Novice Network Feedback for SE

[Lagarin]

Another idea we had to expand on the mentor system at perhaps a future date is for non sprouts/greenleafs.

Not all novices are new players or those under 40 hours. Some players have been playing the game for a while but are just now picking up a role or just can't get the hang of one and would appreciate having a mentor to guide them. Sure, there are online guides to help them, but some people like having a friend to cheer them on and others learn better through one-on-one in person instruction. Isn't that what our mentors are for?

Perhaps, we could introduce a system that allows senior players to opt-in to be "novice" players in a specific role to seek out a mentor to teach them in that role?

[Lego3400]

Another idea we had to expand on the mentor system at perhaps a future date is for non sprouts/greenleafs.

Not all novices are new players or those under 40 hours. Some players have been playing the game for a while but are just now picking up a role or just can't get the hang of one and would appreciate having a mentor to guide them. Sure, there are online guides to help them, but some people like having a friend to cheer them on and others learn better through one-on-one in person instruction. Isn't that what our mentors are for?

Perhaps, we could introduce a system that allows senior players to opt-in to be "novice" players in a specific role to seek out a mentor to teach them in that role?

Yes yes all of the yes. I'd love this to learn how to heal or tank more effectively. I'm ok at the former and terrible at the latter (in my mind anyways) and would love help and I don't feel like starting an alt just to learn.

[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.

[Mykll]

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.

You know, with the historical limitations this game as had (beta trying to log in, 2.0 release nobody could get on, initiating AFK kick timers, too many people in instances nobody could join in theirs, people forming lines in the beginning talking to NPCs that initiates a cutscene because of limits there as well, limitations on when people can create new characters on servers, housing plots, etc. etc. on and on and on...) and yet another limited aspect is being released to the community with 100 only Mentors allowed, and suddenly it is like everyone is shocked that someone could possibly never log out or stay AFK taking up a spot?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.