Reworking the mentor system

My understanding is that those who are already mentors can still receive chicks but that no new mentors are being added to the program due to its flaws. In the beginning, they were only adding 1000 players per week but that has been suspended so I believe that even though you can still register to be a mentor, you will not become one under the current program.

I started this farm before the mentor program was introduced which is the basis of my comment that you can still advance and enjoy the game without it. However, I do agree that due to it being a complex game, someone to guide you is a good idea. I was a complete newbie to farming as well as online gaming as this is the first and only game I play. I did have a baby farm that had a mentor but they did not communicate with me at all so even if you get a mentor does not mean you will get a good one. One thing I have observed (don't shoot me) is that sometimes players who leave the nest are not exactly prepared to be on their own and do not fully understand how to proceed since they did get significant help from their mentor and daily gifts.

 

I won't shoot you, pnp, because I agree with you. There is a fine balance to helping just enough. I'm not sure that some "chicks" that receive help understand enough about the crafts, buffs and how much each of these can benefit or cost the player. They are kicked out of the nest at the exact time they really need to know about this.

 

With the current program, I believe you are able to fly from the nest at level 40 and apply to become a mentor. Correct me if I am wrong. I think that with the ease of leveling up in the early levels you can be level 40 in no time at all and would not have had enough time under your 'playing belt' to have experienced enough different aspects of the game to fully comprehend all its components. If there is a revamping of the mentor program, I would like to see chicks be mentored longer than level 40 but possibly cap some of the gifts.

 

And raise the required level for mentors Maybe level 70 (?)

 

Maybe level 71 (and have either the Spa or the Alchemy shop open)?

 

The benefit of the system is I can send Chicks Rabbit Shearing Sheds...

 

I was/am interested, but it took so long that I forgot to check and was worried I might have missed being assigned to someone. Now I realize that I am just not going to get selected. If I do... hopefully I will get some king of notice outside of the chickadee roost, else all I can do is apologize to whomever I slight.

I think part of the issue can be solved by having a better type of initial communication. Not necessarily full blown tutorials (which can drag too long), but brief "are you sure" and 'warning... [this might have xyz consequence]" and "you might want to...." type messages.

 

woody - my understanding is that you receive a popup message if you get a chick or mentor so I don't think you have to worry about having been assigned a chick and missing them because you did not check the nest.

 

It's been awhile since I signed up (and was never selected) but I think that there was some indication that if you were to be selected as a mentor, you would be notified. By the time I signed up, they had discontinued the old program but someone queried some months ago and there is still a list of those waiting if they ever fix the system.

 

EDIT: I have changed my opinion. Initially I agreed with you, but we have to think about what is really needed in a beginning "mentor" -- in fact, maybe a name change would be in order. (orientation trainer or some such)

We don't want to get into really telling people strategies, perhaps not even if they ask (debatable, that). Basically, we need to make sure people know how to play the game, where to find things, how to do events, etc.

I do think new people should be advised not to spend their BBs and not to just use powerfeed as regular feed for chicken pens (I did), but much beyond that and its best they just know they can go to the strategy section of the forum.

I am still not quite sure level 40 is appropriate.

I do think its quite appropriate to have higher standards than now exist for being a mentor. After all, these are the "front line", sort of the first people most players will "meet", the representatives of the game. It is important that they are not just reasonably polite, but also that they don't, say, dictate certain strategies beyond specific basics. (and even then, its a suggestion, not a demand!) Some of that will vary with culture.

I can see having 2 types of "mentors" (or orienters or whatever). Some people just want gifts, some people want actual advice. Some people may not really understand the game even after reaching level 40.

I do think there needs to be a way to directly tie the help you give to mentees to the rewards the mentor receives. I am not all that familiar with love points, but maybe there can be a gift of something (maybe even BEP -- just not huge amounts) automatically if you give gifts, plus more if you are rated as having given good advice. That is, some people ONLY want gifts, some people want advice... the mentee ought to be able to say which, and then be matched with someone like-minded to help.

And... maybe you should have to earn the right to stay a mentor. Kicking out should not be automatic, though there should be a way to quickly boot someone who is outright abusive. However, there should be some clarity or distinction on whether a person is "just" giving gifts, helping or both. Probably some kind of quick training (with a short multiple choice test, perhaps) before someone can join.
Per Google translate, I initially said:
ALSO... because some languages are poorly represented, there should be some kind of provision for those areas... mentors and mentees willing to use google translate if no native speaker is available, etc.

EDIT.. I have used google translate for fairly complicated things when I had no other choice. It absolutely is limited, but most people are aware of that. In some cases, there just may not be a choice, because not many people here speak the language. That is why I said that both parties would have to ask and be willing. This might be a special category of novice mentor.

 

I don't believe using Google translate is a good idea. I tried to unofficially mentor a native French speaker. (I picked this person from the English forum neighbor requests not realizing they were French.) The names given to the specific items varies from one language to another and no translator is going to help in that regard. Sometimes even when speaking the same language the concept can be hard to convey. I currently have an unofficial mentee that I was having a hard time conveying that they didn't have to select the Bee Cuckoo as their breeding rune to continue up the tree. (Thankfully, we now have another default pick on that rune. I really dislike the "Bee" cuckoo as it is too confusing next to the "Bees". Rooster/Roaster falls into this issue as well.)

 

https://board-en.farmerama.com/index.php?threads/faq-mentoring-system-chickadee-roost.10512/
um guys can you please read this?
I have no idea whatsoever why people want to make it harder to be a mentor. We already can't get in the program and you want to make it even harder?
Sorry but I really disagree with many of the above comments.
The purpose of a mentor is:
To donate items available from the mentor shop to the chick at the right level.
To teach the chick how to use the gift area so they can gift their neighbors and say 'thank you' to the mentor with the little box of love points.
To teach the chick where the forum is so all of the information in the game is available to them.
It is not the purpose of the mentor:
To bribe the chick with CAC so the chick votes that the mentor is the best and the mentor can win a best mentor contest. sorry but that will 100% be the result of any 'best mentor contest'
To answer all the game questions the chick has or teach the chick how to play the game. The mentor should continue to direct the chick to the forum until the chick understands how to access...all the information in the game... the forum.

When one is level 40 one has done many of the easy quests and one has few avenues of making money. The mentor program was designed for people at this level to help both the mentor and the chick.
If anything the mentors should be kicked out of the program at level 70 to make room for the people at level 40 that need it.

The game needs to ask a very simple question when the chick and the mentor enter the program.
Which one language are you most fluent in?
Then there should be no more language problems.

 

Actually, I am revising my earlier comments. However, google chrome is one feature I would say might need to stay, simply because there is no option for some people. (I would not put French into that category, though) However, that would be something beyond a basic mentee. Anyone using it will have to be clear on how to use it, because you are correct, many phrases do not translate well.

Although I don't completely agree with all your comments, I do think my last suggestion was off base and am revising it.

About the "tough requirements", though... the problem is not that it is too tough. The program has just stopped. I don't believe lack of people wanting to be a mentor ever was the problem, rather more the reverese.. too many people asking and some not really doing anything at all for the people they are supposed to be mentoring. The first mentor I got could not speak English and could not answer even the most basic of question. I did get gifts, but not chicken egg pens or anything like others have said is common.

I also don't agree or think that the program should be about helping mentors to level up. A newbie training program is about helping new people feel welcome and able to play the game. The points or whatever are just a nice payoff for the work of helping someone. In fact, I would say that if the rewards are too great, and particularly without any restrictions on how to earn them, then you wind up with a lot of really bad mentors who just want to get things for themselves, rather than people who will help the community to grow. That is just my opinion.

 

I thought the mentor was also supposed to answer questions and give a little advice. I think most level 40 players don't know enough about the game to do that well. The idea with raising the level requirement to become a mentor, is to make it easier for more experienced players to become a mentor

Directing to the forum is good, but, the FAQ are very factual, they just explains how things work, and it is often not so clear how to make the most of it.

Example: When I started the game I calculated that you get the same amount of crops no matter the plot size. Later I learned about CAC increasing the harvest. But it wasn't until I read somewhere in a strategy thread that I realized that CAC works better with 1x1 plots than 2x2. ​

There is just so much information all at once

 

The forum can overwhelm many new players. It can be hard to find exactly what you are looking for. IE: G&T is the common term we use on the forum in our comments but to look it up, it is Barter, Gift and Exchange. It can be hard to follow the strategy threads when we use CAC, PJ, PJ, EM, CB, SW etc. as shorthand for the various craft buffs. (Yes, I typed PJ twice because some use it to mean Pumpkin Jam but it can also be Pink Jelly.)
New players are best off getting information in small doses when they are about to be able to use it. They learn much better under those conditions.

 

One language? Why? I am fluent in 2 languages, can "get by" in a third, Many, many people are. In fact people who speak in multiple languages are a great asset to ensure that information passed around is essentially uniform.

I would like to see a basic fluency requirement, but not all languages are common here. Also, there are times when people may want to go outside their "home" language. Most reasons are small, but I remember reading one person who said she comes to the English forum because her language forum is, in her words, a "not nice" place to be. She probably would not want a mentor in her language, either if its the same people involved

All of those things could be dealt with in a more voluntary system and with a little feedback. If someone is saying they are using google.. no problem. Its just if they claim to be fluent, and obviously are not... then it can be hard.

This is true, but the question is whether everyone who wants to give advice is going to give good advice, AND how easy we should make it. There is a fine line between making things easier and making them so easy they are boring. I am in favor of a mix.. give people a bit more information on how to avoid some of the really big mistakes, like spending BB and powerfeed without concern. Better information on events, and definitely a bit about how to go to the forum and where to get the right information (strategy, versus FAQs, etc.) could be included, but much more..

This is not the type of game where there really is one strategy or where even "succeeding" heavily.. going up in rank quickly, is necessary to enjoy the game. A mentor should help everyone. That is part of why I think a very brief quiz-type training or some such migh be appropriate... but also maybe it is extra. (a tutorial could be available, but optional maybe).

 

Same here. I did not know they existed or where they were. I didn't know ANYTHING. Still don't, but thanks to a very, very helpful and patient neighbor, I survive and thrive.

You are very much appreciated, CaliChrome. And, on a side-note: Google translate does a horrible job!! I should know, because German is my first language. So, if I can ever help you or someone else with translating - please don't hesitate to ask. That's one thing I know how to do

 

Speaking as a new player that has just gone through the mentoring program the biggest advantage it gave me were the daily gifts I got. English was not my mentors first language and other than working out what they wanted me to gift to them they did not give me any other advice. They did not point me to the forum nor even mention it, I found that all on my own. Personally I would never have asked anything but the most basic of questions anyway but that is not really the point. I did get very good gifts and ones I really needed at the time. There was just no mentoring going on. I got and continue to get that type of feedback from the forum. It is laughable to me that in theory I could now apply to be a mentor since I'm above level 40, I barely even know the basics.

I agree with the suggestions that mentors should be required to be a higher level than 40 or perhaps base it on the length of time they have been playing. For example you have to have been playing for a minimum of 6 months and reached level 70.

I definitely think a better effort to match players that share a common language is a must. I do not think it is their job to teach us how to play the game cause honestly that would be exhausting. Still offering tips and giving general guidance should be happening. One of my random neighbors sent me a message after I hit level 21 that if I wanted to breed animals I might want to wait till there was a breeding event. Now that was a helpful little tip that was appropriate to my having breeding become available. Giving mentors an outline that showed the important events and what level they happen at would be a helpful tool for them so they could give those type of tips at the right time.