First off, Introduce Yourself Here
The idea is simple. Some of us have been around here for a very long time. Others have joined recently, maybe even today. The older users know the ropes and they understand what's expected from a good user. They know whether or not to post a thread of yours. They are (mostly) familiar with what'll get you banned and what'll get you praise. In short, if you're new and have a real interest in becoming a contributor to this community, they can help you.
The guidelines for becoming an GG Mentor (as I'll call the older members participating in this program) are as follows:
A Mentor should ideally be a well-respected/contributing member, if not than enjoy your waiting period of a year and very thorough background check.
He should be capable of answering any of the usual load of questions usually asked by newcomers. Understanding of the forum sub-sections, the karma system, and the guidelines for thread creation and posting are all examples of things that a Mentor should possess.
His spelling and grammar must not be atrocious. A misspelled word here and there is one thing, but there are two reasons why a Mentor should be concerned with the way he writes. One, it allows him to communicate effectively and efficiently with others, and two, it sets a good example for newcomers. Nothing is more annoying than Mr. 1337_Sniper_Ghost_Commando posting like:
LOL I KILLED TECHNO VIKING xD xD xD z5 z5 z5 He was x4 and i waz x19 headshot fightingbabies and c6 c6 x9 ! i so cool i killed bess player why is there no dispenser headshot headshot headshot? xD xD xD xD Panic Panic
To maximize the quality of the time invested in his adoptee, a Mentor should adopt no more than one or two newcomers. Trying to help fifty people at once is noble, but not very effective.
Likewise, there are a few things to be asked of the Adoptees. There will be people spending time with you that could just as easily be spent elsewhere, so please try to keep the following things in mind:
Keep a good attitude. If you don't, then you're going through this whole process for nothing. Don't be offended if your Mentor tells you to stop doing something or to shape up in some area. He knows what he's talking about.
Ask, ask, ask! Your Mentor is there to answer your questions, so don't be afraid to ask him. Are you thinking about posting a Viagra thread in General Chatter ? Check with your Mentor first and see if it's such a good idea (it's not). Confused about why your thread was locked? Ask your Mentor (or the mod who locked it) instead of creating another thread/badgering said mod with pms to complain about it. He's taken the time to help you. Let him help.
Listen, listen, listen! Your Mentor has been around this place for a good long time. He knows what's going on, and if he tells you that you to do something differently, he's probably right.
Use good grammar and spelling. This is a no-brainer.
Contribute! You're here to be a part of this community, so be one! A good poster will post something relevant and interesting in a topic. A bad poster will post things nobody wants to read, and gain a bad reputation very quickly. Interested in Map-Making? Spriting? Everyone loves contributers, and if you take a little time and effort, you GG forum experience will be that much more rewarding.
Now, if you're still interested in becoming a Mentor or an Adoptee, just say so. Post in this thread and say "I'll be a Mentor" or "I need some help." Ideally you'll be able to find someone to mentor/be mentored by with little problem. If you're having trouble finding someone to adopt you, PM me and I'll try to connect you with someone.
Additionally, adopted users shouldn't stay adopted forever. There are lots of people here who will need help. The whole idea behind this is that once your adoptee is ready to become a contributive member of the community, you let him run free.
Finally, a more recent addition. You do not have to be new here to get adopted. With new "specializations," your mentor can help you with what you want to get helped with. Mentors are now split into sub-categories. Those categories are: Forum mentors, Gameplay/Strategy Mentors, Modding Mentors (includes spriting and all that jazz), and Map-Making mentors. Newbies and Mentors alike should request what they want when they post, if you want to volunteer as a Modding Mentor, post something like "I can help people mod", if you want to get better at the game, post something like: "I need help in-game", etc etc.
Now let's get to it!
P.S. If you just want a general overview of things first, check out Underwater Basketweaving's handy-dandy Newcomer Guide.
superburst Mentor List superburst
Forum Mentors
-Chicken Soup
-Dr. Malpractice
-Scarlett Ptista (Already adopted two people, can't adopt anymore for now)
-Ultros
-Pyrofag
-Waterfall
-Joebucks
-Hydra
Gameplay/Strategy and Tactics Mentors
-Techno Viking
-RebelINS
-Shorty
-Uberdeath
-Teekytots
Modding Mentors
-Vindicator
Map-Making Mentors
-Drone
Doggie Boy (adopted by Scarlett)
Evening Star (adopted by Chicken Soup)
Cats4Gold (adopted by Waterfall)
Neen (adopted by Dr. Malpractice)
Captain Fatbeard (adopted by Hydra)
Xesjah (Needs a Modding Mentor)
Trog (Needs Gameplay/Strategy and Tactics Mentor)
Blubell (Adopted by Scarlett)
SAMF (Needs Gameplay/Strategy and Tactics Mentor)
Phantom Reaver (Adopted by Techno Viking)
Pvt. Hazard (Adopted by Shorty)
Snake (Adopted by Uberdeath)
Bury