PlayStation.Blog Exclusive Q&A: Naoki Yoshida Details FFXIV’s New Mentor System

[Waliel]

Most "ice mages" don't use ONLY ice spells, that's an exaggeration. What I meant was all the BLMs who still actually use Blizzard I to change to Umbral Ice and then sit there casting Blizzard I for a while even at max level. And similar situations in other jobs.

But using B1 to change from fire to ice after level 4 is already wrong, so returning to basics would do good.

[Ilitsa]

so if my question is i'm lv 60 whm (been playing for few yrs was never interested in other job) just recently started to try others jobs can I get mentor to help me? I tried to find guides on how to play my classes well at low levels a lot or few guides are just like spam whatever skill or no info really. I feel like I have to search all over the place for helpful info... my hope is someone like me who been playing can learn from a mentor.

you could ask someone with the mentor symbol for advice/help, but you couldn't join the mentor/novice chat channel since you've played more than 40 hours (I would assume)

No, it can only be used by characters who have less than 40 hours played (sproutlings). That brings up another question, why the high requirements? I'd have thought this system would be teach level 60s how to play properly, but it's for sproutlings and it would take them longer than 40 hours to reach level 60. Why would someone need to have completeed 1000 instances and have 3 roles at level 60 to tell someone how to unlock the ability to dye their clothing? Here's to hoping they lift the 40 hour limitation and open it to anyone who wants a mentor.

The point isn't to teach level 60's how to play, it's to teach people the essentials to get them started, and to answer questions regarding classes, etc (You would be surprised how many sproutlings have asked me what each class is, only to be surprised that marauder is a tank class, when they had assumed it was a dps). By the time someone reaches level 60, they should be more than capable of figuring out their chosen class/job on their own, really.

[Breezelyn]

So you need a level 60 in a tank, healer, AND Dps role? What if I never liked tanking, and don't have one at 60? But I know how to do all three healer jobs? I can't become a Mentor geared toward Healers, because I don't have a tank leveled at 60. That is a really stupid requirement. Guess I'm not going to do this, because I honestly can't stand tanking. I'd love to teach newbie healers the ropes of the healer classes, but the requirements to do so are beyond idiocy.

WHY do you need a tank or DPS class at 60, when you're wanting to be Mentor for HEALER classes only? It makes absolute no fucking sense.

[Ilitsa]

So you need a level 60 in a tank, healer, AND Dps role? What if I never liked tanking, and don't have one at 60? But I know how to do all three healer jobs? I can't become a Mentor geared toward Healers, because I don't have a tank leveled at 60. That is a really stupid requirement. Guess I'm not going to do this, because I honestly can't stand tanking. I'd love to teach newbie healers the ropes of the healer classes, but the requirements to do so are beyond idiocy.

WHY do you need a tank or DPS class at 60, when you're wanting to be Mentor for HEALER classes only? It makes absolute no fucking sense.

Because leveling the trinity gives a wholly different understanding to the game, this isn't an inherently bad requirement, I get your point about wanting to mentor healers and stuff, but ultimately, with or without this system, you can help newbie people still if you don't want to do the extra work to get that little crown on your name, don't, nothing is stopping you from offering advice at the end of the day, right?

That being said, if you change your mind, and decide to level a tank class, I'd be happy to help you, since we're on the same server and all, so feel free to message me ingame or something =)

[Nalien]

How are you going to help them learn to heal as a healer? You can give them advice, but that's only half the point of the Mentor system. If a new player is leveling Conjurer, and they need help with a dungeon, you're absolutely useless to them as a White Mage. They need a tank and two DPS to help them out. That's why Mentors require one in each role, it ensures that every Mentor can help out with any situation, regardless of what role the new player needs to help. You'd also be utterly worthless in the Roulette, since you'd be a healer who wants to teach healers, but the roulette gives you tanks and DPS who need advice.

[Tint]

WHY do you need a tank or DPS class at 60, when you're wanting to be Mentor for HEALER classes only? It makes absolute no fucking sense.

because if you join in mentor roulette as a healer yourself there is no other healer you can teach how to heal. just a tank and two DDs. and you are supposed to explain the tank how to tank and the DDs how to DPS. that's why

[Breezelyn]

snip

I appreciate the thought of helping level a tank class, but I have no interest in leveling a tank to 60. I never liked tanking at all. I just thought like 'Hey, become a mentor in the classes you're leveled and know well, and you can pretty much help newbies on advice and what not.' I like helping new people, but the role requirements are stupid as hell. I don't care about the silly little crown. Just thought it would be something worthwhile to try, but I guess I won't be.

My point still stands on how stupid that requirement SE is implementing. ._.'''

[Mael-bess]

There's a significant problem with the mentor system though - the 40 hour limitation for being mentored. Everything that happens in the first 40 hours of the game is a linear road the game handholds you through with no difficulty. There's practically nothing for a mentor to teach there that the game doesn't do by itself! Meanwhile, the people who ACTUALLY could use a mentor - level 50 or 60 players who don't know how to play their job properly - are excluded.

This, i'm a newish player, been playing around 3 weeks, only reached 3 classes to 30 so far (trying everything out a bit), so i'm nowhere near level 50, let alone 60. I could use the mentor system a bit later, to understand how the gearing in the game works and what to run or what to do end-game, that's when veteran's come in handy (mentor's), but since i'll probably be way over 40h by then i'm not qualified, that's a HUGE disappointment.
The game is already doing a fairly good job in explaining the basics with quests and tutorial pop-ups, speaking of personal experience, i don't see the need of a mentor so far.

[Waliel]

This, i'm a newish player, been playing around 3 weeks, only reached 3 classes to 30 so far (trying everything out a bit), so i'm nowhere near level 50, let alone 60. I could use the mentor system a bit later, to understand how the gearing in the game works and what to run or what to do end-game, that's when veteran's come in handy (mentor's), but since i'll probably be way over 40h by then i'm not qualified, that's a HUGE disappointment.
The game is already doing a fairly good job in explaining the basics with quests and tutorial pop-ups, speaking of personal experience, i don't see the need of a mentor so far.

Now if everyone actually read the pop-ups...

There's nothing stopping you bugging the nearest player with the mentor crown after you're past the 40 hour mark. You just lose your access to the global chat channel, is all.

[Keramory]

I've must have read it wrong but I think the biggest upset of this is only new players with less then 40 hours can be under a mentor? Granted there should be some crazy limit but I think 40 hours is a bit too low. Many players with 40 hours still have no idea what they're doing and didn't get THAT far. I can see the mentor roulette only going to 2-3 dungeons at most for the que