I know I take a loooot of my time to train novices that come straight from the Portal of Fate. Maybe an hour or two per novice, unless they really know what they're doing and just want me to leave them alone. That's never happened, so... either all the novices who come actually appreciate the time I take for 'em, or they are just being polite and are avoiding stepping on my toes.

Maybe both.

I don't know why, but using reflexes for greeting is a pet peeve of mine. Its one thing to have one to alert you of a novice so that you could greet them manually, though. I just think since this is an interactive game and all. To each its own, I guess. Once I get a bit more knowledgable in the game, I'd like to help novices. I guess if I'm busy, I could direct them to a few scrolls to read while I finish up and make my way to them. But if they don't need help, at least I've started them off with a few of the various helps.

Mine too, and thankfully our guildmaster too, who screamed at people a while back over doing it People don't do it around here anymore.

To give others credit, we in Moondust tend to drive ourselves a little crazy by being fanatical about teaching our novices. And tracking them to make sure they've had both their initial training and then their graduation preparation talk later on.

Also, the 'coven' atmosphere encourages us to work together (which leads to us being more group-oriented), whereas other groups might be more individualistic.

I'm also not a fan of the triggers or teaching by alias. Every novice is different, and even the complete newbie ones learn at different rates with different levels of help. For those who catch on quickly or who already know what they're doing, my initial training tends to take about a half hour. For those who need a bit more guidance or who have a number of questions and don't mind waiting longer, that's when I spend more time with them. I also don't want someone new to the realm who's excited to get started to have to sit around for hours being lectured to and told to read a ton of help files right off the bat. The half hour initial training gets them their basic require lessons and explains a few of the more vital abilities, points them to what they should note for later reading after the brief required reading of the rules. Most people do need some time to become oriented to the game and their guild and abilities before venturing out to start exploring on their own. Overguidance is bad because it's tedious for the skilled learner or, eventually, the teacher. Underguidance is bad because it doesn't give new people enough to build on.

Generally, I like them to read the files, then I'll teach them. I ask them if they know what they're supposed to learn, and if not, I tell them to go back over and read the files again. But, that's due to the city, and guild. We're not a close knit community. If I was Seren, or Celestian, I'd do it differently.

And just as a note, I've not had any complaints.

I sort of liked the Wytchen's system in Imperian. Really made you feel like one of the Coterie.

Yep yep, I love teaching novices as a Moondancers, we verge on stalking
a lot of the time.

shhhh no telling about how the brainwashing begins

what ever anyone tells you it dosen't involve a wet noodle.

We had a system in place for this, but also had a notorious lack of undersecretaries or people willing to do the job, so even as GM I was still doing the novice training fairly often. Of course, things might have changed since I left.

when I tried a Serenguard, (within a few months actually) I was greeted on
the channel and givin help files and some starting equipment, which was nice.

It all depends on who's online at the time as well. If none of the Undersecretaries or Secretaries or anyone in a position of power is around... you probably won't get much response over GNT.

In theory I'd much rather novices get taught by guildmates. It's just a huge difference in terms of immersion and giving a good first impression.

My experience has always been that novice I've spent a lot of time teaching were more likely to stay active than those I couldn't teach properly 'cause I was in a hurry or had already spent four hours on other ones...

On the other hand, I've had a small handful of novices where I could tell they'd really much rather read a couple ghelps and be done with it. Hmm.

In the end, it's a matter of balance. With real newbies, I think actually teaching them is much better, simply because you can give them information just as they need it, whereas lengthy GHELPs may simply overload them with information and you'll never see them again.


Oh and... Tsuki wouldn't happen to be known as Gloriana in, um, other realms?

Gasp! You just reminded me that I haven't talked to her in ages. Darn you.

Skyla was actually the only Moondancer that made an effort to help my novice Moondancer. Several times, for perhaps an hour or two, usually when there were a few people around, I would bring her on, but I was never spoken to except for the occasional, "You guys alright?" kinda thing on GNT, so it really wasn't all that brilliant.

Aquamancers always scared me to death when I was a novice there.

Geomancers I loved as a novice, and my character is around quite often when Bau is not busy.

It all depends on the novice.. I know when I was an undersecretary there were some I had to have someone else teach.

What are these "other realms" of which you speak? Blasphemy!
Yeah, that's a no. I'll take it as a compliment and be happy, though?





Bad timing
Others tend to do more of the pseudo-stalking by randomly checking over GNT more than I do. My stalking's more subtle, especially now that I have thirdeye and can check where novices are and if they seem to be doing things over time... then I send them tells if circumstances seem to indicate a need. Or at least I tend to call them by name over GNT opposed to the unaimed "you" or "Dusties". And I tend to check GWHO to see if we have any novices fairly often. We get so many novices floating around that if someone's apparently had their initial training (5% of my might takes care of that) and they're not close to or below 10 hours of novicehood remaining, I tend not to check in with them unless I notice problems, as much as I hate not being able to do so. Now that I've delegated the stalk--- I mean, tracking ... lists more to Sivriel and Jazlyn, I'm trying to be better with the GHELPs and interactions.

I need to go back to having patience again. Back on Achaea, Beldaran schooled most of the Warlock novices coming through sooner or later, for a decade or two, and I'd sit there and patiently explain myrrh and learning and skills and bashing and defs and... *sigh* there were some VEEEEEEERY SLOOOOOOOOW novices in the Warlocks. Suppose it served them right for naming the guild that.

We scared you?