Image Designer Archive

I've been hearing complaints about not being able to find an ID - well, for two nights, I have been unable to find a customer!

Last night, Theed tent. There was a novice ID practicing on a friend. I asked "so.. what's going on." Her response "there's been one customer in the last two hours."

This was on a populated server during primetime. One customer in the last two hours.

Now I get that ID is not a hugely in-demand service, and I might not have customers lining up out the door of the tent. What I'm finding disturbing is there is no incentive for Master Image Designers to remain in the tent. Leveling ID's will have something to do between customers by practicing on themselves or a friend, but what am I, the master ID, supposed to do? Should I makeover myself (okay, done that, bored)? Should I chat with the fellow ID (I love doing that, but there's only so much you can chat it up - if I wanted to chat with someone while doing absolutely nothing, I'd use AIM)? So after a while I scoot off to other things.

Now that I'm bored with the tent, what if someone comes in needing a master ID? He can't find one, because we are all bored with sitting there for 20 minute stretches twiddling our thumbs and have already left.

And now that I'm out of the tent, we're back to square one. Customers can't find me, and I can't find them. I don't like sitting about for long stretches, and customers don't like coming to the tent and finding nobody there, perhaps I had even just left. How can I alert customers when I am in the tent, so they will know to come during that time?

What can be done about this problem?

Yes, we REALLY need a register command for ID tents =/ Enhanced registration would be nice, so that people could "call ahead" to the salon to see if the ID services they need are available. The salon may have ID's in it, but there may be no masters, so someone who wants a skin color change will go and wind up frustrated.

Even the NAMES would be fine. You send a tell to the person and ask "hey are you a master or is someone else in the tent a master."

I think this would also be beneficial for cantinas. You could "call ahead" and see if the registrants have the level you need for your buff, or are afk... isn't it disappointing to get to a cantina that is supposedly "populated" by at least one entertainer, only to find a group of zombies?

An ID guildie of mine on the Wanderhome server practises aggressive advertising. He has an Auction channel macro that every now and again spams into the channel that there is a Master ID in the Coro salon. He also puts an advert droid outside the Coro star port that lets people know that there is an ID currently working in the salon, and also advertises on the galaxies radio station that runs on Wanderhome. Whenever I am in the tent with him customers start pouring in - the power of suggestion. I've been really impressed at the volume he gets from a few simple things like that.

If I want business I will usually run around the starport area with my tag up looking like I'm busy doing other things. If you are busy with something else invariably someone will want a makeover.

I do need to train advertising 4 so i can get myself a barker droid! I haven't run into any merchants lately (and I don't have the cash to pay the NPC) but that might help a lot. Of course, what about the non-merchant ID's?

Hmmm... I thought anyone could have a barker droid, you just need a merchant to train it for you? I've never tried one though, and I have a feeling he is also a merchant. I'll have to ask!

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Tralmek wrote:

Just for clarification, a barker droid will not shout unless its current owner has Advert IV.

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Darn

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Vorpaks wrote:

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Tralmek wrote:

Just for clarification, a barker droid will not shout unless its current owner has Advert IV.

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Darn

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You know what's really stupid? To get master ID on Gorath I will have to drop advertise IV, since I cannot (or don't want to) drop master artisan or master DE... all that's left is advertise 4