Entertainer Archive

Sounds great in theory. Does not work in practice.

So why doesn't it work? Because player cities generally do not have enough "foot traffic." Without foot traffic you end up sitting in an empty cantina alone for an hour. During that hour maybe a few people will come in to get healed. The rest of the time you stare at four bare walls and some empty chairs. Entertainers are by and large socializers (haven't we been through this a thousand times already). We want people to socialize with. Sitting there waiting and doing nothing social for half an hour is not our idea of fun.

If by some miracle you did manage to get a place active, notice that it would not last long. Every time this has happened in a "non-major" cantina, the place is soon invaded by AFK macroers who just go wherever the heal and dance/music XP is, and the problem starts all over again.

The real trouble is that AFKers go wherever it is active. If a socializer turns a dead place into an active ones, the AFKers will show up. And the AFKers will always win the battle for "possession" of a place because they are (1) always present (the toon, physically), (2) impossible to reason with because the player is not there to have a conversation with, and (3) they clearly don't give a crap whether they are ruining your enjoyment or not (else they wouldn't do it in the first place). So active places always, in the end, get over-run by AFKers.

C

Player cities have consistantly shown "they don't want our kind." They want 22/7 bots, not the real deal.

I'm not someone who sits in Theed and moans. I have never, not once, not for a single flourish, danced in Theed, Coronet, or Anchorhead. They are zombie zoos, and I hate them.

However, I have, repeatedly, tried, first in the "smaller" public venues like Keren and Kaadara, and then in a couple of player cantinas, to do exactly what you say -- start by myself and try to attract people. It is very hard work, takes a long time, and you have to endure hours of boredom that, frankly, I'd rather spend doing something other than playing the game at this point. It's not like I haven't tried it before. I have. I've done it 3 or 4 times. Why should I have to work this hard over and over again to enjoy being an entertainer? That's just not really worth it.

But notice I say I have done it multiple times. Why? Because every single time I have worked my lekku off to generate the interesting, active, vibrant cantina that I want to be a part of, it has ALWAYS attracted one after another AFK macroer -- they come for the xp and stay for the grind. Their presence is never-ending. So when I and the other actives can't be there the cantina turns into a silent zombie zoo just like Anchorhead. And when people come in to get healed they see this soul-less bunch and figure it's not worth taking the trip to this cantina any more, and they go elswhere. It's happened like 4 times now.

I've started a band. One of the members is going to be the cantina owner when our outpost turns into a village and she can place one. The cantina will have a 100% no AFK policy. We will boot anyone who tries it (and the Militia head is threatening to just outright cityban AFKers). In such a place what you suggest will work. But unless the player cantina has a "no AFKers" policy, they will be attracted to activity like flies to honey and ruin every venue that is even a little bit active.

I'm not just sitting here like a ghost pointing an empty sleeve saying, theoretically, "That will not work." What I am doing is saying, "I have tried what you suggest, and it has not worked so far." There is a difference.

C

Wheras Dejah dances in the other NPC cities, I dance in the HEART OF THE BEAST. Coronet. And let me tell you, I love EVERY minute of it! Its just like a real city with all the activity. Because even though the spam can be annoying, I also know that it is for these very reasons that a dancer that really cares about attending the patrons is especially valued. Yes, its hard work.

Like Dantooine is a tough place to do missions, Coronet is a hard place to do entertainmentas well. However, I don't see many highly skilled combat types abandoning Dantooine because its too hard. Not many dancers or musicians can deal with the working conditions in the grind capitals. But for the ones who can fight through the spam and the noise, it is a goldmine. Its because the patrons there are fed up with the same old thing, and want to see somebody do something new and interactive...and they'll reward you WELL. I literally have more work than I know what to do with at Coronet.

Could it be a little more accomodating at times? Perhaps. I don't complain about it though. If I ever get fed up, I may just go "on vacation" to a more exotic locale. Maybe even a player city cantina, if only to practice my music skills.

But the fact remains that whenever my bank account is looking a little low, I know exactly where I can find a lot of quick cash FAST...and its not in the sleepy cities. The only problem is, getting out of Coronet without a last-minute /tell saying, "will u buff me?"

Message Edited by ArthurP on 03-08-2004 10:00 PM

No, I never presume to speak for everyone. "We all" includes everyone. If I speak, I speak from my opinion and popular opinion, "most of us can't stand AFKers" is different than "we all can't stand AFKers."

I have seen AFK Buffbots. I've seen AFK Buffbot macros on the musician and dancer boards. They're out there, sickening as it is.

Do I go to the NPC cantinas? Yes, I frequent Theed often. But I'm getting ready to place my own cantina. And it will have a strict No-AFK policy. Want to go AFK? Fine, do it the way I learned to do it: Stop entertaining, move off to the side, and sit down.

I don't mean to bite your head off, but I don't agree with AFKing, with as much harm as it's done to professions. AFK Entertainers, AFK medics, AFK fighters and looters.

Player cantinas don't get much traffic. For a casual gamer like myself, I don't want to have to look long and hard for a good place to entertain. I go to Theed, and be done with it, and ignore the AFKers to the best of my ability. Bitter? Yeah, I am. I've been here since August and watched thecantinas and profession go to **edit** because of this. And you know, I don't mind arguing with people, or seeming bitter. Because I'm not always. And most times, whenever someone's gotten into it with me, three different occasions that I can remember recently, people tend to say they have a new respect for me/the profession. Two of them were hologrinders who were actually ATK when I was there. They saw how it affected me and had respect for the trouble we went through and understood the harm it could cause.

This is an RPG. Which means to me, and to some others, it's more than just "a game." Their character is an extension of themselves. When the character is hurt, upset, or affected in some way or other, so is the player. When the player sees something they've grown to love start going to **edit**, they usually start getting bitter. Am I speaking for everyone? No. Not everyone has that sort of temperament. But some do. And it hurts to see this, and it hurts to just watch it all go to hell, and nothing you could really do can stop of change it for the majority.

I can only speak from experience. Our player city started empty, now is regularly praised for being so active. Having ppl in the cantinas and active (when possible) is one of the keys.

Look, take your choice... Stay inan AFK zombie museum and be bored and disgusted.. or head to a player city cantina.. and MAYBE be bored... (but not disgusted). Again, only from my experience... I know from the lady dancers who came to my cantina (and are still here, weeks later).. they say my cantina made them start enjoying the Entertainment profession again.

There are good ideals and good practices, but very few good ideal practices. As of now I'm a 4/4/2/4 entertainer. I gained 1/3/2/4 in Theed, the rest in Bestine. I hated Theed, but I realized something. Until I lost the damn 'Novice Entertainer' title, I wasn't likely to be taken seriously. An 'Apprentace Performer' who actually chats is far more likely to get their attention. These days I work in Ancorhed (a ghost town on Lowca, entertainer wise), playing songs I like while making a decent living on tips. I use a macro to flourish, freeing my hands for the far more important socilizing. I joke, laugh, have fun.

Why did I work in Theed, mostly AFK? To become a better entertainer. Not because I'm almost a master and can play cool songs, but because I have enough variety in and of myself to make the experience enjoyable. I can get a crowd to come for my healing skills from Theed, and I keep them there with the social skills that define a master of entertainment, if not a Master Entertainer.