MY Mentor system issue and fix

[WinterLuna]

There is no need for a 'solution' in the first place. Of course the mentor system was implemented poorly, but it seems it's normal players that have more of a problem with the system than mentors themselves, usually because they came into contact with one or two bad mentors.

Mentors are people too. Most of us don't know every single mechanic to every single fight and we're certainly not obligated to be your personal guide. As I said, I've helped so many times and explained fights down to the last mechanic and sometimes barely got a thank you. Other times I've been told to 'stop preaching' because I explained a fight we wiped on 5 times.

Players expect so much of mentors and are now trying to set their own rules to make sure we play to their standards, yet those same people insult mentors and give them grief when they don't like being mentored. If it smells bad everywhere, maybe look under your own foot.

[Underdog2204]

Snip

I was "mentored" to a couple of days ago by a lalafell in PoTD, I asked to save rage till floor 45+ due to harder enemies spawning around then and he basically said "LOL! Nope! It's all the same" to which I said "Well those guys with coffins attached to them and those floating nightmare guys certainly do" and the response was "U know nothing. I've done this for 5 weapons and know it in and out..." blah blah blah. We wiped floor 47 because of the coffin dudes -_-

I dread to think what people like this are like with newbies.

The system itself is not required imo and does nothing to help new people that we weren't doing before it was implemented. It was a thankless job then and it's a thankless job now, expecting it to be different because you have a crown will never be reality.

[WinterLuna]

snip

I don't expect it to be different. Some mentors are bad, I get it. This doesn't mean normal players are never rude to mentors either though. I could help as much as I possibly could and someone could still treat me like crap, the same as before anyone had a crown.

My point is that it's not up to those same people whether I get my reward for helping or not. Either give mentors the bonus like they are doing or remove it altogether, none of this 'you must have a commendation or no reward' crap. I'm not going to be judged by someone who doesn't even want my help, and even if they did, might not even commend me.

[Underdog2204]

Snip

Oh I agree it's both sides and the op's solution isn't a good idea.

I'd just rather see the system be gone entirely because I cannot think of one thing it has changed neither how it would offer anything people don't do already. Personally I would never even put myself up for mentor status as it's just a label people can use to say "well mentor's are [insert insult here]", it's like giving youself a sprout again but with more expectation (good and bad).

[Underdog2204]

How about a PF incentive? Now this isn't going to be fully though out so bear with me here.

So we all know mentor's should be there to help newbies (so in this games case sprouts), how about an incentive for vets to create PF clear groups specifically for sprout (or bonus) characters. After a certain amount of clears with say 4 sprout/bonus players then the vets gain mentor status with fitting rewards to show their investment.

This way you can have 4 mentors and 4 news in a group and everyone gets something, new players get their clears and vets who want to help out but have no incentive to do so can also get their reward it would also make them better known among their server. It also helps with all the "no bonus" parties we see in PF for old content and it's better than DF because everyone involved has to deal with people on their own server. Selling runs would also be phased out and FC's can easily do something like this together.

Thoughts?

[Daemius]

Mentors are only as good as the people they're mentoring. Can't fix people who can't grasp mechanics no matter how much you explain the fight. Can't help people as well who go into a fight completely blind. I've done it but it's not pretty.

I've taken a completely fresh group through both mog ex and Levi ex. I only got about half the comms both times. People are stingy with comms. Locking credit behind comms is foolish.

What they should do instead is make the reward even better for completing an ex in mentor roulette. Or don't. The system is fine. People are the ones messing it up.

[Laerune]

I was doing the Mentor roulette on my DPS and as always when I am being a Mentor, I:

1. Explain the fights
2. Give tips on skills if needed.
3. Make sure the encounter is fun for the newcomers.
4. All the other stuff that is part of being a mentor.

I do not do them for the commendation, but I noticed that whenever I do the Mentor Roulette as a DPS, I get 0 amount of commendation. I do the same thing as a Tank or a Healer and I am being showered with commendations. Your suggestion would make it very hard for those with less popular roles to get rewarded with their daily tomes.

[Shurrikhan]

On a typical Expert or Trial Roulette I usually get 1-2 commendations on my dps, 2-3 if on tank or healer, so I'm not seeing any tremendous difference. That said, basing whether someone has done a good job on commendations received is ridiculous. Plenty of very good runs end with no one bothering to comm anyone—most bad runs even more so. You'd be more likely to get comms in a run that tries everyone's patience from picking a fight with another angry player or having one picked against you, and just being the guy they less disliked. Save a trial through instruction, you may get zero comms out of spite. Save it through carrying them in a way that's friendly, and obvious yet somehow not blatant, and you get comms.

The main reason I don't like being a mentor through mentor roulette is that I can't check at any later time to see if any of my more general advice was integrated or that the player's performance or enjoyment of his or her playstyle improved, and as such feel pressured to stick to just the most concrete or dungeon specific elements, which basic advice some 15 levels ago would have made obvious anyways and tend to sound more nit-picky, trivial, and generally based more around memorization than improvement.

[CookieMonsta]

good god, Titan Ex Synced isn't exactly faceroll lol.

[LineageRazor]

While I've occasionally thought in the past that Mentor Roulette should grant rewards based on Commendations, I've since reconsidered, for the simple fact that far, FAR too many people simply commend the tank by reflex. That works great for me, since I usually Tank for Mentor Roulette, but there are mentors - GOOD mentors - who play other roles, as well.

It should be noted, by the way, that the Tomestone rewards from Mentor Roulette are pitiful. It is unlikely that someone is slapping on Mentor status simply for an extra 30 Esos and 10 Lore. No, the reward that has mentors-in-name-only abusing the system is the two-seater Pegasus mount reward. It was very unfortunate that that was added in this way, as it brought flocks of less-than-helpful Mentors into the mix.

That said, simply because a Mentor is quiet does not indicate that they are one of these. A mentor does not have to be proactive to be a good mentor - and, in fact, many new players APPRECIATE that a Mentor doesn't spell everything out for them ahead of time. When a run is going smoothly, there's no need for a Mentor to say a word (though a friendly greeting at the start of the run and a farewell at the end does help to promote a more positive community atmosphere). If players ask for help, a Mentor should provide it. If a player mentions they're new it could be taken as an indirect way of asking for advice, but it's not a bad idea to ask them if they actually want it before giving it.