Mentor Requirements Suck

[fallenintoshadows]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I like Davitron3000's idea about having different lvls of Mentors with different colored symbols. That way the higher lvl mentors can deal with higher lvl questions and the lowers be able help all the new people with there questions.

I like that idea but it would still mean finding a way to sort them out into those groups. Maybe a test would work well here, depending on the correct amount of answers is what level mentor status they get.

[Telal]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

Personally, I don't ever see me using the Mentor system when i start playing, and it isn't because of this thread.

it's because asking one person isn't always the best idea.

Especially when you can come to a forum like this, and pool information from a community.

Thats my thoughts on it, anyway.

[Murphie]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I almost never ask anyone for help or for information about something. I may casually ask in my LS, but generally that gets answered with "I don't know", or "look it up", so I prefer to just look it up first and ask only if I can't find an answer.

[Telal]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I'm the same way, but having not played this game, i come to you guys for help with my stupid questions like "what is chocobo digging?" or "what are exp/skill chains?" ect. I haven't experienced them so I don't know. :D

[Murphie]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

Which is fine.^^ Ask away, and we'll be more than happy to help.

[Telal]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I've noticed! That is why I "live" on this forum while i'm at work. :D

[Madtech]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I am not a mentor, I repeat, I am not a mentor, nor do I have that fancy 'M' next to my name hovering above my head - in fact, I don't even one one. I do, however, have fancy gear and I run around a lot in the three major towns, and because of that I occasionally get a /tell from someone asking for help, advice, etc. - I guess cuz I look soooooo uber high level and I have /anon when in fact I'm not - look at my sig and you'll see.

Most of the time I get questions regarding gil and 'How do you make gil?' Well, I give my advice on how to start off and that it takes gil to make gil. So, instead of buying that cool +1 armour at level 7ish, I suggest to the nooby player to invest that gil into gardening, crafting, fishing or whatever they feel like doing.

Anyhow, I just wanted to say, "I am not a mentor." You dont' need to have that 'M' to be one either. As long as you know your stuff and are helpful to those who ask then you've done your part.

To those who have the 'M' and know you're not ready to mentor anyone, please for your sake and your reputation, take it off - put it back up only if you're ready and prepared. Being a mentor does not only entail job specificity, it also entails every aspect of this massive game.

Anywho, take care and see ya in Lower Jeuno

[ikkleste]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

i have to say, i can't see how raising the level cap to be a mentor would help really...

the way i see it people become mentors for different reasons.

1) to genuinely help people. The program is supposed to help those starting out in the game i'd say by the time some one gets their second job through the dunes they'll have some outside source of knowlege, the interwebernet, their linkshell, just a higher level friend who's adopted them. The program is to help those without that network. I can't see why as a level 11whm/nosub you'd need any advice that only a level 60 can give.
Therfore by raising the level cap you'd be excluding some people who want to to help, who have the knowlege to help, because they are only level 35.

2) because they think it makes them something special and they want to show off about it. now while you might be shutting some of these out by upping the level cap, there are plenty of jerks above whatever level cap you'd chose to impose. It'd infact just give these punks a bigger ego as now the "badge" would be tougher to get, and therefore they'd think it was worth more.

The problem as i see it is twofold.

1) people who'd benefit from it, aren't aware of it. Yeah i think it's in later instruction books, but so is a hell of a lot of stuff which you can't take in all at once. Yeah theres NPC's in each city but htats about become a mentor not how where and why to contact one (on a side note, i hate accidentally talking to one of these guys they ramble on soo long). Perhaps a note on starting the game, as was suggested above, would help.

2) The badge has lost it's meaning, (if it ever had the meaning it was intended to) it should mean "i'm willing to help, if i can" instead it means "l00k at m3 LOLZ! I VLL 3o!!!one!" to a lot of people.

Honestly i can't see a higher level cap or an entry test restoring the meaning of Mentor. It's not about having the required knowlege, almost everyone reaching level 30 must have the knowlege to get through the dunes and get a subjob, which is all that really needed. But what we should see when we see the mentor badge is someone who is willing t take the time to help. Sadly no test is really going to help there.

[avhmia]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I'm the same way, but having not played this game, i come to you guys for help with my stupid questions like "what is chocobo digging?" or "what are exp/skill chains?" ect. I haven't experienced them so I don't know. :D

Which is absolutely the right thing to do. Forums and online guides are great for big questions. In my opinion, if the answer takes more than a couple of lines to explain, you probably shouldn't be posing the question to anyone in game. I tend to refer those people to this site, or the ffxiclopedia, or wherever.

When I'm just hanging around (fishing or crafting or whatever, just not in a party situation where I need to concentrate), I usually have my mentor flag up. Honestly, the vast majority of legit questions I get are things like directions to an NPC, or for really simple crafting advice. I spend a lot of time fishing carp (lu shang's quest ), so I also tend to get a lot of fishing questions (what rod should I use, what bait, etc).

Stuff like that seems perfectly appropriate to ask a mentor.

[Illuen]

Re: Mentor Requirements Suck

I must be the odd man out, since I have never had anything but good experiences with mentors. I've called them twice, once when I was a new player asking about how to get to the dunes, because I had been told about them, just not how to get there (windy native here). The mentor I asked told me about it, and was very polite about it. The second time was when I was unlocking BST, I had asked a mentor about the kracken, and when he asked what I was up to, and I explained, he took the time to take me from lower jeuno to qufim, and he took care of the kracken while I got the flower, ect..

Now, I wouldn't become a mentor yet because I don't think I am that good of a player, but I think that, idiots aside, there are some great people in the mentor program, and I dislike seeing people make statements about how none of them care, when all I've met are those whom care. I don't doubt there are asshats who want the badge to show off, but you will get that all the time, no matter what limitations you put on mentorship.