The mentor system sucks, and here's how I would fix it.

[Ramziez]

Or we could leave it alone as it does what it's supposed to as is. It fills queues that are long running.

If a mentor is breaking rules you can report them the same as anyone else?

Why bother making it a mentor roulette then? Why not just have it as a roulette for all of your currently unlocked content? That would ease queue times even more since everyone can do that roulette instead of just the select few that actually bother to get mentor status?

[Noitems]

If they made the crown a watering can I can 110% assure you half the mentors would drop that dumb burger king crown in an instant.

[Starflake]

Oh hey look, it's another one of those threads trying to solve a problem that is massively overblown and never ends up anywhere anyway.

[PyurBlue]

The Mentor system isn't bad, it does what it's supposed to, which is just to provide an in game system for people to help each other (and to fill queues). Some Mentors will only want the crown or the mount, but they don't take anything away from those mentors that actually want to help, and they still contribute to the secondary purpose of adding players into the DF player pool.

There are some changes I'd like to see, but a complete rework isn't necessary. More mentor slots in the Novice Network would be nice since the ratio of mentors to novices tends to be closer to 50-50 than ~25-75. I'd also like more tools to find players in need, like an indication of what duties have first timers queuing for them, or the ability to specifically queue for in progress duties that have been up for a long time. It might also be nice to give novices in the NN more ways to get in touch with mentors, these could range from simple player status (Looking to learn a dungeon, need crafter, etc) to having a place to post more detailed messages that mentors could browse and respond to.

[Ramziez]

The Mentor system isn't bad, it does what it's supposed to, which is just to provide an in game system for people to help each other (and to fill queues). Some Mentors will only want the crown or the mount, but they don't take anything away from those mentors that actually want to help, and they still contribute to the secondary purpose of adding players into the DF player pool.

There are some changes I'd like to see, but a complete rework isn't necessary. More mentor slots in the Novice Network would be nice since the ratio of mentors to novices tends to be closer to 50-50 than ~25-75. I'd also like more tools to find players in need, like an indication of what duties have first timers queuing for them, or the ability to specifically queue for in progress duties that have been up for a long time. It might also be nice to give novices in the NN more ways to get in touch with mentors, these could range from simple player status (Looking to learn a dungeon, need crafter, etc) to having a place to post more detailed messages that mentors could browse and respond to.

I agree with a lot of this and some of this was mentioned in my post actually. Such as more ways for people to contact mentors directly.

The thing about the mentor roulette filing dungeons and stuff is true but why tie it to only mentors? If you opened this roulette to everyone there would be a lot more people running content than the people who just went out of their way for the crown.

[linay]

At the very least, the mentor system serves in two ways:

1. The mentor roulette is another means of helping fill in the spots for queues.
2. New adventurers and returners get bonus experience points when partying with mentors up to level 20.

The part where the mentor system might be lacking is also twofold:

1. Mentors do not give advice or give wrong advice to new or returning players either in novice network (assuming they even join) or out in the field. (I added the target audience because I don't think a mentor is necessarily supposed to be an expert at everything, but at least know enough of some of the basics).
2. Mentors refuse to stay and help do a particular duty. (Going back to the part about not necessarily being an expert, if they've cleared the duty, then they should still be able to help by staying and doing it even if they don't know the full mechanics of the fight.)

At this point, it depends on each individual mentor whether the benefits outweighs the negatives. There are certainly mentors who live up to what should be expected of them, so I wouldn't say the system is useless.

[Novak_04]

So I'm sure there is no disagreement that the mentor system doesn't do anything to promote positive behavior and is essentially just a roulette anyone with this status can do for extra rewards and that a lot of people complain about the bad behavior they see in some mentors. I have a proposed solution that I feel would make mentors more helpful and allow people that actually want to help, help people easier.

I disagree.

When I started playing this game, I was invited into the Novice Network as many new players were (are). I found it to be a very helpful system. I decided at that moment that I, too, wanted to become a mentor and help new players. So I did. As a mentor, I have a few notes on your ideas:

With regards to your "first step," changing the name of Mentor Roulette to All Content Roulette serves absolutely no purpose other than a name change. That would require them to change all of the "mentor" items associated with the roulette as well, such as titles. That's a lot of work for just a name change.

With regards to your "step 2," it already is an opt-in system. Once you meet the qualifications, YOU choose to become a mentor. The game doesn't choose for you. Furthermore, having a GM look over every applicant that wants to become a mentor would be entirely too time consuming and would take their attention away from other things they could be doing. Making the crown visible to only sprouts also serves no purpose either.

With regards to the "last major change," They already have a special roulette for mentors only, it's called Mentor Roulette. We already have a high chance to being put into a queue with sprouts and returning players... that's part of the roulette system in general for Mentors. We also get extra experience as a roulette when grouped with sprouts or returning players.

Finally, you're offering a lot of suggestions to fix the mentor system, but you've yet to mention the problem with it. How has the current system lead to bad behavior of the mentors? Additionally, how is your system going to change that? The mentors on my server are really helpful! I have yet to encounter a mentor being disrespectful or exhibiting this "bad behavior" you're speaking of. It sounds like you had a run-in with a bad egg, and I'm sorry for that. Sadly, your system doesn't offer an changes that would correct the problem -- if anything, it would be far more convoluted for new players to use. As a new player, once invited into the NN, they can ask their question there.... under your system, as a new player, they would have to know this new system and access several different menus and then wait for a response that may not even come if the mentor is busy... rather than posing a question or two and having any mentor available answer it in one succinct chat. I just don't see the viability in it.

[WaterShield]

At the very least, the mentor system serves in two ways:

1. The mentor roulette is another means of helping fill in the spots for queues.
2. New adventurers and returners get bonus experience points when partying with mentors up to level 20.

The part where the mentor system might be lacking is also twofold:

1. Mentors do not give advice or give wrong advice to new or returning players either in novice network (assuming they even join) or out in the field. (I added the target audience because I don't think a mentor is necessarily supposed to be an expert at everything, but at least know enough of some of the basics).
2. Mentors refuse to stay and help do a particular duty. (Going back to the part about not necessarily being an expert, if they've cleared the duty, then they should still be able to help by staying and doing it even if they don't know the full mechanics of the fight.)

At this point, it depends on each individual mentor whether the benefits outweighs the negatives. There are certainly mentors who live up to what should be expected of them, so I wouldn't say the system is useless.

Which is? So far as I can tell they are a person using their limited free time to enjoy a game they pay for. I expect that they won't break the rules and harass anyone..... and that's it.

Any further expectations are unrealistic.

[linay]

Which is? So far as I can tell they are a person using their limited free time to enjoy a game they pay for. I expect that they won't break the rules and harass anyone..... and that's it.

Any further expectations are unrealistic.

As stated in the official description: "Mentors are veteran players who chose to offer their time and experience to help guide new adventurers."

Of course it's going beyond just playing for their own sake, but that's why it's opt in and in turn they get special acknowledgement via the crown and a mount reward.

[cicatriz313]

Which is? So far as I can tell they are a person using their limited free time to enjoy a game they pay for. I expect that they won't break the rules and harass anyone..... and that's it.

Any further expectations are unrealistic.

There's literally no reason to have a mentor system, then... Like you can have a roulette that fills in any content without it being a "mentor roulette" and get rid of the idea of mentors and the novice network. I.E. what I said.