Entertainer Archive

I've posted a new article to swgtailor regarding some gamers' criticism of SWG for offering nontraditional professions, such as tailoring and entertaining. Yes, yes, I know it's on a tailoring website, but it's relevant. Really.

Great article, n'Jessi. Yes, SWG has taken a slam or two in the gaming press (remember XPlay's review of it that made fun of the dancing wookiee?).

I think the reason a lot of pure "combat types" don't like the fact that there are pure crafting or entertainer professions in the game is they assume that the time that is spent on developing and refining the non-combat professions takes away from time spent on the combat ones. Most just don't understand (or simply refuse to consider) that the art and development team that comes up with new tailoring schematics, or new dance flourishes, is usually NOT the same art/development team that's working on combat balancing, weapon bugs, creature AI and so forth.

Certainly there is also a bit of an elitist attitude that pervades as well. "Your silly professions don't add anything, they shouldn't get ANY development time at all, I don't care if it's a different team! Assign that team to fix MY profession!" It's an inherent assumption that smuggler, or commando, or bounty hunter, or jedi, or WHATEVER is more important and valuable and VIABLE than Image Designer, Dancer, Musician, Tailor, etc., etc. I have to assume that people who feel that way come from other gaming environments where the emphasis was on killing and achieving. SWG is simply a whole new breed of online world, combining social/entertainment aspects with combat possibilities.

Thanks for linking to it.

Kora, that is what entertaining is all about. I was in a troupe that lasted from July to December. We didn't do many shows, but when we did them, they were killer. I've even seen people come here and post on our galaxy board about how amazing our shows have been. I was the choreographer most the time, and that to me was the most fun I have had in game.

Since we broke up, it just hasn't been the same. I really need to find a new group of people. We too had practice every week, and nearly every time we found something new that someone in the group said "That's too difficult". But we managed to do it at least once. Some of the ideas we scrapped for technical reasons, some for artistic. But what we ended up performing was only the best. Perhaps one of the best skills I picked up doing that is how to lead dancers. Since then, I've been able to recreate some things we've done with dancers I've never worked with before. It needed a little polish, but we had the basics taken care of. Only thing I couldn't handle was getting people together. I need someone to act as a manager.

Half of the show is the technical ability. However, being artistic helps too. You can have a good show with either. Theres a troupe on my server that doesn't so much do the technical side of things, but they have lots of songs and acts, even a play. They're shows are quite incredible. They even had a christmas show they went touring with. Despite the fact that it was a bit out of place in star wars, it was still a good show. If you combine an artistic show with a technically impressive show, you get truly a wonder.

Alas, I am not so good with the artistic side, my expertise lies in the technical side.

hehe, that's what i did for Eternal Heart was get people together. for rehearsals and for gigs. I never felt like I was pestering people to "show up" or anything cause we had enough members to have a minimum present at each event or rehearsal. I was also lucky to have Gunzz and Rhobartt doing all the technicall stuff you're talking aboutfor the band. Now if only I could get a hold of some of the macros we used back then... . ..

It might be interesting to compare notes sometime. Though I didn't use macros so much. An occasional alias (I could put a file on a web page for people to download if I needed to give it out) and of course bandflourish macros, but for the most part, I worked the whole time. Most crazy moment was when I was flourishing for two different dances AND the musicians, and still managing to direct the dancers in group chat. After that, I don't want to hear anyone complain about how they can't talk when they have to hit the flourish buttons themselves.

I hate the color scheme too. I'm trying really really hard to get the powers that be to fix it.