Novice Network Feedback for SE

[Zhexos]

Greetings,

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions!

We will look into whether or not we can set it to automatically remove mentors from the Novice Network when they are away from their keyboard an extended period. Please continue to send in your feedback regarding both mentors and beginner players, as we would like to continue to make this feature a good experience for both types of players.

[Kesac]

Another idea...

An additional "Mentor" channel which allows the mentors to talk among themselves. The biggest problem I see with this is people becoming mentors just to get access to this channel, and taking up spots on the main Novice Network channel.

Perhaps adding themselves to the Mentor channel is a separate limit, a 512 limit with mentors only? Along with the ability to toggle the Novice Network channel, this may help get the people who really want to help in the Novice Network channel.

[dark494]

Can we get some guidelines on what kinds of behaviors/etiquette is expected for the Novice Network, and more specifically the kinds of things you can kick someone from the channel for? Because it's such a heavily monitored channel, and all kicks get sent directly to customer support for review, it makes people hesitate to take action that isn't obviously egregious (offensive language, spam, rmt, etc.), but the novice network itself is being very poorly used for many things that just don't belong there, like:

• Mentors just chatting amongst themselves about any random topic not related to XIV
• Mentors spoiling all content.
• Mentors/experienced players getting on their alt characters, or creating new characters, to join the channel as novices, by being invited by friends/FC's, just to chat
• Novices demanding for mentors to powerlevel them
• Mentors using the channel for Role Playing
• Crafting/Gathering mentors giving bad advice for DoW classes while pretending to be DoW mentors
• DoW mentors doing the same thing about crafting/gathering
• Mentors arguing with each other about opinions on topics/advice
• Mentors talking about how much they hate XIV and that novices should stop playing
• Novices refusing to talk to any mentor that isn't the one that invited them into the channel, and subsequently that mentor isn't in the channel because it's full

That's just a small list of the waste that the channel is currently without heavier moderation of the mentors, but can we actually moderate that and kick them? The other big problem is that there are too many mentors, and what happens is whenever a novice asks a question they get flooded with 50+ answers all at once and are simply overwhelmed and can't read through that many disjointed, and sometimes different, answers. There needs to be smaller sub-channels of, say, 10-20 mentors that can better work with novices in a less chaotic manner than spam answers, that can pull from a master channel/pool of mentors and randomly/automatically assign them to a sub-channel, and novices likewise can get assigned to random channels upon invite, distributing the load.

[zileas]

I also think we should have a notification when a new sprout has been added to the network and by whom. There are 2 reasons for this: 1) Allows mentors to be aware of a new person so we can greet them. 2) RMT bots have been invited to the network and it would be good to know who is inviting them so we can remove mentors whom are doing such.

I'll second this. Earlier on Sarg today, we had nearly a dozen RMT bots removed and no idea when they got in or who invited them. This might also be circumvented by making the person have to accept.

[Rongway]

Because it's such a heavily monitored channel, and all kicks get sent directly to customer support for review, it makes people hesitate to take action that isn't obviously egregious (offensive language, spam, rmt, etc.), but the novice network itself is being very poorly used for many things that just don't belong there, like:

My suggestion is this. Let's say I want to kick someone from the channel.

1. I choose to kick Some Jerkface, for reason "Telling new adventurers to self-copulate".
2. All the other mentors see that someone, at this point in the process anonymous, wants to kick Some Jerkface for "Telling new adventurers to self-copulate".
3. At least two other mentors must agree that this is a valid kick. (Give 30s so that everyone who wants to second the motion can; don't just stop at two mentors.)
4. If at least two other mentors agree, it kicks Some Jerkface. (in this example, let's say 21 others agree).
5. Some Jerkface is notified that "Cyrillo Rongway and 21 others kicked you from the novice network for Telling new adventurers to self-copulate."
6. The network is notified, now, that "Cyrillo Rongway kicked Some Jerkface for Telling new adventurers to self-copulate. (21 mentors in accord)"

Or if there are not two other mentors who agree, then no kick occurs and I remain anonymous to the other mentors.
In either case, the GM team is notified of all the specifics, including the mentors seconding, and may pursue action against me or against Some Jerkface, as the situation warrants.

The initial anonymity of the first person is just as important as the publishing of his identity in the end. Mentors seconding remain anonymous to everyone except the GM team.

[Lone-wolfe-02]

It does have it's problems ive seen many novices today asking the same question how do they leave the novice network and i think it's partially because people using it as another chatroom there needs to be specific guidlines in place.

[Aaliyahrose]

If the channel is being spammed so much, there needs to be a filter in place for how many seconds you post another response into the channel.
Also, should color coordinate who the mentor and the novices are besides just a sprout or a crown next to the name.

[RyuRoots]

I mentioned this briefly in another thread, but I think that it should be a choice whether to join the novice channel for a new adventurer. Firstly, it would prevent most RMT bots being added even if someone tried to add one or misclicked and ended up doing so. Secondly, it's confusing and annoying to wind up automatically having your chat channel switched to something you didn't ask for, with no warning. Thirdly, not an enormous percentage I'm certain, but many players DO have alts and don't want or need to be novices in the mentor system. That there's no clear instruction for how to temporarily opt out of it is another enormous, related problem. I was able to quit on my alt (because I was invited on her with no warning whatsoever and didn't want in) by turning that character's beginner status off but I didn't even know I COULD do that until a friend told me so. Information for this on the novice side is inexplicably lacking.

[Canadane]

[*]Mentors just chatting amongst themselves about any random topic not related to XIV[*]Mentors spoiling all content.[*]DoW mentors doing the same thing about crafting/gathering[*]Mentors arguing with each other about opinions on topics/advice[*]Mentors talking about how much they hate XIV and that novices should stop playing

Funny, as I'm seeing novices do this too.

But I would like to know if the expectation is to keep it clean and on-topic, waiting for novices to ask a game related question, or if socializing is okay? I'm not a novice but I'd imagine someone new and fresh to the game may be more timid and not able to ask what they want if others are holding side conversations about whatever nonstop.

[WinterLuna]

I made a new thread and was redirected here by a player. All I see in the Novice channel is spam. I've actually not seen one new person receive help. In fact, people have asked to leave the channel because it's full of mentors talking about random, unrelated content. This is doing more harm than good to new players. Something needs to be done ASAP.

It's not just annoying for the new players, but I also don't want to see random chat in the Novice channel. That's not its intended use. Anyone who mentioned the spam or asked for it to be toned down just caused an argument, with players telling them to just filter the Novice chat. This isn't fair on both Mentors and new players.