Problems with mentoring system

[davidgr1200]

What are the problems as you see them with the mentoring system, and how could they solved? Many people have complained about the mentoring system but it would be nice to collect the problems and possible solutions to them in one place and then send them off to MA. Perhaps it could encourage them to introduce some changes?

I'll start it off by saying that the time available for becoming a disciple is too limited. By the time some noobs discover what the mentoring system is about it is too late for them to become disciples. The skills limit should be increased.

 

[kosmos]

I'll start it off by saying that the time available for becoming a disciple is too limited. By the time some noobs discover what the mentoring system is about it is too late for them to become disciples. The skills limit should be increased.

I think the time frame holds the system back.

Ma needs to give some incentive to disciples to finsh the mentoring program, not just the mentors. I think most finish the discipleship to be done with it and feel they have little to show for it afterwards.

 

[AJack10600]

There has been a thousand posts about this... but MA have done nothing to the montoring system so far unfortunately... there is a multitude of reasons why this system needs to be overhauled.. .

 

[Fuega]

Personally I can't stand the mentor system as it stands... it is just a way for people to take advantage of noobs. I can't count the number of noobs that have mentors that didn't help them, so I ended up adding them to my friend list and helped them without reward. I think that MA needs to take away the mentor reward, so that mentors aren't out there farming and abandoning their disciples. The reward should be that you helped someone and the good feeling that comes with that.

 

[Coz1969]

One of the problems I have with the mentoring system is this...

I cannot remember where I read this, but in order to be a mentor, you only need to have 100 or 200 skill points in any of the mentorship skills.

So, basically, a new player teaching a new player about EU... Honestly, I think that in order to mentor, you must have graduated, or have the equivalent skills if you did not have a mentor. At least by then, you have a general concept of EU and can assists a newer player in reasonable fashion.

 

[MoFu]

I think they should just add the button, as someone mention in some other thread.

When the disciple reach the graduation skills he should be asked "Does your mentor deserve the gift?"

And simply click yes or no. That would solve everything.

Also if someone kicks their mentor, they should be able to get a new one, and not what often happens, that you are able to kick your mentor still, but not able to get a new one anymore.

 

[electriccastle]

There can be a problem that some mentors are not online so much.

I would like to se some kind of activity ranks. If a avatar is not active enough, the mentor will not be able to take new disciples.

 

[lilac]

some ideas... i think:

A: allow disciples to kick mentors (and find new ones) untl ten percent of graduation... this would assure that mentors give players who are inclined, an adequate introduction to the game.

B: (probably instead of A) cut graduation time in half, thus making good mentors more inclined to put tangible effort into helping someone skil, it would also make a "milestone" more accessible to players who put 25 bucks or 2 months of sweating into the game.

C: graduation gifts... Even a simple graduate hat would make newer players feel like reaching the milestone meant something...maybe people could recieve a cap, robe, or a tassel to give them a little MU. you could even go nuts with the school theme and give random gifts for progress on the way (you have recieved a blue ribbon, you have recieved a red dorm room refrigerator, you have recieved a class ring)... it's all MU based and costs nothing to MA, so why not give little psyche boosts to keep people in the game.

D: Mentor gifts that may not do uber damage or be uber economical, but have a unique use value in game... the power claw ME is a perfect example... it's maxed relatively easy, and an attractive skilling weapon, but not going to become many peoples primary weapon at 20 dmg and 4.07/second. A low level club,axe, or Mindforce chip would be awesome, or even mentor edition low level armour with a different damage split than others would be cool and have high enough MU to interest people. It wouldn't take too much creativity to do this without competing with crafters either

I see improving the mentoring system as a way MA could both increase the player base and improve existing player morale... to me it's a no brainer.

 

[Alice]

there are way too many farmers, so often newbies get a useless mentor

although, from the mentor side of view

i have taken ~20 disciples over the last 4 weeks now
may seem many, but the thing is

most i ran with to atlas haven, so count a 1 hour trip for each
most i haven't seen again after a day (so the next few days i took a new one)
funniest was the "i won't deposit for sure" one, i brought to swamp camp, said like "this is sweating", after which he said "I relog" and haven't seem him since

point is, for the mentors which actually take the time and explain stuff and do tp runs, the system is unfair as well
i lost 20 hours for nothing

so, i agree that there should be something done to avoid farming and bad mentors who don't help

but also, i want to see something done against bad disciples
so you can bet that i want some kind of "reward" or sign of appreciation
for a WHOLE DAY i lost on disciples who quit just recently
(skills!, i want skills when i kick a disciple at least who doesn't play!, and not the useless 0.5 gain when one graduates!)

i mentor enough now to be able to say that i lost like 2-4 weeks on disciples who quit (often pretty soon) on TP runs, etc
most of those don't even have the manners and balls to tell me that they quit

so it is nice that the suggestions go towards the disciples and newbies, but they don't waste that much time than the useful mentors

that side needs improvement as well

it might sound somehow greedy, but it really isn't
you can lose loads of time with the current system

a newbie can be a disciple until 20 pts in a graduation skill
after -20- points the newbie can't be mentored anymore

so if you want a disciple, you gotta be fast
you can't wait and monitor him a day or 2 really
he might have 100-200 points or more in rifle until then
there were quite many ppl who would love to have a mentor but were too skilled already, often around the 100-200 pts rifle border, since they feel like a mentor would help

and since they made it that far it would be a way better candidate to explain weapons and stuff more deeply than a newbie who sweats 2 times, logs off and never returns
but the latter you are pretty much forced to take
for this time you spend, you get nothing
and i don't mean gifts, especially no skills

you used to get 20-30 points! at old times when a disciple graduated
now you get 0.5, if any skill at all
the support answer i got was like "you may not always get any skill now, but if you get a skill gain now it will be higher"
so 0.5>20?

i have currently 57 graduated disciples and my profession sais "poor"
i have whole 27 pts in the mentor skill
one of the highest (if not the highest graduuater count, ofc excluding farmers who don't do the work) graduater counts ingame and i am a "poor" mentor
so the skill gain should be improved imo

looking back on the gifts, i agree on poor mentor as well

it also describes the current situation for good mentors and good disciples
its poor

it is quite unlikely that a good disciple meets a good mentor
and that is something that should be taken care off

 

[Marcus Kaine]

I'm a disciple and would have to agree with most here that this part of the system needs an over-haul. Someone mentioned incentives for stages of mentoring/discipleship, great idea, a step process where BOTH the mentor AND disciple are recognized and awarded some sort of recognition ribbon or something to say that the mentor has helped their disciple accomplish this, or the disciple has passed the tasks assigned by the mentor, or something to that affect.

In my mind, this would give the mentor the incentive to actually help the disciple through and earn their gift, and give the disciple the incentive to stick with their discipleship.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that I, as a disciple, can't chip in skills until I'm released from my mentor. This is not a dig at anyone, just an observation, at the start I needed a mentor, and I'm glad I found a decent chap to take me on. He's been there when I've asked for help, but think he has pretty much figured out that I can figure stuff out for myself. Great at the start while I was totally green, but there isn't really any incentive for me to stay in the mentorship apart from not wanting to disappoint my mentor by quiting the mentorship halfway through.

Think the 20 points thing is way too short as well, it encourages one to rush to grab the disciple before it's too late, and doesn't give the newb enough time to figure out that and find a good mentor, thus, giving opportunity to farmers, and discouragement to new disciples.

Feel I'm just burning ammo and decay with pea-shooters on the small mobs just to get to graduation.

My

 

[Nemo Seeker Jon]

Getting rid of a mentor?

Being new to Entropia, I became a disciple, not knowing what a problem that might be.
The Society of my montor I joined engaged in regular mild verbal abuse, continually put me down, and I decided I would not put up with that nonsense.
I left the Society and cut ties, found another society that was much better, with great people in it.
Now, Even though I was a "Disciple" for only a coupe days, it seems that I am stuck with this same mentor on my records. There should be CHOICE in this.
If I need a new mentor, that should be up to me, and I should not be forced to continue with one mentor against my wishes.
I am not even sure what future ramifications there may be,
just as I had no ide what I was getting into with this society and mentor.