Orbus is lucky to have such an amazing community of members ready to help new players. The one issue is new players can sometimes be shy to talk to people and will eventually just leave the game. I suggest adding a button for people who are level 30 that will display above them something that indicates they are able to help people learn or answer questions. This will serve as a way to easy neverousness of new players.
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In another mmo there is a mentor system. Something similar could be implemented. Players have to be max level with at least 1 tank, dps, and healer. Also need to have completed certain feats. These players would be quite verse in the game. Also need to submit an application to become one.
Something like that could help greatly
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Hi, we appreciate the feedback!
I’d love to hear some different ideas on how the community thinks these could be added in the game or chosen, to reduce the risk of somebody who is abusive (or just plainly unhelpful and just wants a cool icon next to their name or something like that), since I think on a new player the impact of them going up to somebody who is supposed to help them and not being received positively would be worse than a random player being mean to them.
@Sir_Schmoopy I know which game you’re talking about and was a mentor myself, but what you’d find unfortunately a while after it was implemented (and even worse now) was that the mentors ended up being some of the most toxic and unhelpful players and the majority just wanted the cool icon.
I’m definitely not saying I think this community wants to do that at all, but it’s something to consider on how to pick people or make sure that positive players are chosen. At the same time, we wouldn’t want it to feel like a job to those who get chosen and that they’d be expected to always drop what they’re doing and help, so it’s a tricky balance.
This could be countered in a way with a community vote or something. With Orbus having a smaller community, most everyone knows everyone. Of course the players that apply still would need in game experience, just so it’s not 100% a popularity contest. I wouldn’t say the voting would be a make it or break it, but something to help Devs make the decision.
@Mathieu_D Nice! I’ve been contemplating going for mentor but 100% you are right on that. I’ve run into a bunch of toxic ones but also some good ones. But with a game that big, the Devs never know the players and never really interact with them.
Agreed. I think 100% there will eventually be some toxic mentors in Orbus if something get implemented. It’s bound to happen. but players would hopefully report that player and have that title revoked. But I think for the most part, most players are pretty helpful here.
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I don’t think it is possible to “pick” the good mentors. The minimum requirements are good, but those make probably more than half of the community eligible.
Why not request feedback from the new players who got the help? Just a simple"+" or “-”. A minus should barely happen, only if something really went wrong.
Well … for this there must be a real system implemented, not just one icon tho.
Some overcomplicated ideas:
- In-game list of helpers, avaliable only to the “green-leaves”: you never know when and where the new player needs the help, so there must be a way for the new player and the mentors to find each other. A mentor would “turn on” mentor status (their name appears on the list), the new player clicks on it, they can communicate. Messages, in-game voice chat (if and when it works), or the mentor could teleport to the location where they are needed.
- When they are done, one of them can select an other menu entry, and the “session” ends. Request for mentor evaluation panel pops up for the new player.
- These evaluations must be checked in regular time intervals by a dev, otherwise they don’t make any sense. When one mentor has many negative evaluations then they are doing their job poorly and probably should not do it anymore. They should not appear on the mentor list anymore.
- But when a new player is mostly giving out negative evaluations then the problem is on the other side and they probably don’t deserve mentor help. Or they are abusing the system, like trolling the mentors. Solution might be, that when a new player has already given a mentor a negative evaluation, that mentor’s name wont appear on their list anymore. So if someone is trolling the mentors their list will be empty very soon and they would shut themselves out of the mentor system.
As i said this is a complete system and might not even worth the effort to create it, but i think this is the way to really minimize the chance of bullying from both sides.
Or just go without and accept the risk of bad experiences. 
3 Likes
I like the ideas but do want clerrification on one thing:
Do you mean using the already in game mechanics and the mentor used a teleport pillar or teleport spell and then walk to the person or just a direct teleport. I ask this because the latter could be abused heavily.
I actually tought about the latter, because the other one would not be actually part of the mentor system.
I think i see your point, and maybe you are right. I might not emphasized enough the part that not just everyone should be able to call a mentor, but possibly only the people with the green leaves. I have to admit i’m not exactly sure when does one have the leaf-mark and if alt characters have it or not. I just took it as a perfect, and already existing mark for a new player.
And if you are thinking about using the instant teleport in overworld PVP then just forbid using it while PVP on. On both sides.
In PVE i actually can’t think of any huge abuse that could be done. Okay maybe one… “Im stuck in darkness/void/strange place! PLease come and help me!” And getting the mentor stuck also. But if someone has already played enough to be a mentor, they should know a solution for most of these situations anyway. And just in case they can actually see the the other player, maybe a “Grab that item on your belt, hold it until you are back in your Player House” kind of advice would be the best. I mean i did that few times in the old game when mosty lvl1 to 5 people were mage teleported to places they have never seen without a chance to get anywhere else but the closest graveyard.
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