Mentor needs to mean something again

[Arillyn]

Lets be honest for a second. No mentor that doesn't enjoy helping people is ever getting that mount. I'm just going to put that out there. If you don't genuinely enjoy helping others you're never making it through that grind.
The crown could/should be changed to a book imo.

I happen to know someone who grinded the mentor roulettes and got the mount. They didn't really help anyone lol. And as soon as he got the mount he never did anything with the mentor program again. So yes, there are people who don't want to help people who did the roulettes just to get the mount. It's not hard. You just do a roulette a day. It's time consuming, but you aren't required to actually help anyone or say a word. One reason why I don't think there should be any rewards tied to the mentor program.

I agree the crown should be changed. I always thought it should be a watering can, to help the sprouts.

[Infindox]

I do kinda wish the mentor status meant more then it does. I personally enjoy teaching others and helping new sprouts, but the amount of "elitists" wearing the crown but doing nothing or being flat out rude is annoying.

[MelodyCrystel]

I happen to know someone who grinded the mentor roulettes and got the mount. They didn't really help anyone lol. And as soon as he got the mount he never did anything with the mentor program again. So yes, there are people who don't want to help people who did the roulettes just to get the mount. It's not hard. You just do a roulette a day. [...]

Excuse my reaction, but... Buahaha! xD

"Do a roulette a day"? I did at least 20 mentorroulettes per day, since they count even after obtaining the daily reward, and still tried to explain stuff for other players as good as possible.

The only times I gave up explaining were these damned Ramuh Ex fights with 7 French in my party, since my broken school-French and autotranslation don't suffice to tell these people what to do.

I hate the mentorcrown with a passion, but as the roulette forces it onto one's head, a Mentor should at least try to act like a rolemodel while hunting the Astrope. (Also, trying to help others when you know a dungeon /fight while they don't should be normal, not special / rare.)

[Arillyn]

Excuse my reaction, but... Buahaha! xD

"Do a roulette a day"? I did at least 20 mentorroulettes per day, since they count even after obtaining the daily reward, and still tried to explain stuff for other players as good as possible.

The only times I gave up explaining were these damned Ramuh Ex fights with 7 French in my party, since my broken school-French and autotranslation don't suffice to tell these people what to do.

I hate the mentorcrown with a passion, but as the roulette forces it onto one's head, a Mentor should at least try to act like a rolemodel while hunting the Astrope. (Also, trying to help others when you know a dungeon /fight while they don't should be normal, not special / rare.)

I'll admit I don't know the full requirements for the mount. I do know though he did grind it out and then quit being a mentor after that. He was only interested in that, not actually being a mentor. He's not the kind of person to explain things to people, he has no patience with "noobs" and is the least mentor person I've ever met. I know this is an anecdotal example, but I doubt he's the only one who has done this.

I wish the mentor program meant more. I think it's a good concept, just the execution is... lacking. I'm not part of the mentor program and have absolutely no interest in it as it stands now. A great many people (not all, but I would guess more than half) I have come across over all my time playing with the crown next to their name are anything but real mentors. I've seen more helpfulness from people without a crown next to their name. Now could they be in the mentor program if they wanted to be? Quite possibly and they too have just given up on it and help people just because they can and like to. I help people all the time, explain things, answer questions, but I do it because I want to and if I know the answer or fight well enough, I'll explain it. But IMO the mentor program as is, it's a joke.

[MPK]

To be fair, when has mentor ever actually meant something?

It means they're bad 99% of the time imo.

[Gemina]

Not sure if it's possible, but I propose the program be scrapped entirely. It's a shame the devs have to continue to allocate resources towards a broken system. I'm not sure they acknowledge the futility of their efforts, but all we can do as players is leave a toxic situation. When the penalty is more favorable than the situation, it's time to bail.

[Makeda]

Honestly, I feel like they should never have attached rewards to being a mentor, or even the crown.

My friend group is quite minimal these days, but out of the ones who wear their mentor crown, they just like the crown by their name, they're not interested in helping others. Change it to something more mundane and I doubt as many would be wearing it because they think it looks cool. :3

People who want to help others in game WILL do so..even if they're not rewarded for it.

My suggestion:

1. No visible indicator by your name except when a green leaf is looking at you.
2. Keep the chat channel - no ability to leave or mute it without giving up mentor status for 30 days.
3. Puts your name on a list any green leaf above level 10 can see - and whisper you if you're online.
4. green leaf's able to queue for content can send you invites using that list.

5. Give green leafs below 50 a 'training hall' that can also be reached by a mentor. This would be an instanced building with level 15, 30, 40, and 50 training dummies that mentors cannot use, but see the 'output' of a DPS like meter of any green leaf using them that they 'pair with' to mentor. A mentor could only enter this place on the invite of a greenleaf, and only stay as long as they're paired and only communicate with their paired leaf or with people outside the instance.


6. The mentor roulette would still exist, but it would replace your "level X/Y/Z" roulette but work as leveling does - but with the "level X/Y/Z" reward.

Do that and anyone looking for perks would flee from it. People actually looking to mentor would flock to it.


I'm actually working towards mentor, and with these changes I would keep doing so. In fact I would be MORE motivated to do so if I knew it actually meant mentoring folks.

[Arillyn]

My suggestion:

1. No visible indicator by your name except when a green leaf is looking at you.
2. Keep the chat channel - no ability to leave or mute it without giving up mentor status for 30 days.
3. Puts your name on a list any green leaf above level 10 can see - and whisper you if you're online.
4. green leaf's able to queue for content can send you invites using that list.

5. Give green leafs below 50 a 'training hall' that can also be reached by a mentor. This would be an instanced building with level 15, 30, 40, and 50 training dummies that mentors cannot use, but see the 'output' of a DPS like meter of any green leaf using them that they 'pair with' to mentor. A mentor could only enter this place on the invite of a greenleaf, and only stay as long as they're paired and only communicate with their paired leaf or with people outside the instance.


6. The mentor roulette would still exist, but it would replace your "level X/Y/Z" roulette but work as leveling does - but with the "level X/Y/Z" reward.

Do that and anyone looking for perks would flee from it. People actually looking to mentor would flock to it.


I'm actually working towards mentor, and with these changes I would keep doing so. In fact I would be MORE motivated to do so if I knew it actually meant mentoring folks.

These are really good ideas. I would just add that there should be a "turn off" your mentorship mode for times when you don't have time to answer questions, but can turn it back on so that greenleafs can see it and can whisper you if need help when you do have the time.

I don't think SE would add seeing the dps even in this instance, though I think it's a nice idea to help out new people if they are looking for that.

I agree, people who really want to help would definitely do this. And yes, no rewards needed.

[Makeda]

I don't think SE would add seeing the dps even in this instance, though I think it's a nice idea to help out new people if they are looking for that.

Yeah. I'd be OK with them even letting me see the icon+name of their actions and the amount of time between each - as they went off.
- That would actually be MORE useful than the DPS. So see the rotation charted out.

Frankly I could use that kind of help myself... :P

But if seeing that and giving feedback on it was what mentors did... we'd have a working system.

I agree, people who really want to help would definitely do this. And yes, no rewards needed.

And I think that's what they need to think about in some future redesign.

Make it something people who want to help will flock to, and people who don't will flee from in terror.

[frijole]

Mentors overall are looked down upon in this game. Many people who like helping people, advising, answering questions, etc., refuse to wear the mentor crown or be part of the NN because of how many of the people who wear the crowns act (not all act badly, but enough rotten apples has spoiled the bunch). Probably the best way to get help, info, advice is to join a helpful FC or LS.

Well, that explains everything quite nicely. My friends begged me to play for a long time and I've enjoyed playing. We have a nice FC. It's not exactly competitive or seeking to have cleared Ex content, but it's fun. Guess I'll just rely on friends.