Shrinking the gap by raising the floor | brainstorming skill incentives

[linayar]

The current comm system relies on players who often don't bother, comm based on lack of knowledge, comm based on glam or role and so on and is highly flawed.

Eh, I think the commendation system (in relation to the mentor system, and especially with the update) is just to make sure you've played the game a lot (and potentially with roles other than or in addition to DPS) with random strangers in duty finder.

[Veis_Alveare]

Eh, I think the commendation system (in relation to the mentor system, and especially with the update) is just to make sure you've played the game a lot (and potentially with roles other than or in addition to DPS) with random strangers in duty finder.

I'd agree that's what it measures right now, I just wonder how that feeds into any qualification to mentor new players.

[linayar]

I'd agree that's what it measures right now, I just wonder how that feeds into any qualification to mentor new players.

If you play the game a lot, there is a likelihood that you would know about the game (not always, but it increases the chance).

And mechanically speaking, if you're doing the duty finder a lot, it serves the passive purpose of mentor: grouping up with people and giving bonus exp to qualified party members and filling queues (potentially via mentor roulette).

Essentially, you're doing half of what a mentor does while in the process of trying to be a mentor.

[Vyrerus]

Well they already tried the button pruning thing. Hasn't done much.

As far as the OP goes, I don't think dungeon based speed completion nor number tabulation would be incentive enough for most people. It would also invite griefing.

[Jojoya]

I'd agree that's what it measures right now, I just wonder how that feeds into any qualification to mentor new players.

If SE is concerned about how much someone plays the game, achievements that require certain content to be completed X times would be a better indicator.

I think comms were intended more as a measure of personal character (is this person helpful and nice?) but as Liam says that's rarely why someone gets them, and many times someone who does deserve them doesn't get them because people leave without giving comms or there was someone else in the party they gave their comm to (sometimes deserving, sometimes just a good glamour).

The system also overlooks those who split their time between multiple characters. Someone could have over 3000 comms but not qualify for mentor because those comms are split between 3 or 4 different characters. The system should focus more on the player, not the character.

[linayar]

If SE is concerned about how much someone plays the game, achievements that require certain content to be completed X times would be a better indicator.

Not really, as can be seen with the tank mount achievement.

[Liam_Harper]

If you play the game a lot, there is a likelihood that you would know about the game (not always, but it increases the chance).

The problem is the system doesn't measure how well you play the game, which should be a main factor for mentorship. Comms are given out for all sorts of reasons, but a well designed in-game scoring system would only judge based on player ability and knowledge.

I'd keep a player comm system separate, which only allows you to flag others for friendly or helpful behavior and maybe has a title or such reward for high points. Sort of a community badge which shows others like and respect you.

And mechanically speaking, if you're doing the duty finder a lot, it serves the passive purpose of mentor: grouping up with people and giving bonus exp to qualified party members and filling queues (potentially via mentor roulette).

To be fair Mentor means: "to support and advise someone with less experience to help them develop in their work". Sort of a teacher or someone who can help you learn, rather than queue filler and free exp.
We don't need a mentor system to fill queues. We could simply make a Duty in Need roulette with high rewards that prioritizes Duties with longer queue times.

[Jojoya]

Not really, as can be seen with the tank mount achievement.

I'm not certain where you're going with this thought. How are the tank mount achievements not an indication of how much someone has played the game?

If you're circling back to they don't indicate the quality of a player's game knowledge, I'd agree but that wasn't what I was responding to. I was responding to the thought that comms are meant to indicate how much someone plays when they do a poor job of even that.

[linayar]

The problem is the system doesn't measure how well you play the game, which should be a main factor for mentorship. Comms are given out for all sorts of reasons, but a well designed in-game scoring system would only judge based on player ability and knowledge.

I'd keep a player comm system separate, which only allows you to flag others for friendly or helpful behavior and maybe has a title or such reward for high points. Sort of a community badge which shows others like and respect you.

I don't think the system has to measure how well you play the game. It's a subjective scoring, so it'd be a pretty poor system if it's meant to measure how well you play the game. If you want something more, you can look to add other things to the mentor requirement (though I doubt SE is looking to do that), not try to think of the commendation system as something other than what it is and then judging it for failing to be that other thing you want.

To be fair Mentor means: "to support and advise someone with less experience to help them develop in their work". Sort of a teacher or someone who can help you learn, rather than queue filler and free exp.
We don't need a mentor system to fill queues. We could simply make a Duty in Need roulette with high rewards that prioritizes Duties with longer queue times.

That may or may not be true, but regardless, mentors do have the ability to fill queues and to help with gaining exp.

I'm not certain where you're going with this thought. How are the tank mount achievements not an indication of how much someone has played the game?

If you're circling back to they don't indicate the quality of a player's game knowledge, I'd agree but that wasn't what I was responding to. I was responding to the thought that comms are meant to indicate how much someone plays when they do a poor job of even that.

I'm just clarifying my initial comment. As I said before, it's about how much you play the game with random players. Tank mount achievement could be done solo on an unsynced duty or with a preformed party.

[Veis_Alveare]

That may or may not be true, but regardless, mentors do have the ability to fill queues and to help with gaining exp.

But it is objectively true, like that is the definition of the word.

A queue that is functionally mentor roulette but called something else (perhaps Duty in Need as Liam suggests) would allow for the continuation of queue help by people who have everything unlocked but would detach that (as well as the related mount) from mentorship. This would likely lead to less people disinterested in mentoring from doing it but only for the carrot on the end of the stick.

I think Burger King crown mentors are enough of a meme at this point. It'd be nice to see less of that.