c) THE MENTOR

Learn how the Mentor guides you in Dungeon Keeper 2, offering advice on creature happiness, room size, and research.

The Mentor's stentorian tones will guide you throughout your time as a Keeper in Dungeon Keeper 2. He is eager to see you succeed and becomes increasingly helpful as your dungeons grow more complex. He will alert you to problems such as angry or unhappy creatures, the need for bigger rooms, the completion of spell research, items finished in the workshop, incoming attacks, or creature rebellions. While these notifications also appear on the message panels (a type of Heads-Up Display or HUD (heads-up display — the on-screen icons showing health, ammo and the minimap)), hearing them directly from the Mentor saves valuable time.

It is important to use your judgment when following his advice. For instance, if he suggests a room is too small but you have multiple rooms of that type, you may be able to ignore his advice, provided access to all rooms is easy. If a creature is unhappy due to not being paid, check the payday timer at the top of the HUD. If it is past halfway, the creature will be paid soon. If creatures remain unhappy shortly after payday, check the locations of your treasuries, as imps might be depositing gold in distant treasuries, leaving those near your main areas empty. Listening to your Mentor is an effective way to identify these issues.

The Mentor also has a sense of humor, sometimes suggesting you get some sleep if you play too late into the night, and offering sarcasm if you pause the game for a while.

While it is ultimately your decision what actions to take, ignoring his advice and warnings can lead to problems. You may become overwhelmed with demands and fights, and forget to monitor crucial activities like training, spell research, and workshop progress. Your Mentor is an essential part of your micro-management strategy, not merely a tutorial function.