What is Novice Network chat REALLY for?

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

I'm with the OP on this one. Honestly, if the mentors want to have extended chats about whatever, sure they're allowed to do that. But at that point, if you want your own personal chat channel, form a linkshell.

I left my server's NN pretty early due to nothing being answered, most novices being blindsided with invites then wanting to just get out, and most importantly, for the sheer volume of wrong information they gave out. I didn't enjoy having a bunch of wanna-be "help" trying to babyrage about how they're right when they just weren't. So I left it; censured myself, took off the crown cause I never needed it anyways, and just went back to doing what I already did: helping people if and when they needed it. I like it when a newer player just approaches me with a question. So long as I'm not somehow actually busy, I'll take the time to help them, from directions to questions to even a little assist in the field if I see they need it.

[Kazgrel]

I never use NN, but from what I’ve gathered from others, people relay hunt call outs there and it often leads to someone pulling the mob a min or less after it’s found, so then it leads to mounds of salt.

[Laerune]

It used to be a place for newcomers to go and ask questions, meet other newcomers, find mentors or guilds to take them in. Since SE is pretty lax with the rules, people tend to use it as an extra chat channel.

Just like with the mentor system, great idea, bad execution.

[BunnyChain]

It's for proving that this game needs a global chat channel.

[AkashiXI]

I lurk Adamantoise’s Novice Network, and 95% of what mentors talk about there is general, silly banter about the game, glamours, npcs, etc. Nothing too derogatory, nothing toxic, and nothing detrimental to sprouts. Whenever a sprout asks a question, you usually get 3 to 4 replies within a matter of seconds.

The reason behind this, IMO, is that it’s normally the same 5-10 mentors talking on our network. They’ve set the “standard” on the atmosphere, which is much more light hearted than most horror stories I see on the forums. So I guess my advice is: be the change you desire. Be consistent, be active, make friends and create a community. Eventually the minority could become the majority.

[Rymm]

Our NN is full of chitchat and friendly banter, over a wide variety of in-game and IRL topics, between both Mentors and Sprouts. I can't remember ever seeing a Sprout left hanging after asking a questions and at high-pop times it's almost a race as to which Mentor can help them first. In my experience we have a really nice atmosphere and if any really contentious topics come up, people are usually mature enough to walk away before it gets out of hand. Occasionally if someone thinks things are getting out of hand they'll give a gentle reminder to keep things PG or not to reveal spoilers and I don't think I've ever seen it escalate from there. The most heated argument I've seen take place is whether Anticipation or Low Blow is more useless for a tank, lol.

That being said, NNs are pretty much self-regulating and as such, they vary wildly from world to world. I've never even heard of a GM stepping in to moderate it, the most I've ever heard is someone getting banned/temp banned but that is for a specific case of harassment and not necessarily because they were "abusing" NN. The best advice I've seen in this thread and I totally agree with:

be the change you desire. Be consistent, be active, make friends and create a community.

[OMega_ARcane]

On my NN the same thing happens, but people do "most of the time" help out if its really needed...HOWEVER, the one thing I can't STAND that they do or at least it bothers me because maybe they know something I don't...why in the WORLD do you guys put hunts up in the NN? WHAT brand new sprout is going to be able to take on Ixion, or some hunt in anything passed ARR...Like isn't that what linkshells are for?

[Vidu]

WHAT brand new sprout is going to be able to take on Ixion, or some hunt in anything passed ARR...Like isn't that what linkshells are for?

Because there arent only brand-new sprouts. There are also level 70 sprouts - dont think of sprouts as only the people entering Sastasha just now. Thanks to jump potions and the like a sprout can legit be level 63.

I'd also see it as some sort of advertisment: Showing the sprouts "Hey, there is more cool content ahead of you!" potentially leading to questions and explantions about the giant-fate-mobs in general (Odin and Behemoth could be kinda relevant for example) and the hunts in general. Thats at least how I would do it... besides the whole breathing some life into the channel thing - one of the more important points to the NN in my book.

[OMega_ARcane]

Because there arent only brand-new sprouts. There are also level 70 sprouts - dont think of sprouts as only the people entering Sastasha just now. Thanks to jump potions and the like a sprout can legit be level 63.

I'd also see it as some sort of advertisment: Showing the sprouts "Hey, there is more cool content ahead of you!" potentially leading to questions and explantions about the giant-fate-mobs in general (Odin and Behemoth could be kinda relevant for example) and the hunts in general. Thats at least how I would do it... besides the whole breathing some life into the channel thing - one of the more important points to the NN in my book.

Ah-HAAA I totally forgot about those things...all these hours upon hours of slowly crawling to the top, forgot people can now just buy a ticket to later things as well. Hard to remember that when I don't use the stuff, thanks for the reminder

[AkashiXI]

^ Also don’t forget there are returning players in the NN too, which can be any level (I think).