New Member Mentor Program

[Mezrin]

I suppose I'll weigh in on this.

A mentor system would be nice, but this isn't the first time this was suggested (although maybe one of the first times it's been publicly suggested). If anything, this system should be left to, in my opinion, the Game Masters. We should be taking more initiative to show newer players and peons around, explain rules, give them some RP, and then help them make friends in the community to keep them around. New faces are nice, and we'd like to see more of them. However, I don't think the proposed mentor system is the way to go about cementing the presence of peons on CotH. Why do I say Game Masters should be doing this? I say it because many players are intimidated by us, especially newer ones, who, to be frank, are often easily intimated by anyone who's been around long enough. This also grants game masters the opportunity to leave our own circle of friends and do our jobs more efficiently; and my view on this position is to fulfill a few obligations, such as take part in decisions that affect the server, run events, perform disciplinary actions, and help introduce peons into the flow of the machine that is Conquest of the Horde. I feel that last one is sometimes neglected beyond approving the Introduction and offering them the chance to PM us or Forum Helpers with questions. I think that instead of expanding the staff even more and creating a new position, the green-named folk should just step up the game and take initiative by PMing newly accepted peons and offering them tours and answers directly, to take out the overwhelming "new server" feeling as much as possible, while keeping the flair of a new place as intact as possible.

That's not to say Forum Helpers shouldn't play a part in helping new players, or the general population for that matter. I think Forum Helpers should be available to help new people with things like lore and profiles, and Game Masters for everything else (but we can help with lore and profiles and the like as well, I suppose). I only reason this out because Game Masters know the rules a bit better than others do to our obligation to enforce them, which requires a thorough understanding of them to know what crosses lines and what doesn't.

TL;DR: Game Masters should act like mentors so we don't need a mentor system, and Forum Helpers should be around to answer questions about our lore, Warcraft lore, and profiles. The rest of the server should be willing to answer general questions other than that, so that we're a nice, oiled machine smoothly moving along.

[c0rzilla]

@ Beltharean

But, would this new place also render them anxious in the same way they are about FHs or GMs? I believe so, if it's dressed up as a "Mentorhood" or whathaveyou. If one thinks their question is "stupid" (even if it isn't) they're going to be anxious about asking it no matter what. As well, everyone gets ignored in the chat channels. The place for an answer seems to be our OOC caves and islands where people are running about to help.

This thread, to me, seems to be a reminder to help your fellow noob. Just do that and there won't be a need for a "Mentor" system, or rank, or whatever it is.

[Spix]

I assume everyone is busy with something and that my benighted questions will be considered pestering.

This applies especially to Gamemasters, who have responsibilities on top of the busy-life of the average role player.

"You're not busy?" "You're available for tickets and questions?"

Oh, but I'm too shy, naive, and unenlightened to initiate a conversation with the upper-class of the community.

What if I make a horrible first impression?
What if they're already helping someone?
What if you only want to answer one question?
Would it be imposing if I asked if I could ask another question?
Am I taking up too much of your time?
Who are you anyway?
Is that a rude question to ask?
Am I asking too much?
What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

It would be nice if there were some way to indicate I needed help without having to actually... request for help.

"Hello, I saw that you flagged yourself as needing help. What can I do you for?"

You're talking to me?
You must like me!
I have sooooooo many questions.
You're a go-to kinda person, I can tell.
This is great, it's like you want to be my friend.
11 meters per a second!


Of course, keeping the status quo is always an option. New players only gain more experience if they make the effort to seek out help. If a player or Gamemaster lets them know they're willing to help, great! Now the player grows a pair, initiates a conversation, and gets those questions answered. If nobody wants to help, great! The player learns something about the beauty of life. It's a Win-Win situation.

[Steel]

I really can't express how much I would've appreciated this when I first joined, considering I've been here so long and I still feel like I'm new.

[Panoptikon]

Let's see here... I've been logging in, scheming characters, and generally scooting around for about two weeks now (not long). My perspective so far has been that when I send a whisper to someone hosting an Open Office they are incredibly helpful. They are also polite. There is no question about the availability and helpfulness of GMs and FHs.

OOCly, no one is intimidating really. However, ICly is another story. I don't want to join in on RP events because while I am versed in RP etiquette I do not know what the house rules are apart from, respect, tolerance, so and so forth. Common sense. The rules do not state the personality of the server.

For example:

Combat RP? What is it like here? Do more players prefer the dice system? Is it defender's rules? Is that even stated on the wiki and if it is...where the heck is it?

Player owned business/weekly/monthly player events that fall in that category. Is it possible to set up a business like a card shack (gambling), tavern or whatever. If it is, do we get our own hole in the wall or do we have to pretend one of the city taverns is our place for the night (like on retail)? Is it frowned upon to want this?

Will I get laughed at for wearing Don Carlos' Hat? 'cause that baby is sweet.

I know I can ask those questions when they arise and I will! Those types of questions are situational. Frankly, I am a little intimidated about what questions will pop up in the middle of RP.

Another thing not clear on the wiki is the current server lore. The wiki states the Lich King has retreated. I've been told in-game, the Lich King was defeated. Alright...so um, how does that effect the world? What is different now that the Lich King's goose is cooked? The best answer I got (which was helpful) is that scourge/undead are still around, they aren't as abundant. How are things in Northrend? etc.

I have a ton of questions regarding server lore. I don't want to dominate a GM's time while they have other responsibilities. I don't want to be told to read the wiki...because it leaves a little to be desired. One day I'll get the courage to sit one of them down and hammer out all of my questions. I feel sorry for the one who gets picked for that job!

Those types of questions I know I can ask. That only leaves RP.

So far though, most of the RP I get is with level 1 alts who to me don't seem like serious characters. They seem like characters rolled five minutes prior for random RP. I do not want that to be all I get. I don't know if that is all I am finding because I am new, because of my hours, or because of the locations I openly RP in.

Whatever the case may be, I am confident I will eventually get to a point where I can log in and have friends on my friends-list. Right now feels like RUSH week except without the hazing, because nobody cares I exist.

So I guess that's why I'd find the benefit of being assigned a big sister/brother of the server. Not that I think I'm special and deserve it, but because on the outside (especially on a private server) it's easy to feel like those on the inside are content without the new faces.

Now that I've defeated y'all with my wall o'text, let me clarify. Things have been positive. No bad vibes, just the idea was warm and fuzzy.

[Piroska]

I don't think that a codified system is needed. As already stated in this thread, people have already been doing this in their spare time.

Want to get involved? Reply to introduction threads and let people know that they're welcome to the server rather than ignoring them every time they come up. Actually know what the staff member has written in the post (a lot of the suggestions regarding what new people should know is already made available to them). If you see a new face in-game, invite the player to join your roleplay. Make yourselves available.

I'm a huge believer that it's every individual's responsibility and right to contribute to a community. I also believe that we, as little ol' peons and grunts, have far more power than what gets doled out to us by the staff. Want to help people? Go out and help people.


Edit: Hell, you could create a thread where people can sign up to be mentors. Write out what people are expected to do. Create a button or banner to be placed in the signature of contributing members. Get active! If you want to help people, start doing it.

Edit2: Just, please, if you go forward with this idea do stick with it. Make sure you guys are all consistent in what information is being related and make sure that it's correct. There are always differing opinions on how a rule should be applied and when; the last thing we want is a bevvy of new members armed with incorrect information. Also, don't mass attack new people. Don't view it as a competition to see how many new people you guys can help.

[Aadora]

When I had to sign up for school again and was put in with tons of people around me I didn't know, it was good that they had one of the older, higher graded students help me out. Of course, I could have asked the teachers where this or that class was, and of course they would have helped me. But having a set person who had agreed to help me in any way they could was a much bigger help because know what? That gave me my first friend in the school.

It has also been proven that most people learn better, or listen more when their own age group is talking to them. If a teacher tries to give you tips about the school, 9/10 people are likely to ignore them. If another student gives a tip about the school, 1/10 are likely to ignore it.

See where I am going with this? Of course the GM team is there to help, and is often helping new players. But new players don't often want to go to the staff, as not only do they have many other things to deal with, they are... the staff. I felt much more comfortable talking to other average players than I did talking to the staff when I first started.

And while of course new players need to listen to the staff, they are more likely to take helpful advice if it comes from other average players like themselves. I don't mean any offense to anyone, but when I first joined I learned more about rules than anything else from the staff.

I wonder why everyone is so against having this system? We don't need it at all. But if people want it why not? I think it would be a lot more helpful than just "People already do this on the side". Of course they do... but there have been many systems put in place to benefit the server, that started as something that was simply just "done on the side" already.

Would a system of helpers, especially with how much support the idea has, be such a big deal?

Don't view it as a competition to see how many new people you guys can help.

Or perhaps it would make it something that is actually -fun- if we did that. Not like turning it into a competition would change the information we relay to new players. If it did then there is something wrong beyond it being a competition.

[Cressy]

When I had to sign up for school again and was put in with tons of people around me I didn't know, it was good that they had one of the older, higher graded students help me out. Of course, I could have asked the teachers where this or that class was, and of course they would have helped me. But having a set person who had agreed to help me in any way they could was a much bigger help because know what? That gave me my first friend in the school.

It has also been proven that most people learn better, or listen more when their own age group is talking to them. If a teacher tries to give you tips about the school, 9/10 people are likely to ignore them. If another student gives a tip about the school, 1/10 are likely to ignore it.

See where I am going with this? Of course the GM team is there to help, and is often helping new players. But new players don't often want to go to the staff, as not only do they have many other things to deal with, they are... the staff. I felt much more comfortable talking to other average players than I did talking to the staff when I first started.

And while of course new players need to listen to the staff, they are more likely to take helpful advice if it comes from other average players like themselves. I don't mean any offense to anyone, but when I first joined I learned more about rules than anything else from the staff.

I wonder why everyone is so against having this system? We don't need it at all. But if people want it why not? I think it would be a lot more helpful than just "People already do this on the side". Of course they do... but there have been many systems put in place to benefit the server, that started as something that was simply just "done on the side" already.

Would a system of helpers, especially with how much support the idea has, be such a big deal?

Don't view it as a competition to see how many new people you guys can help.

Or perhaps it would make it something that is actually -fun- if we did that. Not like turning it into a competition would change the information we relay to new players. If it did then there is something wrong beyond it being a competition.

Maybe it was just you being afraid to ask questions, but I have new players PMing me in game and on the forums.

But as just a bit of information. This has been going on for ages. When I was a player, I would whisper players or invite new ones to RP just for the hell of it. I didn't have a special rank or anything to do it, it was just because I felt the want to do it.

So, if you want to help players out, go for it! But there shouldn't be a whole system based around it or whatever.

:3

[Geoni]

@thread: I agree with what a few of you are saying about people helping out in the OOC zone. One thing that a few new players might need help with is the mechanics of the game, especially if they have never played WoW before. That was my case when I came here and I think it was the most difficult part about adjusting since it's a very large game that takes time to get used to. Part of spotting out these cases is looking into the introductions section of the forum, and I might be wrong here, but I don't think many of us do that. In fact, I think one of the things we should do more as players would be going into the introductions that new players have made, find something within their answers that you both seem excited about, and say something about that answer that might spark a quick little exchange. I think that would make new players feel very welcome to the server. When I made my introduction I got more than just the forum helper welcoming me, and seeing other players' responses is the very thing that made me feel jazzed about joining the server and wanting to become involved.

@Panoptikon: I'm going to answer that wall o' text with one of my own.

OOCly, no one is intimidating really. However, ICly is another story. I don't want to join in on RP events because while I am versed in RP etiquette I do not know what the house rules are apart from, respect, tolerance, so and so forth. Common sense. The rules do not state the personality of the server.

From what I've seen here, joining in on RP events is very difficult to do ICly/spontaneously, so generally you have to do the hokey pokey with other players in order to see if they're welcome to new characters joining in on their event, which makes things easier for everyone so the players can think as to how the character will be introduced to the group of characters ICly. Race matters a lot in those situations. Using the LookingFor channel in game (it's /4 or /5) or sending a player a PM about involving your character in an event is the best way to jump into one.

Those types of questions I know I can ask. That only leaves RP.

I know I can ask those questions when they arise and I will! Those types of questions are situational. Frankly, I am a little intimidated about what questions will pop up in the middle of RP.

Though it's a slight derailment of the thread, I can answer these questions here since you're asking them!

Combat RP? What is it like here? Do more players prefer the dice system? Is it defender's rules? Is that even stated on the wiki and if it is...where the heck is it?

Combat RP depends on the player you're playing with. When I was here a year and a half ago the popular style of combat RP was to use rolls and now that I've come back and asked the other players about combat RP, they claim trust RP is used more than /roll. However, from what I've seen it's about half/half. Don't be afraid to whisper the other player what style of combat RP they prefer.

Player owned business/weekly/monthly player events that fall in that category. Is it possible to set up a business like a card shack (gambling), tavern or whatever. If it is, do we get our own hole in the wall or do we have to pretend one of the city taverns is our place for the night (like on retail)? Is it frowned upon to want this?

Generally, if you use an empty building and pretend that your character owns it and that it's something else, other players don't usually have a problem with it. Taverns are a different story, because there are NPC's that other characters would recognize and that player probably wouldn't pretend that the NPC wasn't there if you want to pretend that in order to think of the tavern as being under the ownership of your character. I can't speak for other players, but I myself don't frown upon you for wanting that, but you have to keep a lot in mind when doing so.

Another thing not clear on the wiki is the current server lore. The wiki states the Lich King has retreated. I've been told in-game, the Lich King was defeated. Alright...so um, how does that effect the world? What is different now that the Lich King's goose is cooked? The best answer I got (which was helpful) is that scourge/undead are still around, they aren't as abundant. How are things in Northrend? etc.

The server is currently following this timeline: http://wiki.conquestofthehorde.com/Official_Timeline

According to the timeline, the Lich King is dead. What this means is that Death Knights are free from his control, though they still have their own hunger and problems to deal with.

I have a ton of questions regarding server lore. I don't want to dominate a GM's time while they have other responsibilities. I don't want to be told to read the wiki...because it leaves a little to be desired. One day I'll get the courage to sit one of them down and hammer out all of my questions. I feel sorry for the one who gets picked for that job!

While they are here to help, I know that the GM's and Forum Helpers are also very busy and their response is likely to point at certain pages on the wiki or to guides here on the forum that deal with your questions. If you don't want to read into the wiki then you'll be without knowledge of the lore. There is a huge amount of lore here, and it would take a -very- long time for a GM/forum helper/player to explain it all at once.

So far though, most of the RP I get is with level 1 alts who to me don't seem like serious characters. They seem like characters rolled five minutes prior for random RP. I do not want that to be all I get. I don't know if that is all I am finding because I am new, because of my hours, or because of the locations I openly RP in.

Whatever the case may be, I am confident I will eventually get to a point where I can log in and have friends on my friends-list. Right now feels like RUSH week except without the hazing, because nobody cares I exist.

So I guess that's why I'd find the benefit of being assigned a big sister/brother of the server. Not that I think I'm special and deserve it, but because on the outside (especially on a private server) it's easy to feel like those on the inside are content without the new faces.

Here's something none of the guides here will tell you about surviving as a new player: you have to put yourself out there and show people that they should want to RP with you.

While the server has its fair amount of casual and spontaneous RP (which I'm a huge fan of and am almost always open to), a good deal of the RP that goes on here happens in events, guilds, storylines that players are dedicated to in the moment, and sometimes people do have their circle of friends they feel most comfortable RPing with. To my best judgement, what will help you get RP is by keeping up with things on the forum (and by things I mean open events currently happening, guilds that look like potential for your characters to join, and profiles of characters you think your character would likely run into).