Feature Cut: Mentors

[Tom]

This hasn't been working properly for a very long time now, and I think it's time we cut mentors as a class.

I still think the basic idea is solid. But maybe it shouldn't be a class. I am thinking of a message channel.

[Draco Tanos]

Instead of a sub-class that requires people to decide "do I really want to be a mentor?  Or should I be a diplomat or cavalier instead?"...  Perhaps have it as a flagging option?  Have it to similar, but separate from the class/subclass restrictions?

That way a duke who is a warrior and hero can also be a mentor to new members of a realm/the game.

[vonGenf]

Many realms have formed a mentoring guild or something similar. I think this works better than the mentor class.

[Telrunya]

I agree with some option you can check to become a Mentor after having played for x time, so new players can come to you with questions. I believe this was also discussed before. A message channel with all Mentors and Students might help in providing communication (Which is like a Mentor Guild, I guess. But I'm not sure of our current set-up as I haven't been a Mentor for a while)

[Draco Tanos]

A guild is a bit too much trouble, IMO, as people have to actively hunt down the guild halls and they have to be maintained ICly.  As the mentoring program is mostly to help new players get accustomed to the game, such IC mechanics shouldn't be there as a barrier.

[Anaris]

There's been a lot of discussion in the "Retention Revisited" thread (http://forum.battlemaster.org/index.php?topic=701.0) over the past several months of potential replacements for the mentor system. That thread should be mined for good ideas before we go back round in the same circles.

Anyone have the time to dig up the relevant posts in that thread, and post links to them here, preferably with one-line summaries?

[Chenier]

Instead of a sub-class that requires people to decide "do I really want to be a mentor?  Or should I be a diplomat or cavalier instead?"...  Perhaps have it as a flagging option?  Have it to similar, but separate from the class/subclass restrictions?

That way a duke who is a warrior and hero can also be a mentor to new members of a realm/the game.

People have been suggesting this for years. I think it would be a good idea as well. I, for one, would not sacrifice being an ambassador to be able to MAYBE get a few mentor points off the newbies that join the realm twice per year.

[Tom]

How much do people think that mentoring should be in-realm and how much should it be realm independent?

I could, theoretically, set up a "mentoring guild" that has NPC-run guildhouses in every city and stronghold and every new player gets automatically added as a member, or something.

[Peri]

How much do people think that mentoring should be in-realm and how much should it be realm independent?

Interesting point. While on the one hand it would be good to have it realm independent to increase the chances newcomers get a proper training, on the other I believe the mentor/student interaction is among the strongest in the game, and would be thus good to keep it privy to the realm the student starts. This means a good mentor the students feel attached to may rely on his students for his own agenda, and that happened to me directly some times. I don't really have an opinion on it, just throwing my feedback in the pot for the moment.

[Gustav Kuriga]

Interesting point. While on the one hand it would be good to have it realm independent to increase the chances newcomers get a proper training, on the other I believe the mentor/student interaction is among the strongest in the game, and would be thus good to keep it privy to the realm the student starts. This means a good mentor the students feel attached to may rely on his students for his own agenda, and that happened to me directly some times. I don't really have an opinion on it, just throwing my feedback in the pot for the moment.

*Raises hand* Learned most of my stuff from Bustoarsenzio.

Anyways, I would prefer that mentor be something done on a player basis, not a character one. So make an option for the player to receive messages about new players joining, with another option asking if they wish to mentor this new player. It would be independent of continents, with a specific messaging option allowing said person to mentor the other, player to player, regardless of which character they are playing as.

The reason I suggest it be this way is that small realms, such as those of about 12-16 nobles, might not have anybody willing to put the time into mentoring someone, while in a large realm like Sirion or Arcaea, the new player might get lost among the masses. Honestly, I'm not to picky on the particulars, this was just my suggestion, but I would definitely prefer it be done on a player to player basis rather than by one character to another.

[Draco Tanos]

I think it should be more realm dependent, personally.  If done cross realm ICly or done cross player OOC, I believe many new players will be more likely to gravitate to the realms where their mentors are.

I don't know what would be better in the long run, however.  I do believe that if it's removed as a subclass and added in as something that anyone can volunteer to do so as to not hinder their own characters' playing experiences, more people are likely to take part in the process.

Most of my characters are priests with a helpful subclass that would go well with it (though one day I will be a Priest/Cavalier for fun and to confuse my enemies).  I've never touched the mentor subclass because it stops me from doing what I want the character(s) to do.  If that changes?  Would love to get more actively involved.

[Gustav Kuriga]

I think it should be more realm dependent, personally.  If done cross realm ICly or done cross player OOC, I believe many new players will be more likely to gravitate to the realms where their mentors are.

Wouldn't this be the case either way? I'm not seeing a real difference, as either way the new player and the mentor are probably going to form a connection somehow.

[Peri]

In a nutshell, a realm-based mentoring system can have great rp and narrative potential, especially because I find it pretty fitting the idea that one student is taught while embedded in a determined social environment given by a certain realm - as long as the mentor is also good enough to teach him game mechanics objectively at the same time. Clearly such approach would make the mentoring less effective as a newcomer picking the wrong realm (and he has really no way to know it beforehand) would risk to be lost to himself.

An island-wide or game-wide system (I doubt the latter would be appropriated or implementable though) would make mentoring probably more effective but clearly more OOC oriented.

In a sense it's sheer effectiveness (if island-wide) vs flavour (if realm-wide).

A related question is how important the absence of a mentor is in the decision of a player to abandon the game.

[Draco Tanos]

Wouldn't this be the case either way? I'm not seeing a real difference, as either way the new player and the mentor are probably going to form a connection somehow.

The difference is some would likely turn it into a recruitment method rather than a training method.

[Tom]

The question is if we should make it an IC thing or an OOC thing.

If OOC - we could simply set up a board in the forum.