Mentor System?

TheGr8David

I had a thought, not a very well thought one, but a thought nonetheless. Do you think ESO would benefit from a Mentor System?

I am apprehensive about referring to anything Nexon NA does as a good idea, but I was thinking of Vindictus when I had this idea. Vindictus has/had a system that notifies higher level players in a Guild when a new player had started playing and asked the higher level player if they wanted to become the new player's mentor. The idea was that higher level players would help new players clear the lower level quests and raids and would be rewarded with useful items/equipment whenever the new player hit a milestone. Vindictus is very much P2W and the population is mostly dead at this point, but I feel like ESO would benefit from a similar system.

I imagine it could work very much in the same vein/style as the Ring of Mara, where 2 players would adopt a mentor/student relationship. Newer players could be granted an EXP boost for partying up and completing quests/dungeons with their mentor, and the mentors could be rewarded with their choice of rewards similar to how new characters select rewards when they level. EXP scrolls for leveling new characters, random furniture, mats, etc. In addition, there could be even greater rewards for veteran players helping newer players complete Veteran Dungeons for the first time, like a guaranteed motif for DLC dungeons, or Gold Jewelry for base game dungeons.

In a perfect world, I expect this would increase the number of players queuing for normal dungeons (so new players don't have to wait 20+ minutes to get into their first dungeon). I would hope the social aspect of it would also help new players get into the core mechanics of the game and let little Billy StamDK grow up without thinking that Acid Spray is the best spammable ever!

I'm just kind of spit balling here, but what does everyone else think of this?

1. Is this something you'd like to see? If not, is there a better alternative?
2. What would imagine the rewards would be for the mentor?
3. What problems do you think this would bring, if any?
4. Am I wrong? Is Acid Spray the best thing since skooma?

idk

It is basically up to guild to determine how they want to provide assistance. Well organized guilds have good systems and the information is easily seen guild members.

They are well suited to help in many ways. Nothing needs to be added to the game to help them. If your guild does not have a something setup then there are many other guilds out there.

Houshiki

1. I'll keep neutral for now, and take on a wait and see approach.

2. The rewards you've listed might be worthwhile.

3. Problems? Obviously abuse of the system to farm said rewards. Seriously, mentor or not, a high lvl player still simply be able to steamroll through most dungeons easily and get the rewards; meanwhile little Billy StamDK practically learns nothing from the experience.

4. Are you wrong? Not necessarily, just that a system like this would have a complicated implementation to prevent abuse, while keeping it worthwhile and letting the newbie players learn something from it.

dtsharples

This is a great idea, that would help the whole community immensely.
Imagine doing random dungeons and EVERYONE is using food, potions and has a viable armour set and rotation O.O

I can't see a downside to this at all.
If you don't like it, don't offer your services.

You wouldn't have to opt out, you'd have to opt in. Win-Win situation IMO.

I was thinking of doing something similar recently but without the rewards ofc.
Just standing in Wayrest and asking in Zone if anyone wanted to do a particular non-DLC Dungeon.
But I don't know whether it would come across as being too condescending or not.

Ragnork

It seems that the focus of your mentoring is to make new players ready to do dungeon running.

Whilst it is easy to say "don't like it don't opt in" my fear is that if this was made a focus it would channel a new player in a set direction and effectively remove the story telling in the game.

For me the focus of the game was to enjoy the story line at a laid back pace, exploring how to play, understanding how to build my character and to follow an entertaining and well thought out Elder Scrolls (related) story.
So for me the "RPG" part of mmo was (and to a certain extent still is) a more important part of the game.

I have now built a high level character, I can sustain a respectful dps with good burst. Maybe now is a more appropriate time for a mentor; but then if I want one I am part of a guild and could probably reach out to the guild and get that help.

Hamish999

Isn't this what guilds already do (without the rewards obviously)?
It's certainly what the guild I'm in does.

Yellow_Monolith

When I started back in 2016 I had an awesome mentor. He thought me how to craft and everything

WaltherCarraway

F1 key is your best mentor.

Agenericname

Houshiki wrote: »

1. I'll keep neutral for now, and take on a wait and see approach.

2. The rewards you've listed might be worthwhile.

3. Problems? Obviously abuse of the system to farm said rewards. Seriously, mentor or not, a high lvl player still simply be able to steamroll through most dungeons easily and get the rewards; meanwhile little Billy StamDK practically learns nothing from the experience.

4. Are you wrong? Not necessarily, just that a system like this would have a complicated implementation to prevent abuse, while keeping it worthwhile and letting the newbie players learn something from it.

#3. A rating system would probably be needed and the rewards based off of that. If Billy StamDK wanted to "smell the roses" then Johnny 1kCP would need to accommodate or risk a lower rating. It would at least provide some incentive. There are some issues with that approach as well and they would need to be addressed.

I don't really have an opinion on it yet. It's one of those issues I'd have to ponder for a bit.

There are certain aspects of the game that are lacking clear direction and this could possibly be used to help. The starting areas is one right off the top of my head. Had someone been there to tell me, I'd have went straight to the wailing prison and played this in order.

runagate

WaltherCarraway wrote: »

F1 key is your best mentor.

Interesting. I don't think I've ever pushed F1. Course, I've been on these here forums since before launch. My experience is that most people in-game know almost nothing about the almost impossible amount of finicky little details to know about ESO compared to the people who lurk here during every loading screen. Maybe that's why we manage to memorize everything... more long loading screens each year.

OP, I don't know about that game and have never heard of that company but I played Asheron's Call way back in the day and they had a pyramidal mentoring system that passes bonus xp upwards as an incentive. Given the insane grind to get to level 126 (which was 10x worse than getting to CP 1000 here) it made sense.

I had a "mentor" named Yodasan. Could never have survived that game without him. I did not in fact learn any jedi nerd powers from him but I fondly remember his to this day. I once saw him log off about 10 seconds before the main enemy of the game - roughly equivalent to Molag Bal - appeared and chatted with and talked smack to the characters in town, eventually one of whom pissed him off and he obliterated everyone, sending them to the eerily-similar-to-wayshrines nearby resurrection thingee. Good times.

Mentors good
Dev-played NPCs boss monsters even better.

Shezzarrine

It's an interesting idea but I don't see it working. Players usually get help if they ask for it in a guild chat in my experience. There is also the fact that people play the game for different reasons so and end game raider getting paired with someone who just wants to quest in first person wouldn't be very useful to either of them. Ive also found that even when a new player asks for advice, if the advice isn't what they want to hear, they tend to think they know better or they just don't want to listen.

MakoFore

a good idea- but i dont see how to have it happen in game. something the community or a guild would have to organise- but if it could be done in game- itd be an incredible achievemnt for the game tbh- but there is certainly a gap - between an end gamer and a novioce- in terms of learning how to parse, dps, cancel, etc. and other things in game. something as simple as researching gear- isnt really detailed well in game

PlagueSD

We used to call that "power-leveling" take a high level raid-geared player and run a low level player through high level content. The only thing that accomplished was the low level character was now fully leveled. He still doesn't know any of the game mechanics because all he was doing is following and looting.

kaiage

idk wrote: »

It is basically up to guild to determine how they want to provide assistance. Well organized guilds have good systems and the information is easily seen guild members.

They are well suited to help in many ways. Nothing needs to be added to the game to help them. If your guild does not have a something setup then there are many other guilds out there.

Some of us don't have a guild :frownie:

THIS IS NO REASON TO GO CREATING MORE GUILDS DAMNIT I DON'T NEED MORE GUILDS TO JOIN AND THEN DEPART FOR NO RAISIN.

LadyNalcarya

I think it's a great idea.

Houshiki wrote: »

3. Problems? Obviously abuse of the system to farm said rewards. Seriously, mentor or not, a high lvl player still simply be able to steamroll through most dungeons easily and get the rewards; meanwhile little Billy StamDK practically learns nothing from the experience.

They could just make it so the normal dungeons would give you "normal" rewards, and to get something really valuable you'd have to do vet or vet dlc.

geonsocal

runagate wrote: »

WaltherCarraway wrote: »

F1 key is your best mentor.

Mentors good
Dev-played NPCs boss monsters even better.

that sounds like that could be a lot of fun...heck, let me play some of those boss monsters for a while

haelene

I actually love this idea. The biggest problem I see with this game is that it's got a fairly high learning curve, and I don't think we should leave the education to the randomness of guilds. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you get one that loves bad habits.

I do agree, there would have to be some accountability for the mentors and a system to prevent newbie farming - but this would certainly be something I'd participate in myself (not for the rewards - I love it when people get excited about stuff that's new for them - it makes the content almost new again for me).