More Info on Entertainer Buffs in the CU

[Isleh]

These are not the buffs you're looking for..

Basically, the inspirational buff is not The buff given by Dancers and Musicians. It is a replacement for entertainer wound healing that was removed from the game.

Real entertainer buffs later.

Here is the post from a Dev outlining what they have planned.

http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/boar ... 260#M54260

[Dasumi]

WOW

Seems like we are not forgotten at all.
Could we have misjudged the devs and their point of view on entertainers?

[Ekade]

Let me know if an when they offer specifics on how they system will judge an interactive performance...

The advanced system will grant the audience even better rewards/buffs by a system that requires focused and reactive performer participation. Any further additions are still in development, so I cannot give any details but performer suggestions are always welcome.

/wince

The fact that they are looking for suggestions worries me. This means.. "We don't know how we are going to do this."

Based on the current dance/flourish model.. how can you programatically ascertain a "good show" and apply a better buff accordingly? How can you do it in such a way that cannot be duplicated through the macro system?

The basic problem is this...

The system needs to be able to tell if entertainers are ATK.

[Ekade]

As I read more

/wince again

Basically the difference in buffs between Novice dancer and Master dancer is a 30 secong longer wait.

So.. A buff bot used to have to be a master to give a good buff.. now it can do the same as a novice.

[Sai'nu]

Judging by their somewhat sketchy outline it really sounds like their using rhetorical babble to simply say... Well, uh, we're going to give you buffs based on the level of dancer you are... And basically your Master Dancers are going to be the only ones worth going to still.... And, yeah, no afk buffing! We think, maybe. But, We don't know what we're going to do about 'what' it is you'll be buffing yet.


At least, If I worked in the Dev offices... this is a conversation I think I'd halfway expect to hear at this point. Followed by a "Hmmm, Yeaaahh, get me that tps report."

And hopefully it won't be a a simple button press buff like the rest of the mechanics are working out to be. I mean... the entire system is working on that warm up/cool down system of skills now. We could be feeling some pain. But they 'are' at least thinking about us. And I just started on this venue myself; So, it interests me now. I think that's a sign of hope. They just need to start feeding us some more information is all.

[Sai'nu]

As I read more

/wince again

Basically the difference in buffs between Novice dancer and Master dancer is a 30 secong longer wait.

So.. A buff bot used to have to be a master to give a good buff.. now it can do the same as a novice.

Yeah, that sounds a bit like their messing with our pooch on that one too. However, it still means their trying to gear it toward... everyone will be rushing to the faster buff. Hopefully they work out a better balance than this.

[Ekade]

Yes, I am glad we are getting at least some thought. People do care, and people still pay to play as entertainers. My worry is that too many will leave that our voice becomes so small that the devs don't even listen to us anymore.

[Sai'nu]

I don't think that's too big of a worry. They've expressed that CU is suppose to be focusing on 'all' the professions. This effects the crafters, the combatants, the medics, and even the entertainers.

I have generally noticed that the only thing that's hurt us on professions so far was the holo grinding. Since then it seems a lot has stablized all be it we have more Jedi now.

The biggest influx I expect to see now is wither or not someone carriers two combatant professions to get the higher ham. It's still turning into basic formula mechanics. If you want to 'win' you have to do this.

We do have another thing going in our favor though... they did say they were lowering some of our skill point costs in Entertainment somewhere did they not?

Now 'that' should worry us really. It means their saying that buffs may be so minor that we need to give them more room to play around with combat. 'That' I don't know what to think about.

[Isleh]

I was hopeful, I try to stay positive but upon reflection...

We'd rather reward the ATK performer with better abilities that can only be achieved through active participation (resulting in an interesting performance, of course) rather than punishing or eradicating the AFK performer (who, in the end will provide inferior but useful services).

Read: Buffbots are not going away.

1. What is being done to insure that Buff Bots will not take over the cantinas again?

For now, nothing...

Read: We will try to appease ATK entertainers... eventually. Combat players come first.



It is the Combat Upgrade... but still. They are knocking out the foundation and not replacing it. What new player after the CU is going to look at the Entertainer profession, See a buffbot dancing in the cantina, and say "Ooooo, that looks fun!"?

[Ekade]

It is the Combat Upgrade... but still. They are knocking out the foundation and not replacing it. What new player after the CU is going to look at the Entertainer profession, See a buffbot dancing in the cantina, and say "Ooooo, that looks fun!"?

That is an excellent point. People used to see entertainers as something fun.. because it was a whole lotta fun. Now I see an entertainer starting off, and heading to some hell hole like Coronet or Theed.. and sitting in a room of bots with endless spam.

Yeah.. no fun at all there.

[Sai'nu]

No buffs... no macros... all me... at the keyboard dancing my ass off to be a 0012 Dancer now. *hugs Isleh for the training... and Yala too*

You might catch me there... but I'm a dinosaur when it comes to macros. Nothing beats being in control with your mouse and keyboard.

[Jerrel]

ok the SOE thread is taking forever to load so I cann't really comment about what they have planned but here is an idea to give entertainers a new role that could be implemented some time in the future.

Give Entertainers a quasi-combat roll that EVERY hunting group could not do with out. What might this new roll be? I call it the Enthraller. The Entertainer can be given special moves or songs that will attrack, entrance, or scare off creatures and NPC's. I could also see master Musicans learning a song or get a musical instrament that does sonic damage to creatures with really good hearing.

What do you Enterainers think of that?

[Ekade]

I would like to see 3 things:

1) A reason for players to see ACTIVE entertainers.
2) A reason for players to want to have an entertainer in their adventuring group.
3) The level of the entertainer has a significant impact on the first 2.
4) Mastery of an entertainer profession should be somewhat comparable in usefulness to other professions. Meaning, I want just as much bang for my buck out of these skill points as everyone else gets, or at least close to it.

Basically, I want to feel needed. "We're going on a Krayt hunt.. oh, call Ekade. She can give us <insert great buff here>".


What worries me about the inspiration bonus.. XP is not something people are after like they used to be.

[Isleh]

ok the SOE thread is taking forever to load so I cann't really comment about what they have planned but here is an idea to give entertainers a new role that could be implemented some time in the future.

Give Entertainers a quasi-combat roll that EVERY hunting group could not do with out. What might this new roll be? I call it the Enthraller. The Entertainer can be given special moves or songs that will attrack, entrance, or scare off creatures and NPC's. I could also see master Musicans learning a song or get a musical instrament that does sonic damage to creatures with really good hearing.

What do you Enterainers think of that?

Isn't that called a Bard in EQ2?

There was a suggestion on the SOE Entertainer Forums about Entertainers being able to make holo disks that could be "played" in or before combat combat for some effect.

Like increasing your fire rate as you rockzor with the music in your mini holo player.

Artisans could make the disks. the players and the recording equipment.

There are TONs of suggestions like that on the SOE forums... disappearing into the black hole of page 2+ never to be seen again.

[Jerrel]

Isn't that called a Bard in EQ2?

Never played EQ2. What inspired my idea was the way bards work in WotC version of D&D.