Thread: [Opinion] The Current State of the Novice Network

The novice network was an idea put in with good intentions but as it stands the network is a poorly maintained and lazily implemented feature that is akin to WoW's trade chat. Now I understand that this may not be the current situation for all servers but as far as Balmung goes this is very much the case.

While there are currently no rules against this, I feel that the Novice Network chat should be cut down and kept strictly to Q&A or discussion about Job/Raid/Crafting/Gathering mechanics.

Now before you say "Kiegen, we're just having fun!" keep in mind that linkshells exist for a reason and have existed since the game's inception. I am of the opinion that conversations like the following should be kept in such linkshells:



Post 1 of 3

We have found ourselves in a position where the Novice Network is has turned into a personal linkshell chat room and linkshells are now substituting for the Novice Network. I understand that this is not the case 24/7 but for the new players and mentors who are on during the times where the chat is outright spammed with this behavior this is their daily experience with the network. There needs to be a few rules in place to keep the Novice Network somewhat in line with what the devs envisioned for it.

Please keep in mind that this is not a witch hunt against specific people within the novice network but an address of what I perceive to be the largest problem with it at the moment.

If you have had a similar experience on your server or any suggestions as to how we can make the novice network great again I'd love to hear it. Counterarguments also welcome.

Post 3 of 3

Current state: garbage. I've never seen anything worthwhile said in it. I did see somebody get booted for spamming "Well met!" about 100 times.

I'm gonna second this. The little time I spent as a mentor in the Novice Network was, in a word, cancerous. Maybe I just got it on a bad day, but I find I get much better results actually helping people out by doing it independently via /tell or, as noted above, by inviting to a "novice" linkshell. I've even run a "newbie" PF a few times, offering myself to help answer questions or maybe tank the odd dungeon or FATE to help out.

The kinda stuff in the OP goes against the purpose of having a NN. A little chatting here and there is one thing. The guy in OP's picture seems to have macros for his "random" stuff. That's fine anywhere else, but not in the NN.

Blame your servers, not the NN itself. Make spammers and ERP idiots feel unwelcome, and they'll find another outlet.

Originally Posted by Roth_Trailfinder

Blame your servers, not the NN itself. Make spammers and ERP idiots feel unwelcome, and they'll find another outlet.

While that's a good point, you're assuming this hasn't been tried already. Granted, only OP knows for sure here whether or not this person has been disciplined in some way, officially or otherwise.

Originally Posted by Quor

While that's a good point, you're assuming this hasn't been tried already. Granted, only OP knows for sure here whether or not this person has been disciplined in some way, officially or otherwise.

In terms of this specific person, all I know about previous attempts is what I saw in the picture I linked in the 2nd post. Other mentors had attempted to take action some months ago and they were the ones punished in the end by the GMs. I used to be vocal about this behavior back when NN first came out but now I just toggle the chat off if it starts to spam my other chats. There's not much else one can do other than that. I'd rather not be removed from NN completely for removing a mentor as I'd like to actually help new players out.

The Novice Network is a representation of a number of features SE has added: good idea, but poor execution.

The day they gave us the option to leave it and never return was a day of joy. I'm still just as willing to help and answer questions—just with a lot less spam in my chat box.

There needs to be a stricter requirement to be a mentor, period. Any brain dead person can grind Ifrit normal 1000 times which a lot of these people do.
A requirement of say those 1000 dungeons need to be 400 expert level dungeons would be sufficient enough. At least then they might've learned something hopefully in those 400 dungeons.

The number of mentors who are horrible at this game I've encountered exceed the 100 count and just add to the stereotype and stigma of the status.