Doctor Archive
Thread: Respecting Your Fellow Doctor: A Plea
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Kresh_Azzo
Fri Mar 25, 2005 7:55 am
#1
"I am not a buff-bot!"
"Those starport buffers!"
"I am a HEALER, not a BUFF-WHORE!!
"Those who became a doctor just to make a quick buck!"
The plea:
Buffs are changing, people are changing, music is changing (cough/coldpack-E). We have a running problem in this forum and a common similarity. The problem is the constant ball breaking over those who sell buffs en masse, the similarity is we are all doctors in this game. I don't know if I have ever slammed another player for how he/she chooses to make a living in these threads, but I do know I have felt pressured to explain how I play my profession. "I am not a starport buffer, I only do it when asked and then only until the bivoli runs dry." Somehow we have found a way to develope a caste system in this profession that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Caste Sytem Top 5:
1) The magnanimus med center doc: "I never leave, I am a healer, a healer by the right of god!" <--So where are you guys really
2) The guild doc: "Limited rez, buffs and heals for my BROTHERS in arms! (not-for-u!)"
3) The quiet crafting doc: "Making affordable drugs for the masses! (cough/coldpack-e)"
4) The combat doc (doityourselfer): "Buff. Kill. Repeat." "Damn I left my title up, now they are bugging me!"
5) The starport buffer: "Bloody capitalists make me vomit!"
6) The buff-bot/whore: "You are ruining the game! Don't you understand! Why don't you listen! What do you mean AFK! YoU MuST UndERStanD ThE EthiCal DIleMMa Of YouR AcTIoNs!!!"
The point here is we all have an equal place in this galaxy. I like the Med-Center guys because they are the most social to the outside world, some of these cats make people want to me docs, if you can ever find one. I like the guild doc, because that is what I try to do, mixed with the combat doc. I could never be the crafting doc, so I have a great deal of respect for them, what they do, and the insane amount of time and money they spend trying to do it (plus supply Jim!). I raise a toast to you, god speed in your future endeavors.
Now, the buffer and buff-bot? These poor guys get nothing but grief from the community. Yet they are the most beloved members of our staff to the outside world. Why? Because they single handedly make this game playable, not only for warriors, but for us doctors alike. For example: I am a Yank, and a MD on a European server (love to Chimaera). We have a 5 hour difference between GMT and EST. You can imagine how many doctors are on the server when I am playing at midnight (NONE). You can imagine what happens from time to time (beep 'buffin?' beep 'buffin?' beep 'buffin?' beep 'buffin?' beep 'HELP MY JEDI IS DEEEEEEAAAAADDDD WHAH REZZZZ ME PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAASE?!!!' (you get the picture)). Okay, I might help out a dark jedi if I have a second, the point here is that when I know of a doctor buffing on Chimaera, at any time, I feel completely comfortable sending those people to that starport for their treatment. If I don't know of one, I can recommend a buff-bot when I am extremely busy. I know these people need a buff to play. The core here: each playing style has it's place in the game, and when you really think about it each role makes another role infinitely easier to run. Imagine crafters without buffers, Guilds and Combats without buffers, and med-centers if the buffers didn't buff (overrun - then the magnanimus would be forced to charge, well that is if you can find one). I like buffers, I need them on my server to make my life easier. (Cheers to Annazz and DocOk).
"Those starport buffers!"
"I am a HEALER, not a BUFF-WHORE!!
"Those who became a doctor just to make a quick buck!"
The plea:
Buffs are changing, people are changing, music is changing (cough/coldpack-E). We have a running problem in this forum and a common similarity. The problem is the constant ball breaking over those who sell buffs en masse, the similarity is we are all doctors in this game. I don't know if I have ever slammed another player for how he/she chooses to make a living in these threads, but I do know I have felt pressured to explain how I play my profession. "I am not a starport buffer, I only do it when asked and then only until the bivoli runs dry." Somehow we have found a way to develope a caste system in this profession that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Caste Sytem Top 5:
1) The magnanimus med center doc: "I never leave, I am a healer, a healer by the right of god!" <--So where are you guys really
2) The guild doc: "Limited rez, buffs and heals for my BROTHERS in arms! (not-for-u!)"
3) The quiet crafting doc: "Making affordable drugs for the masses! (cough/coldpack-e)"
4) The combat doc (doityourselfer): "Buff. Kill. Repeat." "Damn I left my title up, now they are bugging me!"
5) The starport buffer: "Bloody capitalists make me vomit!"
6) The buff-bot/whore: "You are ruining the game! Don't you understand! Why don't you listen! What do you mean AFK! YoU MuST UndERStanD ThE EthiCal DIleMMa Of YouR AcTIoNs!!!"
The point here is we all have an equal place in this galaxy. I like the Med-Center guys because they are the most social to the outside world, some of these cats make people want to me docs, if you can ever find one. I like the guild doc, because that is what I try to do, mixed with the combat doc. I could never be the crafting doc, so I have a great deal of respect for them, what they do, and the insane amount of time and money they spend trying to do it (plus supply Jim!). I raise a toast to you, god speed in your future endeavors.
Now, the buffer and buff-bot? These poor guys get nothing but grief from the community. Yet they are the most beloved members of our staff to the outside world. Why? Because they single handedly make this game playable, not only for warriors, but for us doctors alike. For example: I am a Yank, and a MD on a European server (love to Chimaera). We have a 5 hour difference between GMT and EST. You can imagine how many doctors are on the server when I am playing at midnight (NONE). You can imagine what happens from time to time (beep 'buffin?' beep 'buffin?' beep 'buffin?' beep 'buffin?' beep 'HELP MY JEDI IS DEEEEEEAAAAADDDD WHAH REZZZZ ME PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAASE?!!!' (you get the picture)). Okay, I might help out a dark jedi if I have a second, the point here is that when I know of a doctor buffing on Chimaera, at any time, I feel completely comfortable sending those people to that starport for their treatment. If I don't know of one, I can recommend a buff-bot when I am extremely busy. I know these people need a buff to play. The core here: each playing style has it's place in the game, and when you really think about it each role makes another role infinitely easier to run. Imagine crafters without buffers, Guilds and Combats without buffers, and med-centers if the buffers didn't buff (overrun - then the magnanimus would be forced to charge, well that is if you can find one). I like buffers, I need them on my server to make my life easier. (Cheers to Annazz and DocOk).
Message Edited by Kresh_Azzo on 03-25-2005 09:58 AM
MillerBomb
Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:22 am
#2
I think part of the reason starport buffers/buff bots get a lot of crap from other doctors can partially be found in what a doctor does to get to that position in the first place, and the results of that action. I'm sure that everyone here has or has heard of stories where 20 aspiring doctors are afk-healing a tumbler while one person is trying to get their wounds taken care of. Now as you can expect, if you afk grind a profession there's a good chance that you don't learn anything about the profession at all, save for the two things you macroed to get there.
(*side note: This is talking about people afk-grinding to get the profession a first time, not if you got it before, left it, and came back. Although it could apply to those people as well, it's less likely.*)
The proof that this happens comes from the threads we see here on a frequent basis.
- We see threads with the healing horror stories exampled above.
- We see the threads where someone just now made master doctor, only to ask how do you make xyz (no specifics on how to get the best power/efficiency mind you, just how do you make xyz).
- We've seen plenty of threads regarding how you make a macro for buffing.
Most of these threads will unfortunately come from what you've listed as the bottom 2/3 ranks in the doctor caste you've made up. Most of these threads also illustrate that the doctor in question knows almost nothing about the profession that (s)he just obtained. Now, I will whole-heartedly agree that not everyone in the bottom 2/3 castes lacks knowledge about the profession. I certainly run bufflines from time to time, yet I'm fairly knowledgable about crafting/healing and I'm capable of looking at FAQ's to get answers to questions I may not know. However, it is far more likely that they will know nothing about the profession except /healenhance then anyone from the top 3 castes. IMO, this lack of knowledge about what you are is more insulting to the rest of the doctors then the actual "buffbot" lifestyle, and that leads to the grief for starport buffers.
Edited to add: The reasons for being against buffbots could be far more widespread, ranging from what I said above to the fact that they're afk, and really aren't even "playing" the game. Those reasons alone could (and probably have) been argued many times over in other threads.
(*side note: This is talking about people afk-grinding to get the profession a first time, not if you got it before, left it, and came back. Although it could apply to those people as well, it's less likely.*)
The proof that this happens comes from the threads we see here on a frequent basis.
- We see threads with the healing horror stories exampled above.
- We see the threads where someone just now made master doctor, only to ask how do you make xyz (no specifics on how to get the best power/efficiency mind you, just how do you make xyz).
- We've seen plenty of threads regarding how you make a macro for buffing.
Most of these threads will unfortunately come from what you've listed as the bottom 2/3 ranks in the doctor caste you've made up. Most of these threads also illustrate that the doctor in question knows almost nothing about the profession that (s)he just obtained. Now, I will whole-heartedly agree that not everyone in the bottom 2/3 castes lacks knowledge about the profession. I certainly run bufflines from time to time, yet I'm fairly knowledgable about crafting/healing and I'm capable of looking at FAQ's to get answers to questions I may not know. However, it is far more likely that they will know nothing about the profession except /healenhance then anyone from the top 3 castes. IMO, this lack of knowledge about what you are is more insulting to the rest of the doctors then the actual "buffbot" lifestyle, and that leads to the grief for starport buffers.
Edited to add: The reasons for being against buffbots could be far more widespread, ranging from what I said above to the fact that they're afk, and really aren't even "playing" the game. Those reasons alone could (and probably have) been argued many times over in other threads.
Message Edited by MillerBomb on 03-25-2005 07:23 AM
Twitchie
Fri Mar 25, 2005 7:27 pm
#3
You're pretty much "on" with everything but 'bots, really. I can explain from one point of view, why they get no respect.
I buff in starports, less now than I used to because I'm grinding out the new prereqs for my fighting prof. Without fail, I'm ATK, manually pushing the buttons. My only macro is my spam. If I mess up a buff (miss a stat, can't buff one stat for one reason or another, the person has really high BF), I can fix it immediately. I can also apply heals for free, if needed, I can offer poison and disease buffs. A buffbot can't do these things, and I've seen too many instances of some poor sap standing in front of an AFK bot screaming for his money back due to a botched buff. Of course, he ain't gonna get it, he won't get his buff fixed, and will have to either play with a half-done buff, or go find another doc to fix the first one's mistake. Bots, at least to me, deserve little to no respect, for the reasons you mentioned as well. I get the "OMG, you're a real person!"all the time, it drives me crazy. I did use a tumble macro for a short period, when I was sitting in the med center waiting for people to heal, and as soon as one came in, I dumped the macro, and healed them. AFK tumblers can't do that, and I agree with the frustration of walking into a med center, seeing 5 or 6 AFK novice docs healing tumblers, but nobody's there to heal me.
I don't like to go overboard with it, but I do stand by my feeling that if you're going to play a game, you can't do it all AFK, otherwise you learn nothing but how to use a macro to make money. The docs that did the work themselves know how to use their skills, rarely mess up, and are there to actually help out in ways other than buffing.
Granted, I fall into a couple of your categories. If I feel like playing doc, I have my title on, if somebody needs a heal/rez/lollipop and I'm not super busy, of course I'll help. When I'm working on my fighting prof, I have my title off, so I'm not bothered. Chances are, anyway, I won't be anywhere near the person messaging me.
I mean, that's just my view. I don't particularly have a problem with guild-only bots, as long as they're for that guild only, and not open to the public. I'm like you, on Eclipse. I mainly play at midnight or later, and often I'm the only doc on........well, live doc, anyway. Sure, I don't make alot of credits, but I feel better for what I do earn, 'cause I earned it myself. I didn't let SOE earn it for me.
ImpDoc_001
Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:49 pm
#5
Ahh the old Buffbots are the suck thread. Why not simply necropost in one of the old ones? I am several types of the doc on your list. I am a buffbot while I am AFK. When I am ATK I buff on request, rez on request (never heppened, though I have seen a death and gotten consent upon MY request), and heal upon request. I am also a guild doc, free services to all guildmates, and I group often with them. I have also done the starport buffing, which is relaxing and allows socializing much more than any of the others. All this ATK action is dependent on what I am currently doing.
If I need to make money in bulk, I go into space. Starport buffing is not a profitable venture these days.I run a bot to cover costs of providing my guild with free services. And in all honesty, I barely cover them with my macro. It is due to a combination of ATK and AFK starport docs, other AFK macro docs in better locations, and I am not as well known or on 24/7.
My reasons are all fine and good, but will never be good enough for you complainers. So I will compromise. You send me $14.99 to cover the cost of my subscription and I will play the way YOU want me to. Until then, I will play how I want to, and so long as I am not using cheats, hacks, exploits or harassing/griefing other players, there is nothing to stop me from just that. Deal? Yeah, didn't think so.
Edit: I forgot to mention my healing abilities, which were also listed as probably subpar for those of us who did a non-battlefield grind. I have done the traditional grind on the battlefield for many professions. I ground out crafting professions the hard way, making and then selling my wares, slowly climbing up the trees. I played a healer in other MMORPG's for years before switching to SWG, and then applied what I knew to the mechanics here. I have had only one death under my watch, he got antsy and attacked while I was on a delcared bio break. I also can make xyz, know what it takes to make quality xyz items, though I have found it difficult to acquire the resources in sufficient quantity and quality. therefore, other than stims and wound packs, I have bought my buffpacks from devoted chemists.
I have always been and always will be a proponent of doing things the hard way to learn the ins and outs, unless you have already done it before. I prefer SWG over other MMORPGs not only because of the setting and mechanics, but because mainly the people I have been able to meet. Also, compared to other SOE products, the devs actually listen and respond.
All in all, I didn't ask fo ryour opinion of me or how I play the game. You whiners got what you wanted and docs will be massively nerfed and recursive macros will be eliminated when the CURB goes live. Personally, I will stay a doc to see how the changes work, it may very well be better to play though not a way to make money. The game killer will be for those of us with large stocks of existing packs, should they not convert them to the new versions. I invested alot of money i earned in combat missions on very good packs, and I doubt they will be consumed before the CURB.
Message Edited by ImpDoc_001 on 03-26-2005 03:00 PM
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