Can't "perform" (har har)

[SIMU-Sux]

So, I created a performer thinking they'd be a good RP opportunity, what with their uniqueness and apparent rarity throughout the game. I think I figured out why nobody wants to be one:

The process of learning spellsongs is atrocious.

This is what I don't understand. Why can one go off and learn any other spell (to my knowledge) with nothing more than about a minute of roundtime and then be done with it, yet spellsongs are so vastly different? I don't see anything in any of the spellsongs that justifies having to spend 40 seconds in RT to learn 5% of a spellsong. This would be eased a bit if the timer between studying was lessened; however, I'm sitting here approximately 15-20 minutes after my last study and I still can't study it again yet.

Is this an oversight on someone's part or is this intentionally made difficult? I just don't see how the ability to improve my dancing warrants the excruciatingly painful process of having to "study" the scroll first.

[HR-Trevor]

Spellsongs just work differently. In fact, they work like alchemy. You have no 'slots' like spells/psi, but you have minimum skill reqs for each spellsong/formula. There are ways to speed up learning, such as training intellect, and the more spellsongs you learn the faster it becomes to learn the next.

Believe me, while performers are generally an underplayed class it isn't because of how long it takes to learn spellsongs. People just don't realize how versatile and powerful they are. Performers can raise almost any skill, improve their ability to find treasure, teleport their group, haste/speed up the group, cause fear, increase hp/sp/fp regen, lure monsters, provoke monsters to attack people, I mean the list goes on and on.
_________________
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." -- Plato

-- Trevor Rage / Rich Mondy

[HR-Mickey]

If ever I were going to use the term "bling bling", now would be it.
_________________
Mickey Brunner

To make a long story short, don't tell it.

I may be going nowhere, but I'm going nowhere fast.
---
Kelvin Watt says, "I stopped drinking coke when no longer drinking beer didn't make my gut disappear."
---
Kaelin Rae says, "Wait a minute..."
Kaelin Rae says, "You mean they have a COKE machine that dispenses beer."
Kaelin Rae nods to you.
Kaelin Rae says, "Greaser."
Kaelin Rae looks at you and sighs.

[SIMU-Sux]

[HR-Trevor]

Here's a player site, but it's really out of date:

http://sky.prohosting.com/nivzahr/

I'm not sure if it will be more helpful than what info you have now, but there you go.
_________________
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." -- Plato

-- Trevor Rage / Rich Mondy

[SolitaryTurnip]

[HR-Mickey]

Starting stats are based on the chosen profession itself, actually (see here). The 3 intellect might be painful (albeit easily-remedied as an Alteri, with your decreased point cost) when it comes to trying to learn spellsongs in a hurry, but you've got a high-end starter charisma to begin and a small headstart on other vital stats (like coordination, for keeping your instruments tuned).

Additionally, both a blessing and a curse, pauses in what you're able to pick up at each level are few and far in between. Figuratively, this means you'll reach your full measure before most of the other professions; on the other hand, all you've got to look forward to afterward is improving what you've acquired.

Edit: And while Performers are arguably "weak" starting out at lower levels, players willing to stick it out find out later that Performers really come into their own.
_________________
Mickey Brunner

To make a long story short, don't tell it.

I may be going nowhere, but I'm going nowhere fast.
---
Kelvin Watt says, "I stopped drinking coke when no longer drinking beer didn't make my gut disappear."
---
Kaelin Rae says, "Wait a minute..."
Kaelin Rae says, "You mean they have a COKE machine that dispenses beer."
Kaelin Rae nods to you.
Kaelin Rae says, "Greaser."
Kaelin Rae looks at you and sighs.

[soundless]

If I didn't want to play as an Artisan, I'd be playing as a Performer.

They really can boost a lot of things.

[Haidee]

[SIMU-Sux]

[soundless]

[HR-Mickey]

There are actually five spellsongs you're able to learn at first level, assuming you meet the skill requirements when you try.
_________________
Mickey Brunner

To make a long story short, don't tell it.

I may be going nowhere, but I'm going nowhere fast.
---
Kelvin Watt says, "I stopped drinking coke when no longer drinking beer didn't make my gut disappear."
---
Kaelin Rae says, "Wait a minute..."
Kaelin Rae says, "You mean they have a COKE machine that dispenses beer."
Kaelin Rae nods to you.
Kaelin Rae says, "Greaser."
Kaelin Rae looks at you and sighs.

[HR-Trevor]

I think where the confusing is coming in is that you can only learn one spellsong at a time. However, it doesn't take anywhere near a level to learn a song. ;D

Once you finish learning your current one, you can learn the next one you have skill for immediately.
_________________
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." -- Plato

-- Trevor Rage / Rich Mondy

[Brenton]

[SIMU-Sux]

Yeah, I'm enjoying it. I had a stint as a Psionic when I first started; but I have a propensity to go against the majority regarding character creation, so that was fairly short-lived. I got my "omg I must be young + pretty!11!!" fix out of the way early on.

On another note, is it possible to advance well enough without going into combat? I'm leaning towards a strictly performer-type path and would like to concentrate on those skills instead. But I'd like to know if I'm going to eventually run into a wall going this route (i.e. does foraging ever drop off in regards to teaching, etc.).