Musician Archive

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Vaanbuzzkrkk - Wookie

Shadowfire

Future Rifleman/Ranger

Forgive the length. And the topic, its a dead horse really, but this is my effort to state my take on things and leave the issue to die:

My first character was a M.Musician/M.Entertainer. on Wanderhome. That wookiee has been and still is an MM/ME for the past 10 months. For 3 months I stuck to it, believing that combat professions was not for me and SWG (I left combat to EQ). I finally let my account lapse payments and routinely checked the boards for hoped for improvements to our entertainer classes. I came back to SWG when mind buffs were added. I came back to the game when droids were updated and we got playback and effects modules. Publish 7 was one time promised to have serious add ons and improvements for musicians. It not having any really killed me. I left SWG fora couple months.

I finally came back missing sw1 on my mando and my chid horn with ballad. And Instead of letting my account lapse I went to Shadowfire, creating what is now a M.Ranger/TKM. Camina, on Shadowfire, has been my main character since about July 15th. But my musician wookiee is still my prime reason for playing this game. I play him at least 2-3 nights a week. I took up NID to make some money doing stat migrations. I took up merchant and am now 2113 in that with a well going music shop. Mainly as new aspects to my loved Musician, and to make money. In 3 nights of stat migrations, getting 1022 in ID, I made more money than I ever did just playing music, healing and buffing.

Now you have my history. Yes, I side with most musicians in most issues, aka Buffboting. I despise its existence.

Do not misunderstand, I have always sympathized with the WHY people use them, but in that, Entertainers left the scene in droves during holotaining, but while the hologrind ended, it was the cause of no more entertainers in population, and thus the buffbotters came onto the scene as people saw the demand was high. So while the holocron ended it gave no room for entertainers to build back up, as in the damage was done, and now they could not even make much for their services with buffbotters already in good numbers, so the entertainer buffers ATK wise did not come back, or people left when they got master after a few weeks of dead-end cantina afk lonliness. So people have to understand, until the NEED for entertainers to be in existence, to have fun at their craft, there has got be a lull where they are in demand. Yes people will suffer for a few weeks with no readily available mind buffers, but that will change in due time.

My ranger/tk has a hell of a time getting mind buffs on shadowfire. I have gotten one dancer buff and one music buff in 4 months. Yet I have successfully gone to vette missions, dwb, and to geo caves. I have fought with NS witches, and so forth. So no, mind buffs is not a must, but people being fully buffed, fully armored with resists to the teeth has lead way to people not really having a clue of how to play their class.

(Analogy) For those who had played EQ, LDoN was much the same situation. A fast placed instanced environment where the mobs were fast, tough, and unrelenting, most people had no clue how to fight in a well organized group, fighting the way their class was meant to be. But knew how to mash their respective class specials while buffed and twinked to the teeth in armor in an open area, not having to work well with others, but still being grouped in the process. Hence, people had to learn how to be a part of a group all over again.

Like EQ, SWG is a MMORPG. That means that not everything in the game is meant to be solo'ed. A group of 20 peoplecan goto DWB unbuffed that know their jobs well and do well in the process, sure it will be hard, but it can be done. So the argument "people who believe you dont need mind buffs have obviously never been to geo caves, corvettes, or dwb" is a sham. I believe you can go to geo caves, corvettes, or geo caves without mind buffs, and still have great fun(not even a well balanced pvp or pv'npc character, ranger =P) because I have done it!

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With my ranger/tk I have even ponderred looking for a buffbot (Yes sorry I admit it) because finding an atk'er is very hard to do. When I do find one, the said mind buffer is usually not in a cantina. And as a Master entertainer/musician I hate to ask and often don't those who are not in a cantina, because then they are not in a buffing/cantina mood. If they are playing an instrument or dancing, then I may ask, often in apologetic form:

Some say sure, some say no. And my tips exceed 50k. No I am not saying others should, I personally do because quite likely I will make that person's month. I know its value to an entertainer, and I know they appreciate it. And 50k is 2 solo group missions away for me if I am that pressed for money.

Ironically, my musician has never to this day charged for a buff, and I do not pass judgement on anyone who pays nothing. I smile and wish them well, and buff them gladly when they send tell. As long as I get a please or some basic common courtesy that they in some way shape or form, know they are taking up my time to receive a service they can not provide themselves, or for themselves (a please would suffice). For those whom wish to go with the attitude, "fine I can get it form a buffbot, screw you"...welcome to /addignore. And remember, when the recursive macros do end...you will have one more of a rare breed of ATK master musician that will no longer hear you, and not think twice. (btw it is instinct for me now to type /deny after i /addignore someone for extra "flipping the bird" measure.

For extra measure, I am the type of musician who always tips medics healing me. Sure they are getting xp, sure they may be there only to serve there own needs and I am a means to an end, not a kindact meant for me, but hereis the key: they are providing a service I can not provide for myself. So I tip.

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1. Goto mos eisley. Buff anyone who asks. dont charge. Be nice and entertain. A month later those people will look for you to get a mind buff, when they are full to the teeth with credits, and tip generously, not only for that buff, but the ones you gave out earlier in their career, before they seek out a buffbotter. Or they will seek out a live entertainer first, after you, before resorting to the evils of buffbotters.

2. Get out of the cantina-no I don't mean starports and on stage area's with microphones, theatre's and hotels. Get out into groups and travel with them. I can not stress this enough, be proactive, be the "on the spot in a ranger camp buffer", now they have no reason to seek out buffbotter's. They have you right there. Playing sw1 with the mando while they fight is an experience many don't have. Get the playback droid out on the bandfill. Rock it. They will learn to appreciate the entertainers like they never have before.

3. Advertise. Have a merchant, or become one, and let people know whereyou are entertaining. Hit the bazaar, auction an item, a combat one, a lance or a VK for 6000 credit auction. Let them know you are to be found at these times of the day (aka:"between 6-9pm EST at <city>,<planet> entertainment and buffs from a live master musician that wookieehugs at random") Have people put that ad on signs of their shops, and (especially now) in exchange once every 30 minutes you'll enter the "1 credit fee" shop and click on their vendors for merchant xp.

4. Partner with a popular armorsmith or weaponsmith (you want to team up with merchants who cater to the mainstream mind buffers). You are giving out free mind buffs for one hour at this time for every customer who buys a set of comp armor, or a sliced VK, whatever! (remember to get on admin list so your not booted every 15 minutes if they have the fee set up lol) Now those people (and hence their friends) no of one outgoingATK entertainer with good timely buffs. They will seek you out, before the buffbotter.

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Or you can stand there in a cantina grumbling over your shoulder at the AFK'er who won't stop and will prolly keep doing just in spite and a laugh that he is getting all your business =P. Be proactive. Be outgoing. Be an entertainer. There not goign to stop till teh patch comes that disenables them to continue their afk macro's. Its that simple. And one the recursive macro's are gone? Your one popular, good entertainer with valued, loyal customers when your on, and respected in the community.

In conclusion, fightiing buffbott'ers and those who have the mentality that they should always be around, that "it is not a detriment to others" is a waste of time. They only care about themselves, or providing the easiet possible way of doing things that means no wait for them, no searching, and often free buffs. Snakes in other words. No, not all buffbott'ers are, by far, and no, not all people who use them are either, but have some good points as to why they do on occasion. Its understandable, hell its forgiveable, but debating and shouting and whining as opposed to being proactive and seeking out the playerbase on your server and letting them knowthat you exist and that you are atk can directly become unavoidable competition for buffbots. They will end, recursive macro's will go, but even then it wont be easy, because the proactive entertainers will have a customer base.All customers, and friends of yours, have other friends who will come to you.

"The buffbot is in cnet, I am on rori, can you come out to rori, or even theed is cool, and hook my group up mate?" "I sure can." Now I am providing a service no buffbot can compete with. And now? The next tell I get chances are won't be from the orignial guy, but one of the members from the group..."Hey are you buffing and if so where can I meet ya? Oh and need a action or quickness buff?, I'm a doctor."

I disagree with you on one point: Buffbots appeared because entertainers by and large were not buffing. It is a high demand service that was simply not being provided. STILL isn't being provided by non-buff-bots. I hope and challenge all entertainers to pick up the slack and provide the service that players want.

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Gone, daddy gone. Accounts are gone.

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I'm baaaaaack
And it looks like I'll be going again.

Thank you - for your ideas and suggestions . I am always looking for new ways to make it known that I will be buffing in Theed (without the spatial spam that drives me nuts)

Some good ideas

Ky'a Master Musician, Master Dancer, Master Ent