The Mentoring Requirements... *Rant Style*

[NovaLevossida]

I'm sure the knowledge of how to push 90-95% of one's potential DPS in a specific class will be of immense use to a newbie who doesn't even know jobs exist *cough*

I'm sure they'll be better off with someone who knows how to play his job instead of someone who doesn't but arbitrarily passes the requirements because they're just testing time played rather than skill.

[Odett]

I think having a special Stone, Sky, Sea dummy set up that expects you to hit 90-95% of your maximum DPS on a DPS role is a better qualification for testing that you know how to play your monk or ninja or black mage than anything SE has pushed for so far. It would weed out the "ice mages" who would otherwise qualify as mentors. People should know how to play their roles by the time they have all those commendations and dungeon requirements completed, but so many of the people in this game still don't. I'd rather directly test ability than, like the relic and anima weapons, just track time played.

It sounds like a good idea, but if I'm understanding the content correctly, there will be different dummies in SSS depending on the encounter you wanna test your DPS against, so then it would be up to SE to set up which dummy you need to beat in order to become a mentor, and also a way for the game to test if the dummy you beat is relative to your average iLv: like, beating the dummy for BisEX at ilv 150 would show you know how to play your job, but beating the same dummy at ilv210 doesn't prove much. The next comment is a bit off-topic, but it would be a good idea if SE locked content to DPS players until they beat the dummy specific to the fight the want to attempt.

[Gunspec]

The requirements for mentor system are fine. And you know what? 90% of the people talking about the mentor system won't be able to give decent advice anyway. A new player doesn't need to know a level 60 rotation, raid strategies, or how to tell just how awesome an endgame player you are.

New players need to know about the game systems that will help them play, and allow them to experience the game to its fullest extent. They need to know how to glamour gear, how to unlock dye and materia, where to find the different combat and crafting classes, and which classes they should think of leveling for which jobs. They need to know the best ways to acquire reasonable gear for leveling and dungeons (maybe they could use some donations from a level 60 player who can whip up a level 35 hq chestpiece in 5 seconds for less than 100 gil), they need to be informed about the existence of the housing wards, challenge log, and battle chocobos (Not only does the game fail to tell you these things exist, but they are unlocked by subquests that appear in a SEA of QUESTMARKERS. Overwhelmed new players often do not check that one vital questmarker in the Limsa Lomisa adventurer's guild, and miss out on the challenge log's 3-5 levels per week of free xp.)

And that's not even touching the concept of level 50 endgame, such as poetic tomes, hunts, and the long process of fulling unlocking level 50 roulette.

The requirements devs came up with are the best they could think of using in-game metrics, and you can tell what they were hoping players who fit the requirements will have learned about the game.

How will tanking or healing help me teach a Bard?

White mage is low on MP, and the bard could use MP song to help him out. But maybe the White Mage is about to pop Shroud of Saints, and recover suitable MP from that ability. Does the Bard know about Shroud of Saints? Does the Bard know what level Shroud of Saints is unlocked at? Should the Bard sacrifice 20% of his dps or not?

You've got two methods to learn about other classes' abilities: reading online, and trying them out for yourself by leveling a class. Guess which method can be proven by in-game metrics?

[Toguro]

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I agree with all of your reasons. They're true. It would be great to have a mentor tell you all that stuff. Except.. I can teach all that stuff too just fine. and the only requirement I have is 300 comms. You don't need 1,000 dungeons, 300 comms, and 60 for trinity to teach the stuff you listed, which is very important stuff. People who aren't even 50 can teach that(except glamour)

Then there's the 40 hour thing. Most players hit 40 hours waaay before 50. True new players. I know I did. Game changes a lot.

As someone said in this forum, there's probably more to learn at 50 than the first 40 hours.

[XiXiQ]

I'm not that fussed about the requirements (lets face it, no matter what they are, someone isn't going to be happy about it). It's making them available just to the starters (up to 40 hours) I find odd, since there is so much to learn/practice at all levels. would make more sense to have a few linkshells with mentors for different levels of content.

[PArcher]

I'm not that fussed about the requirements (lets face it, no matter what they are, someone isn't going to be happy about it). It's making them available just to the starters (up to 40 hours) I find odd, since there is so much to learn/practice at all levels. would make more sense to have a few linkshells with mentors for different levels of content.

Well, I think the Sea/Sky thing is more for that. And FCs/friends/LSs...

I'd also bet if someone had a good mentor, they'd try to keep in touch for when they left the system to learn more about the game.

[Gunspec]

It's making them available just to the starters (up to 40 hours) I find odd, since there is so much to learn/practice at all levels. would make more sense to have a few linkshells with mentors for different levels of content.

Yeah, people talk as if profound endgame experience is important, but the most common questions will be things like "what class should I play, how do I change what my gear looks like, where are the houses, and when do I get a chocobo".

[Kyros]

How will tanking or healing help me teach a Bard?

I can count on my fingers the amount of BRD's that do Paeon's between pulls to help the 0 TP WAR. Or the ones that use Foe's (Despite not costing anything) to help the Healer because they have another Physical DPS, etc. You can also lay down basic things that may not be apparent to low levels (Dont pull before the tank, target the reds, not the oranges, use Foe's/Balad for your healer, if the tank is marking follow the numbers, dont stand with the tank, etc).

Need I go on?

[Toguro]

Need I go on?

I have never healed and I know how to give a healer MP. I have a tank at 30 but that was within the span of 3 or 4 days when I was new to the game. I know how to give a tank TP. This is very basic stuff a player can learn without a mentor. Just read the tool tip and look at your team's status. Bards who don't sing don't need a mentor. They need to look at their tool tips.. If they need a mentor to tell them to look at a tool tip then something isn't right. If they need a mentor to tell them a White Mage uses magic then something isn't right.

The stuff you listed doesn't require a mentor. That stuff is all about being thoughtful. Giving a healer Foe's Requiem and all.

[Gunspec]

I have never healed and I know how to give a healer MP. I have a tank at 30 but that was within the span of 3 or 4 days when I was new to the game. I know how to give a tank TP. This is very basic stuff a player can learn without a mentor.

So if you had only a Paladin, and never touched Bard, you'd be just as well informed on what a Bard should do as you are now and know what advice to dispense if he was doing it wrong?

I mean, YOU might be perfectly knowledgeable in this regard. But think of all the people out there that have no clue what a class can do, because they've never experienced it hands on. I've had Paladins complaining that I should keep TP song up all the time when I bard, because they don't realize the skill lowers my damage. There are dps who fail to understand just how poorly certain tanks hold enmity at specific level ranges, and their lack of coordination means the tank can't keep mobs in one place. (Gotta love split dps in Sunken Temple of Qarn as a paladin... No tank stance means Final Sting for EVERYONE.)

The only way devs can get a sense of whether a player understands the three basic roles, and has a grasp of some of the skills that each individual class possesses, is to make sure that player has leveled at least a few of them. They can't just pick your brain to see if you possess the knowledge.