poll: finding mentors

Started by Harmless, September 04, 2014, 12:35:00 PM

How long did it take you to find a mentor in game (hours of playtime / RL days playing)?

<3 hours or on my first RL day playing
15 (25.4%)
3-8 hours or two RL days
14 (23.7%)
9-15 hours or three RL days
4 (6.8%)
16-23 hours or 4-5 RL days
1 (1.7%)
24+ hours / about a RL week
2 (3.4%)
Much more than a week or after the first character into playing
7 (11.9%)
After 2 or more PCs
4 (6.8%)
I never really had a mentor when I was new.
12 (20.3%)

Total Members Voted: 58

Voting closed: October 04, 2014, 12:35:00 PM

I am curious to ask players, especially our new players how long it took them to find a mentor in game. In a clan or without one, recent experiences or in general. I ask because I would like to see how long it takes on average. Maybe it will be helpful to guide our newcomers expectations. Feel free to add comments, but don't post anything that can identify who you're playing in the game or very recent deaths (per GDB rules). Thanks!
Useful tips: Commands |  |Storytelling:  1  2

I didn't find an IC "mentor" until I was on my second PC, about 2 to 3 weeks after I started playing. I was playing a Circle bard and my "mentor" was a Lirathan templar (Felysia, played by marko). I also reached out to Helpers, one of whom was...marko! (But I didn't know who he played.) Because actually it was some stuff that marko had posted about bards on the GDB that made me want to play a bard. And that really helped me figure out Tuluk, because I had IC examples and someone I could ask questions of OOCly. (I figured out he was the player of Felysia a long time after, hah.)

Then I also hit up LoD (player of Thrain Ironsword) as a helper about leadership, when I was looking at doing that and started playing my first noble in Tuluk. Because LoD was the resident GDB expert at the time on clan leadership. And I actually played under him as a minion for a little while before doing leadership myself.

So it was a mixture for me and it took a while to find the right initial people to look up to and ask questions of.

I think I've actually had a lot of mentors since then, though they probably don't know it. I enjoy learning from other players.
Quote from: Vanth on February 13, 2008, 05:27:50 PM
I'm gonna go all Gimfalisette on you guys and lay down some numbers.

Found my first mentor on my second day of gameplay.
It was actually rather easy - it was literally the first person who decided to talk with my character.
All my next characters did not had any problem finding one kind or another of character, willing to help him a bit as character and as player.

While I found the learning curve extremelly steep, I also found community extremelly welcoming for new players.

Also, as a man who makes his living by running polls around, I would suggest adding "Can't remember/I am here to see the results" option to keep the data more clean.

Players of this this game will almost always help you or point you in the right direction starting off with a new PC.
Even if it means bending IC a little.
Quote from: Twilight on January 22, 2013, 08:17:47 PMGreb - To scavenge, forage, and if Whira is with you, loot the dead.
Grebber - One who grebs.

Like many others I believe, my first mentor was my character's Byn sergeant.  (Cirdon the elf, in my case.)

Hmm. I have no idea how long it took. My first PC ended up being a Borsail sergeant, and one of the PCs who was a recruit at the same time as me was a pretty experienced player. Another one was as newb as I was, and we bumbled around a lot.

I had been playing MUDs for many years before finding Arm, though, so my initial experience was a bit atypical.
Brevity is the soul of wit." -Shakespeare

"Omit needless words." -Strunk and White.

"Simplify, simplify." Thoreau

I don't know how long it took too.
Fredd-
i love being a nobles health points

Durg the Dwarf. Was it Durg? The long-limbed dwarf? He had a shop in Freil's Rest, and I worked for him as Aelithor the Merchant. He gave me the low-down on syntax, and basically held my hand through the first character I had that survived longer than a few hours played.

Then I spit on a Noble and his Lt. Saban murdered me in an apartment.

No looking back from that point!
"You will have useful work: the destruction of evil men. What work could be more useful? This is Beyond; you will find that your work is never done -- So therefore you may never know a life of peace."

~Jack Vance~

Sorn Talid. Ran an indie hunting/merc company.
I think I found him on my second or third PC, and ended up playing with him a lot over the course of a few PCs until eventually watching him die trying to save his "sister" from a tarantula. :(

Probably wouldn't have stuck around if not for him.
Quote from: Twilight on January 22, 2013, 08:17:47 PMGreb - To scavenge, forage, and if Whira is with you, loot the dead.
Grebber - One who grebs.

I had a number of mentors almost immediately, though it took me 45hrs? - 4 RL days to find the one that would be my long term mentor. Within my first hour I had people showing me the ropes and giving me tips, but I just walked into the Gaj and started going on about how I didn't know anything and was clueless. I think a little bit of actively putting yourself out there for help really brings it out in buckets. I never lacked for guidance. I also asked about anything I didn't understand and although some people were ICly jerks (which was fine and funny) there were usually answers and more people willing to help than not.

Sergeants Amurac and Stevith, T'zai Byn. (Both Sergeants at the same time with my PC being a Runner/Trooper under them both.)

They put up with so much of my stupidity. So...so...much.
Quote from: James de Monet on April 09, 2015, 01:54:57 AM
My phone now autocorrects "damn" to Dman.
Quote from: deathkamon on November 14, 2015, 12:29:56 AM
The young daughter has been filled.

Moved this from the New Player Questions forum to here, since it was neither posted by a new player nor a question.
Quote from: RockScissors are fine.  Please nerf paper.

Pretty much everyone I interacted with regularly on my first character, though Het stands out because she actually concocted an IC reason to take my PC under her wing, declaring him her cousin. Unfortunately she died soon after, but she helped so much at that very crucial time.

Kit, Pearl (not the original, most famous one, of course,) and Bixan stand out as being inspiration and help for my noob self as well.

Quote from: Beethoven on September 04, 2014, 05:06:53 PM
Pretty much everyone I interacted with regularly on my first character, though Het stands out because she actually concocted an IC reason to take my PC under her wing, declaring him her cousin. Unfortunately she died soon after, but she helped so much at that very crucial time.

Kit, Pearl (not the original, most famous one, of course,) and Bixan stand out as being inspiration and help for my noob self as well.
You'll like my next released log if/when it's posted :)


My mentor was Satansfish. I <3 him. He tried to get me into Arm 3 times, and it stuck the 3rd :) Marry me Billlly *swoon*

I think I puttered around my own for a day or two before getting recruited by a couple of great mentors in to a clan. Case, Titania, and Kevo all helped me get started.

What made your mentor great?
"Let sleeping characters sleep naked." -Azroen

Quote from: williamson on September 04, 2014, 05:31:40 PM
What made your mentor great?

Lots and lots of death.

Skeelz and I joined the same clan at the same time, through some strange coincidence.
Quote
You take the last bite of your scooby snack.
This tastes like ordinary meat.
There is nothing left now.

Quote from: Case on September 04, 2014, 05:11:05 PM
My mentor was Satansfish. I <3 him. He tried to get me into Arm 3 times, and it stuck the 3rd :) Marry me Billlly *swoon*

Hey I called dibs on marrying him like 7 years ago but he was taken at the time and I was too young for him anyway :P

Quote from: williamson on September 04, 2014, 05:31:40 PM
What made your mentor great?

My best mentors were the ones I didn't know through OOC means at all, but had the patience to give my PC employment. My second PC in this game I went ballistic and even though my character declared "Fuck all y'all, that's right, all of ya," someone diagnosed me rightly as a noob, gave my PC a gig, helped her travel to a new town, taught me about weather code and all sorts of stuff. I died on my mentor in a number of days but the sheer experience of travel and interacting with the game world got me hooked and wanting to learn more. Don't OOC too much; the more immersive the guidance the more the merits of the game become apparent.

September 04, 2014, 05:54:58 PM #18 Last Edit: September 04, 2014, 07:39:54 PM by Harmless
Quote from: Rahnevyn on September 04, 2014, 05:05:49 PM
Moved this from the New Player Questions forum to here, since it was neither posted by a new player nor a question.

Wasn't aware new players are the only ones allowed to start threads on new players forum, but noted.

edited to take out a snarky comment and to add: The value of my first mentor was huge for me to figure out Tuluk. Until that point I think I was glaring at His Legion soldiers like they were the bad guy, with a true-inked half-elf. A kindly Legion corporal contacted my newbie half-elf over the Way, and smartly asked if I wanted to learn how to hunt. I was put in touch with a half-giant hunter, who showed me the basics of being Tuluki. I was impressed by the skill he had of roleplaying a half-giant's intellect. His blind, simplistic faith was the perfect introduction to the many ways PCs in Tuluk interact with its bizarre rulership. It was a great starting point to figure it out. After a beautiful Kryl murder scene, my next PC was a merchant in Tuluk, and joined House Salarr. Under the guidance of Kilaski I learned how fucking awesome the crafting system is and even joined a bardic circle. Basically that character was apprenticed to him. I regret storing her.

I added another option to the poll. You can change your votes if needed.
Useful tips: Commands |  |Storytelling:  1  2

Rolled up a tribal in red storm, wasted all my money on a bow with no arrows and then went out to hunt Scrab with a skinning knife. Was awesomely stupid, a pc named Fletcher with dope sideburns picked me up, fed me and brought me to Allanak. Introduced me to the Byn and told me to bow to Templars.
Quote from: Cutthroat on August 22, 2009, 10:57:13 PMSo Eunoli Winrothol, Samos Rennik, and Thrain Ironsword walk into a bar. The Red Fang bartender looks up and says, "Get the fuck out of my bar."

Mentor. Can't think as I ever had one.  A certain Ranna of the Blood Feathers gave me a lot of inspiration,  but never really mentored me. It probably would have made the game easier at the start.
At your table, the XXXXXXXX templar says in sirihish, echoing:
     "Everyone is SAFE in His Walls."

Quote from: williamson on September 04, 2014, 05:31:40 PM
What made your mentor great?

Very active play times.
-Always- had something going on, whether it was hunting, escorting merchants around town, saving people from tableland holes, or training/teaching RP.
Quote from: Twilight on January 22, 2013, 08:17:47 PMGreb - To scavenge, forage, and if Whira is with you, loot the dead.
Grebber - One who grebs.

September 04, 2014, 07:53:36 PM #22 Last Edit: September 05, 2014, 09:58:51 AM by Inks
First Char I hung about in Redstorm before being taken under the wing of an incredible Mul called Shorty (had a real name but forgot) So patient with my elf assassin. Thanks man.

Also I rode on a skimmer. No regrets.

September 04, 2014, 07:59:33 PM #23 Last Edit: September 05, 2014, 09:58:16 AM by Inks
D..d..double post.

Mis-quoted there.  ;)
Fredd-
i love being a nobles health points