Your mentor system is Horribly Horribly Flawed.

[ForteNightshade]

The system doesn't need checks and balances because let's be real, we're only doing it for the free tomes,

I agree with some of what you said in this post but this right here, I don't agree with. Yes some people did this for the bonus tomes they get in their new daily roulette, but some of my friends and I, as soon as we heard about this Mentor system, were generally excited and were all saying "I can't wait to be a Mentor, I like helping those who want the help and want to learn things." This was our true and honest feelings when Yoshi P announced it. So I get some people just do it for the rewards and nothing else, but some of us actually want to help the player base.

[vp_cmc]

"I can't wait to be a Mentor, I like helping those who want the help and want to learn things."

lol, you could do it from day 1 of the game. You don't need a crown for it.

P.S. I have that crown, but I have turned it off (changed status to Online). I tried to remove my mentor status, but I didn't like 30 days penalty, so I allowed this to stay. And I don't do mentor roulette, because during my playing since ARR beta3, I still haven't found time to finish some guildhests.

[Deceptistar]

There really needs to be some sort of mentor rating for those who actually give helpful advice or at least try to.
I think in the whole 3 months i seen like............. 2 pple with crowns that came out patient and helpful in a dungeon run.

For me, the image of a mentor is that you go above and beyond what you expect of a normal player, thus a little symbol on your name to recognize you apart so that pple who need help may recognize and come to you specifically. Not so that you can give your input and expect others to 'get gud' within your set timeframe.

[Savagelf]

i all for a mentor rating system i had mentor tank join with one player then he left as soon the instance start.

[Aethaeryn]

I've run into far more people who attack mentors for not playing perfectly than mentors being jerks to new players. A rating system won't work. Too many people will give mentors a negative rating simply for being a mentor. If someone with the crown is actually harassing a new player, vote dismiss that person for harassment and report.

You won't find a perfect system in any game because it's impossible to prevent abuse. Even if they could afford to have a system in place where GMs recruit volunteers based on skill and good attitude etc., you'll still run into those using it for the status rather than out of any desire to help others. I worked on a game as a moderator for a while, and I had plenty of colleagues who were just in it for the attention and did nothing good for the game.

I think novice chat was a pretty great addition to the game. I can't speak for every server, but almost no question goes unanswered on Hyperion. I see mentors offering to run dungeons with new players to speed up queues, and it also creates a community for new players (and even mentors) to make friends they may not have met otherwise in a game with cross-server dungeon matching (which I still feel should not exist in a game that has no cross-server friends/tells/grouping). It's not perfect, but I think the mentor system does a lot more good than harm.

[Savagelf]

i run into good mentors but also see mentor be jerks not all them but there few of thems

[WinterLuna]

And yet the other day someone sarcastically called me a preacher because we were failing (miserably) at a fight and I tried explaining it. Of course there are bad mentors, but on the other hand, people need to stop with the attitude towards them and quit assuming each mentor is doing it for the crown. It becomes a cycle of resentment between mentors and new players.

[Eorzean_username]

The Mentor system should be split in two, because it's just trying to be too many things at once:

1. Actual Mentoring. This should have a non-glamorous icon that isn't an ego boost, and zero bribes or rewards. The real Mentors that want to Mentor will do so without bribery (and have already been doing so, since long before the system was implemented).
2. Some sort of 'Heroic Status' you get for fulfilling enough requirements. There, you're special now, you leveled a lot of stuff, etc. Have a Gold Crown. Have access to a "Duty In Need" Roulette where you get bribed with a pegasus for agreeing to queue in to any Duty that's struggling to fill players, prioritizing new players in need first. You don't need to talk or even be nice, just get your warm, Crown-wearing body into the queue.

There. Now Mentors can Mentor with an icon and role that means something, and 'Mentor Roulette' can be converted into a more transparent version of its actual purpose, 'Fill queues that need players so I get a mount eventually Roulette', helping content queues pop without triggering an influx of players that just want the icon and daily rewards and achievement, but really would prefer not to actually teach others.

If someone still turns on Mentor status in that revised system and then doesn't mentor, then I don't even know.

[Shikiseki]

How about a glamour mentor? For those who are experts in fashion, vanity and wearing things for show and even a sparkly animated crown (with extra sparkles!) /shrug

[Lilith_Merquise]

The Mentor system should be split in two, because it's just trying to be too many things at once:

Actual Mentoring. This should have a non-glamorous icon that isn't an ego boost, and zero bribes or rewards. The real Mentors that want to Mentor will do so without bribery (and have already been doing so, since long before the system was implemented).

There. Now Mentors can Mentor with an icon and role that means something, and 'Mentor Roulette' can be converted into a more transparent version of its actual purpose, 'Fill queues that need players so I get a mount eventually Roulette', helping content queues pop without triggering an influx of players that just want the icon and daily rewards and achievement, but really would prefer not to actually teach others.

If someone still turns on Mentor status in that revised system and then doesn't mentor, then I don't even know.

You can do that RIGHT NOW, just be a mentor with out the status if you or anyone else knows so much. What you are describing is basically what is already happening. You get the mentors only in it for the rewards (me) and the people that apparently want to judge an not apply for it but feel they are a better mentor. You can do exactly what you described, with out anything being done to adjust it.

That crown isn't a sign that you are a Noobie Wooping boy to jump when the idiot in your group says "How High?" That sign is something you get because you put in the time, the dungeons runs, and the skill to "play" this game. For better or worse. It's SE's way for congradulating players that stuck it out and have played enough to be considered able to impart SOMETHING to players. Whether that's a sense that if you can't figure out what is being told to you, this game isn't for you. Whether it be that you shouldn't trust randos and ACTUALLY READ up on the information YOURSELF, rather than being a burden and relying on others; than a lesson was taught.

Whether you realize there can be good people in this game that have NOTHING better to do but spoon feed you and hold your hand, have at it. But that crown isn't a symbol that I NEED to clean the mud off every nooby that wants to spam Thunder because it was the strongest move in other FF"s and it's their "$14.99" It's a symbol that I put in the time, and arguably I know how to play this game, so when a nooby questions me, I only need to point up. ;-)