Politician Archive
Thread: This Profession was a bad idea IMO
Korrack wrote:
I still think it will be 77skill points well spent for me.
Don't get me wrong, I feel the same way. I gave up master ranger and most of scout to completely redesign my guy as a Lando template: smuggler/politician. I chose bothan as my first character and have had him since day one, because I knew I would be a politician some day. Just the opportunity to be mayor is worth the investment in novice politician.
What I am saying is that the parts that you and I love most about being mayor are things that we do that are not from our politician tree. They are rather things we do that any real politician or even a PA leader or true merchantdoes, we manage people and relationships. (incidentally I have two accounts and my second is true merchant/master merchant.)
What I believe of politician is what I believe of merchant. The things that are enabled by your skill tree are useful things, but they are not the core of the profession. I'm not a roleplayer per se, but I like for my characters to "be" what they are, if you follow me. With my merchant I negotiate deals to operate vendors for crafters without merchant. With my politician, I negotiate with merchants and crafters to bring business to town, and negotiate with other towns and PAs for exchange programs and so on. I try and socialize and assist all the citizens. Though I usually run unopposed, I campaign every week. The point is that none of these things are supported by ingame mechanics directly.
For the politician tree, it would be just as easy to have all decorations, structures, and improvements related only to city size, and have the political skills be what you earn. Recruiting skill trainers is the perfect example. Sure, you just place something like a decoration, but theoretically you've used your political savvy and clout to recruit them. These are the types of skills I would rather have coming out of my skill tree. Something that requires not only skill checks, but the same kind of palm-slapping baby-kissing strategy we already employ anyway. Even though I know that I get a lot more out of politician than a garden, the citizens don't. I'd like to see the politician tree be based a lot more on diplomacy and management and a lot less on mere urban planning.
So in essence, I agree with you to an extent but think they put the wrong skills into the profession. I do not by any means think they should eliminate or lower the skill point cost. I want to work for my profession same as anyone, and certainly don't want it marginalized. In fact, I'd like to see it made more robust.
5 stars for you...
Neologist wrote:
So in essence, I agree with you to an extent but think they put the wrong skills into the profession. I do not by any means think they should eliminate or lower the skill point cost. I want to work for my profession same as anyone, and certainly don't want it marginalized. In fact, I'd like to see it made more robust.
*cheers* to Okie...he has the right attitude.
Welcome to politics folks...there are mayors of cities in RL who are just puppets for whoever has enough clout to control them. Other cities have mayors who care and do their best to make their city a great place to live.
I feel sorry for anyone who lives in a city where the mayor is a "bot" who is never around, or is merely a puppet for other decision-makers. This is not a problem with the politician profession. This is a problem with the decision-making for that city. This thread really opened my eyes to how some cities are being run in SWG. I have been so busy planning our city that I really haven't had a chance to visit many others. Turns out that our neighbor cities also have involved mayors, so I naively expected most cities to be the same. Guess not.
I originally volunteered to be mayor for our city because it was a position that needed to be filled. I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I do. It puts you directly in the center of a group of people who are making their mark on the SWG universe. That group consists of every citizenin thecity. Every citizen hasa voice...whether specifically asked by the decision-makers, or minimally by theability to pick up their houses and leave.
Much ofthe politician treeis city planning ("glorified decorating" as quoted from previous posts), but I take pride in making our city a beautiful, structured place. I have met more people and had more meaningful conversationsthrough being mayor than I ever would with any other profession. (Trust me, I've tried quite afew in the last 6 months of live gameplay as well as in beta). I am proud to see people wander into town out of curiosity because they were in the neighborhood, or (even better) have heard good things about our place and wanted to see for themselves.
The politicain profession does not grant skills to a specific person...it is merely another way to control city growth and create a sense of community. People must vote each week for their city to advance and gain structures. Even though they essentially vote by proxy if only one mayor is running, this is still a distinct choice. A true mayor is not simply someone who gave up the skill points to be a politician. It is someone who cares enough to run that city to the best of their ability.
Alx'nya Yrrek
Proud to be Mayor of Fate, located on Naboo, Chilastra server
The problem is that no one will run against our mayor because no one has the 77 or so skill points to spare in a new profession. This isn't a democracy. Asking someone to give up their bread and butter skills to be mayor is like asking Bush to give up his oil to be president....
On another thread someone mentioned they want to leave the Mayor position and how can they do that... Well once again its the same thing in reverse, who has skill points to spare....
And let me tell you, 77 skills points means beans on wheither they will be a good mayor or not and do things to help the city grow...
Oh, someone asked if our city has grown, yes it has. It only takes a few minutes to log on and drop a Shuttle port or whatever... And don't get me wrong, I don't blame our Mayor... They have other things they do in game that they would rather be doing. I can't fault someone for doing what they enjoy in the game. Very often being the only one in town at the Cantina, Iend being the information minister anyways. But I can't work with my mayor cause I never see her. I don't even think her e-mail is read as things seems to go unanswered. So when someone wants to move in I send them to a member of the militia. They ask who the mayor is and I have to check my notes... I only met her once and forget how to spell her name...
Oh well, theres nothing I can do about anything...And I'm done concerning myself about it. This is the system SOE created. I don't like it but I can't change it either...
The politician skill tree works fine for me. I am very happy with my character, and I have plenty of points left over to do all the other things I want. I also run my city to the best of my ability.
The more you give
The more you live
These comments about the Mayor job as being work and having no-benefit are coming from the mouths of some extremely self-centered people. The people of my town are grateful for the work I've put into it, and their smiles are enough to keep me going..
Mayor Sandoz, LokNLoad - Naritus
On the contrary, if they're not willing to give up their "bread and butter" (which is laughable because I can bea master architect who is very handy in combat and still max politician) then they aren't dedicated enough to the concept of being the mayor.
Seriously. It's a commitment. Having a point-intensive class should, in theory, ensure a certain amount of committed mayors.
You're posting on the politician forums, and you seem to care about your city. So do you care enough about it to give up 77 points?
Seriously....do ya?
The discussion seems to have shifted a little...it's now sounding like folks are saying they don't want to give up 77 skill pts "just because" they already have their character template all worked out and don't want to drop anything to commit to politician. Well, I hate to be blunt, but that's tough. With a limited 250 points, you have to pick and choose what you want to do. Heck, I want to be an armorsmith, architect, merchant, CH, commando, swordsman, TKA, doctor, etc. But I can't. Pick and choose and move on.
Also, just because it takes 77 points to master, doesn't mean you have to do all 77. I think that depends on the goals of your city. If it means to only obtain a shuttleport and cloning centre and nothing else, then 2/2/0/0 is all you'll need (plus the city size obviously). That's only 25 points. Like I said, pick and choose.
well.. I think the point seem to be miss somewhere.... To run a city.. you have to have a want and a need... players who want and need to run a city.. willing to give up to be mayor and not think twice about it... (it not just numbers) I know it sounds very RPish.. but that is what this politician class is all about.. it is personal hard work to those who wants them.....
There are some people who couldn't care to get jedi (or not as determind) to get one.. some don't do holo and just sell them for tidy profit.. why not! 
Politician class require the kind of people with a lot of "people skill".
Lol, ppl skills...I'm an entertainer, I deal with ppl probably more then any mayor. So lets see, that comment is totally irrelavent to my post...
77 skill point, yes, thats the biggie. Considering there is a small handful of player cities on each planet, when you add it all up, politician is hands down the least played profession in the entire game. Why, because if you aren't a mayor of a city its totally useless to you and you can't even gain skill points in it unless you just want to run for election and gain a couple skill points a week in a system that is set up that makes it almost impossible to win.
No, I've looking into it enough to see that you current mayorsdont havemuch to worry about and in fact, if you want to leave the position one day you will be hard pressed to even find a replacement. A fact I didn't mention in my origonal post is that this isour case also. Our current mayor never really expected to stay in office after the city was fully established and is willing to step down to someone who wants to do the job. I'm inthe cantinanext door to City Hall andI also see the citizens often and do talk with them. I probably had a good chance of winning the mayor race in the traditional way, by votes but I had to withdraw from the race after reading about this large skill point requirement. I'm not going to give up entertaining and my cantina to be mayor. I'm not going to give up my artisan skills as thats my main source of income. I don't have any real combat skills left to give up, so thats it unless I want to create a secondary charactor. I have thought about that but times are tough now and I really don't want to spend the money..
now here is an interesting question.. (hate to test it.. but it might be possible)
Does the mayor have to keep the skill to keep the structure? I think it is possible if the new mayor comes along.. the pre-place structure will stay.. (but the new mayor with no power cannot place anything new until they gain exp) soooooooooo...
like many other classes (medic comes to mind) people don't mind spending 15 points to get novice politician to keep the city hall up and don't place anything new.. or spend another 2 points to get militia at least
(like people spending 15 points in medic to use stim b)
so.. you help get a politician upto master.. activate and place all the things you need.. add you militia.. and then start forgeting skills to free up points......
so in a way .. a fully establish city just need 15 skill points
Well it sounds like you've made up your mind on what you want to do. So that's good. I guess the discussion should be over then hehe
Mariki wrote:
No, I've looking into it enough to see that you current mayorsdont havemuch to worry about and in fact, if you want to leave the position one day you will be hard pressed to even find a replacement. A fact I didn't mention in my origonal post is that this isour case also. Our current mayor never really expected to stay in office after the city was fully established and is willing to step down to someone who wants to do the job. I'm inthe cantinanext door to City Hall andI also see the citizens often and do talk with them. I probably had a good chance of winning the mayor race in the traditional way, by votes but I had to withdraw from the race after reading about this large skill point requirement. I'm not going to give up entertaining and my cantina to be mayor. I'm not going to give up my artisan skills as thats my main source of income. I don't have any real combat skills left to give up, so thats it unless I want to create a secondary charactor. I have thought about that but times are tough now and I really don't want to spend the money..
