I'm sorry if this was mentioned before. I couldn't find anything relevant in the forum search, since way too many results showed up. But I'll go ahead and suggest this anyway...

What do you guys think about dumping the Ultra Charge Battery badge and making it available to a really high trade level instead? I can understand the reasoning behind placing the UC in the hands of those who mentor a lot, but obviously it's a system which can be (and has been) very easily abused. I've seen players give their mentor points away to people who were just begging for it, just so they could gain access to the UC. I believe this is NOT how the devs had intended things to work out.

I think mentoring should offer some other type of reward. Something that not everyone would want, but still something important or unique. Diplomatic or peaceful players would be dying to get this item. The availability to non-lethal weapons or ships might be a good place to look. Or Renegade's idea of a scout ship. Whatever it is I think it should be something that combat players wouldn't be dying to get. That way mentor points will actually be given to the players that genuinely help out and actually deserve them.

[stamp of approval]

(yes, I invented it!)

Agreed, the UC battery should be changes to something else.

The FC is better than the UC for trading, so it makes sense to give the UC at a high combat lvl not trade lvl, but other than that I agree with you.

Then switch the fast-charge and the ultra charge. But traders need batteries too, dammit!

A good trade non-combat bat would be the same as the FC, but with somewhere in the range of 0-20 energy max.

You're right, I overlooked the fact that the FC would be better for trading. So UC would fit in more with combat.

agreed!

[Approved]

Regular nOObs never rate you, a high level would be so much more approprate!
[Approved]

True, current system is being abused, so yes, please do something with the UC battery.

If the mentor system is being abused, then make a suggestion about how to fix that. Changing what makes the ultracharge battery available does not address the issue of people abusing the mentor system.

Personally I don't care if the UC batt is given with a mentor badge or something else. It's only marginally better than the FC (and worse for long distance travel).

Maybe the UC should be given at 500 PKs. Just a thought.

Beolach, I think the Mentor system is being abused *only* because of the prize. If it were a mentorish prize, as Arolte and others are saying, then people wouldn't mill the system to get it.

No, people abuse the mentor system because it's easy to abuse. The UC battery is not worth it, neither is the improved repair module (which is mentor-oriented), or the 5% discount in your home nation. If it wasn't so easy to hand out mentor points left and right, only people who actually cared about their mentor(s) would bother.

But I'm not saying I'm opposed to having the UC battery moved to the 500 PK badge, or whatever. I don't care either way (because it's not that much better).

Well also, mentoring people for points always just seemed, I dunno,
wrong.

You don't teach people because there's a prize, you teach people because it makes the whole game more fun.

I say just drop the mentor points system entirely.

I personally hate asking for mentor points. If the person offers, then I'll take it, but I never ask myself. Cuz then it seems like you're helping someone because of what you'll get because of it, and not because you simply want to help, or because you're being nice. I guess that's what all those years of being a Boy Scout did to me. You're taught that a Boy Scout never asks for payment or reward for his good deeds, so I just go around helping anyone that asks, and never ask for anything in return. So consequently, only 2 of my mentor points were from actual n00bs, and the rest were guildmates on alts. Which I kinda feel bad about, but seeing as I don't have enough to get to the second mentor badge anyway, let alone the third...

Same here, CP. I never ask for mentor points 'cause I think it's kind of dumb and rude to have to ask for. For that reason I have zero right now. I don't really care much about it. But I think I've helped a dozen or so newbies through private messages, ever since I've signed up to start playing a month ago. I just don't like the direction the mentor system is headed, and how people are getting rewards for things they don't deserve, while those that actually DO help are sort of left in the dark. But really, nobody deserves any special recognition. Helping newbies out just makes the game more fun in the long run, 'cause we'll actually have a more populated universe!

Shapenaji's hit the nail right on the head. That is why I don't have a single mentor point on any of my characters, but rather give help and advice freely.

I also agree that the mentor system needs to be either modified or removed entirely, and the reward items "moved" to another method of awarding, like Licenses or something like that.