I advertised "master dancer buffing for 110%". I also did not charge a set fee. I simply asked for tips. All of them tipped me more than I would have asked for if I did have a set fee (2K) and several tipped more than the "standard" 5K.
There were players who practically stoodon top of me while they attempted to determine if the regular vending machine was working or not. Some responded to my "X you are standing on my feet" but most did not. So clearly we still have some way to go. But the fact that I had patrons who openly tried to support my ATK efforts meant a lot to me. I also had someone send me a private tell when I was travelling letting me know that they appreciated ATK entertainers (they had seen my post on the Shadofire Server Forum). It's a tough war and we are going to lose many more battles before it ends but I do feel like we are making some progress.
hugs to you all. keep up the good fight.
Ikewe, Master Dancer Shadowfire
DraconianOne
Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:30 am
#2
Might I be bold to add an experience I had yesterday. I was in Mos Eisley cantina at the time, having just been having a quick chat with Talon Kardde and saw someone in spatial saying that they were willing to pay well for a mind buff.
Knowing that there were no dancers or musicians at that time in the cantina, I left the backroom, found him and said that if he was after a buff then I could give him a small one (being only 1343 Dancer) but wouldn't charge.
He said nothing.
I asked him if that was alright.
He invited me to his group.
I declined and said I didn't need an invite to buff him. I asked him again if he was happy with only having a small buff. Still no response. I sent him a tell asking him to "talk to me". Not a word.
Then he wandered off so I sent him a tell and said "If you want a buff, I can give you a buff". So he wonders back. So I said (in spatial) "I take it that's yes to a buff then". I then gave him instructions to watch me and no-one else, changed into my dancing clothes, popped my accaragm and started a /setp. I sent him a tell to say that I'd be as quick as I could and that I'd let him know when it was done.
I then decided, more for my amusement than his, to have a chat. Asked him where he was from, what he was hunting, all sorts. Didn't hear a peep out of him. So I said, in my own RP way, "Ah, you must be one of those mystic monk types who take a vow of silence. Couldn't do it myself, not since my mam made me kiss the Dejarvik stone on Circarpous IV, you know - the one that gives you the gift of the gab..." yadayadayada!
After less than a couple of minutes, he clears off (probably because of my incessant chattering). And didn't say a single thing all the while.
Now I know that there are a lot of people who don't have English as their first language and don't even speak it very well. But he understood enough to ask for a buff in the cantina and enough to come back when I told him I could buff him. At the very least a "my english is not good" would have been helpful but nope.
I haven't been amused like that in a long time.
Knowing that there were no dancers or musicians at that time in the cantina, I left the backroom, found him and said that if he was after a buff then I could give him a small one (being only 1343 Dancer) but wouldn't charge.
He said nothing.
I asked him if that was alright.
He invited me to his group.
I declined and said I didn't need an invite to buff him. I asked him again if he was happy with only having a small buff. Still no response. I sent him a tell asking him to "talk to me". Not a word.
Then he wandered off so I sent him a tell and said "If you want a buff, I can give you a buff". So he wonders back. So I said (in spatial) "I take it that's yes to a buff then". I then gave him instructions to watch me and no-one else, changed into my dancing clothes, popped my accaragm and started a /setp. I sent him a tell to say that I'd be as quick as I could and that I'd let him know when it was done.
I then decided, more for my amusement than his, to have a chat. Asked him where he was from, what he was hunting, all sorts. Didn't hear a peep out of him. So I said, in my own RP way, "Ah, you must be one of those mystic monk types who take a vow of silence. Couldn't do it myself, not since my mam made me kiss the Dejarvik stone on Circarpous IV, you know - the one that gives you the gift of the gab..." yadayadayada!
After less than a couple of minutes, he clears off (probably because of my incessant chattering). And didn't say a single thing all the while.
Now I know that there are a lot of people who don't have English as their first language and don't even speak it very well. But he understood enough to ask for a buff in the cantina and enough to come back when I told him I could buff him. At the very least a "my english is not good" would have been helpful but nope.
I haven't been amused like that in a long time.
ORenn420247
Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:53 am
#3
DraconianOne wrote:
Might I be bold to add an experience I had yesterday. I was in Mos Eisley cantina at the time, having just been having a quick chat with Talon Kardde and saw someone in spatial saying that they were willing to pay well for a mind buff.
Knowing that there were no dancers or musicians at that time in the cantina, I left the backroom, found him and said that if he was after a buff then I could give him a small one (being only 1343 Dancer) but wouldn't charge.
He said nothing.
I asked him if that was alright.
He invited me to his group.
I declined and said I didn't need an invite to buff him. I asked him again if he was happy with only having a small buff. Still no response. I sent him a tell asking him to "talk to me". Not a word.
Then he wandered off so I sent him a tell and said "If you want a buff, I can give you a buff". So he wonders back. So I said (in spatial) "I take it that's yes to a buff then". I then gave him instructions to watch me and no-one else, changed into my dancing clothes, popped my accaragm and started a /setp. I sent him a tell to say that I'd be as quick as I could and that I'd let him know when it was done.
I then decided, more for my amusement than his, to have a chat. Asked him where he was from, what he was hunting, all sorts. Didn't hear a peep out of him. So I said, in my own RP way, "Ah, you must be one of those mystic monk types who take a vow of silence. Couldn't do it myself, not since my mam made me kiss the Dejarvik stone on Circarpous IV, you know - the one that gives you the gift of the gab..." yadayadayada!
After less than a couple of minutes, he clears off (probably because of my incessant chattering). And didn't say a single thing all the while.
Now I know that there are a lot of people who don't have English as their first language and don't even speak it very well. But he understood enough to ask for a buff in the cantina and enough to come back when I told him I could buff him. At the very least a "my english is not good" would have been helpful but nope.
I haven't been amused like that in a long time.
Is it possible that maybe he just didnt want to talk to you? Maybe he had a long day and didnt feel like chatting, he just wanted to get a buff and go kill stuff.
DraconianOne
Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:14 am
#4
The not talking during a buff is fine. I don't expect that and don't judge.
The not replying at all when asked if a 25% buff would be alright for them just made it quite difficult to know whether he wanted me to do it or not.
The not replying at all when asked if a 25% buff would be alright for them just made it quite difficult to know whether he wanted me to do it or not.
LyteFoot
Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:29 am
#5
Not chatting is one thing, expecting an entertainer to read your mind and figure out what you want is another. He asked fora buff, someone offered a buff but with conditions, he needed to respond if it was acceptable or not. Believe me if they don't want to chat I won't. Surprising as it might be we have long days too, I was buffing a good customer and chum two nights ago but I wasn't chatting because I had things on my mind. He actually started the conversation he had become used to and showed concern that I wasn't talking.
It goes both ways but too many combat types only want it one way and that doesn't work when you are interacting with another human being.
Ikewe
Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:08 pm
#6
I agree that those who don't want to "chat" don't have to. But when I ask a question I expect some sort of an answer. A nod of the head, a simple "yes" or something similar will suffice. If they are afraid I'm going to suddenly try to draw them into an indepth discussion on the ramifications of changing from a Mark 2 to a Mark 3 shielding system then they can just flash on the old AFK tag. They get plenty frustrated when they yell out for someone to buff them and there's no response and yet we are supposed to become the amazing mind readers and simply divine the answer from their fambaa-like gaze.
Cheers,
Ikewe
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