Why is there no mentor system?

[TheBBP]

There is no need for Mentoring in this game and i will give the following reasons why.

 

1,You have companions

 

2,Progression in this game is very smooth for many play style's

 

3,Soon Legacy features will be available for not only very good gear but also buffs for you and your companions.

 

 

 

I really tire of ppl coming into every mmo and dumbing it down,from instant travel baloney to AA's to Mentoring,,STOP!

 

Mentoring is way more than getting help from a higher level character and coasting through the game. It is a mechanic that allows friends and guild mates run together regardless of a level difference. It promotes interaction among the levels rather than segregation. Mentoring would add to the experience. I would LOVE to be able to help a lower level friend or guildie without hurting their experience gain.

 

Put down the haterade. Folks want mentoring. If you do not like it, do not partake in it if we get it.

[Dezzi]

You would think that a game set in a universe built upon the master/apprentice relationship would have included a mentor system. But as others have pointed out, when you design your game to be played by a single player and his or her gaggle of companions, a mentor system seems moot.

 

The system would be extremely useful for guilds--especially those that are high-level heavy. It would encourage players to come back to old planets and help out the new guys on the block. As it is, new players are discouraged from participating with players higher than them because of the reduced rewards (not to mention how silly it is to stand around while your helper mows everything down).

[Vahzl]

You would think that a game set in a universe built upon the master/apprentice relationship would have included a mentor system. But as others have pointed out, when you design your game to be played by a single player and his or her gaggle of companions, a mentor system seems moot.

 

The system would be extremely useful for guilds--especially those that are high-level heavy. It would encourage players to come back to old planets and help out the new guys on the block. As it is, new players are discouraged from participating with players higher than them because of the reduced rewards (not to mention how silly it is to stand around while your helper mows everything down).

 

Why would you need a player mentor when the storyline gives everyone one, and as they progress, more to learn from?

 

Also ingame tutorials have taught me everything I needed to know, and my guild taught me the rest. The hints and tips pop ups are very informative in this game, I don't know why people would need a mentor system.

 

Alos to everyone saying CoH etc was the first, FFXI has a mentor system, and so did EQ2.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Vahzl

[TheBBP]

and so did EQ2.

 

And it was awesome to go back some levels to run content that you may have missed with lower level guildies and friends.

[TheBBP]

 

The system would be extremely useful for guilds--especially those that are high-level heavy. It would encourage players to come back to old planets and help out the new guys on the block. As it is, new players are discouraged from participating with players higher than them because of the reduced rewards (not to mention how silly it is to stand around while your helper mows everything down).

 

Exactly. You can only roll so many alts and eventually they will all be level 50. What do you do then when you want to help folks?

[terminova]

Exactly. You can only roll so many alts and eventually they will all be level 50. What do you do then when you want to help folks?

 

You help them....? For some, simply the knowledge that they helped someone is all they need, others need tangible rewards.

Edited April 6, 2012 by terminova

[Snoodmaster]

You help them....? For some, simply the knowledge that they helped someone is all they need, others need tangible rewards.

 

It's not about personal rewards to the person mentoring. If he's higher level, there's nothing to be gained for him by running stuff at a level lower than he already is. No xp, gear is worthless, and the cash is the same.

 

The problem is that you get less xp for running low level content, which includes your group members. So if a lvl 50 goes to help a lvl 20, the lvl 20 guy is basically getting zero xp. Which defeats the whole point of helping since you are actually hurting your friend. What people are asking for is the ability to run with their friends without hurting that friend's ability to level.

[TheBBP]

You help them....? For some, simply the knowledge that they helped someone is all they need, others need tangible rewards.

 

I would like for you to find anywhere I have asked there to be a reward for mentoring. Unless of course you consider wanting to do older content with a lower level player as asking for a reward.

 

Explain to me please why a mentoring system would be bad?

[Dezzi]

Why would you need a player mentor when the storyline gives everyone one, and as they progress, more to learn from?

 

Also ingame tutorials have taught me everything I needed to know, and my guild taught me the rest. The hints and tips pop ups are very informative in this game, I don't know why people would need a mentor system.

 

Alos to everyone saying CoH etc was the first, FFXI has a mentor system, and so did EQ2.

 

Without being insulting, a little understanding about the audience this game is marketed toward would shed some light on why a mentor system would be helpful.

 

Let us also not confuse mentor to only mean "teach," since a mentoring system also serves to make grouping more mechanically viable for characters very far apart along the leveling curve. The game already includes this mechanic for PvP matches, boosting all players to the 48-50 level range in terms of base damage and defense.

 

The same system could, as has been established in other games, used to bring high-level players down to lower level stats to encourage socialization across the level ranges because as it is now, people are stuck in their concise level brackets and only get to socialize with players near their level unless they're on the fleet.

 

The point of the mentor system would be to remove the penalties low level players face for having a high level player in their group. Why would that be a bad thing?

Edited April 6, 2012 by Dezzi

[Inspecter]

It's not bad. Since people keep bringing up CoX's side-kicking system, I'll add to how successful a feature it is. Not only can the higher level player drop their effective level down to help a lowbie (losing access to powers that are higher than their effective level), they can also bring the lowbie up to one level below them (though the lowbie doesn't get any of their future powers)

 

And they've recently expanded it so that instead of needing 1 mentor per lowbie in the group, (regular groups there max out at 8 people) you can set everyone in the group's level to match the leader's level. All just so that you can get any random collection of levels together to play pretty much any of the content that you want...except for the Task Forces (flashpoints)....everyone's natural level has to meet the minimum for those.

 

It's probably one of their most popular features.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Inspecter

[Yvin]

Hello there!

 

In the Q&A portion of the

, Principal Lead PvP, Flashpoints and Operations Designer Gabe Amatangelo touched on this briefly at

:

 

A reverse-bolstering is in discussion.

 

Hope this helps!

[Cancrizans]

Asheron's Call 2 had a pretty cool system where every character could be the patron of 10 characters. As a Patron, you basically tutored your vassals in the ins and outs of the game, helped them when they needed it, took them on group quests etc., and in return, your vassals "passed" XP up to you, a % of whatever they made(without them losing any for their own char of course).

 

It gave patrons a reason to actually do something for their vassals, as if you ignored them they were likely to go find someone who actually gave a crap...because it was very valuable to have that pass up XP.

 

This system would have to be tweaked for modern games, as AC2 had an unreachable level cap of 150 so the passing up of XP, while very nice to have, was never a way to really gain the kind of advantage you would get in games that have an easily accessible cap...and with most of the patrons being at the cap, it would be meaningless for them to get XP anyway.

 

I could see a similar system being implemented though, where those who take their time to help out lower level players gain some kind of "pass up" reward, and where the potentials for gaming the system were reduced.

 

It was a really nice feature in AC2, and one that created bonds between patrons and vassals, and also fostered a really tight knit community that is lacking in today's games. I still keep in touch with my patron these days, and AC2 closed in 2005.

[TheBBP]

Hello there!

 

In the Q&A portion of the

, Principal Lead PvP, Flashpoints and Operations Designer Gabe Amatangelo touched on this briefly at

:

 

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Out-fricken-standing. Thank you very much for the heads-up Yvin.

[Blavatsky]

no one mentioned Vanguard?

 

They may have had it first

[terminova]

I would like for you to find anywhere I have asked there to be a reward for mentoring. Unless of course you consider wanting to do older content with a lower level player as asking for a reward.

 

Explain to me please why a mentoring system would be bad?

 

No where did I mention a mentor system.

 

No where.

 

I'm glad we had this conversation.

[mattgyver]

Hello there!

 

In the Q&A portion of the

, Principal Lead PvP, Flashpoints and Operations Designer Gabe Amatangelo touched on this briefly at

:

 

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thank you, it did.

[Drudenfusz]

Hello there!

 

In the Q&A portion of the

, Principal Lead PvP, Flashpoints and Operations Designer Gabe Amatangelo touched on this briefly at

:

 

 

 

Hope this helps!

They said pretty much the same years before launch, so my hopes aren't high to see that anytime soon... guess we will have to wait years for such a feature.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Drudenfusz

[PaladinOfJustice]

This is an idea that I have experienced in another MMO I played for 7 years (City of Heroes) that I can see a lot of bennifit in this game, provided it is acceptible to use in another MMO. This is the synapsis of the idea;

 

"The hero sidekick and the villain lackey, and their opposites, the exemplar and malefactor, are game features that allow low- and high-level characters to play together without completely sacrificing rewards and without enemies being vastly over- or underpowered compared to some team members. This feature is fairly rare in MMORPGs, and allows casual players to play alongside more frequent players" (Exerpt from city of heroes website)

 

The basic idea is that if I am on a lvl 50 Sith Inquisitor, and you are on a lvl 25 BH, and you invite me to group to help out with a flashpoint, my combat level will be temporarily reduced to the highest level possible in the flashpoint. The benefit to this would be the lvl 25 BH, and anyone else on group that gains experience, will not lose kill XP. The bennifit for the lvl 50 to WANT to exsemplar down to a lower lvl would be the credit reward increased by X%, Legacy XP increased by X%, and for these groups an X% chance of a purple world drop roll. Now on the other side of the spectrum, the Bossted low level would still be restricted to level appropriate content so the level 50 could not take the level 25 to a level 50 Flashpoint or Ops.

 

This idea would possibly increase the community activity, especially if I was on my level 50 and I had a friend join. If I didn't want to make a new toon, I could join him/her at their level and not take away from the experince of TOR. Oh one side note as part of the exsempaler the level 50 would only have access to powers 5 levels higher than his/her exsemplared level. So you team to level 25 you can only use the powers up to level 30. Talents included. Keeps it all fair.

 

Pros and cons..... GO!!!

[ConradLionhart]

There are too many hours from the guild summit to dig into, but I *think* someone asked for a mentor system during Q&A. I cannot remember what the devs' stance are on this.

 

Edit: Nvm some people beat me to it.

Edited April 6, 2012 by ConradLionhart

[Master-Nala]

no one mentioned Vanguard?

 

They may have had it first

 

They did not. Vanguard took it from EQ2 which took it from City of Heroes.

 

Very excited that the devs are thinking of adding this.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Master-Nala

[Jim_usmc]

GW2's gonna have it. im glad it's a great system

[madmikeyb]

Mimicking WoW is not a defining characteristic of TOR. Funny how the people who rant that this game is a WoW clone are also the same people who rant that it doesn't have WoW's features. Wish you people would make up your minds.

 

Its not WoW features we want its the basic features any MMO has. Which is why were getting 1.2 to add those basic features which why alot are upset. Something that should of been in at launch, with alot more wz, ops.

[NordBlast]

This is an idea that I have experienced in another MMO I played for 7 years (City of Heroes) that I can see a lot of bennifit in this game, provided it is acceptible to use in another MMO. This is the synapsis of the idea;

 

"The hero sidekick and the villain lackey, and their opposites, the exemplar and malefactor, are game features that allow low- and high-level characters to play together without completely sacrificing rewards and without enemies being vastly over- or underpowered compared to some team members. This feature is fairly rare in MMORPGs, and allows casual players to play alongside more frequent players" (Exerpt from city of heroes website)

 

The basic idea is that if I am on a lvl 50 Sith Inquisitor, and you are on a lvl 25 BH, and you invite me to group to help out with a flashpoint, my combat level will be temporarily reduced to the highest level possible in the flashpoint. The benefit to this would be the lvl 25 BH, and anyone else on group that gains experience, will not lose kill XP. The bennifit for the lvl 50 to WANT to exsemplar down to a lower lvl would be the credit reward increased by X%, Legacy XP increased by X%, and for these groups an X% chance of a purple world drop roll. Now on the other side of the spectrum, the Bossted low level would still be restricted to level appropriate content so the level 50 could not take the level 25 to a level 50 Flashpoint or Ops.

 

This idea would possibly increase the community activity, especially if I was on my level 50 and I had a friend join. If I didn't want to make a new toon, I could join him/her at their level and not take away from the experince of TOR. Oh one side note as part of the exsempaler the level 50 would only have access to powers 5 levels higher than his/her exsemplared level. So you team to level 25 you can only use the powers up to level 30. Talents included. Keeps it all fair.

 

Pros and cons..... GO!!!

 

There are few areas that are very different in SWTOR and CoH:

 

1. CoH isn't gear based game, the build is based on choosing and enhancing particular abilities.
    
   
2. SWTOR's gear system makes older gear obsolete.
   In CoH, on other hand, the low level enhancements in many cases are more preferable than high level (due to better set bonuses) and don't lose their relevance at higher level.
    
   
3. Only BoP items in CoH are proxy currencies (reward/alignment/vanguard/etc. merits) and incarnate mats.
   You can buy and sell everything else on the market.
    
   
4. In CoH, the main reward for completion of FlashPoint (TaskForce) or Ops (Raid/Trial) is proxy currency (merits) that can be used to purchase enhancements of your choice directly or perform random rolls.
    
   In SWTOR, on other hand, particular gear drop tied to particular FP.
   For example, If I got my chest peace from FE, I no longer have any incentive to run FE ever again on the same toon.
    
   Besides the fun factor, there is no such disincentive in CoH. You can run the same TF multiple times and get the same number of merits on each run (diminishing returns apply if repeated in 18 hours window though)
   

 

TL;DR:

There is no incentive to run lower level FP/Quests with current drop/reward system in SWTOR

[Leryth]

As we all know recently we were allowed to invite friends to play free for a week.

Due to this I was able to talk some of my EQ2 friends into coming and playing this with me. It would have been nice had I been able to play with these friends on the chars I have rather than having to make new ones. Meantime they have bought this game and still I can't play with them on my mid level chars, a lvl 41 sentinal and a lvl 39 scroundrel. Maybe we don't have to group in this game except for some areas, but what about those of us that play a game to play with friends? Now I have another friend who has bought it and plans to play it soon. I have my level 41, 39 and 2 chars that are teamed with another friend. I'm running out of slots to start over with more friends.

 

I have played EQ2 for 3-4 years now and have 5 level chapped chars there. I still subscribe to it. I love swtor but I don't see myself playing it that long especially if I can't play with friends because of a level difference.

 

Please consider a mentoring system to give ppl a means and a reason to stay with this game.

Thank you in advance for considering this topic.