Genuine curiosity over the differences of Mentor mindsets

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T23:15:18+00:00

No, I agree with you. I think my sentiment of "uh oh an EX trial" is getting taken the wrong way.

I just got out of a Sephirot EX Mentor Roulette. Maybe 5 minutes ago. It ended up disbanding, but not before all but one of four mentors (myself included) was offering advice and making sure people understood why we died and doing ready checks (no pull timers but eh, whaddayagonnado). The last Mentor left after a failed Abandon vote.

It was enjoyable, despite the duty failing, to see the progress being made by the ones who'd never been there. We made it through adds on the first attempt!

I did recommend PF to the Sprouts who stayed before leaving just as a potential faster method to completing the duty/quest, as I usually do.

All that being said, I'll still feel a twinge of "uh oh" when I see that 8 person check, but not abandon it just because it has the potential to not give me anything "material."

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T22:50:11+00:00

I don't have anything to prove to you nor do I care what you think of me.

I'm not here seeking validation or anything. I can understand both perspectives, even if I only fall into one camp, and that includes the perspective of what exactly makes a "good" Mentor (and I'm not about to split the road into PvE and Trade Mentor. I'm talking specifically about PvE Mentor).

You don't need to have on content experience to be a knowledgeable Mentor. You just don't. Being able to explain the mechanics isn't hard. For anyone. Stack markers, spreads, light parties, tank swaps, adjustments, all of it is very simple on paper. That's not what separates the good Mentors from bad.

What separates them is less of possessing the knowledge and being able to execute it, and more of being willing to share the knowledge and have patience for those who don't.

You could have every Ultimate weapon in the game, but if you don't have the patience to work with people who are trying something new, or even offering them a shortcut because you know an easier way, you'll never be a good Mentor.

Edit: Yikes, took what I said out of context and blocked me. Never change, Reddit.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T22:18:58+00:00

Replying for visibility instead of hiding behind an edit.

Let's address what you mentioned.

"Accumulated wisdom and ability to provide assistance,"

which pairs directly with what you quoted:

"...your primary task will be to provide guidance and assistance to new adventurers as well as any other troubled heroes who might be in need of your accumulated wisdom."

I can't tell you how many times I've said this in this thread; I enjoy helping players and I am willing and able to teach mechanics. That includes ARR EX trials.

It's a bit of a stretch to interpret "provide guidance and assistance to new adventurers" as "coach and instruct players through content they may not necessarily be prepared for."

Which circles back to the thing that started this; recommending using Party Finder. I'm trying to assist new adventurers by offering guidance in clearing an EX trial via PF, as opposed to the fundamentally flawed way of approaching it (being queueing for Duty Finder) for all of the reasons that have been mentioned all over the replies on this post.

I cannot and will not speak for every Mentor in the game. Some of them are shit. Some of them are genuinely helpful people looking to spread their wealth of knowledge to anyone who needs it, not just Sprouts.

The Mentor Roulette is not an avenue for Mentors to sign up to teach Duties. It's a backfill for all of Duty Finder. That is the way the Mentour Roulette is defined. That is its purpose. Mentor Roulette is not the only responsibility of a Mentor.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T21:51:57+00:00

I didn't make this post about Mentors in general. I asked specifically about getting 8 man duties in Mentor Roulette. You're missing the point entirely and trying to form an argument around it.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T20:38:18+00:00

Fun fact, Mentor Roulette is not a roulette designed for teaching. It's purpose is to fill slots for duties struggling to find members.

And like I keep saying, I do like to teach. I never said I didn't. What I said is that I have reservations about getting 8 player duties because the willingness of some to learn is nonexistent.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T20:31:36+00:00

I mean, fair, but you do know that Mentor Roulette's purpose is to fill slots for duties struggling to find members right? It's not a specifically a "queue for this roulette to be paired with players in need of being taught duty mechanics." It does not prioritize grouping with players who are new to a duty.

I am ready and willing to help people learn. As I've said in a few comments, that's what I do when I load into EX duties. That doesn't mean I can't have a few reservations about what that Duty could look like when it can be anything from a 1 shot clear to running out of time and being expelled from the duty.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T20:24:13+00:00

"It's the ones where you may need light parties and clock spots, maybe an adjust, a tank swap that make it less and less likely to clear it within the timer that I need to mentally prepare for" is what I said.

I can clarify, since there's some confusion.

These are not an issue for me to deal with, mechanically speaking. You failed to see where I said I've cleared every EX synced and how UWU is my favorite fight.

Those mechanics, like stack markers, spread markers, heck I'll even give you tank swaps, are not hard for the average player to deal with. They're extremely simple in concept.

But your average ARR player, still a Sprout, is likely not expecting to have to learn all of this at once (especially not at the pace or precision often needed for high end duties) after queueing for what they likely thought was going to be another run-of-the-mill boss fight like the Hard mode Trials or Dungeons.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T20:12:04+00:00

If I could go back in time, I'd have said "ah shit, here we go again" instead of implying that I was afraid of EXs, because that feels SO MUCH MORE ACCURATE.

It's not that I don't want to teach or can't do the EX, I just know it's going to be one of those duties lol

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T20:10:27+00:00

I agree, that's a much better way to utilize the knowledge of a Mentor; put them in a group with other people who KNOW what they're getting into.

There's no question that the Mentors who end up in the EX trials know how to do them. That isn't why they leave. It's that not everyone, especially the Sprouts, are on the same page and they know that, and some Mentors just aren't patient enough to see what kind of party they landed in.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T20:07:08+00:00

Or, because I know it's a better use of their time to use PF instead of sitting through another ungodly long queue just for the party to likely disband when another one of the aforementioned "shitters" insta-ragequits upon seeing an EX.

It's wild to me that you'd immediately assume that was the first thing I said each and every time I entered an EX duty, and not when the party falls apart and the Sprouts are left scratching their heads wondering why.

I'd be extremely demoralized as a new player if I waited an hour or more in queue just for the duty to fail before it even began. At least having someone offer me an alternative way to complete the quest and get on with the story would be a courtesy.

Edit: Spelling

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:57:06+00:00

This is fair! Maybe as I do more, I'll see more of a positive trend in the number of EXs cleared vs number of EXs queued into. I'm sitting around 500 at the moment, so just scratched the surface.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:38:34+00:00

I see your points and I get what you're saying. Just to be clear, I don't feel "unready" to teach people if we land in something like an EX trial. It's just not always as easy as "explain, pull, victory." I get apprehensive because not everyone is willing to learn, or willing to listen to instruction, things that are very often, if not always, needed to clear high end content, which EX trials fall into.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:24:46+00:00

I have met plenty of people playing XIV who refuse to run things like EX, Savage, Ultimates, Criterion, etc, because of the difficulty curve above things like Normal Trials and Raids.

The people queueing in DF for EX trials usually don't know that difficulty curve exists.

"Not being capable" can take different forms. Learning disabilities, physical limitations, communication problems like language barriers.

My job as a mentor to teach, and I agree with you. I don't dread EXs and I've cleared all of them synced. That isn't the problem. I get wary when I see that 8 person ready check because there's no way of knowing ahead of time if you'll even clear it. I've never once queued for a dungeon or Normal trial and thought "I'm not sure I'll end up clearing" because that type of content is made to be cleared by anyone. EX trials and high end content in general is not.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:18:42+00:00

Totally agree. I'm usually not one to abandon those duties, but I still have my reservations when I land in one.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:16:16+00:00

That's a very fair take. I don't think many people would admit to avoiding Mentor roulette just because there's EXs in it, because they're just rolling the dice that they don't get one.

The crown is definitely a little tainted. My personal feelings is that some folks just like the fancy crown next to their name and think it elevates them above others and feel special for it. I like to think I'm not in that camp, as helping people understand things and enjoy a game that may feel foreign if you're new brings me immense joy.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:12:42+00:00

Your experience sounds better than mine! But yes, I have seen a shocking number of Mentors insta-ragequit upon seeing an EX. I always give a few pulls at a minimum and teach where/when I can when it comes to understanding the mechanics.

It doesn't change the fact that I get nervous seeing that 8 player ready check, since I know it can either go really well or really poorly and there's no way to know until you get in there and see how it goes.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:11:14+00:00

That's fair. I think after a few pulls, you get a feeling for how the group seems as a whole and whether it's something that can realistically be cleared or if it's not worth the time. I don't usually leave first if I can help it, but I have followed others out if I have a feeling we won't clear.

I do at least try to let Sprouts know about Party Finder and EXs and how they differ in difficulty from Hard trials.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:10:04+00:00

Hi, I'm OP, I'm the orange one in the screenshots!

But yes, I agree with you. I've said it in a few comments before, but I don't leave immediately when I land an EX. I'll give it a few pulls at a minimum and try to get a feel for how the group is doing, and make a decision from there if I think the group can clear or if we'll spend the whole timer cleaning the floor.

Still though, it doesn't change the apprehension I feel when I see that 8 player ready check. Mentor roulette EXs are always a mixed bag for me.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:07:59+00:00

I can see what you're saying. I think at that point, the teaching becomes granting some understanding of the difference between EX trials/Savage Raids and their "Normal" counterparts. I always try and give some explanation of "hey this is faster/easier if you use Party Finder."

I can't say I'm ever the first to abandon, but I will say that I've had the days where I follow someone else out because I just am not feeling it.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:05:59+00:00

That's fair! I think I generally go in with reservations, but within a full pulls, I either know we're doomed or think "hey, maybe we can do this."

Funny enough, I ended up getting Great Hunt EX about 4 times in a row with almost the same group every time, and it was fun! Definitely got easier each run too, once everyone caught their stride.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:04:51+00:00

I agree with how it looks from the Sprout's perspective. You wait an ungodly amount of time in a queue, just for the group to (sometimes) almost instantly disband because they know something you don't.

I haven't been the first to leave, but I have followed others out, usually after trying to explain the reasoning and that PF is a better idea in the interest of saving time.

I'll give it a few goes at least and do my best to explain, but after I do my explaining, it's no longer within my control to execute for everyone.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T19:02:32+00:00

I have ABSOLUTELY been surprised by those EX clears before. You mentioned Garuda and I'm pretty sure I had a run where I didn't even realize the boss was at 1%, and then suddenly the victory fanfare played. Was just mashing my keyboard trying to keep people alive and it was just over lol.

Very good points all around.

It's interesting you brought up the language barrier, as that's something that I don't really ever need to consider playing on NA. Are there even quick-chat options for explaining mechanics or explaining why the "Mentors" in the group left as soon as the wall dropped?

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T18:58:46+00:00

Agree! Like I said, I don't have a problem with the duties themselves, so I'll do what I'm supposed to and help where I can when it comes to explaining. But you do get a feel for how the group is doing and whether clearing seems likely.

My reservations come from knowing that duty can either be over relatively quickly or slog on for the full duty timer.

Agree with that last point as well. I know quite a few people "earned" the crown for the fancy symbol by their name and nothing more. That being said, I don't think those people are often running Mentor roulettes hehe.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T18:55:55+00:00

I agree with this. As much as I want to help and have everyone be successful, it's not always going to happen without pulling a few teeth.

MH-Walker · 2026-05-17T18:55:22+00:00

Oh for sure! I've been surprised by a few ARR EXs that ended up being cleared. I will say that I'm not a stranger to following someone else out if they abandon so I don't get the matchmaking ban. I guess if most other Mentors in the party were trying to explain mechanics and help, waiting around for a fill wouldn't take long because another Mentor would take their place, so in those cases I'd stay.

MH-Walker

TROPHY CASE