Musician Archive
Thread: How many of you ATK musicians use text or emotes in your recursive or nonrecursive macros?
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Chessack
Wed Aug 03, 2005 11:17 am
#27
LecheHombre wrote:
It is interesting to hear that it works so well in CoH. I've got no objections to them putting in the exact same system in SWG, I just figured that instead of eliminating 90%+ of the problem, it would only eliminate 5%. Heck, you could stick a rock on one of your keys and get around a "lack of keyboard activity" solution, no 3rd party programs needed. I also recognize that they have an anti 3rd-party macro clause in the EULA right now, but there is no way that they would ever spend the man-hours needed to actually police it.
So, as a followup to my last post, I'll state directly that I would support an activity autologout, and I would be happy if it worked. That being said, I still think that it would be a much better solution to make xp gain, beneficial properties of our professions (buffs), and fun tied more directly to a more active playstyle, as opposed to the current system where there is no game mechanic to discourage AFK "macrotaining" at all.
I agree with you, the game should be more entertaining and involving and we would see less macrotaining. But that aside, in terms of the auto logout thing...
Yeah you can put a rock on your keyboard. So why don't people in COH? I think part of it is the message that the devs sent with the autologout. See the thing was, people were being not just lazy but stupid. They were standing in the train station -- a highly public area, equivalent to our starports -- and when you level in COH, everyone around you sees it and hears it (there's a "zapping" sound and your character glows, not just to you but to everyone around you). If there are 20 people standing there with "AFK" over their heads being powerlevelled, just a dash through the train station will let you hear 3 or 4 of these things go off. So they were standing there BLATANTLY levelling without doing a thing, and it took very little time for the devs to see what was going on, and say, "This has to stop." So the devs clamped down.
Now, does that mean no one can AFK level? Nope... you can easily auto-follow, keep a rock on your keyboard (or use one of those bobbing bird toys like Homer Simpsion used in that famous Simpsons episode), and still get XP. And I bet some people still do it.. BUT... the message the devs sent was, you'd better make darn sure you don't stand there and do it in public, because if you do, you will get nailed for it. They sent the message that AFK levelling was not OK, and they would go to great lengths (and weather great storms of whining) to stop it. This meant that most AFKing did in fact stop, because while people were willing to do it if it was "legal", as soon as it became established that it was "illegal", 80-90% of the AFK levellers were unwilling to risk account bans or other repercussions (perhaps including a nerf to how group XP is given out, for instance), so they cut it out.
Imagine they did this with SWG. Yes, probably, a dancer could go into a locked, private house, and find a way to use a rock on her keyboard to AFK macro her way to mastery, and that's still mildly annoying, but, the big thing is, you have stopped the blatant public AFKing, and that is really what is damaging the game more than anything else. That people just bot everything from killing mummer thugs to dancing in public with no repercussions, sends the message that it's OK, and you can do it too, and worse gives the (false) impression that "everyone does it" (because just 20 people on afk macros in public make it look that way), and so people not only do it but they do it publicly (just like they did at the train stations in COH). If the devs clamp down and stop it, they send the message that it's not OK, and if you're going to do it, you'd at least better not do it in public because you'll get into trouble.
And THAT would change the whole tone of the game, in one fell swoop.
C
Pooplefronk
Wed Aug 03, 2005 12:59 pm
#28
Panthu wrote:
"
The real problem I think is that "casual gamers" were the target market when SWG was coming out. Non-hardcore MMORPG players hate it that they are forced to compete with players that are hardcore and basically dedicate their lives and all of their time to playing one of these games.
Middle Earth Online talked about having some type of off line trainer at the time SWG was coming out. Not sure if that's still in their plans, but anyway everybody was thinking about the "casual gamer" at the time. SWG and TSO being the biggest. Some things were great ideas! Player owned NPC vendors, harvesters, factories, all of that is awesome and really supports casual gamers because it can be set up and then left to run while you are offline.
The difference is, there was a big design for all of that and it's been implemented really well. Also, your av logs out - it's just the stuff you've set up that keeps going. We all accept that and most of us love it. "
I definately support the no activity lock-out timer and I do understand the casual gamers effort to keep up. What if the timer was disabled if you were AFK'ing in your own house - and _only_ in your own house? Then the people wanting toAFK could still do so but wouldn't be a nuisance to everyone else.
I have to say that I do not support AFKing at all! but if we cannot get it removed for reasons unknown (or monetary as a guess) we could at least work within those borders.
I have to say that I do not support AFKing at all! but if we cannot get it removed for reasons unknown (or monetary as a guess) we could at least work within those borders.
Panthu
Fri Aug 05, 2005 12:35 am
#29
Chessack wrote:
This may be the devs' excuse for allowing AFK macro-bots, but it is not borne out by reality.
No, no, I totally agree. I do think this is the history behind the stance, but it hasn't played out that way at all so it should be changed.
I'm all for rewarding casual players who want to play an Ent. I think that's a good thing and many (not all) Social players are laid back, so I don't think we should ever have to jump through too many hoops or grind grind grind like you do for, oh, say Jedi. 
We've seen what works though, the crafter setup that supported casual play helped. It really did. Even with all the current goofiness, it's still a great set up compared to other games. If something like that was implemented to help Casual Player Ents level and make money while they were offline, that would be a good thing probably.
Maybe NPC actors that give mini-area buffs and gain a player XP for everyone that comes near like Merchant vendors. Or holo discs that can be recorded and sold. Quest options that can be finished with minimum time investment and effort, but pay out in XP 5 times what you would gain by AFKing over night.
These types of things would be in line with what has been done for the casual player that has worked in this game in other areas of play. AFK entertaining has never worked out for the casual social players, who should be the main concern.
Reachwind
Mon Aug 08, 2005 6:25 pm
#30
Interesting responses here. A lot of heat for such a simple question. Doesn't appear to me that the people arguing against the removal of the chat spam even really play in the areas of the game that are most affected. Although I might be wrong. It certainly was interesting to learn that War is an AFK starport spammer. Never saw that coming.
SWEzekiel
Tue Aug 09, 2005 10:06 am
#31
LecheHombre wrote:
Little off topic here, but I've often thought that there should be separate "spatial" chat channels for NPC-generated spatial text, and player-generated spatial text. That way, you could set up a chat tab with no NPC-generated spatial allowed (silencing stormies, mission givers, thugs, etc.) and resolve any specific player-generated spam with /addignore..
Message Edited by LecheHombre on 08-01-2005 07:19 PM
I was thinking this today actually. Especially in Mos Eisley with all those newbie quests, gets annoying! Also, your xp gain blocks any spatial messages, which is also annoying!
Eahot
Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:44 pm
#32
i use a text macro all it says is "if you tip me send me an mail with amount so i may add you to bio" with this text people tip me when i dont use it no one ever tips me its how i make money as an entertainer. and i also have them mail me cause i have some alot of the you preform flourish and such i cant see if they tip or not
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