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

[Aramina]

You're focusing SOLELY on the roulette which is not the only part of what a mentor is meant to do? Removing mentors as a whole would certainly help the community as people wouldn't see some of the godawful players the keep crowns on now in dungeons and think that's the way to play. It would also kill the cesspool that is a lot of novice networks and give new players less of a view into the culture that is online cliques. Even if this doesn't help the roulette, there are other reasons to get rid of mentors as they pertain to this game, at least more reasons than there are to keep it the same. Lastly I don't know why you keep bringing up people treating mentors badly, if you just want to be a normal player and not be asked for help just take your crown off?

But is *is* a part and removing it entirely solves nothing. Either a) not enough people are queueing for content that new players want to do or b) you still have players being jerks. A jerk with a crown is still going to be a jerk without a crown. The crown isn't the problem, it is the jerks that are a problem, and systems already exist to take care of that.

re: NN being a cesspool. That's going to vary by server, but again if people are being a problem: Report the people. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

[cicatriz313]

But is *is* a part and removing it entirely solves nothing. Either a) not enough people are queueing for content that new players want to do or b) you still have players being jerks. A jerk with a crown is still going to be a jerk without a crown. The crown isn't the problem, it is the jerks that are a problem, and systems already exist to take care of that.

re: NN being a cesspool. That's going to vary by server, but again if people are being a problem: Report the people. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

My point is simply if the system isn't working there's no reason to keep it, and this system is anti-working imo. I would argue that the crown itself is probably the biggest problem of the mentor system, in 11 it was a giant ugly M and I don't think anyone would want that next to their name lol. Like if you're arguing it's a good system, that's your point of view and considering we are both on midgard I'd ask you if you've seen the NN, but that'd be viable. But keeping a system where people are both turning off new players in NN and demonstrating bad play by wearing the crown isn't the same as keeping a system that just isn't helping.

I won’t speak for all servers, but for mine, our NN is actually very nice. Sprouts ask for help with queues or general questions, and they generally get answers to both. There’s a bit of memeing and it is like a general chat more times than not, but it still fulfills the purpose of asking questions and assisting baby players when said needs arise. However, I know this isn’t the case for all servers’ NNs—Cactuar’s has just always been very chill, but I think my server is chill in general. At least it’s always been in the 3.5 years I’ve been on it.

I guess I'm a cynic, but I've definitely seen more just global chat abuse and general meme'ing than any actual helping going on in ours. Got to the point where people would actively ask how to leave and eventually I just turned it off because a big kick war happened and I was getting spammed with notifications. These days I just try to help out in my fc as my helping outlet.

[Aramina]

My point is simply if the system isn't working there's no reason to keep it, and this system is anti-working imo. I would argue that the crown itself is probably the biggest problem of the mentor system, in 11 it was a giant ugly M and I don't think anyone would want that next to their name lol. Like if you're arguing it's a good system, that's your point of view and considering we are both on midgard I'd ask you if you've seen the NN, but that'd be viable. But keeping a system where people are both turning off new players in NN and demonstrating bad play by wearing the crown isn't the same as keeping a system that just isn't helping.

I don't have it on all of the time, but I do have it on sometimes. I've not seen much that I would define quite as a "cesspool", but perhaps I have been lucky and/or play at different times than you do. That said, I am not saying the system is great, I think it could definitely use some changes. I just don't think you should entirely scrap a system that does contribute to the game solely because of bad apples. Get rid of the bad apples to be sure, and create some ruleset that all mentors are obligated to conduct themselves under (more than just a "guideline"), but those can be accomplished without also canning the good parts of the system. I get it if you think it is all bad and no good, but all I can say is that has not been my experience and leave it at that.

IMO, mentor system doesn't work because it has rewards locked behind it. Most mentors aren't doing the mentor roulette because they want to help people, most are doing it because it's a grind to a reward that they want.

If you really want to help people learn, a mount shouldn't be that push that you need to actually do it.

Now, I sure that most people who get into becoming a mentor think "I'll help people, and I'll get a mount - it's a win-win." and don't solely want to get in, and get out for that reward - but a grind is a grind, and I'm sure that attitude changes over time, which is why mentors are a running joke.

Honestly, I don't see it as altogether different from Role in Need bonuses. Both are a bribe to get people do things they may otherwise not do. We can argue that the mount is too tempting of a bribe, but I figure they made the reward what it needed to be to get people to queue.