Looking over the mentor registration thread and how very little it is actually used, I thought perhaps that the mentoring system could use an update. Right now, it’s all willy-nilly and never really had a set purpose to actually dishing out mentors and mentees in the proper way, and for the most part, mentees always chose their mentors. I was talking with Iza a bit earlier in one of the many Skype chats I’m in with her about how it could be changed to be more fitting of a community this small. After a bit of discussion, I remembered an old idea that had sprouted on a former site I had been on and thought that maybe it would be nice to have on here. On the old site, it was called the buddy system and to give a short explanation as to what it was and what it did, it was basically old members of a clan (it was a Warriors site) being paired up with new members of the clan. This was so that new members of the clan could be integrated into the clan more efficiently and feel less like they were excluded from the clan. It was also to help new members get used to how the site’s main game worked before they would wander off to do their own things with their characters.
Of course, this was a buddy system, not exactly like the mentoring system that we have. Neither am I saying the mentor system should be changed completely into a buddy system.
What I am suggesting, however, is perhaps implementing aspects of such things, like the elder members of a guild (who are, of course, A-rank+) being paired with newer members of the guild. They can take them on missions, thread with them when they have time, and otherwise help them get acquainted with the guild and teach them the workings of the site at the same time (if they’re new members to the site). It isn’t something that would be required, rather it would be on a volunteer basis, and whoever wants to help new members of the guild can. Neither would it be required that A-rank+ members only take mentees from their guild if they are from one, but they can take mentees who are either of their respective faction (legal or dark) or of the neutral/guildless factions. If that sentence was confusing, let me clarify it for you: what I was saying is that, for example, legals don’t have to only take mentees from their guild they’re in, but they could take mentees from other legal guilds or even the neutral/guildless factions. In the case of there only being two neutral/independent guilds right now, these guilds would have the ability to mentor members from all of the factions, regardless. So, a neutral guild member could mentor either a guildless, dark, or legal mage.
The randomized aspect of the mentor/mentee system would be kept; in fact, it’ll be the main aspect of the mentor/mentee system. I liked the idea of having a randomized pairing, but I didn’t like the idea that legals could mentor darks and vice versa; they should be kept separate. Of course, you would still have the option that a legal could mentor a dark or a dark mentor a legal, but it would be under the jurisdiction of the staff. Meaning, it would have to be run by staff in order to be passed because something like that occurring, would have to be plot related and not just randomized. Awkward for it to be randomized, right? Don’t worry, as long as it’s plot related and there’s evidence of it being plot related, staff shouldn’t deny it because it be rather stupid, yeah? But if it’s isn’t plot related and it’s just because you wanted a mentor as quickly as possible, sorry, bud, gotta find a different mentor then.
Let me reinstate that this is, again, volunteer based, so if you don’t like it, you’re not forced into participating in such a thing. Or if you don’t like an aspect, suggest a counter/change to it; don’t automatically say, “I don’t like it, I hate it, I’m not doing it; it’s dumb” because you will be ignored and disregarded. I don’t look for people who aren’t willing to help develop things the way they want them (and by that I mean not to benefit for yourself only, but to benefit the entire site). That’s right, I’m not here to cater to members who only search to benefit themselves.
I want what’s best for the community, and what’s best for the community is a tightly knit bond, where we don’t cause drama as much as we do and we don’t hate other members just to hate on them.
If it worked on a site with 10x more members than this one, it can work on this site. Trust me.
This is just a rough sketch, so feel free to throw in some input as long as you are not disrespectful toward me or anyone in thread, do not try to flame or bait, or otherwise break the rules just because you don’t like something or someone’s idea. The second you do that, the future won’t be pretty for you. And trust me, I'm not afraid to become a tyrant.
For an example of what I was talking about on the buddy system, check this example thread from the Warriors site. (Don't join the site, you don't need to join it to see it; I pray that you don't join it lol).
https://feralfront.com/index.php?topic=2135290.0
https://feralfront.com/index.php?topic=2335750.0
Or if you like the idea of the buddy system, there can be individual ones inside of the guilds for actually getting acquainted and such with the members and the guild's workings.
Of course, this was a buddy system, not exactly like the mentoring system that we have. Neither am I saying the mentor system should be changed completely into a buddy system.
What I am suggesting, however, is perhaps implementing aspects of such things, like the elder members of a guild (who are, of course, A-rank+) being paired with newer members of the guild. They can take them on missions, thread with them when they have time, and otherwise help them get acquainted with the guild and teach them the workings of the site at the same time (if they’re new members to the site). It isn’t something that would be required, rather it would be on a volunteer basis, and whoever wants to help new members of the guild can. Neither would it be required that A-rank+ members only take mentees from their guild if they are from one, but they can take mentees who are either of their respective faction (legal or dark) or of the neutral/guildless factions. If that sentence was confusing, let me clarify it for you: what I was saying is that, for example, legals don’t have to only take mentees from their guild they’re in, but they could take mentees from other legal guilds or even the neutral/guildless factions. In the case of there only being two neutral/independent guilds right now, these guilds would have the ability to mentor members from all of the factions, regardless. So, a neutral guild member could mentor either a guildless, dark, or legal mage.
The randomized aspect of the mentor/mentee system would be kept; in fact, it’ll be the main aspect of the mentor/mentee system. I liked the idea of having a randomized pairing, but I didn’t like the idea that legals could mentor darks and vice versa; they should be kept separate. Of course, you would still have the option that a legal could mentor a dark or a dark mentor a legal, but it would be under the jurisdiction of the staff. Meaning, it would have to be run by staff in order to be passed because something like that occurring, would have to be plot related and not just randomized. Awkward for it to be randomized, right? Don’t worry, as long as it’s plot related and there’s evidence of it being plot related, staff shouldn’t deny it because it be rather stupid, yeah? But if it’s isn’t plot related and it’s just because you wanted a mentor as quickly as possible, sorry, bud, gotta find a different mentor then.
Let me reinstate that this is, again, volunteer based, so if you don’t like it, you’re not forced into participating in such a thing. Or if you don’t like an aspect, suggest a counter/change to it; don’t automatically say, “I don’t like it, I hate it, I’m not doing it; it’s dumb” because you will be ignored and disregarded. I don’t look for people who aren’t willing to help develop things the way they want them (and by that I mean not to benefit for yourself only, but to benefit the entire site). That’s right, I’m not here to cater to members who only search to benefit themselves.
I want what’s best for the community, and what’s best for the community is a tightly knit bond, where we don’t cause drama as much as we do and we don’t hate other members just to hate on them.
If it worked on a site with 10x more members than this one, it can work on this site. Trust me.
This is just a rough sketch, so feel free to throw in some input as long as you are not disrespectful toward me or anyone in thread, do not try to flame or bait, or otherwise break the rules just because you don’t like something or someone’s idea. The second you do that, the future won’t be pretty for you. And trust me, I'm not afraid to become a tyrant.
For an example of what I was talking about on the buddy system, check this example thread from the Warriors site. (Don't join the site, you don't need to join it to see it; I pray that you don't join it lol).
https://feralfront.com/index.php?topic=2135290.0
https://feralfront.com/index.php?topic=2335750.0
Or if you like the idea of the buddy system, there can be individual ones inside of the guilds for actually getting acquainted and such with the members and the guild's workings.
![Grand Master [2000]](https://i.imgur.com/SGD5XSW.png)
![Master [1000]](https://i.imgur.com/AQXM4xC.png)
![Senior [500]](https://i.imgur.com/Nmfn8cD.png)
![Novice [250]](https://i.imgur.com/lrYlde6.png)
