MENTOR petition/ button for new and returning players

[Roled]

  MENTORING via button or petition: 

I posted this in the Playing a Guard topic, but Rigwyn and others suggested a new topic- for our community AND for the GMs/ Devs to consider please?  This is an idea of how to help new and returning players with IC and OOC help during those crucial first hours/ days of trying to get around PS world.  What do you all think?

Actually a bunch of us ancient and midbies do help new players often, guiding them, giving them some extra tria or a blade, helping them figure out quests, etc.

Its not an organized effort, though we tried once to do that, like a welcome wagon. Now it's sporadic.

I wonder if somehow new players could petition for a MENTOR for a day or play session and one of us old coots could plan on doing that with new player who would like that kind of help?

[Mouli]

The Way of the Hammer, is already experiencing something similar for some months now, (without button or petition) We just try to run ICly into Newcomers and after a small presentation of Yliakum, we propose them some small task in exchange of some better Q items. We dont give away item too easily, but we try to increase their knowledge and to make them appreciating their Ingame Experience.
After some time we push them joining the guild of their choice.
Many thanks to Laros for this, He is the one who put this in place, I can say we have now some "pupilles of the Hammer" (all races, not only dwarfs) and they seem to enjoy their experience.

[bloodedIrishman]

I can help with this. Sounds like a good idea Roled 

[cdmoreland]

The Hammers are doing a good job, but I do not think the players really understand the relationship. Ask one about joining AL and he said he had to ask his Hammer mentor about it first. Not a problem, just saying.

Mentoring can be very time consuming. Waesed has done it for many players, but it seems to get harder with the changes that have been made. I need to escort them to and around Oja. Sometimes they see how easily I kill cutthroats and they try themselves, only to die before I can even heal them.

[Mouli]

He dont have to ask us about joining the Guild he wants to join, He is not a slave, he do whatever he want with his character cdmoreland, we just help him and since the bigening we push him building his character and looking for a guild that fit with him...
He will for sure look into the active guild around, but our main goal is just to make them enjoying more their experience and easily find someone that could answer or give them solution to their problems.

But my main thought about this, was more something like:
The most inportant in PS is the relationship, Like it was said in an other thread today there is now plenty quality (& non beta) Rpg... But If we are still around Its just about Friendship IMO. I play PS since 2006 some of you are older, and some are dinosaurs here *point to LigH*
We used to be 200 online and most of quests were bugged aswell as some Skill but we had fun, a lot of fun I would say...
 For me newbies do not need any features to be implented, they just need real player/character to play with. Why do you think "The Family" is the most active guild atm with over 120 members, They're not the best RPer ever, not the one with the more knowledge they never host any events or anything... But Jemima and her family members are very friendly that all (this guild is back from EZPC)...
  I created an alt few days ago and was recruted by a new guild, but I hardly get any words since i joined... Just got a spam /tell from the leader and since nothing... If a noob joined that guild (which is a very good baddies guild) I'm not sure he would enjoy his experience...

[Roled]

Yes indeed, it is about relationships.  I totally agree!

My thought about the 'meet and greet' style, which I do too, is that the more experienced player tends to initiate that, which sets up one kind of relationship.

The advantage of having some kind of way for a newer player to REQUEST a mentor, means a different relationship to begin with- since the newer player initiates the desire for a player assist. As I know from rl, there is a vast difference in attention and intention when an audience member buys a ticket, i.e. chooses your concert, vs. when it's a free event they just stumble in on. 

The initiation of the relationship by the newer player creates a different, and a more invested, relationship. IMHO.

Hence the petition button idea...
RR

[Lumi]

I totaly agree with Mouli. "Relationship" is what made me stay on PS, or even come back to it after some time away.

Grinding can be utterly boring but if you are blaberring on /tell or even on channels/Guild Chat with a bunch of funny comrades, it just make it awesome lol

The goal is not to "Chew the work" for the newcomers so he just let himself go and blindly follow, but to make him somehow understand that the key in this game is to interact.

Roled, idea is like in university when the first years arrive and are  given automatically a tutor. It's not a bad idea, it's even sweet in some way but who will do that ?

[cdmoreland]

Don't get me wrong, what the Way of the Hammer is doing is a very good thing.

There is the "Help" tab. Maybe just expand its use to Mentoring?

The really hard thing, imo, is to help players without making them dependent on you. That's where getting them into a guild helps. Then the guild takes on that responsibility.

[gonger]

Mentoring seems a pretty good idea to me - in fact I wanted to propose something similar during the next Dev meeting. 
Details still need to be worked out - how to distribute newbies, be a bit more clear about how far the help should go, how to be in contact with your protégés when you are not online, etc.
Maybe we should still speak about it during the next Dev meeting?
Regards, Gonger

[cdmoreland]

I am with you, gonger

[MishkaL1138]

[Rigwyn]

As always, I'm willing to teach and answer questions. No question is too stupid. No player is too new/unskilled/bad to play. So long you are interested and are willing to learn, I'll be glad to help.

Whatever you do noobs, do NOT shy away from trying RP because you are afraid that you will suck. At some point, we all.... wait... scratch that. Just do it!

[Eonwind]

First of all a big thanks to every player that is helping, helped or will help any newbie 

Second I think the game already has a lot of tools to support your idea with no need of further improvements. Of course if a smarter/better solution will be found we can implement it.

We have the petition manager and the help tab both can be useful tools, I just think we can organize a bit (players, devs, and GM) make a good use of the tools and improve the workflow of informations. Some example:
- willing mentors may get in touch with the GM team (irc #planeshift-gmtalk) and apply for mentoring (while I don't mean at all only who applied for the position can mentor someone) and leave tell them how they can be informed (eamil, forum PM, ...)
- helpers in the help channel can remember to inform players they can file a petition to ask for a mentor and maybe point them to some mentor or get the two in touch with a couple of /tell
- new players can file a petition to ask for a mentor
- GMs can answer the petition pointing them to some mentors and informing the mentors of the incoming requests
- Devs can add a server message (the one you see popping up while logging) saying they can file a petition or ask in the /help channel requiring a mentor.
Just a few ideas, I hope it helps.

[Roled]

And perhaps the final npc in the tutorial could let new players know that there are citizens willing to welcome and help new residents coming in front the fields for the emergency???
(Venalan?)

[gonger]

Dear all,

Mentoring was discussed during the last Dev meeting. There was agreement that it is a good idea and could help to keep new players active. Several people remarked that they are already doing something similar on a more or less regular basis.
Mentoring should take place on a voluntary basis - if new players wish to learn on their own, fine. Likewise no player should be forced into being a mentor.

As a start, the Explorer booth could be changed to help with mentoring. For now, I will put a book there into which newbies wishing to be mentored and oldies willing to be mentoring can write their names and their time zones. Later we will certainly find better ways of getting organized.

Apparently it is not a new day, but so far did not work because, as Mordaan said, "It comes down to people dedicated to it".

I propose to get started in two ways:
1) By using the book I will put into the Explorers booth
2) By discussing here further details and additional ideas about mentoring.

Thanks to all who will make Mentoring a big success! 

For information, I will add below the discussion on mentoring from the Dev meeting. It is a bit lengthy, so if you quote this post, please edit accordingly.

Kind regards, Gonger



(18:06:01) Gonger says: During a discussion in the forums, several people had the idea of a Mentoring system for new players. What do you think of this?
(18:06:31) Mordaan says: Sure, it's not a new idea
(18:06:46) Eonwindd says: Personally I think it's good and we already have all needed tools
(18:06:57) Gonger says: Most people agree that something must be done to keep new players in the game
(18:07:06) Eonwindd says: we just need to organize a bit devs-GMs-players
(18:07:12) Mordaan says: It comes down to people dedicated to it
(18:07:14) Eredin says: are we talking about a mandatory mentoring arrangement or voluntary?
(18:07:26) Gonger says: I think voluntary
(18:07:28) Lumi says: Voluntary
(18:07:30) Mordaan says: can it be properly run long term.
(18:07:38) Gonger says: If you force someone doing this, they will do a poor job
(18:07:44) Mordaan says: yeah
(18:08:08) Gonger says: Look at some Guilds (no names... :-) ) that are fast in recruting, but slow in helping
(18:08:09) Eredin nods "exactly my concern. and many newcomers might resent it if it was mandatory for them"
(18:08:10) Mordaan says: There have even been guilds set up for this purpose.
(18:08:17) Jemima grins "I do 'mentor' my head off... Most of the time I'm a city-guide..."
(18:08:39) Gonger says: Ah, I was thinking whether you meant it obligatory for players to become mentors
(18:08:57) Gonger says: But I believe it should be voluntary from both sides.
(18:09:03) Eonwindd says: well I'm against obligatory
(18:09:18) Mordaan says: yes, it should be voluntary
(18:09:23) Eonwindd says: but I made a post in the forum to explain my mind
(18:09:50) Gonger says: Eonwindd, of what tools do you think?
(18:09:56) Eonwindd says: I think this way with a bit of effort from everyone we can make it work
(18:10:52) Eonwindd says: Gonger we already have the help tab and the petitions, we just need to make sure everyone working on this tools and new players are aware of this possiblility
(18:11:30) Gonger says: Yes, I have advisor in my autoexec
(18:11:41) Mordaan says: good move
(18:11:56) Eonwindd says: for example volunteers may let GMs and advisers know they are willing to mentor
(18:12:06) Gonger says: I do not remember all of the new tutorial. Are new players pointed to Help, for
example?
(18:12:14) Eonwindd says: and advisers and GMs may point new players to mentors
(18:12:21) Eonwindd says: sure
(18:12:36) Mordaan says: yes, there are references to the help feature
(18:12:42) Gonger says: But how will players be distributed to mentors?
(18:12:44) Eonwindd says: imo we may also add a new to the server
(18:12:51) Mordaan says: its in those "INFORMATION" sections
(18:12:58) Eonwindd says: remmebering new players can ask for a mentor
(18:12:58) Gonger says: We do not want one mentor with many players, and others with very few
(18:13:04) Sanrai says: Could set up a mentor stall at the plaza .....
(18:13:35) Lumi says: That's up to the people tho Gonger. it ask time to mentor
(18:13:39) Mordaan says: We could redefine the Explorers booth if needed.
(18:13:45) Eonwindd says: Gonger right this can be due to many factor, timezone is one for example
(18:14:02) Karzela says: Why not set up a mentor booth were new players can see it as soon as they exit the tutorial?
(18:14:15) Mordaan says: that's a good suggestion
(18:14:33) Gonger says: Ok, shall we keep discussing the details in the forums?
(18:14:33) Lumi says: Mentoring should be defined aswell. We shouldn't be giving 300Q things directly for example
(18:14:50) Gonger says: Mentoring should be more about knowledge than about items
(18:15:03) Sanrai says: yes.
(18:15:06) Lumi says: Giving a nice LA set is a nice way to welcome someone
(18:15:07) Eonwindd says: it could point new player to maka a petition and then GMs may answer with a few name of willing players to contactt
(18:15:08) Lumi says: even 150Q
(18:15:10) Lumi says: :-)
(18:15:58) Karzela says: Some players love to discover everything on their own but at least if there was a mentor booth available some might like to take advantage of it.
(18:16:02) Eonwindd says: I agree with Gonger but I would let the mentor up to whatever thinks fits the new player's need
(18:16:10) Jemima says: Maby... you can point them towards bew player friendly guilds..? Guiding new players is one of the main reasons of some guilds to exist... you know..?
(18:16:44) Gonger says: Ok, in the forums, then
(18:16:45) Eonwindd says: I'm not against the mentor giving high quality item if that fits the purpose of  starting a new pleyer well in
(18:17:01) Eonwindd says: but really up to the mentor, imo