Already Hate Novice Network

[LineageRazor]

In many ways, the Novice Network operates like a sort of "starter free company". The chatter that occurs in NN is in many ways much like the chatter you'd see in a free company. (To the point, in fact, where some forego joing FCs at all, and just become NN regulars.) Personally, I think this is fine, as long as the Network ALSO serves its other purpose, as a forum where new players can ask questions and get answers.

If novice questions are habitually ignored (not just a question here or there - sometimes, mentors just don't have the answers - but most or all of the time), then there's a problem - but, unfortunately, it's not an easily solved problem. You can't FORCE mentors to be helpful, and there's no way Squeenix is going to spend the money to hire people to serve as forum police.

If the content of the forum chatter makes you uncomforable, there's no harm in saying so. If you're met with defensiveness or hostility, you can always walk away. Sometimes, though, folks will recognize that they've crossed a line, and might show a little more restraint in the future. If the content doesn't make you uncomfortable, though, I recommend just rolling with it, even if it's stuff not related to the game.

As for cliques... I haven't noticed a lot of that on my Novice Network (Gilgamesh). Sure, there are regulars everyone knows, but it doesn't generally get in the way of assisting newbies. Are these cliques ganging up on and harrassing other players? If so, they can be reported, just as you would report harrassment of any kind.

[Infindox]

I will gladly be a mentor but I stay far away from the NN as possible. On my end when I was in it for a little bit, it was nothing but politics and some harassment.

Nah OP you're not lying, got back into the game a couple weeks ago(also on Zalera), and it was bad. I eventually just idled in town afk instead of logging off so the returning veteran status wore off,

No offense but you wasted the status. You can leave NN at anytime.

[Nixxe]

No offense but you wasted the status.

Returner status doesn't do anything important anyway. NN access is the primary perk.

[Raltar]

NN really proves that this game needs a global chat channel. Like others have said, make it opt in so not everyone is beaten over the head with it when they log in and the NN can go back to what it was intended to be: a place to help newbies and returners that need to be caught back up to speed.

[Mhaeric]

It is opt-in already. Sprouts have to accept and invitation from a mentor to gain access. Mentors gain access by choosing to become a mentor in the first place (i.e. that's the opt-in) and manually leaving it will prevent continued automatic access on login. I don't have personal experience with it, but I think returners have to accept the returner's bounty buff to access it.

[MsMisato]

Let's see the NN. Its an interesting place I have to say that. I have a decent experience on Faerie. But its going to boil down on the server and the time of day.

Keep in mind the NN isn't just about helping strictly in FFXIV though A Lot of people will use it as a global chat though which is fine nor should there be an expectation that its going to be strictly about FFXIV help. Also I personally haven't seen anything where a sprout or returner asks a question and gotten completely ignored since being back on Faerie and I came back last year from being on Gilgamesh for several years which way back then the NN network was pretty bad.

If you are wanting to be a mentor, nothing is stopping you from helping sprouts/returners though.

But if you want to leave and you are sprout or returner you can leave the NN network anytime. Click on the sprout Icon at bottom of the chat window or type in the macro /novicenetworkleave

Of course if you are a Mentor, just leave the mentor program.

[Jennah]

I've qualified as a mentor to be in the NN since the first day it existed.
I haven't.
No regrets.

[Violet_Galaxy]

Finally hit trade mentor.

Already hate NN.

I don't know if it's like this on all servers. But it already is total off-topic chatter other than FFXIV and helping others. Which I guess is fine you can't have FFXIV all the time. But then they started going into fetish stuff and it's like 'can you not'?

Then there's the issue of it seems like a clique. Mentors know mentors, people are regulars so some are 'higher' than others, and it's easy to feel alienated even as a mentor much less a newbie.

... I guess I expected more of a chat where people ask questions, others see and answer when they can. They talk about the game. Everyone's equal and just in it to help each other grow.

... What I got was highschool 2.0.

That's because NN is high school all over again and the people that got bullied and/or shunned are now "mentors" who have just a wee bit of power and go nuts with it. Do yourself a favor and just leave NN. Unless you're in the "popular" group, you will be ignored and the chat will mysteriously go silent if you don't go with the flow of conversation and want to *gasp* use it as it's supposed to be used.

[GenericMagus]

I do believe the NN needs a rework and bad experiences happen from time to time, that's just the downside of having something ran by people, so you rely on them in order to get whatever you need from them, but that's just a small part of the Mentor system that needs changes in order to try and remove the stigma from it alongside trying to keep bad apples down to the minimum.

It has been stated way back when NN was first launched that GMs said that the NN is free to have any discussion they want while obeying the ToS of the channel and the game.

Of course regulars will know each other, it's only natural, but the only advice I can say is to be a regular yourself, engage and put yourself out there. People won't come to you in NN, if you're silent then of course you'll be ignored. You don't have to be a Mentor to give help or a sprout to receive help, there's plenty of ways in game to do so, just NN is the more broad and all-encompassing way.

[Theodric]

It varies by server. Novice Network on Cerberus, for example, is pretty relaxed. If someone asks a question, it receives an answer. There's some friendly chatter here and there, too, but I've not seen anybody ignored if help is requested.

I also think a lot of people expect too much from a system based around voluntary engagement. Mentors are not obligated to be perfect or available 24/7.