Entertainer Archive
Thread: Please don't discriminate against afk entertainers so much
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RusskiySniper
Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:46 pm
#1
Heres the thing, 4 days ago I had a Rodian MTKA/M Commando and enemies fell left and right before me, no fun at all. So I deleted the Rodian and I created a twilek and began going up bh/carbine. Then I realized it was the same old story again so I decided to become an entertainer. It is really fun, if there is a long wait at the starport I always play a nice tune for the people and they enjoy it, or hang out in an ID tent just playing to make a more desirabe atmosphere etc. But at the lower levels the limited instruments and melodies only go so far, so I find myself afk in a group (atm got swg minimized and running a loop macro) because there is no way in hell that I could spend so much time staring at the screen listening to the same music (so few people to chat to so that arguement is out the window) and simply because I want the better songs and instruments so that I can enjoy myself more and provide entertaintment to people at the starports, id tents etc.... So why should this be considered wrong? Even entertainers who are very social leave their chars afk for long periods of time when they are gone somewhere. So I would ask you to not judge afk entertainers so badly because of certain people, just like judging all jedi as morons (I know a few who actually act like a jedi). Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Aleyo
Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:57 pm
#2
Hi Shako,
I felt very much in the same boat as you when creating my musician. I had a great time while I was playing, but wanted more just so I could be more creative in my music selection. I myself afk'ed while I was sleeping/at work to get myself to the next skill box more quickly so I could play that new song with that new instrument (and once I went up the music knowledge tree, my afking dropped drastically if not completely).
You are not the big problem case. The biggest problem cases are, in order (from what I can gather):
1) Buffbots - afk entertainers that remove the need to come into the cantina and any source of revenue
2) AFK entertainers who spam - damned annoying, and for whatever reason that escapes my resaoning, actually do attract business with the spam (please heal/tip), taking away from live entertainers
3) AFK entertainers who don't make an effort to be out of the way of those putting on a show - many live entertainers don't mind if you go afk, if you do so in one of the side rooms, or behind the bar. If you're up front, it makes the cantina a less lively place, and less likely to get people talking, as the more 'AFK' tags they see, the less likely they'll think someone will respond to any kind of talking.
Now, that having been said, I've since decided to not go afk while playing or dancing ever on principle, just because of how harmful the afk situation has been to the community (while I was levelling, I hadn't read as many of the posts here and in the musician forum as I have now). I would encourage you to recognize this as well, and not ever go afk. Instead, spend your time experimenting with bandflos, /pausemusic, and scripting actual songs with the flourishes you have available (master musicians are good candidates for people willing to have fun with bandflos, since they no longer need experience). Use the /sing command to, I always had fun singing silly songs. The xp will go by quickly enough and you'll be ready to use that new instrument to play that new song before you know it.
I felt very much in the same boat as you when creating my musician. I had a great time while I was playing, but wanted more just so I could be more creative in my music selection. I myself afk'ed while I was sleeping/at work to get myself to the next skill box more quickly so I could play that new song with that new instrument (and once I went up the music knowledge tree, my afking dropped drastically if not completely).
You are not the big problem case. The biggest problem cases are, in order (from what I can gather):
1) Buffbots - afk entertainers that remove the need to come into the cantina and any source of revenue
2) AFK entertainers who spam - damned annoying, and for whatever reason that escapes my resaoning, actually do attract business with the spam (please heal/tip), taking away from live entertainers
3) AFK entertainers who don't make an effort to be out of the way of those putting on a show - many live entertainers don't mind if you go afk, if you do so in one of the side rooms, or behind the bar. If you're up front, it makes the cantina a less lively place, and less likely to get people talking, as the more 'AFK' tags they see, the less likely they'll think someone will respond to any kind of talking.
Now, that having been said, I've since decided to not go afk while playing or dancing ever on principle, just because of how harmful the afk situation has been to the community (while I was levelling, I hadn't read as many of the posts here and in the musician forum as I have now). I would encourage you to recognize this as well, and not ever go afk. Instead, spend your time experimenting with bandflos, /pausemusic, and scripting actual songs with the flourishes you have available (master musicians are good candidates for people willing to have fun with bandflos, since they no longer need experience). Use the /sing command to, I always had fun singing silly songs. The xp will go by quickly enough and you'll be ready to use that new instrument to play that new song before you know it.
Rrowann
Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:52 am
#3
The reason that you're being bored with the entertaining at low levels isn't the repetitive dances or the lack of music selection (though SW1 on slitherhorn is a trial, it's true), it's because everyone's AFK and they're not being sociable. So you get bored sitting there watching yourself flourish or listening to the slitherhorn. Because no one's interacting, you're not interacting, and you go AFK. Vicious cycle, and all.
Break the cycle! Tackle patrons when they come in to the cantina! There's some interaction!
bawler14
Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:12 am
#4
Your reasoning is all sound except for one part: "There is noone to chat to..." This may seem the case in a NPC Cantina full of AFK's, however LIVE entertainers who love to chat still exist. I know because I am one of them.
When the catina atmosphere went south, I create "ent" chat on Bria. This is even easier now with perpetual channels and auto-rejoin. Start up a channel, search out LIVE ents and get them to join. If you don't believe me, drop in on Bria one night, /chat join chat.ent and see just how lively it really is. All the social ents have fled NPC cantinas sticking to gigs,impromptu gatherings and player cantinas. They are out there, if you just know where to look.
CasualMaker
Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:45 pm
#5
The lack of variety in the music is horrible. To get experience at any kind of a decent rate, you HAVE to be grouped. Which means that everyone has to play the SAME song, on and on and on. And it's the lowest common denominator song because the less skilled players are forced to drop out if a higher level song is played.
falloutfan
Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:22 am
#6
im an entertainer that is only afk when im actually doing something like getting something to eat or using the bathroom... ive never been tipped once and ive played for about 3 weeks. i dont like afk entertainers because that shows that they arent able to take time in things, like they are afk because they dont wanna do it. if you dont want to sit in a cantina and dance all day, why do you become one? sorry if im flaming, but its a good point to me.
Rrowann
Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:21 pm
#7
Make an entertainer on Intrepid, greet me when I come in, I'll tip you. 
I once tipped everyone in a cantina who was interacting with anyone. I couldn't tell who was an entertainer and who wasn't, but it resulted in some very confused customers.
Amida_Enterprises
Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:21 am
#8
discriminate against AFK'ers?
How about, when you take up a profession, you intend to go for it the hard way and not try to cut corners, becoming a detriment to everyone who is tryign to earn their title for real?
If you can't stand the repetitive music: newsflash: there is this option to turn your PC's sound down, and another invention called CD player which makes it possible to listen to your own music. no-one to chat to? baby, you're doing something wrong then cause entertainers who are allways ATK are BURIED in tells and messages allmost constantly!
So don't load us with that b/s , if you can't stand the tedium created by other AFK'ers and then use that as an excuse to go AFK yourself I think you're not fit to BE an entertainer and should propably stick with combat or any other profession for that matter, just keep clear of the cantina's, which, through actions like yours and your ilk's, have become more resemblant with a municipal AFK graveyard then a vibrant hub of entertaintment!
)
Tiaga
Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:56 pm
#9
If you have your eyes set on the goal, you are going to be disappointed. Being a master isn't that much different than being a novice.
You get more options you say? Most those options are the same thing you already have. Sure, you may be a bit limited, but by the time you hit novice musician, you have 2 instruments and 4 different choices for music. At master musician, you have 4 instruments and 8 choices for music.
Virtuoso gets old very fast. My favorite music is starwars1 and starwars3, with the right sounds.
Tired of playing sw1 or rock because of new players? If you stop focusing on the goal, gaining xp is secondary to having fun. Break out from the group and jam with some friends in back. Play a nice ballad, a soothing waltz, or a bit of jazz. You'll enjoy it a lot more than you would becoming a master, I suspect. And it will cease to feel like a tedium.
You get more options you say? Most those options are the same thing you already have. Sure, you may be a bit limited, but by the time you hit novice musician, you have 2 instruments and 4 different choices for music. At master musician, you have 4 instruments and 8 choices for music.
Virtuoso gets old very fast. My favorite music is starwars1 and starwars3, with the right sounds.
Tired of playing sw1 or rock because of new players? If you stop focusing on the goal, gaining xp is secondary to having fun. Break out from the group and jam with some friends in back. Play a nice ballad, a soothing waltz, or a bit of jazz. You'll enjoy it a lot more than you would becoming a master, I suspect. And it will cease to feel like a tedium.
jangoshiz
Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:10 pm
#10
i can agree with some parts of this post but heres my thing....
grinding novice entertainer sucks.
i strongly disagree with the idea of buff bots id rather have a live person buff me (it puts humanity back in the game)
when i reach master dancer and master musician i will nort be runnin a afk buffshack live buffs baby
until i reach at least novice musician and novice dancer im afk baby!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rrowann
Tue Jul 27, 2004 8:41 pm
#11
If you can't deal with the dances and music as they are even when you're just starting out and the boxes go quickly, what makes you think you're going to enjoy buffing people?
kirah_ashlin
Wed Jul 28, 2004 4:28 am
#12
jangoshiz wrote:
i can agree with some parts of this post but heres my thing....
grinding novice entertainer sucks.
i strongly disagree with the idea of buff bots id rather have a live person buff me (it puts humanity back in the game)
when i reach master dancer and master musician i will nort be runnin a afk buffshack live buffs baby
until i reach at least novice musician and novice dancer im afk baby!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are under the impression that players are going to pour into the cantina you are in just begging for buffs from you, you are sadly mistaken. Not even a guild will be that supportive - I know, several of us entertainers recently quit our former guild (one of the largest on the game) because they would rather lug around a keg of brandy than take 5 minutes out of their time for an ent buff. And if you aren't interacting with other entertainers on your way up the ent tree, you will miss out on some wonderful friendships and vital information. What are you going to do on the days when no one seems to want a buff? Who will you talk to? Who will be there to do something else with? The entertainer life is a lonely one without others to share the fun with.
Beery
Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:03 am
#13
I agree with almost everything the original post says. However, none of those things are an argument for less discrimination against AFKers.
I worked my way up to Master Musician, and there were a couple of nights when I left my character playing all night just to get to the next skill box. Sometimes I've become tired or bored and just AFKed for a couple of hours just out of pure lazyness. And guess what, each time I did it, I felt guilty - AND THAT'S JUST HOW IT SHOULD BE. I need my fellow players to encourage me to play properly. If they didn't, I would have just AFKed my way right through the profession, and I wouldn't have enjoyed the fruits of my non-labours, and I would probably have dumpedthe professionafter a couple of weeks as Master.
So yes - it is easy to AFK. Sometimes it's a niceway to quicklyget to that next coveted instrument; sometimes it's a way to relieve boredom when no one's talking; sometimes it's a quickway to improve your repertoire so that you can put on a more varied show; sometimes it's just nice to do when you're feeling lazy. There are lots of arguments for cheating - lots of ways to rationalize it. But take it from a fellow 'occasional cheater' -it's still cheating, and you should feel a niggling sense of shame about it. That's why a nice healthy level of community disrespect for that behaviour is a good thing. It helps you to become a better entertainer.
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