There is talk of starting a mentoring program here at MTS. An experienced builder would volunteer to work with a new builder for sims 2 or 3 or 4. How do you feel about this? What are the pros or cons? Are you interested in being a mentor? Any and all feedback is appreciated.

For me at least it would depend on how much work it would be, and if it requires actually having to know all there is to know about the guidelines, and whatever extra rules there is to know about.

Sounds like a great idea to me. It's always good to have someone to ask "the short way". Maybe there could be a subforum for this where they can have their own threads. This way others could profit and learn from their discussion, too, but shouldn't have permission to post there.

I wouldn't see myself on the side of the mentors though, there is too much I don't know.

Also, I would love to see something not only for lots, but for caw, too. Others might welcome this for modding questions (or maybe such a programm exists there already).

Oh that sounds great

@Volvenom
@Vincent T.
@Crowkeeper
You are three people I most wanted to sign up to be mentors!

It will be as much or as little work as you choose. It is to help guide someone who is new, either to building for upload, or to the upload process at MTS.
I think someone can post what help they need, and the mentor can decide if this is something they want or are able to help with.
Vincent T.- your stuff is great. I know you only have one download for MTS, so that part is still new to you, but the first one is by far the most difficult.
Mentors don't need to know everything about building- if that is even possible.
We can call out to each other with a "how do you ..."
I really want to help this happen, and I am probably the least qualified to be a mentor (but it is not stopping me ).

The idea is to start with lot building, and then expand to other areas- sims, mods, objects, CAW.
It depends on how this all works, and if we have people volunteering to be mentors, and people who want mentors.

Please, ask other builders who might be interested.
We need to get a few people to commit to being mentors.
We need to agree on some basic procedure.
So ask questions, make suggestions, point out potential pitfalls.

Thank you!!!

Call to builders who have been recently active in Lot Creators or Architecture Groups.
Do you want to be a mentor? Please read post #24. Thank you!

@alverdine
@cutsocks
@Fergus' Mind
@Floraflora2
@gazania
@jje1000
@Johnny_Bravo
@ScaryRob
@TudorMan23
@Zarathustra

I'll come back to this when sober.

I consider myself to be advanced-beginner; perhaps low-intermediate. I know several skills, but not all. And I've never uploaded a lot to MTS. So I don't think I'd be much help here.

Johnny- you say that a lot. Do we need to schedule an intervention?

First, I think it's a great idea, and if you'd asked me a year ago, I'd have been happy to volunteer. At this point though, I can't reliably say I have the time to devote to something like this, and with enough real-life responsibilities, I'd like to keep MTS from becoming yet another. Sorry!

It's nice of you to address me, but my lots are very simple structures, technically, so I'm rather in the category of pupils than possible mentors. Biggest problem is though, and the same that others mentioned, that my free time is too tightly limited to devote myself to a new endeavor right now. I couldn't even launch my game for a month.

Building in is3 doesn't need to be complicated, there is many styles and levels of technicality. Some people also has a tendency to dash their own experience more then it diserves.

No, but thanks for the thoughts I'm just a little stoner, nothing more.

Thank you to everyone who has responded so far. To everything there is a season, and if your schedule is too tight, than it's not your time to help.
We can still use your thoughts, advice, suggestions, etc. so please feel free to comment.

Hrm. Ok. Lemme be "that guy".

I'm not 100% sure a one-on-one mentor program or whatnot is necessary. We have tutorials, builders sub-forums, and the creator feedback forum. I think it would be best to focus on what we have there, bolster what needs attention (more tutorials or guides), and encourage greater usage for new creators. Many creators already pop in with helpful tips and solutions on the builders forum (at least in the sims3 from what I can see). And I'm not sure what can entice "newbies" into a mentoring program over posting in those threads.

I'm not opposed to the idea completely, though. But like crowkeeper and Z, I'm not sure I have time to devote. I have also come to the conclusion that I have a terrible "bed-side manner".

Hi cutsocks
I understand your point. The Create Forums have sections for build questions, and feedback on lots. There are loads of tutorials, and there is even this very group. As someone who has used the tutorials, the build forums, CFF, and this group for help, I can tell you that having a mentor is not replaced by any of the previously mentioned places. I had a great mentor, who helped me when I was first uploading lots. The help from other forums is dependent on who stops by the thread that day. Sometimes someone posts one day and is not available to answer any feedback questions. Sometimes posters are not all that helpful. If we had a group of mentors, one person could be responsible to help someone else, one-on-one, with the rest of the mentors as back up if needed.

This is all theoretical, of course, since after one week no one has signed on. I am certainly open to other suggestions that might better accommodate people's busy schedules. Thanks all.

I do like the idea, and I also kinda had a mentor when I first started uploading.

Does your idea include private chats with the "pupils" if they wish, like skype?
Also, it sounds like we're basicly just a small,private feedback group? Like a tiny CFF.

Ha, I just love it when people suggest Skype. I have 1500 "friends" on Facebook and have to remove them one by one on Skype? Chatting has never worked for me, I have lots of accounts, perhaps google hangout can be used.

I want to put as few restrictions on this as possible, but I think the admins at MTS will want us to use the site, not skype or google hangout. There could be a separate social group for mentors and mentees, or a pair could start their own private group so only the two of them have access to it. There is also the live chat at MTS. It was suggested that we could form small groups of mentors, let's say three, so mentees get the benefit of different voices, and mentors have flexibility regarding their availability. If we had a large number of mentees, we could assign a group of mentors to a group of mentees. I would be happy to have a small group for each game.

Oh by the way, I'm never really sober, but I'm more creative and get things done

*Arrives to the party fashionably late*
I like this idea very much and agree that it's a good idea to have those with more experience and skill nurturing new creators to help maintain and improve the high standard of creations/uploads, but the thing that strikes me is that isn't the Creator Feedback Forum supposed to be fulfilling this criteria already?
Maybe it might be worth having some way of subscribing/notifying the designated mentors as to when a post is made in CFF that falls within their jurisdiction? But doing this might require a more thorough process (i.e. more tick-boxes) for uploading to CFF in order to establish exactly what kind of help is being sought and what the style/theme of the creation is in order for the right people to be notified, as I know some of us have specialist areas/preferences which our own personal knowledge is better tailored to.
P.S. A live chat specifically for CFF might be useful, although time-zones could certainly be an issue. Some of us like/need our beauty sleep.

Beauty is overrated in my opinion. I'm seeing peoples arguments about the need, but it looks to me like this franchise might be struggling, so for that reason it might be a nice touch.

I see one big problem when it comes to 1:1 mentoring in general, in my opinion it's only reasonable for basic building. It's usually pretty hard to find a lot for download that fits all your needs perfectly - the main reason why I prefer building myself - so finding the perfect mentor might be even more difficult. Every builder has their onw style and skill set (and you often can guess who's the builder from a look at the house) and for a beginner the goal should be to develop their own style and skill set, as narrow or wide that may be, to fit their own needs, so limiting the input you get can limit your own development.
For people who are interested in mentoring, a more intense monitoring of CFF should be more useful and it could still lead to 1:1 mentoring to solve certain problems.

I have read through the thread again and this is my summary:
1. Most agree that a mentor program would be a nice addition
2. Many have reservations about their time and/or ability to be a mentor
3. The "mentoring group" option has come up, in several different formats. It would allow flexibility in time commitment for mentors, exposure to different styles for mentees, back up for mentors if a question comes up that is outside their preferred style or knowledge base.

I am proposing a new social group (which is the way MTS staff want this to work) where a group of mentors make a commitment to check regularly to offer feedback and assistance.

*If you have a period of time when you are not available, don't worry, we have your back.
*I see this as a next level CFF. It will (hopefully) include a more personal experience for users.
*It will be more private than CFF
*Mentors can indicate the areas where they are most comfortable.
*Mentors can indicate which style of building they prefer
*You can sign up even if you have never uploaded a lot on MTS, because another mentor can walk them through the process
*You can sign up even if you've never used CFE or placed stairs through a foundation, or whatever other technique that is not in your repertoire. Another builder will help.

This is a work-in-progress, so no long term commitment is necessary. Sign up and indicate in which game(s) you build, and anything else you want known. Please just sign up.
Call to all who haven't said no- please say yes. If you are not on the list, please say yes.
@arathea
@Crowkeeper
@cutsocks
@Fergus' Mind
@Johnny_Bravo
@Vincent T.
@Volvenom

Thank you @attuned for your dedication! Count me in - though I might use it myself as a help group :P