The Mentor System 3rd Iteration I call it the "Mentor System" since it relies on an experienced player helping a squad of beginners, aka mentoring them. The Mentor would of course be given a minor reward for it depending on how good a job he did (with a set minimum); if he does this several times then the reward would be bigger. I originally chose to call the beginners for “Boyz”, because I made this system during the time when F2W were still expected for launch, which were supposed to be limited to playing Ork Boyz. The goal of the Mentor System is to encourage team play, help new players getting started, give the new players a good experience, and (hopefully) help make the community better by showing the Boys that it is fun and rewarding to be part of a community. "By the Emperor", I am starting to sound like some kind of salesman or maybe even a politician The main points of the system is that: Every player with a skill level/rank over a certain point will be able to sign up for the Mentor System. The reason for the restriction is to make sure that Mentor knows the game, or at least it will greatly raise the odds. Knowing that it is an experienced player who are leading you and your squadmates will make it easier to trust him/her and (hopefully) give you the feeling that you can actually learn something from following him. Both the Mentor and the Boyz should be able to choose between PvP and PvTyranids when they queue up in the Mentor System. This will make the system more appealing, especially for those who wish to complete (or die trying) a PvP objective. I speak from experience (PS2) when I say that a tutorial is not good enough to prepare you for massive PvP, and it is far worse if you do not have a squad. Although the auto join squad thing could solve the last problem. From my experience in the Early Access I can tell that the Auto Join Squad function does not work that well, but that might be due to the lack of rewards which encourage team play. Both the Mentor and the Boyz should get a small reward for doing this. I would personally prefer if I (as the Mentor) could get a banner which would give a small boost to XP earned, as this would be very helpful for the Boyz and I would be able to show my prowess (etc.) to other players. The banner should be mounted on the back. I know this is a picture of an Eldar squad but it shows exactly what I mean and admit it; the leader looks cool. (picture from Games Workshop) The Mentor should be able to queue up with a friend, since this would make it easier to split the group during an assault or when applying squad-based tactics, possibly making the mentoring experience more entertaining for both parties. The point gain would of course be halved (or reduced by a set amount), since there would be two people to receive the points. Also, it would be a nightmare to keep watch on 9 Boyz by yourself The Boyz should also be able to queue as a group, since this will allow them to keep playing with their friends while still having someone to help them get around. You should be able to choose "Find Mentor" when using the squad system, which will throw you into a squad with a Mentor (if there are a free spot). This wasn't clear from the rest of the text, courtesy of Bentusi16 for reminding me (a bit indirectly though). When the Mentor and Boyz are grouped up they should be put in a match where there are another Mentor Squad in, so that the two team are somewhat equal in terms of expected skill level. This function should be foregone if there are long queue times. This would obviously have no effect on Mentor Squads looking for some PvTyranid action. Secondary additions to the Mentor System. If the Mentor Banner would be visually upgraded, according to how many Boyz I have mentored, then it would just be the icing on the cake. The visual (no stat upgrade) could work like this: - Point gain: 1 Boy mentored for 1 hour = 1 point. X Boys mentored for 1 hour = X points. - 0 Points: Basic Mentor Banner (a pole with something resembling a symbol on a tattered piece of cloth). - 25 Points: Slightly fancier Mentor Banner. - 75 Points: The Mentor Banner will look even more distinguished. - 250 Points: You will unlock the final Mentor Banner and the title of Sergeant. - 500 Points: You will unlock the title of Lieutenant. The titles should of course be translated (if possible) to fit the current faction, though this might be hard to do for Eldar and the Orkz would not really care all that much. Whether or not the points should carry over between factions is up to you (I would prefer if they did). In addition, the point requirement for the upgrade is a basic guideline and only given as an example. The Mentor should be able to requisition a Wartrukk (or equivalent) for a slightly reduced price. This will encourage the Mentor to acquire transportation for the group, which would help them reach their destination (obviously). Not that important currently, since the game is a lobby shooter for now and the point cost for vehicles may not be ingame. There could be a "Mentor Score", which would show how "skilled" you are at mentoring, this stat would be based upon how well the Boyz have endorsed you (see next point) and the amount of Boyz you have helped. The Boyz should be able to give the Mentor a thumb up or down, which would give him more points in his "visual advancement" and give him a higher "Mentor Score". Admittedly, any system with player endorsement is flawed to a fault, since players could merely down vote the Mentor out of spite, though I reckon this wouldn't happen very often. Thanks to Bentusi16 for this, as I had somehow forgotten to add it to my newest version of the Mentor System (it was in the first iteration of it). Note: English is not my first language, so I am sorry for any grammatical or spelling error in the text. Update: Added some minor updates and additions on the 2nd of June 2016.
Kinda reminds me of the Team Fortress 2 "Couching" system, where you queue up to help people learn to play. And damn it felt good to teach people how to become better. I'd be all for this system.
Sounds neat. I try to help people with questions they have during matches so I'd be all for this system. +1 from me.
I tried writing in the suggestion thread, but my suggestion have yet to be included in the OP. Is there anything I need to expand / explain better for my suggestion to be included?
I had an idea not dissimilar to this a long while ago that I'll add on. Basically, in your options menu you get the option to flick on a button that says "I want to Mentor" or something along those lines. Whenever you lead a squad that isn't full, the game will shove random newbies into it (Newbie category to be determined at a later date). After a match or when leaving a match, the person is given the option to rate you thumbs up, no rating, or thumbs down. Getting more thumbs up unlocks special cosmetics for you that paint you as a "leader", and maybe gives an exp bonus that applies only to the 'leadership" tree of the progression tree.
I updated parts of the Mentor System, so I hope you will take it into consideration now and add it to the list of suggestions
