IMPORTANT NOTE

As of now (23. August 2022), the starter areas can be very cluttered with high level players. If you see this happen, it's a good idea to either postpone your mentoring entirely or hop between maps until you find one that doesn't involve a rave party of special effects.

Guild Wars 2 for mentors

So, you want to get into mentoring? First of all, thank you! You're going to make a huge difference for new and returning players alike. And it's great fun, too. This guide is going to help you get started.

Why does Guild Wars 2 need mentors?

While the game does a decent job teaching new mechanics bit by bit, it's also very different from other MMORPGs on the market. While other games tend to have quest lines to guide the players, GW2 is more akin to a sandbox. As the storyline unlocks chapter by chapter at certain levels, your future protégés will have to do some leveling in between and may feel a bit lost.
As the game makes an effort to reward players even for completing maps below their level, newbies are guaranteed to run into someone on a Skyscale and lit up like a Christmas tree. Naturally, they'll have questions.
That's where we come in.

What do I need?

Alright, let's get you prepared, shall we?
First of all, unlock the mentor tag. If you consider yourself mentor material, you probably already have it. While having mentor mode on, you'll be easier to contact, especially by free players who cannot use the map chat and are limited in terms of whispering.
Also, familiarize yourself with the wiki and GW2 efficiency. You probably can't remember everything there is in the game and that's okay. Open both in the background.
Also, have some spare change. While mentoring is very rewarding in a social way, it will cost some silver for using waypoints.
Expansions are not required, but the more you have and are familiar with, the better. At least know what's needed for mounts (PoF) , boat/fishing (EoD) and glider (HoT).
Finally, open an editor of your choice. Notepad is fine . Write down a pitch you can copy (Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) and keep the window open. Your pitch should contain an offer to answer questions, instructions on how to whisper to you and the language(s) you speak. For example, this is what I use, feel free to copy and remember to fill in the placeholders:

New to the game? Returning player? Lots of questions? I'm here to help! /w (Your character name) and ask away - there are no stupid questions :) English/(any other languages you speak)

For example:

New to the game? Returning player? Lots of questions? I'm here to help! /w John Doe and ask away - there are no stupid questions :) English/French

Here we go!

You're all set. Easy, wasn't it? Fire up the game that gave you sleep deprivation, pick a character with an easy-to-type name and follow these steps:

  1. Port to one of the starting areas: Queensdale, Metrica Province, Caledon Forest, Wayfarer Foothills or Plains of Ashford.
  2. Move to an easy to see place near the waypoint close to the respective capital city.
  3. Switch on the lamp with /mentor
  4. Post your pitch in /map chat.
  5. Wait for questions and answer. Some people may run up to you and just stand or walk around you. Use /s to offer your help to them. They might be mistaking you for an NPC. Yes, it happens.
  6. If another mentor offers his help, /w them and coordinate. One of you should move on to another map to cover more ground.
  7. If no questions have been asked within 15 minutes, post your pitch again. Do NOT spam map chat. If you don't get questions for another 15 minutes, move on to another map. I suggest the above rotation.

Do...

... welcome them to the game! You might be the first face of the community they'll see and we want to leave a good first impression, don't we?
... make your answers as short and simple as possible.
... explain jargon and abbreviations if needed.
... consult and advertise the wiki or GW2 efficiency if you're in doubt.
... add them as a friend temporarily if the chat says they can't respond. If you're mutual friends, you can still chat, it's a F2P limitation.
... be patient and wait.
... accept donations offered in terms of in-game currencies or materials. You're losing time and in-game money doing this, so it's a-okay to accept these.

Don't...

... be rude. Obviously.
... get lost in lengthy explanations and jumps in topic. I know that feeling, you love the game and you feel the urge to gush about it. But it'll confuse our new friends.
... give answers based on a hunch. Looking it up and if in doubt answering "I don't know" is better than risking false advice.
... immediately leave if you don't get questions. I get 1-3 within 30 minutes, usually, but sometimes you gotta be patient and hop maps a bit.
... ask for donations. Yes, waypoints cost a bit of cash, but newbies need the cash as well.
... accept offers of real-life money. Just don't, as appealing as it may sound.
... contact new players directly without being asked questions. Let them learn by themselves if they want to.
... give them buffs, gold, carry them or make the game mechanically easier for them. It ruins the experience for them if they start out. If they explicitly ask for these things, politely refuse.

Optional: Common questions and suggested answers

Q: Which weapon should I use?
A: In the beginning, players need to be able to kill stuff by themselves. Suggest a weapon that deals strike damage or applies damaging conditions. Supporting is a no-no when starting out.

Q: Is <class> any good/which class is the best?
A: Every class is viable. Tell the new adventurer that they should pick what they think is fun.

Q: Which attributes do I need?
A: Same as with weapons, being able to kill stuff is important when leveling. Suggest they pick condition damage if they apply damaging conditions, power/precision/ferocity otherwise.

Q: How do I level quickly?
A: A solid list of priorities is: Personal story > local events > map completion.

Q: How do I get mounts?
A: F2P-Accounts get a raptor trial at level 10. Full accounts get a raptor at level 10. If level 10 is exceeded, the raptor is granted at the next level with a 0 at the end (20, 30, 40...), for all other mounts you need PoF and Skyscale also requires access to Dragonfall.

Conclusion

I very much hope this guide was helpful to you. As a mentor, you're making Tyria a better place, have your ego polished and indirectly support ANet. It's a very wholesome experience overall. I'm well aware that you could be spending your time farming for that sweet, sweet Bifrost. Instead, you're probably mentoring right now. Thank you so much for doing this!

Edit Report
Pub: 23 Aug 2022 08:53 UTC
Edit: 23 Aug 2022 12:29 UTC
Views: 258