Tl;dr add a player to player mentor system to help smooth out frustration in new player experience. Content nerf is bandage solution, it does not address root of the core issue.
I understand a content nerf might be needed to avoid frustrating a lot of new players into quitting the game at the moment. I’m not here to argue if nerfing should or should not be done or how it is to be applied. Instead, I would like to propose adding a mentor system as a long term solution to truly address the frustrating new player experience with end game content.
This is probably a menu feature. Experienced players can register themselves on a list with a short introduction memo to mark themselves as available to new players. New players choose from the list to apply for a mentor if they are interested.
There are special co-op missions for the tutee to complete with the mentor. These are meant to provide a basic list of things to cover, like help the tutee go through main story, explore the engravings system, learn about combat stats, learn specific types of mechanics i.e. stagger/counter, or succeed at certain raids/abyss dungeon mechanics. The mentor-tutee relationship would progress based on completion of these missions, unlocking one-time rewards at incremental check points. After finishing enough missions, the final mission allows the tutee to graduate and terminate the pairing. The mentor receives a score from the tutee and gets bonus reward accordingly. Early termination will probably be tagged with minor penalties.
I know for basic tutorials there is that training area that evidently nobody uses, dont worry there is more. There would be a special portal for the experienced players to launch in game content with other mentors or their students. To make matchmaking not a pain, regular players could also tag themselves as willing to join learning groups as fillers. Fillers would get a small gift of appreciation on successful clear, on top of their normal drops. Enrollment will probably be tier locked though, no crazy ilvl advantages, there could also be lower tier gear made available to the mentor if they want them.
Some could argue that people will just abuse the system for rewards. Imo that’s ok, because the benefits of the system go beyond in game rewards.
When the base game was originally released, it was built upon through timegated content drop, so players had ample time to learn at their own pace. However, global release came with all 3 tiers open to progression. The sheer density of content to consume, and the expectation of quick growths can be very overwhelming without any real in game safety nets to support players on their journey of learning.
The awareness of outside online resources is limited from my own experience meeting new players. And some do not seem to be able to piece together a functional grasp of the game by reading online guides. They read a guide but miss out on important information or understand a mechanic incorrectly. These are the ones that drown when ags throws people in the pool to teach them swimming.
I do not see why presenting a video game of all things to a new theater of audience should be so harsh. Not many people enjoy feeling like studying for exams or training for the navy seal during their down time. A mentor system fills the gap nicely, where the mentor is basically a friendly walking encyclopedia in game with special powers to clear roadblocks alongside you.
And the friendly part is another important benefit of the mentor system. I have met many new players who are too afraid to ask for help because others would flame them. Or they would give up after a single wipe, or lock themselves out of communicating and keep failing silently. Some players are so scared they profusely apologize the entire time when i try to help them in a learning group.
The current climate is so toxic, it fails to faithfully represent what the game has to offer. The game is not a sadistic social experiment, people just need help chilling out. A mentor system helps lower the barrier to seek help, even more so than a guild would, because guilds are really hit or miss for new players and takes time to warm up. On the other hand, when you get a mentor you know they are personally invested to see you progress smoothly, for the rewards or otherwise.
That sums up how i envisioned a mentor system in lost ark, but its is only one possibility. For the content nerf, im ok with global stabilizing at a lower point in the difficulty curve than kr. The important thing imo is to put emphasis on actually helping people learn the game, one way or another.
idk, just my two cents, thoughts?
