Musician Archive
Thread: Whats so bad about afkers!?
Dear, I can get pretty vocal about my opinions on this subject, but this is how I see why many here have a problem with it. This simulation has to run under certain constraints in order to make sense and be playable. One of those assumptions, and this may sound simple, is that players play. What I mean by that is it should be players who perform the services in this game. And why do they play? To have some enjoyment, or work to achieve some greater enjoyment in the future via a reward. When you have a multitude of players all trying to achieve some enjoyment or reward, we have an economy going, where players make rational choices concerning the skills they acquire and the relative cost and benefit of those skills. Decisions such as "should I work at being a dancer, or maybe do some missions?" These decisions are often made with several factors in mind, such as, will I get bored, will I make credits, will I get XP, etc. All player decisions as to the best use of their online time in a given circumstance. Is it important now to take the destroy mission to make quick cash? Or is it better to spend this time leveling music and dance? These decisions are what make the simulation so rich and realistic, and its what SOE means when they talk of a player-driven economy. Players under natural constraints of play are asked to weigh several options as to how they can make use of their limited time.
Now in order to play, you have to be at the tools you need to play, such as your mouse, monitor, and keyboard. Since not everyone can be playing 24/7, choices have to be made as to how to use the time that one has. Its a natural constraint that keeps the economy and all players in it in a healthy state that simulates the real life constraints in a way that all makes sense to us. Its what makes the simulation a virtual world instead of a virtual farce.
However, with unattended macro-driven commands, "non-players" can influence the subtle dynamics of the game world in a way that mimics the effects of a player. With these commands, one can magically remove the natural constraints of playability and do things that would be considered unreasonable or breaking the bounds of reality. Such is the case with macro driven unattended entertainment. By doing this, you take a limited resource which is online time and turn it into a bottomless pit. This turns the assumptions of the game world on its head. All of the sudden, entertainment resources are no longer a finite resource to be compensated or taken advantage of when they are available. They are now an infinate resource available on demand at all hours and need not be compensated at all. Its what happens when you put an entity in the simulation that has no internal need to find credits, find satisfaction, do the job better than the next person, or must weigh the cost and benefits of spending play time performing a certain action. While a 24 hour stint at an abandoned cantina would be unreasonable for an individual under the constraints of playability, it all the sudden becomes an option with unattendedness. Preprogramed entities merely do what they do, and they don't ponder about what is the best use of their online time like the rest of those in the simulation. Online time has no value to them, and as a result, decisions that would not ordinarily be made become mannifest.
Because the reason grinds like dancer or musician are tedious and time consumingis very simple: to reduce the amount of dancers and musicians to only that which the market of the game world will support. Right now, we have too many suppliers of entertainment for the natural demand that is out there. Its why nobody tips for services. There is an unlimited supply of it available that will continue to supply it whether you give it satisfaction or not.
So I'm sorry if this post is tecnical, but it really is a fundamental issue: how are we to enforce the notion that players play when non-play can accomplish the same effect, and has so many intrinsic advantages? This is at the root of the AFK debate.
By the same logic, what's so wrong with AFK combat? AFK crafting? But more to the point, entertaining is supposed to be a social profession. At launch, we actually *socialized* in public cantina. Yes, that's right, we were all at the keyboard, and we shmoozed with each other and with customers. It was fun.
AFK communities aren't communities at all. In some other MMORPGs, it's a violation of the terms of service to run an unattended macro. That's the rule in the craft-only game "A Tale in the Desert." In others, it's just not feasible to be AFK. You can't be an AFK cleric in EQ. You can't make bows and arrows while AFK in DAoC. You can't fight villains AFK in City of Heroes. And you wouldn't want to. Those activities are all fun and interesting. That it's preferable to AFK than to play in SWG suggests a deep problem with the game.
AFKing damages the community of the game by, well making it not a game anymore, but just who can write the best macro and get the best loot, and therefore the most money.
and yes I gave you those low star ratings...
[edit] this thread deserves to sink[/edit]
Message Edited by LeBob on 04-18-2004 11:50 AM
Rancor_Durni wrote:
Also in a proffession such as musician and entertainer, where it is not only easy beyond comprehension but mind numbingly boring, macroing can keep an interest in the game. There are very, VERY few people who can do a proffession which only has nine real moves and a selection of 8 or so different songs for more than five minutes without thinking its total un utter boring rubbish. I personally think musician is one of the more boring proffessions and i am sick off seeing Coronet cantina's walls at the moment.
This isyet another reasonwhy afk macroing the professions is bad for the community. You invested none of yourself into them so they are NOT satisfying for you when you level up because you did nothing to earn that position. I spent 3 months mastering both entertainer and musician and in the process I met some of the most wonderful people in-game. Not only this, but I also learned more about most other professions than I ever needed to know. Musician can be one of the most exciting professions ifone actually invests his or her heart into the career. OnBria, I ama professional entertainer andit's great! Try it sometime--pick up novice in a profession you've never tried before and then do it without macros. See how much more satisfying acareer can be when you do it yourself. If youdon't want to spend time withyour character and/oryour latest profession then try this place: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2986880976&category=20924 actually, it has been closed down, but I'm sure there are other people offering exactly the same servicess...
Oh, one last thing, I would love to again see the Coronet cantina's walls--right now they're hidden by a bunch of afk macrotainers.
-Liloman Hammons, Novice Gunfighter 
Rancor_Durni wrote:
lol, well thats better, cause everyone can achieve the same low skill level required to punch out some macro lines, whilst when it come to pure charisma, fighting ability, intelligence and overall gaming ability, someone is allways better than you in a mmorpg, so really macroing isnt bad. and macroing doesnt damage the community at all. Macroing even helps it, afk macroers have made firstly a jedi driven econemy, the community benefits from mindless drones who will heal you all night. Resource gatherers have a lot of business and making macros is so easy its unbelievable.
Rancor_Durni wrote:/say Please invite me to the entertainer group!
That's line right there will get you on an instant ignore list, and possibly keep you from group invites in the future for a start. Any repeating text is irritating as hell.
Rancor_Durni wrote:
Also in a proffession such as musician and entertainer, where it is not only easy beyond comprehension but mind numbingly boring, macroing can keep an interest in the game. There are very, VERY few people who can do a proffession which only has nine real moves and a selection of 8 or so different songs for more than five minutes without thinking its total un utter boring rubbish. I personally think musician is one of the more boring proffessions and i am sick off seeing Coronet cantina's walls at the moment.
Atlantiss wrote:
Rancor_Durni wrote:
Also in a proffession such as musician and entertainer, where it is not only easy beyond comprehension but mind numbingly boring, macroing can keep an interest in the game. There are very, VERY few people who can do a proffession which only has nine real moves and a selection of 8 or so different songs for more than five minutes without thinking its total un utter boring rubbish. I personally think musician is one of the more boring proffessions and i am sick off seeing Coronet cantina's walls at the moment.
I've got one word for you mate: **edit**!
(Apologies to those of a sensitive nature)
Hehehe, i c... it's doesn't like Mr W. Anker then eh? Well, i know a Mr. W.Ankers (seriously) and he really gets it all the time the poor soul!