Novice Network Feedback for SE

[Malzian]

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. No one wants the bots taking up space that could be used by someone who actually needs help and we don't want them to start spamming the network.

[LaylaTsarra]

I'm a mentor and can't get into the Novice Linkshell. Say's it's full. Not quite sure what is up with that and I'm on Siren.

[Culfinrandir]

I'm a mentor and can't get into the Novice Linkshell. Say's it's full. Not quite sure what is up with that and I'm on Siren.

There's only 100 mentors allowed in the linkshell at a time so if people stay online, but AFK, the space is still taken.

[whereismymind86]

I see no problem with chat, it just makes things seem more friendly and welcoming to new players, so long as mentors are stopping to help new players when they DO ask questions of course. I see no reason the channel has to be kept silent at all other times.

I do agree we should be able to leave and enter chat at will though, I like to help out, but when I am running dailies etc. there is no reason I should be using one of the 100 mentor spaces when I'm going to be silent for an hour or so.

[Taika]

I see no problem with chat, it just makes things seem more friendly and welcoming to new players, so long as mentors are stopping to help new players when they DO ask questions of course. I see no reason the channel has to be kept silent at all other times.

I think it depends on the chat topics. The chat I've seen has mostly been about complaining how bad other players are in various content and talking about the newest patch 3.2 content. I doubt the first topic makes anyone feel welcome and the latter is about content that doesn't concern the newbies in any way and hence shuts them out of the conversation, making them feel unwelcome. I wouldn't mind the chatting if it would be about things that concern the newbies, like asking them how they are doing and talking about their class and the game in general. Avoiding spoilers would also be important in this channel. What annoys me is when the mentors use the channel as their exclusive chat channel to discuss stuff interesting to themselves while excluding the sprouts.

[OcieKo]

Been seeing a lot of the same issues myself... Half the time when someone says "so what's everyone up to?" I end up replying "awaiting a question to be answered..." But some possible solutions (most agreed with few new/innovated ones)

1. Opt In/Out Manually for BOTH Mentors & Newbies? Maybe have it require talking to The Smiths to opt in for a few hours at a time. Could also just remove the 30 Day CD for opting out of mentoring and use that so mentors can regulate when they are actually availble to do just that... Teach...
2. #1 should help, but get the ratio to favor new players on my server its general M2-4:N1 kindof need it more like M1:N2-3
3. Remove run completion achievements and add a new commendation system just for new players, with a negative option so new players can filter out bad mentors. Then use it for achievements. Might also be nice to have the reverse so mentors can commendate receptive new players who are trying to learn rather cause players grief.
4. Change the Mentor Roulette drastically... Why is high lvl content even on it? At that point PF/FC should be reasonable sources such as FC/LS/PF. im sorry if it seems callous... But if you managed to get into ishgard you should be past the point of needing help finding help, and thats being generous... Really should be independent enough to know where/how to find help by the time you hit garuda story.
5. Maybe add a Mentoring PF tag so some who ACTIVELY wants to teach higher lebel content can show as such, and/or the opposite 1+ people LOOKING for someone to teach content. But really point #4.

So far on Midgardsormr help comes to those who ask but its usually like 100 Mentors for 15 Newbies... So really it ends up being a large social LS til someone is coaxed into asking for help. Tho ive found toxic newbies to be more common, i think the system is also growing the "do it for me/hold my hand through it all mentality" but still too new to give credence to that.

6. But shrinking down the channel population and making multiple instances of it per server, almost like FC chat as opposed to LS so still /n /b for everyone rather than /n# like LSs. Say 10 Mentors 30 Newbies and have up to 10 instances of it assuming theres enough newbies.

Also god 1k is restricting when typing on a tablet /pant... I agree with person who said original posts need more space... 2.5k maybe for starters.

[SpiritMuse]

Been seeing a lot of the same issues myself... Half the time when someone says "so what's everyone up to?" I end up replying "awaiting a question to be answered..." But some possible solutions (most agreed with few new/innovated ones)

1. Opt In/Out Manually for BOTH Mentors & Newbies? Maybe have it require talking to The Smiths to opt in for a few hours at a time.

I agree with the manually joining the Novice chat for Mentors. Having it the way it is currently is assuming every "mentor" is as helpful as the next, and that's sadly not true. Requiring people to go out of their way to join would weed out a lot of people who are only in it for the shiny crown.

[Igneel]

Originally when I heard this idea I thought it was pretty cool, but my brother starts over frequently so I got to witness the Novice chat. The Novices are so afraid to say anything to mentors that barely any of them ask for help, and when they do the mentors, at least most of them anyway complain and the good mentors get kicked if they call the others on abusing their power.

[Igneel]

Examples:

A novice asked for help with fates, one, and I mean exactly one mentor said yes, and it was followed by a sea of no. People complaining about how helping them didn't get them anything or how they didn't want to do low level fates, that they wanted to do high level fates.

First the novice system isn't for your benefit, it's for you to help new players so why am I hearing all this complaining about you doing the job you signed up for, no one made you become a mentor, you can leave anytime you want.

[Igneel]

Next a mentor asked for advice about the new Alexander fight, and she was kicked for it, they said it was because the chat was to help new players and not the mentors. I believe it could have been used to explain raids and dungeons to the new players, but let's move on.

The same person who kicked her then turned right around and asked for a raid party for said Alexander fight, and when he was called on it by another mentor, he kicked that mentor.

This kick system is being abused and almost no one is being helped.