Suggestion: Change the icon for Mentors

It seems that a lot of mentors do not do the job they are volunteering to do and wear the crown as a status symbol. There are many threads on the FFXIV subreddit complaining about mentors and the system which gives those who want to help a bad reputation because of the others.

I propose that the icon is changed to something that isn't as attractive as a crown. Since new players are sprouts, I propose that the mentor icon should be a watering can.

Mentors are supposed to help new players grow so this icon would have a metaphorical meaning behind it too. Discussing with other mentors who actually try to help and not just wear it as a status symbol, we seem to be in agreement. Here is a Reddit comment thread support this claim:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...sucks/dde5a7d/

By changing the icon to a watering can (or something that may be considered "ugly") then only the mentors that actually want to help will wear the icon.

I was hoping for a watering can too.

100% support this. Watering Can (to match the new player Sprout) is great for it's intuitive representation of the system and it will attract players that actually want to help support and grow our awesome noobies!

Crown is definitely being used as a status symbol by enough players (who have no intention of helping) to make a noticeable impact on the perception of Mentors. It's off-putting to noobies looking to learn and deciding if they will continue their adventure. That said, mentors that mentor are very good and are exactly what you would hope for.

Edit: words

Before I knew what the crowns meant, I thought that it was some sort of power symbol, not mentorship. So I do agree. If I saw someone with a watering can or a symbol signifying mentorship (quill and ink, white feather, something akin to the party finder symbol), I'd assume them to be something more helpful.

http://static.wpe.au.syrahost.com/va...qvgo1_1280.png

I love this idea. \o/ Watering cans for Sprouts, it's adorable omg.

There could always be a different symbol too. But isn't one of the big draws the rewards/achievements from mentor roulette? (not a mentor, I don't actually know much about it lol). Not sure if an icon change will get rid of those people, unfortunately. Maybe take away the rewards so only people who actually want to help are using it. :P Of course we'll have 80% less mentors, but that's not necessarily a bad thing LOL.

You don't need the icon on to get into mentor roulette.

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Originally Posted by SeriousxSarcasm

I love this idea. \o/ Watering cans for Sprouts, it's adorable omg.

There could always be a different symbol too. But isn't one of the big draws the rewards/achievements from mentor roulette? (not a mentor, I don't actually know much about it lol). Not sure if an icon change will get rid of those people, unfortunately. Maybe take away the rewards so only people who actually want to help are using it. :P Of course we'll have 80% less mentors, but that's not necessarily a bad thing LOL.

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You don't need to have your status set to "Mentor" to get in to the Mentor roulette. The idea here is to stop those who have no intention of helping newbies from wearing it.

something I posted in a reddit thread this was linked from:

I'd actually suggest an onion.

Yes I know that seems strange but hear me out:

In FFIII the starting class was translated as "Onion Knight" because of a pun in the Japanese version: "Callow Youth" can also be read as "Onion Sprout"

That is likely what they were going for when choosing a sprout as the icon for a new player, making the new player icon specifically an onion sprout.

Therefore, what better progression from student to teacher than sprout to onion?

It does seem like an obvious choice, doesn't it?

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Originally Posted by TheBorzoi

By changing the icon to a watering can (or something that may be considered "ugly") then only the mentors that actually want to help will wear the icon.

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Haha, no. It will only stop those that do it for the crown.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SeriousxSarcasm

But isn't one of the big draws the rewards/achievements from mentor roulette? (not a mentor, I don't actually know much about it lol). Not sure if an icon change will get rid of those people, unfortunately. Maybe take away the rewards so only people who actually want to help are using it. :P Of course we'll have 80% less mentors, but that's not necessarily a bad thing LOL.

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The main purpose of the mentor roulette is to fill duties. Taking away the rewards would have many less using it. If anything, expect more rewards in the future.

This is a very good idea but I'm unsure if they're willing to put up with the backlash to take away the precious crown symbol.

This game caters to the majority and the majority only cared about becoming a mentor for the fancy crown. I guarantee that if it's changed, there will be countless complaints about how "I went through the trouble of leveling all roles to 60 for that icon and you took it away."

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Originally Posted by TheBorzoi

I propose that the icon is changed to something that isn't as attractive as a crown. Since new players are sprouts, I propose that the mentor icon should be a watering can.

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or dirt or shit since plants need dirt and fertilizer to grow, could make it the poop emoji (cancer)

I support this 1,000,000%
A watering can doesn't give of the idea of "power" or "best" but literally the idea of helping Sprouts grow.

I also think that if changing the crown makes people leave the game because their fancy /burger king/ crowns are gone, good. We don't need your attitude here anyway.

Agreed. Much better then a crown.

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Originally Posted by LunarEmerald

This is a very good idea but I'm unsure if they're willing to put up with the backlash to take away the precious crown symbol.

This game caters to the majority and the majority only cared about becoming a mentor for the fancy crown. I guarantee that if it's changed, there will be countless complaints about how "I went through the trouble of leveling all roles to 60 for that icon and you took it away."

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And the reply should be that it wasn't the icon that was the reward, but the status. Reminds me of the Odin emote drama. You're paying for the statue, not the emote.

I really don't think the majority of the type of people you're referencing put the mentor icon on simply because it's a crown and they like having a crown next to their name. The type of person you're referencing likes having the symbol that says, "I know what I'm doing, you should listen to me" next to their name. They're the type that believe they have the game figured out and their word is law when the minimum requirements for the mentor status is so low. If you changed it to a watering can, it'd do the same exact thing. They'd believe it gives them the same authority or status and they want that "power" to tell people what to do. There's also the side that puts it on because, "hey look at my, I help people" when in reality they zone out during their dungeons/roulettes. The watering can will still work to fulfill whatever perception they want to give off. I seriously doubt people put the mentor icon on simple because of it's design and not the meaning they attribute to it. They want what they believe the symbol represents.

Well if you are encountering these people in roulette and they are burning through them I think that has more to do with 2k roulettes for a mount more so than having a crown. When you queue for mentor roulette it automatically puts the crown by your name and I see very few crowns outside roulette.

So maybe taking away the achievement, esp one as high as 2 thousand individual runs, reward would filter out many of these people.

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Originally Posted by AnimaAnimus

Well if you are encountering these people in roulette and they are burning through them I think that has more to do with 2k roulettes for a mount more so than having a crown. When you queue for mentor roulette it automatically puts the crown by your name and I see very few crowns outside roulette.

So maybe taking away the achievement, esp one as high as 2 thousand individual runs, reward would filter out many of these people.

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I agree with this as well. This is another example of a type of person that doesn't use the mentor status to actually help people that would still use it regardless of it were a crown or watering can. I think these and the ones I mentioned in my reply make up the majority of those that use the mentor status without the intention to help people.

O: I am in love with this idea...

But to be entirely honest, an icon change should only be ONE of the changes to the mentor system... the whole thing needs to be revamped imho, requirements are too low as is...

In particular I'd like to see different requirements for the different "types" of mentor (i.e specific crafting reqs to be a crafting mentor, different ones for PVP mentors and so on), and the crown without any specific symbols would be given only to mentors with ALL the other ementorship types acquired :/ but this could aggravate the issue of people doing this only for the same of completion, and then there's also the issue of mentor roulette...

But yes, the icon change would be a great start I'd think, I really do love this idea :)

How about keeping the crown around as a "Master" rank symbol, and adding a watering can or other icon for "Mentor"? Either one would be able to queue for Mentor Roulette, and therefore get the rewards, but you would be able to select a preferred icon (Master or Mentor). The Mentor icon can be intended as a "hey, you can ask me for help!" and the Master icon can be more like "I know things".

This would allow those who just want the shiny status to have a shiny status symbol, and providing something separate for those who actually wish to help. I doubt it will completely solve the problem, but it might help weed out some of those who don't want to help at all. (Hah... removing weeds from sprouts. I'll show myself out now.)