Genuine question for those upset with the new Mentor requirements

[Halivel]

I don't doubt that, but if that's the case, why be a mentor in the first place? If they aren't willing to run with randoms, then they don't need to be a mentor and their lack of meeting the requirements is a good thing because it keeps them out of the mentoring. If they really want to keep the crown they can start running with randoms and get commendations.

Because the fact you prefer to run content with friends doesn't mean you can't be a helpful teacher that knows the subject well same as it doesn't mean that you aren't communicative in chat. Not to mention that people somehow tend to have mindset "mentor need to clear savage" while in fact 90% of questions you have from new players are about very basic things like "Where do I get my chocobo?". If anything, I see "serious" questions (like about some specific skills or mechanics) more from mentors to mentors than from new players. At least in NN.

The Commendations requirement is a filter, not the most bad one for sure because it's still a way to go, but the weight of commendations overall is very overestimated because they don't really work in a way they supposed to work. You can get 7 commends in MSQ roulette just because you was the only one random person there while everyone else were a premade party. Or you can get one because you simply was the last who stayed in duty. Or can get nothing even though you played like a god saving your party every 5 minutes. I know people who doesn't give commendations, like... ever. Just because. It's all about luck.

[Gula]

Because the fact you prefer to run content with friends doesn't mean you can't be a helpful teacher that knows the subject well same as it doesn't mean that you aren't communicative in chat. Not to mention that people somehow tend to have mindset "mentor need to clear savage" while in fact 90% of questions you have from new players are about very basic things like "Where do I get my chocobo?". If anything, I see "serious" questions (like about some specific skills or mechanics) more from mentors to mentors than from new players. At least in NN.

The Commendations requirement is a filter, not the most bad one for sure because it's still a way to go, but the weight of commendations overall is very overestimated because they don't really work in a way they supposed to work. You can get 7 commends in MSQ roulette just because you was the only one random person there while everyone else were a premade party. Or you can get one because you simply was the last who stayed in duty. Or can get nothing even though you played like a god saving your party every 5 minutes. I know people who doesn't give commendations, like... ever. Just because. It's all about luck.

This needs to be quoted in every thread about comms. Because this.

Commendations are not an absolute for skill or "friendliness." It does not indicate who is capable of assisting others, just that out of the requirements, that many people cared to hit the like/comment/subscribe buttons at the end of a run.

[Blokeymon]

This needs to be quoted in every thread about comms. Because this.

Commendations are not an absolute for skill or "friendliness." It does not indicate who is capable of assisting others, just that out of the requirements, that many people cared to hit the like/comment/subscribe buttons at the end of a run.

Running with friends who you can get to know their playstyle and easily deal with them on a consistent basis is NOTHING like running with randoms, and having the skill to react to their random and often irregular playstyle, requires a level of patience and, occasionally, guidance that FC friend runs will never need.

So, no.

[Halivel]

Running with friends who you can get to know their playstyle and easily deal with them on a consistent basis is NOTHING like running with randoms, and having the skill to react to their random and often irregular playstyle, requires a level of patience and, occasionally, guidance that FC friend runs will never need.

So, no.

And what it has to do with commendations requirement, which we're discussing here? You can be a smartest player on the planet and still get 1 in a week just because you never were lucky enough to be in a party where people do gives commends and also do this not just randomly (which mostly happens). Or you can be slowpoke and have your shiny 3000 because you were lucky. Like seriously, some people are ready to give you a commend because you said "Hello", not because you was actually an adaptive good player. It just doesn't work in a way it was supposed to work. Maybe it does work on Japanese servers but in those 5.5 years I played on NA and EU I see that getting commends is an absolute random that has nothing to do with your level of proficiency, sadly or not.

[Mahrze]

Commendations are not an absolute for skill or "friendliness." It does not indicate who is capable of assisting others, just that out of the requirements, that many people cared to hit the like/comment/subscribe buttons at the end of a run.

Doesn't add to your chances if you choose to play with a full pre-made vs bringing a random or 7. Comms are given for whatever russian roulette you wanna make of reasons. You still need randoms to "get/farm" commendations.


If you want to dress it with a logical concept, based on how some people are so anti randoms/pugs. SE wants you to be an actual masochist to be a mentor. Be that person who doesn't leave just because there was a wipe, didn't get the dungeon they wanted, or any other reason that leads to you (in a general sense) avoiding randoms like the plague.


Its a metric that depends less on skill and more on how much time you're willing to invest to help someone, even if at the end you might not get anything.

[Gula]

Running with friends who you can get to know their playstyle and easily deal with them on a consistent basis is NOTHING like running with randoms, and having the skill to react to their random and often irregular playstyle, requires a level of patience and, occasionally, guidance that FC friend runs will never need.

So, no.

You're looking too deep into something shallow. If I got, say, Crown of the Immaculate on roulettes, do I really need 1.5k comms to tell someone "that's a tankbuster"? Or rolling it back, Stone Vigil (Dusk Vigil?) to tell the tank "Stand at A to tank the dragon" or "stand behind him when he's about to cast Swinge" All content I've run with friends. It's not a savage progress party, it's just basic mechanics you can tell anyone.

[hiedra]

The changes won't affect me as I meet the requirements of Trade Mentor, which is the only crown I wear next to my name.

Personally I use it so new players can identify me and know that they can ask for help with crafting.

[linay]

That would be an effective argument if Trade Mentor wasn't a thing. Something anyone with a PC can honestly bot.

Trade mentor is not combat mentor, so it doesn't matter.

Because the fact you prefer to run content with friends doesn't mean you can't be a helpful teacher that knows the subject well same as it doesn't mean that you aren't communicative in chat.

It does mean you're available to help the people you are more likely to interact with without being a mentor.

If I got, say, Crown of the Immaculate on roulettes, do I really need 1.5k comms to tell someone "that's a tankbuster"? Or rolling it back, Stone Vigil (Dusk Vigil?) to tell the tank "Stand at A to tank the dragon" or "stand behind him when he's about to cast Swinge" All content I've run with friends. It's not a savage progress party, it's just basic mechanics you can tell anyone.

Exactly, so you don't need 1.5k comms, but you also don't need a crown to tell people about those things.

[Blokeymon]

And what it has to do with commendations requirement, which we're discussing here? You can be a smartest player on the planet and still get 1 in a week just because you never were lucky enough to be in a party where people do gives commends and also do this not just randomly (which mostly happens). Or you can be slowpoke and have your shiny 3000 because you were lucky. Like seriously, some people are ready to give you a commend because you said "Hello", not because you was actually an adaptive good player. It just doesn't work in a way it was supposed to work. Maybe it does work on Japanese servers but in those 5.5 years I played on NA and EU I see that getting commends is an absolute random that has nothing to do with your level of proficiency, sadly or not.

Because running with friends negates the need to have patience with others. Running with friends means you usually always know how they're going to play. Running with friends does not teach you how to be a mentor.

But running with randoms, taking the time to be patient with others, being able to adapt to differing playstyles on the fly, being able to explain mechanics in a helpful and considerate manner after several wipes, those are the things that makes a mentor, and because of the way you conduct yourself, you earn the commendations needed for the status.

While I main WHM, I still earn commends when I BRD, SMN or NIN, because I try to be friendly, I ask if people need tips before fights, and after wipes I don't lose my rag with anyone, I simply calmly ask if I can offer guidance in a constructive manner, and do what I can to get the clear.

It costs nothing to be friendly and helpful, but it pays well.

[Halivel]

Because running with friends negates the need to have patience with others. Running with friends means you usually always know how they're going to play. Running with friends does not teach you how to be a mentor.

But running with randoms, taking the time to be patient with others, being able to adapt to differing playstyles on the fly, being able to explain mechanics in a helpful and considerate manner after several wipes, those are the things that makes a mentor, and because of the way you conduct yourself, you earn the commendations needed for the status.

While I main WHM, I still earn commends when I BRD, SMN or NIN, because I try to be friendly, I ask if people need tips before fights, and after wipes I don't lose my rag with anyone, I simply calmly ask if I can offer guidance in a constructive manner, and do what I can to get the clear.

It costs nothing to be friendly and helpful, but it pays well.

I am not disagree with fact that running with randoms gives you more experience in terms of players playstyle. I'm not even against of raising commendation requirements, it has sense, because 300 wasn't that much even for HW, what to say about ShB. But once again: being proficient or friendly has nothing to do with commendations in general sadly, because it's the most random part in requirements.

I had plenty of runs where I helped people with mechanics and "Thanks" in the chat was the only reaction without commendation. I mean, it's good to receive personal thanks and I appreciate it, but it adds nothing to requirements checklist. I also had plenty of runs when there was no reaction at all, nor Thanks, nor comm. I never leave on wipe, never rage about it and I'm quite patient. Maybe not "aweeee" person, but polite. Most of the time I'm in duty people leave the dungeon even before I finish my loading. I'm just "Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is Bad." type of person when it goes to such things so my count at now 1831 with 182 days of playing (according to /playtime command in game).

Meanwhile my FC leader has 4.3k comms, while he's just uses "hello/byebye" macro and mains Healer/Tank, and that's pretty much all he does. I need to actually ask him to check playtime though, maybe it's just that he had bigger online than me in the past. /shrugs/

It's all not bad, it's just how it happened to be. People just should remember that commendations are very randomized situational criteria that never will be fully objective. Two different people can have drastic difference in amount of them even though they play pretty much the same in terms of being friendly, adaptive, patient, etc. And I also think that SE keeped that in mind because I'm pretty sure they have access to info how much commendations players have in average.