Mentors...please!

[Rairai]

So I want to put this out there and it has been mentioned before, but mentors need another re-work. Just because a person gets commendations does not mean you are suitable to be a mentor. I cannot tell you how many countless times I have joined a roulette or party and I see the mentors go. "You should just go in unsynched." or they just leave. There should be a counter for how many times they just up and abandon a duty that way if they do it many times their mentor roulette becomes suspended. There should also be a report mentor function that needs to be reviewed so that if someone is abusive to other players as a mentor it should be taken away.

As someone who enjoys teaching people how to do a fight and learning as we go, it is horrible to see someone join in and say "Just do it unsynched." What great mentor advice! This is a major issue for a healthy community and the future growth of this game. Mentor status should be an honor and a chance to show your skills to help others achieve a great goal! So please FFXIV reword the mentor status again and make it to where being a mentor isn't just something to get a roulette and rewards. Make it for people who want to help.

[Rairai]

I don't give up on things that could be helpful to everyone. Thanks for the reply!

[SenorPatty]

Well that's what happens when there's a system that mostly supports sprouts but barely supports mentors.

[RyuSaarva]

when I was doing mentor roulette I just asked help from novice network everytime mentors insta rage quit or sat down and asked to be kicked (got help pretty often but they were always the same few people), there is also the sad third group of non mentors who just leave after 1 wipe.

[Rairai]

You dont need this system to be helpful to peoples though, its to late to salvage the mentor system at this point.

Too late to salvage? Did you see 14 when it first came out? Burn it down and redo it ;0

[Penthea]

You dont need this system to be helpful to peoples though, its to late to salvage the mentor system at this point.

I wouldn't say so. It's not as if the system is essential for anything else in the game to work. SE could take it out tomorrow and basically nothing will change. They could just put the rewards elsewhere in the game and that would be it.

So, they can make it better. But SE so far are taking it really slowly. The commendation increase was very much needed but with enough time anyone can gain enough of them, and just because you do does not mean you are remotely suitable for the role of a mentor.

A very simple change that could be pretty effective is changing the icon from a crown to something much more mundane like a watering can (nurturing the sprout type of thing). A crown symbolises royalty, the ruling class, those born into wealth and influence, those with more privilege...it absolutely does not represent teaching anything. I have met a few lovely mentors who wanted the role just for the crown. Not that any random icon would entice them. They love that it is specifically a crown.

There should also be an advanced form of the Novice Hall that you must pass in order to become a mentor. It would need to be a place where you get synced to specific stats that guarantee that the combat would present some degree of challenge. It would test more advanced mechanics every mentor should know: stack markers, proximity aoe markers, bosses with animations for attacks but no telegraphs, using line of sight to avoid attacks, how to use all the role actions, and so on.

That wouldn't be too difficult to introduce considering it would be using game mechanics that already exist and it's expanding on an already existing feature.

[Krojack]

I don't give up on things that could be helpful to everyone. Thanks for the reply!

I stopped doing mentor EX fights because of the many I got, only 1 did a clear. Every single other one is just a wipe fest for 30mins before people vote to abandon it. Mentor EX fights are a waste of peoples times. If someone new wants to do one of them synced then they should get some friends and start a party finder group. It even takes me static a good hour or more to learn the new EX fights for the first time and we're all in discord and have been working together for several years. Good luck with all pugs that are likely poor geared and aren't using voice chat.

SO yes I'm one of those that bail from EX mentor groups. I tried them and gave up. They should be removed from mentor roulettes. I'm more than willing to help teach any other content.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

On the flip side, there should also be a warning when entering your first extreme trial saying "hey, this is content that is meant for when you know your job and role well, and understand the finer points of group play"

I've taught 7 noobs moogle ex in mentor roulette and got a clear. It took almost the entirety of the 60 minutes and only the echo allowed for the clear. They were in no way ready for the content.

I got lucky had had people who listened. Most don't.