The problem with the mentor system

[EaMett]

The general lack of activity in Novice Network when questions are posed makes me feel that way. Even when it's nearly full, it's almost always just me and maybe ten other people tops actually trying to be helpful.

Can't speak for all NNs but I've noticed a lot of people, me included, overlook the mentor chat often because we're busy, afk, or simply so used to seeing the text scroll that we don't pay enough attention to pick the questions appart from the chatter. Doesn't mean we don't participate, just that other people get to the sprouts before we do. Generally, if questions go unanswered that's our time to shine (provided we have an answer)

[AmeliaVerves]

I'm cringing a lot about people claiming most mentors are bad, because personal experience is never objective.

[SoranRigel]

Oh, the mentors ' propagandists are here. ))

These people first demand proof that the problem exists, and then claim that it is "only 1%", so the evidence doesn't prove anything.

Dear mentors! Please prove to us that this is only 1%.
Show on your mass (and not personal) example that mentoring is not the kind of thing that makes a lot of people feel bad in the game, uncomfortable, humiliated and toxic communication.
Because my gaming experience and the gaming experience of a large number of those players, which you devalue here, says the opposite:
the mentoring system has now become a toxicity system.

[Hatfright]

You do not need to have a special status, icon, or mount to help others. You can do it just out of a desire to help.

This. We already have perfectly balanced reward system implemented, it's called "brain". You help, you know you made a good difference, you get your dopamine. That's it. Most of other rewards tied to helping each other always attract greedy people, who's gonna be like "I did a good thing, complement me!". That's just ridiculous.

The argument that people wouldn't want to join a mentor system without a reward could be made, but honestly I would rather have this system, where no mentor rewards are given, and the few who stay in the mentor program are actually there to help, or having the mentor rewards all obtainable by other easier means making obtaining them via mentor roulette a hindrance.

Well, participating in a mentor program is a voluntary stuff already. It's not a job, and expecting getting payed for something you volunteered to do is kinda... odd?

I wish people could just let this mentorship "failure" fallacy rest in peace.

And I wish the majority of people with crowns on I meet started acting like a decent human beings.
But as a philosopher Jagger once said, "you can't always get what you want".

I understand there's a bunch of good hearted people who genuinely want to help and do so as good as they can. I understand there's a bunch of so called "bad apples" who ruins an impression of mentors overall. What I don't understand, is why people keep defending the system that keeps providing us with said "bad apples", most of which never participated in NN anyway and just wanted a status symbol. Wouldn't it be better without them? Wouldn't it be better to get rid of them as a whole instead of picking a few to write a report on to no actual avail?

To the core topic: get rid of the crown, get rid of the commendation based mentorship status, get rid of shiny rewards (tie it to something else instead), keep NN, but implement world chat to keep actual helpers and just talkative people somewhat separate.
Or at the very least get a black list feature to be an actual black list, so we could stop running into people we don't wanna play with for whatever reason in roulettes. Maybe then people would think twice about the reputation they have.

[MitsukiKimura]

Speaking from a personal experience, novice network is just not a place I'd look to for any advice or etc. It's probably the worst when it should be a good place for beginners to ask for help or advice. I've used to be in it as a mentor, dealt with extreme toxicity in it and left it and never went back. Somewhat I agree most mentors I've seen are not suited to being a mentor but assuming every mentor is like that is invalid. I try to help anyone I can while showing a positive attitude. My advice? Stay out of novice network.

[KageTokage]

It really depends on the server, honestly.

If you're cursed with a NN where the regulars are toxic, then yeah, I'd stay away from it.

[SoranRigel]

Unfortunately, just "leave this place" doesn't work in cases where you encounter toxic mentors (or those who don't wear the crown) in dungeons.

An excellent way out of the situation would be a working "black list". I wrote about this system in another topic. It allows you to blacklist a player you don't want to be in the same group with, and the system permanently excludes them from your selection.

Since the number of players on global servers is really large, this system does not add a waiting time for the formation of a random group.

Update: It's also possible that a large number of blacklisting someone would help to GM pay more attention to investigating reports related to this player's behavior.

[SieyaM]

Unfortunately, just "leave this place" doesn't work in cases where you encounter toxic mentors (or those who don't wear the crown) in dungeons.

An excellent way out of the situation would be a working "black list". I wrote about this system in another topic. It allows you to blacklist a player you don't want to be in the same group with, and the system permanently excludes them from your selection.

Since the number of players on global servers is really large, this system does not add a waiting time for the formation of a random group.

Update: It's also possible that a large number of blacklisting someone would help to GM pay more attention to investigating reports related to this player's behavior.

A list like this would also mean that a person who has been blacklisted by enough people would end up waiting longer in queues since there would be a number of people they would be unable to be matched with. That is a good thing too since it would be more incentive for people to try and remain civil to each other

[Hatfright]

A list like this would also mean that a person who has been blacklisted by enough people would end up waiting longer in queues since there would be a number of people they would be unable to be matched with. That is a good thing too since it would be more incentive for people to try and remain civil to each other

Exactly!
/at least 10 characters.

[Sathona]

The problem with the mentor system is that it exists.

I get why they made it, but it just doesnt work.