Novice Network has become unfriendly.

After returning back to the game I have noticed that the Novice Network has become extremely unfriendly and very unruly with very childish behaviour being portrayed within the channel. This channel needs to start being monitored by Square Enix as this is the first location many new players go to look for advice and seeking out help and then receive childish responses from those within the chat. Yes there are times when players are helping out but most of the time the chat is filled with other discussions then what should be discussed within the channel. I hope this gets read by Square Enix as I care very much about the game and don't want to see it degrade into a poor state.

Idle chatter is to be expected in any public chat channel, but as long as questions are being answered in a timely manner, I don't see it as a problem. Even if nobody is talking, it's not uncommon for hours to pass between any actual questions being posed.

Cactuar's NN is one of the better ones from my experience, and any toxicity or otherwise problematic behavior tends to be limited to a select few individuals, so I'm assuming the TC feels harassed/attacked by someone in there to make this broad generalization that it's terrible because I'm not seeing any "extremely unfriendly" people in there with any degree of regularity.

Getting in as a true new player is extremely rare. The only server I have ever been on where Mentors actively invite sprouts is Exodus. The channel is mostly Mentors and Alts. They need to make membership an option in the Hall of Novice quests.

That sux. I always thought they were connected. Guess not. Excaliburs mentor channel is pretty active and thankfully, mostly friendly.

Meh, just view NN as a server wide general chat and the behavior and mindset of players within the chat makes far more sense. Try not to over think it.

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Originally Posted by Awha

Meh, just view NN as a server wide general chat and the behavior and mindset of players within the chat makes far more sense. Try not to over think it.

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If less people thought this way we’d all be better off.

I left the balmung nn chat a few weeks ago because it became full of covidiots. I don't go into work every day because my job was deemed essential to come home to that in my downtime. Ironically, I turned the crown back on at the same time as I left.

It didn't just now become unfriendly, been like this for years.

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Originally Posted by KageTokage

Idle chatter is to be expected in any public chat channel, but as long as questions are being answered in a timely manner, I don't see it as a problem. Even if nobody is talking, it's not uncommon for hours to pass between any actual questions being posed.

Cactuar's NN is one of the better ones from my experience, and any toxicity or otherwise problematic behavior tends to be limited to a select few individuals, so I'm assuming the TC feels harassed/attacked by someone in there to make this broad generalization that it's terrible because I'm not seeing any "extremely unfriendly" people in there with any degree of regularity.

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This, idle chat should be fine as long as questions aren't ignored as a result.

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Originally Posted by EaMett

This, idle chat should be fine as long as questions aren't ignored as a result.

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Problem is the questions are all too often not getting answered or even acknowledged because of the non-game related chat going on in many novice networks. I've watched sprouts get frustrated when the mentors ignore questions in favor of discussing current world event and less appropriate subjects. It frequently comes down to another sprout trying to be the helpful one instead of the mentors who are supposed to be there to help.

As Canadane said, the Novice Network would improve greatly if more people would stop acting like it's nothing more than a general chat and start using it for the reason it was created.

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Originally Posted by Jojoya

Problem is the questions are all too often not getting answered or even acknowledged because of the non-game related chat going on in many novice networks. I've watched sprouts get frustrated when the mentors ignore questions in favor of discussing current world event and less appropriate subjects. It frequently comes down to another sprout trying to be the helpful one instead of the mentors who are supposed to be there to help.

As Canadane said, the Novice Network would improve greatly if more people would stop acting like it's nothing more than a general chat and start using it for the reason it was created.

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Sometimes depending on how many people are chatting questions can be lost, I've seen it happen before, especially during peak hours. I try to answer questions, if I know them, and not everyone is an expert in everything.

As for NN being unfriendly, I haven't seen anyone causing any issues for a while, then again I don't play during peak time, and when I do NN is usually full.

Also, you don't have to stay in the NN, you have a choice to leave or not.

People need to calm down and relax, I think everyone is stressing over all the COVID-19 crap. So yeah, some people may be mean, but for the most part 90% of what I see no one is being unfriendly to another person.

If you're calling how NN is being unfriendly, post some screen shot with blotted out names so you have some evidence to back your complaint.

Honestly the whole mentor system needs a massive overhaul. I was a mentor for a short time in SB but after seeing new players be insulted or ignored in the NN I just turned the crown off and let my status off off in ShB

Personally miss the Novice Network as returner. Was very helpful and had fun conversations.

A lot of the time the sprouts are chatting too. I don't see any problem either as long as questions are being answered. In our NN they generally are. As mentioned Novice Network is a new players first experience of the game and a friendly chatty environment where help is always available is far more preferable to a stiff businesslike one that will jump at you for saying anything other than a question.

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Originally Posted by Canadane

If less people thought this way we’d all be better off.

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If more people lowered their expectations of NN and mentors we would also all be better off.

NN experiences for mentor, returners, completely new sprouts (not alts) and what not vary from word to world.

NN on Faerie seems alright. Questions pop up, they get answered. People ask for help, they get help unless everyone is engaged already. Other than that it turns into general chat which is fine. Some days its fun, some days I wonder what the heck am I reading :) It depends on the time of day too. In my experience the later it gets, the weirder it becomes. I haven't really seen anything toxic where I am at though. I dig it there.


I will say this, however; when I was a mentor on Gilgamesh that was a toxic place for the NN but that was last year. I mean it was toxic. Fighting amongst the mentors. Some would go on power trips to get people kicked for disagreements and stupid things like that. Don't get me wrong there were those that are super friendly and like helping, but toxicity was pretty blatant and overtook the general purpose of NN. But this is my experience from this time last year.

So as I stated, the experience on the NN varies on the world they are on.

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Originally Posted by Liam_Harper

A lot of the time the sprouts are chatting too. I don't see any problem either as long as questions are being answered. In our NN they generally are. As mentioned Novice Network is a new players first experience of the game and a friendly chatty environment where help is always available is far more preferable to a stiff businesslike one that will jump at you for saying anything other than a question.

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I never joined NN when I first started playing this game, and I think I did fine. Players are better off without that trash.

The whole mentor thing should just be removed.

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Originally Posted by SturmChurro

I never joined NN when I first started playing this game, and I think I did fine. Players are better off without that trash.

The whole mentor thing should just be removed.

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As a returner it was very handy imo, asking what changes were made and where, quick questions about stuff that aren't obvious from the get go. For many questions it was faster to ask there than to look it up. Questions about Job rotations were also answered quickly which saved a lot of time of trying to figure it out calculating or finding the right section in a guide (which usually aren't up to date to latest patch). [Edit]I even had a mentor once test some things out for me on a dummy with a job I didn't have maxed yet but was curious about a later unlocked ability[/edit].

An example of a question from Returner: "Did they make Eureka easier (less grindy) since 5.0?" For which I had gotten a quick answer from a mentor saying it had gotten easier but not by a lot. Finding out this information by trying to look it up would have taken a lot more time compared to the instant answer from NN. I appreciated it a lot.

Perhaps I was lucky with my NN being a good one on my server (Zodiark).

On my server (Cerberus) I've seen a lot of just general chat, not just mentors, but sprouts and returners join the fun too. All questions do get answered tho, it being another mentor or sprout. And I don't think I've seen a help for duty/dungeon/trial request go by without help. Mentors also hop on into dungeons to help if someone looses a healer or tank. Sure I have seen some fights happen, but usually people resolve it quickly from my experience. But I also leave NN often for the fact that I'm busy on my own stuff and won't have time to answer/help anyway so I leave my spot for someone else who has the time ^^ So like MsMisato said, it depends on your world and what you expect from it tbh.

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Originally Posted by SamRF

As a returner it was very handy imo, asking what changes were made and where, quick questions about stuff that aren't obvious from the get go. For many questions it was faster to ask there than to look it up. Questions about Job rotations were also answered quickly which saved a lot of time of trying to figure it out calculating or finding the right section in a guide (which usually aren't up to date to latest patch).

An example of a question from Returner: "Did they make Eureka easier (less grindy) since 5.0?" For which I had gotten a quick answer from a mentor saying it had gotten easier but not by a lot. Finding out this information by trying to look it up would have taken a lot more time compared to the instant answer from NN. I appreciated it a lot.

Perhaps I was lucky with my NN being a good one on my server (Zodiark).

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I can ask something like that in a hub and get the same answer there that I would get in the NN though.

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Originally Posted by SturmChurro

I can ask something like that in a hub and get the same answer there that I would get in the NN though.

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Mentors went to greater extend than I see other random players doing (check my edit in that post you quoted). They also helped many clear content that took forever to queue however there were sprouts and returners helping out as well. It's also the ease of availability with how you have the Novice Network availible wherever you are (even in an instance) so you don't need to think twice before asking a question, or go to a certain hub in hopes someone will answer there. It was handy, that's all I'm saying and I appreciated it for that.

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Originally Posted by MsMisato

I will say this, however; when I was a mentor on Gilgamesh that was a toxic place for the NN but that was last year. I mean it was toxic. Fighting amongst the mentors. Some would go on power trips to get people kicked for disagreements and stupid things like that. Don't get me wrong there were those that are super friendly and like helping, but toxicity was pretty blatant and overtook the general purpose of NN. But this is my experience from this time last year.

So as I stated, the experience on the NN varies on the world they are on.

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When Gilgamesh was on the same data centre as Balmung it had the reputation for being the most likely source of duty finder jerks. If you had someone behaving badly in DF, chances were they were from Gilgamesh. Like you, I can't say what they're like now since the server reorganization but I can easily picture their novice network being that way back then for sure just based solely on the average DF behaviour.

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Originally Posted by SturmChurro

I can ask something like that in a hub and get the same answer there that I would get in the NN though.

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You can ask anything on any platform and get a response. Your point is? Are you unhappy that people actually find the NN in their world useful? lol. Does that not go along with your "mentors are trash" narrative?

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Originally Posted by EaMett

You can ask anything on any platform and get a response. Your point is? Are you unhappy that people actually find the NN in their world useful? lol. Does that not go along with your "mentors are trash" narrative?

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Felt no need to explain it. I already put probably 20 + paragraphs on mentors in other mentor threads. This is just another one. I had this exact discussion probably 4? months ago. Give or take. Can't remember.

Mentorship as a system is objectively trash though. That is, and has been, a constant for years.

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Originally Posted by Inosaska

After returning back to the game I have noticed that the Novice Network has become extremely unfriendly and very unruly with very childish behaviour being portrayed within the channel. This channel needs to start being monitored by Square Enix as this is the first location many new players go to look for advice and seeking out help and then receive childish responses from those within the chat. Yes there are times when players are helping out but most of the time the chat is filled with other discussions then what should be discussed within the channel. I hope this gets read by Square Enix as I care very much about the game and don't want to see it degrade into a poor state.

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4Chan SE Edition

Novice Network was friendly at one point?

Gilgamesh's NN is pretty tame nowadays has general chatting going on from time to time but questions are answered as soon as someone can, ik I try to answer anything that I can see that someone hasn't done yet but if in a duty that takes precedence over NN.

I think the great culling that came with the 3k commendation requirement has done wonders to improve things you still get the odd person but it is nowhere near as bad as it used to be.

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Originally Posted by EaMett

You can ask anything on any platform and get a response. Your point is? Are you unhappy that people actually find the NN in their world useful? lol. Does that not go along with your "mentors are trash" narrative?

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The anti-mentor has to disagree with anything and everything that isnt 100% "mentors are trash", or their narrative falls apart quickly.

NN varies significantly by server, and has for years.

I'd say its something that varies on a server to server basis. Cerberus' Novice Network is pretty civil most of the time, with questions being answered whenever they arise. There's some off-topic chatter but it doesn't come at the cost of helpful answers.

The way I see it, the channel should be for asking game content questions and getting answers. Any other use is an abuse of the channel.
But we are humans, not machines. Thus cannot be expected to act like machines. So as long as the questions are answered and not buried in unrelated chatter, it should be fine.

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Originally Posted by Awha

If more people lowered their expectations of NN and mentors we would also all be better off.

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Expectation of NN are already at an all time low.
The mentor discussion is only tangibly related at best.

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Originally Posted by Canadane

Expectation of NN are already at an all time low.
The mentor discussion is only tangibly related at best.

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Would say it is not low enough. NN for many is simply a general chat, and like any general chat mileage will vary depending on many factors. I do not know for me any discussion around NN probably should include mentors. The whole system is flawed, and I do feel players would better off just using it as a general chat and view the crown as simple icon flare nothing more nothing less.

The tome of google is often far more helpful.

players are better off joining an fc that caters to helping new players at this point.

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Originally Posted by Awha

Would say it is not low enough. NN for many is simply a general chat

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I saud it before but I think we’d be better off without that line of thought.

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Originally Posted by Videra

Novice Network was friendly at one point?

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It has always been friendly, as long as you are not on american server.

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Originally Posted by Canadane

I saud it before but I think we’d be better off without that line of thought.

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May be the case but that is the reality of NN and always will be the reality if it is the only form of server wide chat, especially one that can be used while in duties. From my perspective those that wish to change what NN currently is are in the minority, so it would it not be easier for those to accept what it is, instead of grasping at what it should be. Most NN fights I have seen boil down to one side wanting general conversations to be at a minimum while others are okay with the occasional shit post.

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Originally Posted by Awha

May be the case but that is the reality of NN and always will be the reality if it is the only form of server wide chat, especially one that can be used while in duties. From my perspective those that wish to change what NN currently is are in the minority, so it would it not be easier for those to accept what it is, instead of grasping at what it should be. Most NN fights I have seen boil down to one side wanting general conversations to be at a minimum while others are okay with the occasional shit post.

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Which begs the question of why haven't they implemented yet a general DC chat.

Honestly, when I first started and joined the NN, it was just a chat channel for mentors to roleplay or joke. People never really answered questions or were eager to help in my personal experience. I think the mentor system doesn't serve its purpose most of the time, but that's a whole other story.

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Originally Posted by JohnSpawnVFX

Which begs the question of why haven't they implemented yet a general DC chat.

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Would be nice, but knowing SE probably has to do with RMT.