Suggestion: Instead of a crown, make the mentor icon a tree, aka, a full grown sprout

Hi everyone, with mentorship on quite a few people’s minds due to the recent admission changes, I thought now would be the perfect time to suggest a idea I came up with during a discussion in the Brynhildr NN yesterday, changing the mentor icon to a tree. Now I can’t be the first person to come up with this idea, given the progression from sprout to tree, but I would like to elaborate and give my two cents on why this would be a amazing change to the mentor system while keeping this a short as easy to read as I can, and remember if you have another suggestion you think would help the mentor system, then please share.

Now, in hopes that a member of SE staff will be reading, let me begin, the post will be split into two sections due to the length of the post. (TL
DR at the bottom)

So what good would this due for the mentor system?

Reason #1: Getting rid of unhelpful mentors/crown-cravers

This would purge crown-cravers and other similar individuals who have no interest in helping sprouts from the NN with little effort on SE’s part, due them removing the crown that many want purely for it being a crown. What does a crown signify to you? Status? Wealth? power? What about a willingness to help others? Perhaps to a few who think of a benevolent King or Queen, but I feel more people would jump to one of the first three options because of the reputation mentors have in this game as unhelpful, and the forth would be a afterthought. Without that symbol for people to crave and flaunt there would be little reason to become a mentor for them.

Reason #2: The natural progression from sprout, to tree

This would be a more effective way to signal to sprouts that mentors are there to help. A tree is the natural progression from a sprout, (or sapling if we’re being specific, but I feel that’s splitting hairs in this situation and the icon is similar enough to sapling) and when a sprout see’s a tree next to players name, it wouldn’t be hard for them to deduce that the mentor in question must have progressed into a better player due them growing from a sprout, to a full grown tree. What would a crown signify to a new adventurer? Their high status, wealth, power? When I was a sprout, I didn’t even know that the mentor crown meant when I was a sprout until I got invited to the NN!

Some of you might be thinking that SE wouldn’t bother with this, it’s too minor of a change, but I would like to remind you that if you don’t speak your mind and request change, than nothing will change, especially in the video game industry. If we don’t speak our concerns, game devs would have free reign to do whatever they want, remember the Star Wars Battlefront 2 fiasco and what came about people complaining and voicing their concerns? Red ring of death is another example, Microsoft got put into a corner hard because people complained and voiced their concerns.

TL DR: Removing the crown would get rid of unhelpful mentors who only want it because it’s a crown and what that symbolizes, and replacing it with a tree would be better due to the natural progression from sprout, to tree. If we all asked for this enough, SE would have to respond in some small capacity, remember Star Wars Battlefront 2 and what happened because everyone asked them to remove loot boxes? Red ring of death?

I would also like to say this on the side, I know changing it to a tree may sound a bit silly if you think about it, but it’s important to remember that we would only want mentors to be in it for helping sprouts and not anything cosmetic, so I feel a tree would go a long way to dissuade crown cravers.

Honestly, I think any sort of cutesy icon is going to have people wearing it just-because. Shoot, I may even be tempted to finally put on that mentor status.

I think something more mundane would work better if you're trying to avoid people just wearing the tag because it looks spiffy. Maybe something like XI's version (sorry for tiny picture - basically just a blue ball with M on it):
https://i.imgur.com/l6kmT82.jpg

I've seen people suggest that the symbol should be a watering can or something like that. I've always liked that idea personally.

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Originally Posted by E4EO

Reason #1: Getting rid of unhelpful mentors/crown-cravers

This would purge crown-cravers and other similar individuals who have no interest in helping sprouts from the NN with little effort on SE’s part, due them removing the crown that many want purely for it being a crown. What does a crown signify to you? Status? Wealth? power? What about a willingness to help others? Perhaps to a few who think of a benevolent King or Queen, but I feel more people would jump to one of the first three options because of the reputation mentors have in this game as unhelpful, and the forth would be a afterthought. Without that symbol for people to crave and flaunt there would be little reason to become a mentor for them.

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I don't understand changing the symbol. To the people who see it as a status, you aren't changing that. It's not the fact that it's a crown, it's the fact that it's a pretty much a cool kids club.

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Originally Posted by Hash_Browns

I don't understand changing the symbol. To the people who see it as a status, you aren't changing that. It's not the fact that it's a crown, it's the fact that it's a pretty much a cool kids club.

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Yeah, but a gold crown is typically associated with royalty or seen as a "high status" symbol. Take that away and that might deter at least some people who are just in it for the symbol. Not all, obviously, but some.

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Originally Posted by Vahlnir

Yeah, but a crown is typically associated with royalty or seen as a "high status" symbol. Take that away and that might deter at least some people who are just in it for the symbol. Not all, obviously, but some.

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A symbol is defined by it's worth, unfortunately. If you changed the Mentor symbol to a pile of crap people would still wear it. The people who think it's an exclusive thing will think so no matter what the symbol is..

Also, the mentor system is tied to 2 things that easily trump a symbol beside each players name:

1. A roulette that gives access to a glam item + a 2 seater mount.
2. A friends club style chat, where a bunch of mentors hang out in a clique club. (At least, that's what it is in my experience)

NO! I need my crown so I can rub it in peoples faces and engage in toxic shenanigans!! :D

In all seriousness, people want the crown for different reasons and some of those reasons are indeed superficial so changing the symbol really isn't going to change much at all in my opinion. You're still separating and grouping players by class so it really wouldn't matter at the end of the day.

Although, I will agree that the water can for the icon is a very logical choice and it makes me wonder why they even went with the crown motif in the first place.

Watering can plz SE. Anything is better than the thing we have right now.

I like the idea! And the watering can idea too. I always found the crown odd. It doesn't seem a fitting symbol at all, and I think you're right that changing the symbol might help begin a culture shift amongst mentors.

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Originally Posted by MPK

Watering can plz SE. Anything is better than the thing we have right now.

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I also think this is a good idea, given the connection people would make with mentors watering the sprouts to help them grow into big and strong players.

I also like user Skivvy’s idea, making the icon as barebones as blue circle with a M would help deter people from putting it on as it wouldn’t have half the meaning as something like a crown, tree or watering can would have, it would only be used to signify that you are a mentor and thusly there to help sprouts. My problem with it is that it may be too barebones, and sprouts won’t be able to deduce what it means like they would a watering can or tree.

Tbh I'd take nothing over a burger king crown atm

What if there were some alternative achievement based icons that lasted for an expansion? Something for getting all classes to max level, completing a certain number of dungeons with min ilvl, etc?

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Originally Posted by Dustytome

What if there were some alternative achievement based icons that lasted for an expansion? Something for getting all classes to max level, completing a certain number of dungeons with min ilvl, etc?

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That's what titles are for

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Originally Posted by MPK

That's what titles are for

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Maybe just have a mentor title then instead of the icon?

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Originally Posted by Dustytome

Maybe just have a mentor title then instead of the icon?

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I don't understand why that's not the case right now. I guess it's more visible to sprouts?

there IS a mentor title. however it doesnt show in the chatbox, and people just generally rather have another title (id do anything before putting the <<Mentor>> or <<Mentor of mentors>> title, personally)

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Originally Posted by Dustytome

Maybe just have a mentor title then instead of the icon?

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I keep titles off myself. I don't like the clutter. D:

Do titles actually show up in dungeons?

I'd like a flower lol.

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Originally Posted by Skivvy

I keep titles off myself. I don't like the clutter. D:

Do titles actually show up in dungeons?

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From screenshots it appears that they do (I have mine off too).

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Originally Posted by Skivvy

I keep titles off myself. I don't like the clutter. D:

Do titles actually show up in dungeons?

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They do yes, but it depends on your settings. I have party member names and titles set to off in dungeons but one could chose to enable them

I like the idea of a watering can.

it wont fix the any-symbol = prestige mindset. But it will change the symbolism of the status. A watering can symbol reinforces that you are there to nurture others, a crown symbolises that you've reached a pinnacle.

Given the effort needed to replace an icon if that helps the system in any statistical way it'd be worth it even if the gains are small.

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Originally Posted by Skivvy

I keep titles off myself. I don't like the clutter. D:

Do titles actually show up in dungeons?

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Yeah you gotta show off your personal facvourite somehow!

Back in my day, we didn't even have mentors and I grew up just fine.

I'd like it to be a mallet.

I'd like it more it it whacked people who go "OMG THE MENTOR CROWN SHOULD INSTEAD BE XYZ BECAUSE WAAAAAH".

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Originally Posted by Barraind

I'd like it to be a mallet.

I'd like it more it it whacked people who go "OMG THE MENTOR CROWN SHOULD INSTEAD BE XYZ BECAUSE WAAAAAH".

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Your wonderful contribution to this thread is so productive and really adds to the discussion. :rolleyes:

Why do mentors need an icon? From my experience, most switch it off anyway.

I don't know why people keep saying that the crown is some kind of a holy grail of icons, I think the new player icon looks better and currently looking to meld icon is the best looking one.

I want to instead have the ability to transform into a powerful Treant and then cast Arbor Storm on mobs for big time heavy damage.

It's not just the crown symbol, the mount reward need to go too. I bet even if you change the mentor icon from golden crown to something else less regal you would still have the toxic players going after the mount.


Let those that already unlocked the mount keep it but remove it as a reward or place it into something else. This in itself will disincentivize those that arn't even interested in being an actual mentor and are only in it for the mount.

Add my voice to the idea of a watering can icon.

I hope square reads this post. I like the idea to change the mentor icon, mentors and their burger king crown are just a joke within the FFXIV community at this point, a tree or a watering can sounds more appropriate to the mentor and idea also will get rid of some people that just wants to see their shiny crown next to their names.

An icon change would be a nice change. The crown itself is a bit pretentious