Novice Network is in dire need to change

[Mikki]

I'm not in the novice network but my friend who is a mentor is and he sometimes tells me about the ridiculous things mentors are saying. Once they were talking about doing erp or something. ...lol. Sad, considering this server was a preferred one for awhile so we have a lot of legit new people coming in who had never played the game before and the game recommended the server so they picked it.

I think there needs to be a higher bar for being a mentor though. I think it's really sad when I see mentors on DF saying really nasty things to people who mess up or don't know what they're doing. They are representing the company, whether SE realizes it or not. If I were a new player and saw these mentors and learned that they were awarded this title by SE themselves, I would be pretty confused to see them behaving in such a manner. Frankly, I'd probably question if I wanted to play a game where even people who are supposed to be representative of the company were so toxic.

I realize that us as seasoned players don't give mentors that much credit, since we understand how easy it is to get the title. However, new players might not and therefore might see them around a similar level to GMs but with less power. You know?

[Hestzhyen]

I spend a lot of time in Gilgamesh's NN. There are a few bad actors, yes. The chat has become a mentor-focused hangout/general chat, yes. But almost every time a newbie asks a question they get answered. Even if it's some obscure settings-related thing that someone probably had to go look up.

Also since Gilgamesh is closed to new characters, what are we supposed to do? Not use the NN? If sproutlings are getting helped and the conversations are suitable for most ages I don't see an issue. Just today there was a huge discussion about crafting and how to make the most bang for you buck as you level, sharing tips on efficiency, and what kinds of things to make so you don't go broke. Even if it's mentors discussing with mentors it's still helpful information.

Asking to get rid of the system entirely is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I agree that mentor status should be harder to get (I've seen Mentors asking some REALLY dumb questions they should know the answers to if they're going to guide others), and it should be easier to lose. But the concept of the system is sound. I like that SE trusts us to behave and regulate ourselves instead of assigning a nanny or two to watch us.

How about some sprouts? What do they feel about it? Their opinion is most important since they're supposed to be the ones who benefit the most from the NN and everything that comes with it.