please consider ending the mentor system

[teegees]

These aren't isolated incidents but a pattern that I, and the few newer players I've gotten to know, have observed. At their best the mentors are just regular players that are less inclined to talk and in more of a rush (on average). At worst (and its sadly not uncommon) they're an active hindrance.

In any mildly challenging duty mentors will often quit straight away. A not insignificant number will actually deliberately sabotage events. I assume in an effort to make others quit or to get themselves kicked and avoid the quitters penalty.

The time wasted cycling through these "mentors" makes it very difficult to complete some harder duties.

Thanks,
A noob.

[Canadane]

Are you asking to be rid of the entire system, or just mentor roulette?
And what are you actually asking out of a mentor? The roulette is really just a fancy way of getting queues filled.

[LastFireAce]

Yea your new... So let me get you up to speed boi.
Yes Mentor are regular player just as you and I.
3 different class job at lv60
300 Commendation
1000 Dungeon
Easy stuff....
So MOST of the player just want the little Crown, because is cool, some of them think they the best or whatever.
Now thing is... True Mentor don't wear the crown unless they do the mentor roulette. They help people out and stuff with you no even knowing.
Btw Mentor Roulette is like every other Daily Roulette just to help Q time.

[Luin]

Are you asking to be rid of the entire system, or just mentor roulette?
And what are you actually asking out of a mentor? The roulette is really just a fancy way of getting queues filled.

Active NN moderation and removing the crown. It's only used as a status symbol.

Let mentor system be like a novice could ping a random mentor that has volunteered themselves for the function; kind of like customer support. This prevents public embarrassment newer players often have when struggling with earlygame mechanics, keybinds, macros, or settings.


I've seen players that didn't know what the Market Board was, at level 70. I've even seen players not know what a Main Scenario Quest marker was. How is a mentor in the NN expected to answer that? You say it's the marker with the spikes? No, it's easier for the novice if you go to the player, you teach them how to use the journal, then you take them to their next Main Scenario Quest is. Then they get to clearly see for themselves what the marker looks like. Is this more work? Yes, but it's not about mentor convenience, it's about effectively teaching new players.

[Rongway]

I've even seen players not know what a Main Scenario Quest marker was. How is a mentor in the NN expected to answer that? You say it's the marker with the spikes? No, it's easier for the novice if you go to the player, you teach them how to use the journal, then you take them to their next Main Scenario Quest is. Then they get to clearly see for themselves what the marker looks like. Is this more work? Yes, but it's not about mentor convenience, it's about effectively teaching new players.

It sounds like you're asking for mentors to perform handholding duties. That is not mentoring.

One does not need to go through all that to explain MSQ. There is an active help entry for it. There is a HUD element dedicated to it. Newbies don't need us to take them by the hand and walk them over to the correct NPC. At most, a brief explanation of, "MSQ are the quests that advance the main storyline. It's helpful to give it a higher priority than side quests because you will unlock many features and duties over the course of the MSQ. There is a HUD element that will always show your next MSQ if you find yourself lost. You don't see it? Maybe it's turned off. Here's how to turn it on."

[MoroMurasaki]

OP first off I'm sorry you've had poor experiences with mentors, that sucks. I don't mean to trivialize them but without knowing more about them there isn't much detailed commentary I can offer based on what you've put forth.

That aside you are using sweeping generalizations to classify a group of people with little to nothing in common in a negative way - that isn't okay.

I'm a mentor. I don't rush people, I offer advice, I play well in any content that isn't Savage. I'm not saying these things to toot my own horn and I expect no special treatment for doing them; if I'm going to call myself a mentor I see this behavior as the baseline. Are there bad eggs? Sure. Still doesn't mean you calling me a hinderance, less inclined to talk or accuse me of rushing people is okay.

Imagine if I said all sprouts and returners are careless at best and inept/incompetent at worst. That isn't fair at all, there are plenty of good sprouts out there and me insulting them because they share an icon next to their name with someone I've had a poor experience with is a really shortsighted thing to do.

Think about the people you're insulting when you talk this way. It's distinctly unfair to people who try to help out new players, crown or no.

If you were on Aether I would offer to help you out with some of the things you might have had questions about. As it is I hope you find your way be it alone or with the help of others.

[Yeol]

Mentor system brought two good things.
- Novice Network.
- Duty Roulette: Mentor.

The Novice Network is where you’ll find most new players asking for help or general questions related to the game.
Duty Roulette: Mentor is a filler roulette. Mainly to help with queue times.

If people joining the Mentor system are actually using these two features and understand what they are getting themselves into, it will be great. But sadly most people are doing it for the crown. Not helping in the Novice Network or with Mentor Roulette.

The crown is what brought people to this system who want nothing to do with it other than having a fancy crown above their heads.
Keep the system, remove the crown. And with it you remove the players who don't care about helping others.

[Texa]

Mentor roulette is my favorite because whenever I'm dealing with an social awkward situation in-game I can just q that on healer and be all "on no gotta run duty pinged!". I hope it's here forever.

[Araminta]

I believe I understand where OP is coming from, I have endured similar where you get into a dungeon/trial/etc and the first one to leave seems to be the 'older' player, the Mentor.
Coming from a Mentor perspective, I don't think it should be gotten rid of completely I just feel it needs to be much much more harder to get our little crown. I feel like 3 jobs to 60 especially when you can buy one job to 60 from the Mogstation is too little, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION but having Mentors have a Tank, Healer, Melee AND Range class at current max class as well as finishing the story and having at least 2 DOL/H at previous max level seems more of a challenge, maybe even increasing the Comms...?
Just my ramble XD

quote used to show what is needed currently to get a crown, which I personally deem very very easy.

I.
3 different class job at lv60
300 Commendation
1000 Dungeon
Easy stuff....
So MOST of the player just want the little Crown, because is cool, some of them think they the best or whatever.
Now thing is... True Mentor don't wear the crown unless they do the mentor roulette. They help people out and stuff with you no even knowing.
Btw Mentor Roulette is like every other Daily Roulette just to help Q time.

[Rongway]

I feel like 3 jobs to 60 especially when you can buy one job to 60 from the Mogstation is too little, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION but having Mentors have a Tank, Healer, Melee AND Range class at current max class as well as finishing the story and having at least 2 DOL/H at previous max level seems more of a challenge, maybe even increasing the Comms...?

If I recall correctly, the requirements were purposely set so low to account for cultural differences between Eastern and Western playerbases. While most Japanese players enjoy leveling everything, it is less common among Western players, so the requirements were set low in order to ensure that enough people would be able to achieve mentor status on the non-JP data centers. Personally, I think such lax requirements were a disservice to the sprouts, as even if the requirements were stricter, there would still be plenty of mentors to go around.

Regardless, one thing I do think is necessary is updating the requirements as the game ages. Compare to roulettes: when new dungeons come out, we get locked out of DR:Expert or DR:70 until we complete the new duties. Likewise, the mentor system should require more from the mentors at each new expansion. Not necessarily right at expansion launch, but around the time the first raid is introduced, mentor status should be revoked from anyone who doesn't meet the new requirements.

For example, during the X.5 patch, an announcement should go out saying, "Beginning four weeks after the launch of Next Expansion Name, the requirements for mentor status will be as follows: [requirements here]. Any players who do not meet these requirements at that time will no longer have access to mentor status, mentor roulette, or novice network. Speak with a Smith after fulfilling the requirements to re-obtain mentor status." This would give players enough time at the end of an expansion to plan ahead so that they can keep their jobs current for the next one, and enough time at the start of the new expansion to carry out their plans to maintain mentor status without interfering with their enjoyment of the new content. At minimum, the current requirements should be increased to max level in each role and completion of the previous expansion -- I hope that much we can agree on. But even better would be one tank, one healer, one melee DD, one ranged DD.