Mentor needs to mean something again

[Neoom]

The last time we had a very pleasant conversation, and judging by the fact that you write in each topic again, no one banned you, although we had disagreements.

I had good chat with you, can't agree on the other one, he is the one calling me names and pointing finger at me. But I did in fact get banned, not for long (can't remember how long, like 15 days i guess). But can't really know why would I get banned for only pointing out my view hm?

[SoranRigel]

Oh boy the same two people once again talking in yet another mentor thread... If I were you guys I would stop answering to them, they have a habit of not listening to the other side. Last thread didn't go well and this one wont either..

We have nothing against you, honestly. In contrast to the moderators. For some reason they didn’t like your behavior. Don’t you know why? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[RajNish]

I had good chat with you, can't agree on the other one, he is the one calling me names and pointing finger at me. But I did in fact get banned, not for long (can't remember how long, like 15 days i guess). But can't really know why would I get banned for only pointing out my view hm?

As you know, I cannot know about the actions of the moderators and I am not responsible for them. Too bad this happened. All that interests me in this thread is the changes that the players offer here, and these suggestions partially coincide with what I suggested in other threads. The trouble is that we still have a non-working system and a non-working black list. If they worked as intended, these complaints would not be.

[Neoom]

As you know, I cannot know about the actions of the moderators and I am not responsible for them. Too bad this happened. All that interests me in this thread is the changes that the players offer here, and these suggestions partially coincide with what I suggested in other threads. The trouble is that we still have a non-working system and a non-working black list. If they worked as intended, these complaints would not be.

I feel like there should be a thread only to show how badly blacklist works, it get's drowned in these threads. Since the ones on my list are from ''all categories'' (sprout, returner, mentor and the ones with nothing), but they still all pop into my duties. While it has context in this thread it should be a topic on it's own. While it not being only blacklist to ''fix'' the problem, but it would help if it worked.

[SoranRigel]

I feel like there should be a thread only to show how badly blacklist works, it get's drowned in these threads. Since the ones on my list are from ''all categories'' (sprout, returner, mentor and the ones with nothing), but they still all pop into my duties. While it has context in this thread it should be a topic on it's own. While it not being only blacklist to ''fix'' the problem, but it would help if it worked.

I think the "working blacklist" is a constructive response to several subsets of the "I don't want to see this player again"category.
Therefore, it can be in the topic about bad mentors, bad beginners, and any topics.

[RajNish]

I feel like there should be a thread only to show how badly blacklist works, it get's drowned in these threads. Since the ones on my list are from ''all categories'' (sprout, returner, mentor and the ones with nothing), but they still all pop into my duties. While it has context in this thread it should be a topic on it's own. While it not being only blacklist to ''fix'' the problem, but it would help if it worked.

Really working blacklisting (not just hiding messages from the player) is just one of the options that can protect a player. But there must be other tools. In addition to reports. The fact is that a mentor who breaks the rules is not just a "regular player". Every time when you enter the game as a mentor, you read the note and agree with it. These people also read it, but apparently press the button automatically. In addition, if we are talking about the decals of the assistants, the icon of a watering can, glasses, owl or something that is not associated with superiority, would be the best solution. Therefore, I am writing these suggestions about changes in this thread.

[Neoom]

Really working blacklisting (not just hiding messages from the player) is just one of the options that can protect a player. But there must be other tools. In addition to reports. The fact is that a mentor who breaks the rules is not just a "regular player". Every time when you enter the game as a mentor, you read the note and agree with it. These people also read it, but apparently press the button automatically. In addition, if we are talking about the decals of the assistants, the icon of a watering can, glasses, owl or something that is not associated with superiority, would be the best solution. Therefore, I am writing these suggestions about changes in this thread.

I hope, but can't say from experience how well reports remove the crown (I don't wear mine, or talk in chat other than greetings unless someone ask for help). But reports are way of protecting players anyway, as long as you contact the GM's about the situation. While it sadly can be done after the bad stuff happened, it at least can prevent it from happening again, the more people report them the faster they go to bad people jail.
But I think almost everyone if not all agree the icon change is something that people want and think could help. It can't fix everything, but people who own a shiny crown for ego will leave mentoring for others.
The only problem here is, nothing is getting done about it. Many topics, many suggestions later (someone even made the icons for it) the crown isn't leaving :/ I think just having a topic where the OP is ''Changes to mentor system'' and it having the icon change and possible commendations and what not in it. Topics where it starts with ''complaining'' and nothing to offer for the change won't catch an eye I think..

[SoranRigel]

If there were enough reports, we would not discuss this in the third topic. We said earlier that toxic behavior is impossible to prove if it is not displayed in the chat. It seems to be quite obvious.

By the way, about how well reports work. I regularly report spammers in the game, but I see these people again and again. They feel great, from which I conclude that the system is not working.

[EaMett]

“I can count the bad mentors on the fingers of one hand” - I've heard it dozens of times here. Always, for some reason, from mentors. However, topics about bad mentors and dozens of pages of commentary appear on this forum regularly. Why's that?

It's a mix of survivor bias, anecdotal evidence (on everyone's part, including myself here even though I have been keeping tabs) and probably misplaced expectations. There aren't more jerks among mentors than in the general population. Ratios are going to be similar and as such anyone complaining about a majority of mentors being bad is clearly not making an objective representation of the field and needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
When it comes to expectations, so many people come into the forums and complain about mentors playing poorly or not knowing the answers to questions. As if a mentor can't learn a new class and tunnel vision, and/or must know everything. You can mix in a bit of mentors dropping ex fights in mentor roulette to the mix as well (which imo is one of the bigger issues, but doesn't necessarily reflect how good/bad such mentors are). So of course if some people's expectations are way up there they're going to get upset at every corner.

I'm all for changing the mentor icon and removing whatever rewards. If only to demonstrate that it won't change much for many.

[Halivel]

But I think almost everyone if not all agree the icon change is something that people want and think could help. It can't fix everything, but people who own a shiny crown for ego will leave mentoring for others.

I honestly highly doubt that it will even change anything. "Special" icon is still "special", crown or not. And removing the icon entirely probably isn't an option, because it's there to highlight mentors among the rest so new players would know who they can talk to (well, at least that's how it was intended to be, I suppose).