Should commendations be revised?

[Jojoya]

Considering the current discussion about the role commendations play in mentor eligibility and the somewhat random way many players choose to assign commendations, does the commendation system need to be revised?

For the new player, the first exposure to commendations is this Active Help window:


(the other 2 pages of the Active help mention when you'll be asked to give a commendation and how to do it)

It's vague about what is meant by "positive impression". There's an ending comment on the final page about "it can pay to be nice" but no specific information about rewards or its role for mentor eligibility.

Commendations get awarded for random reasons because a "positive impression" can be different things to different players: fun name, awesome glamour, corny jokes told to help pass the time during cutscenes, a new player trying hard their first time in a dungeon, etc.

It can be awkward when you think more than one person in the group deserves a commendation or the person you wanted to give it to leaves the group before you can assign it.

I suspect it's fairly rare that a commendation is given because someone thinks the recipient would make a good mentor. The random way we're able to assign commendations has likely contributed to the number of "bad" mentors and the poor reputation of the system.

Does the commendation system need to be changed in some way to address the problem?

I think while the current commendations could stay as is for the achievement based rewards, a separate commendation system should be added for those who want to become or already are mentors.

Have players who wish to become a mentor register with the Smith after reaching level 80 on one of the required battle jobs. At the end of an instanced duty, a second notice could appear in any groups with a mentor or mentor applicant present asking players if they feel the mentor/mentor applicant performed as a mentor should.

A "Yes" response would then add a special commendation to the recipient's tally needed to obtain/retain mentor status. A "No" response would have no effect (making trolling with a No pointless). Players who queue with the mentor/mentor applicant would not get the second notice just as we are unable to assign current commendations to those we queue with.

A system like this could solve some of the issues players have with the mentor system and allow SE to reduce the number of commendations needed to get certification since those commendations would be specific to mentoring instead of just "being nice".

[linay]

2 changes I'd like:

1. Remove the challenge log to give commendation.
2. If possible, allow commendation to be given to people who have left the duty as long as they left the duty after it is done.

I don't think a separate commendation system is needed because, at its core, a mentor is there to help, which can be done simply by queueing for a duty and helping to get a clear run. That means anyone who queues and stays for a duty is doing their part already. Beyond that, whatever reason people have to commend is their own.

As for commending multiple people, it sounds nice, but since people's reason to commend is arbitrary, having to commend only one at least would make them have to choose "the best" (according to their preference) among potential recipients.

[frostmagemari]

Honestly, Mentors shouldn't even be a thing. Mentor Roullettes shouldn't be a thing; The Mentor roullette should be opened after you've completed the relevant dungeons X amount of times, especially since i've seen people who aren't Mentors be a lot more helpful than the mentors in the group when something is requested or someone has an issue apparent to the group. The Novice Network should be an opt-in channel that anyone can join (if people don't use the channel for intended purpose and turns into trade chat, report them and have them removed).

Let commendations be a currency, and don't just unlock the item at a certain threshold, use the comms to purchase the rewards. Next, start introducing more rewards, both cosmetic and trivial consumables like champagne, etc... and let people purchase rewards with said comms; And don't do this just once, keep updating with more rewards down the line.
This system would (A) incentivise people to continually act in a positive manner to keep getting comms, along with doing dungeons with the general community over just doing premades (B) Remove the stigma from those have mentor status as the servants that some people seem to think of them as (C) Give people something to work towards if they see something they like.

[RyuSaarva]

Honestly, Mentors shouldn't even be a thing. Mentor Roullettes shouldn't be a thing; The Mentor roullette should be opened after you've completed the relevant dungeons X amount of times, especially since i've seen people who aren't Mentors be a lot more helpful than the mentors in the group when something is requested or someone has an issue apparent to the group. The Novice Network should be an opt-in channel that anyone can join (if people don't use the channel for intended purpose and turns into trade chat, report them and have them removed).

Let commendations be a currency, and don't just unlock the item at a certain threshold, use the comms to purchase the rewards. Next, start introducing more rewards, both cosmetic and trivial consumables like champagne, etc... and let people purchase rewards with said comms; And don't do this just once, keep updating with more rewards down the line.
This system would (A) incentivise people to continually act in a positive manner to keep getting comms, along with doing dungeons with the general community over just doing premades (B) Remove the stigma from those have mentor status as the servants that some people seem to think of them as (C) Give people something to work towards if they see something they like.

if you are talking about random duty finder mentors then, only people who are doing mentor roulette have the icon on, the other people are also propably mentors but just not doing the roulette and if everyone can just join in the novice chat then it will have too many people and the chat text move too fast, the current chat is far better.

[RokkuEkkusu]

2 changes I'd like:

1. Remove the challenge log to give commendation.
2. If possible, allow commendation to be given to people who have left the duty as long as they left the duty after it is done.

I don't think a separate commendation system is needed because, at its core, a mentor is there to help, which can be done simply by queueing for a duty and helping to get a clear run. That means anyone who queues and stays for a duty is doing their part already. Beyond that, whatever reason people have to commend is their own.

As for commending multiple people, it sounds nice, but since people's reason to commend is arbitrary, having to commend only one at least would make them have to choose "the best" (according to their preference) among potential recipients.

I'd say the challenge log to give commendations should stay. It at least gives people some sort of incentive to commend their fellow party members. Can't go wrong with free XP and gil after all.

[linay]

I'd say the challenge log to give commendations should stay. It at least gives people some sort of incentive to commend their fellow party members. Can't go wrong with free XP and gil after all.

While nice to have, exp and gil are easy enough to get. The incentive to commend fellow party members should be coming from those party members themselves.

[Ronduwil]

2. If possible, allow commendation to be given to people who have left the duty as long as they left the duty after it is done.

I honestly don't know why it wasn't that way to begin with. I've learned that the easiest way to get commendations is to simply be the last to leave. I've benefited tremendously by gaming this system, but I still think it's dumb. Once the final boss dies and the duty is complete, everyone still in the party at that point should be eligible.

[Canadane]

I think it's fine as it is.
Be impressive, be bold, win the admiration of your peers!

[Avatre]

I think it's fine as it is.
Be impressive, be bold, win the admiration of your peers!

To add to this: Just be a competent player. I am FAR from being a great player with most classes, but I am competent enough to be able to get through the majority of end game stuff without being carried, and I have over 4k commendations. Most as a DPS(DRG mostly, since I played that exclusively until sometime early Heavensward)

[hynaku]

I think it's fine as it is.
Be impressive, be bold, win the admiration of your peers!

You do know most only give them based on persons glamour and looks not on how well they did. So system to it is broken and need to be fixed.