Lets speak about Mentor's.

[Avatre]

I've seen so many posts back when I first started playing where people would complain about tanks using (back then) Flash/Overpower too much, saying that if the tank was good they would never have to use it. My opinion is if you have the ability why would you not utilize it? It's nice to see that I'm not doing something wrong whenever I use GLA.

I'm a self taught tank for the most part(people I knew basically only said "google it" when I asked for advice), I also started my tanking on GLA not long after I completed the 3.0 story. Just from what I had seen, using Flash/Unleash/Overpower 2-3 times depending on mob size, you practically never touch it again until the next pull. That's even with massive AoE going off from party members. It also helps that instead of the standard(as I found out later) "Use your entire 1-2-3 combo on one enemy, then change to the next and repeat", I do the "Every hit you send out, is on the next enemy in line. Only when there is one does it get every blow".

[Jijifli]

"A mentor kicked me so now I have a vendetta against all mentors"

Quick fun story for this. When SB launched and I finished the 4.0 story on my main, I hopped on my alt who only just did Final Steps, back when it was current, and then left alone. Because of the time, I got the returner status. I went on my merry way, getting to Xelhatol I think it's spelled? I go in, I'm a tank, so quick pop, and both dps are mentors, also on my server (Balmung OP.)

We're going through, but the pull before the first boss, the healer goes offline. Okay, no biggie, he'll come back soon right? Five minutes pass and they still aren't back. I ask the mentors if it's okay to throw a kick, because it'd be better to get a new healer and finish the dungeon. They said we're waiting, so I assumed they must have queue'd together. Another few minutes pass, healer still not back. I ask if they did go with the healer, and explain I'd like to just get through the dungeon so I can explore more up to date DRK content. Told to "Learn your place" and kicked from the party.

So if people get those mentors enough, I can maybe see why the bias might start coming. That made me end up not doing the content for a few weeks until I just grabbed friends to murder it.

[Iscah]

It sounds like there should be something in the game's system that detects when a mentor abandons the fight immediately? Seems like an easy way to detect 'bad mentors' who aren't interested in sticking around and helping people, if they have a constant pattern of doing it.

(I'm a long way off Lv70 anything, but I'd like to be a mentor when I eventually get there. I probably wouldn't be the best expert on tactics, but I'd do my best to help people. Also the 'watering can' icon sounds like an excellent idea.)

[BillyKaplan]

Seems like an easy way to detect 'bad mentors' who aren't interested in sticking around and helping people, if they have a constant pattern of doing it.

You have no way of knowing if this sort of thing happened intentionally for that purpose, or if there was some other reason that caused them to quit, like realizing their gear was broken, or they realized they didn't have time for this duty, or other irl circumstances. I agree it's unlikely that will be relevant if they keep abandoning duties, but that's why the penalty is in the game in the first place - they're already getting punished for leaving.
Like I said before in this thread, regarding the roulette, it's a dead horse being beat up.

[Avatre]

[...] or they realized they didn't have time for this duty,[...]

To be completely honest, nobody should queue up for Mentor Roulette unless they do have time for ANYTHING that could pop up(best to have 1-hour you can devote to whatever you get). While other things do pop up(family emergency for instance), there really is no cause for mentors, aside from afore mentioned item, to just drop the instant they zone in and see that it's an EX primal(lets face it, those are the things that most people drop instantly from)

[Paladinleeds]

To be completely honest, nobody should queue up for Mentor Roulette unless they do have time for ANYTHING that could pop up(best to have 1-hour you can devote to whatever you get). While other things do pop up(family emergency for instance), there really is no cause for mentors, aside from afore mentioned item, to just drop the instant they zone in and see that it's an EX primal(lets face it, those are the things that most people drop instantly from)

Some duties in there have a 120 minute timer I believe, so I always make sure I have 2.5-3 hours spare for queueing into Mentor Roulette. And if we aren't gonna beat it, I'll even set up a Party Finder for the newbies to join in afterwards, and nowadays, I'll even ask my Old Duties Synced LS if any of them wanna come help. We've been doing synced coils recently!

[Avatre]

Some duties in there have a 120 minute timer I believe, so I always make sure I have 2.5-3 hours spare for queueing into Mentor Roulette. And if we aren't gonna beat it, I'll even set up a Party Finder for the newbies to join in afterwards, and nowadays, I'll even ask my Old Duties Synced LS if any of them wanna come help. We've been doing synced coils recently!

I still need to finish the coils(well, restart and actually watch/pay attention to the story of them..)

[BillyKaplan]

To be completely honest, nobody should queue up for Mentor Roulette unless they do have time for ANYTHING that could pop up

True, but we're only human, and no one pays attention 100% of the time especially in a game where even if you bail on 23 other people in Dun Scaith as a tank, it's still only an inconvenience and not a matter of life or death. These things happen and don't merit having anyone stripped of their Mentor title, least of all if they perform well in all other aspects of the 'job'.

[Avatre]

True, but we're only human, and no one pays attention 100% of the time especially in a game where even if you bail on 23 other people in Dun Scaith as a tank, it's still only an inconvenience and not a matter of life or death. These things happen and don't merit having anyone stripped of their Mentor title, least of all if they perform well in all other aspects of the 'job'.

I will definitely agree with you there, but will also say that in a vast majority of cases...people need to pay more attention to their surroundings/the time.

[BillyKaplan]

people need to pay more attention to their surroundings/the time.

True, but this is still a game, something people play to unwind. And while you can argue that if you're not in the mood to be paying attention, maybe you shouldn't queue for Mentor roulette. Lord knows that's when I roll a dps and not a tank or a healer. But you can only be so strict before people prefer to avoid the system rather than put up with all these restrictions and penalties. Ultimately, people will complain about even the most perfect of mentors because that's how people are, and again, this is a game, and one we all pay to play to boot - there's only so much you can demand from a player before even the honest ones don't think it's worth it anymore. It's just that complicated and delicate a matter, which is why, regardless of how widespread this is, SE still hasn't changed the system - looks like the queues filling means more than anything else that comes with the Crown icon.