if people ask me for help, I usually give it to them, whether it's answering questions or whatever, I don't usually help on CGT because I see lots of other people jump on the questions usually but if I notice someone isn't being helped, I'll try and help them if I can, and I know a lot of other people do to. Just because no one greets you, or is helping, doesn't mean they aren't willing to or are just ignoring you, it just means they didn't see it, or are busy doing other things or AFK. I think the instances being brought up are far and few in between and that's a hell of a coincidence if it happened to you 2 or 3 times.

I agree with Xenthos and co. GNT was just a lot more personal. I think they should just let novices talk on GNT as well.

Gonna iterate this. I liked GNT. Collegiums are necessary, especially for the smaller guilds, but let 'em interact with the guild as well.

From my experience teaching novices was fun but you burn out fast if you don't know some things

1.) Most novices are alts, if they really don't want you to teach them don't, but at least give them something to remember the guild by.
2.) Some novices are going to be annoying, if they bug you too much consider them lost causes until they ask a question.
3.) Don't make lessons too long. I used to teach for 30 mins to an hour but really it's just too much. Try to make it 15-20 mins, 30 max if possible because it makes it less likely for you to get worn out, and it doesn't take too long for you. There are exceptions to this rule.
4.) Make sure they know the syntaxes to use their skills and look up their skills, such as leading them through getting out their talisman (If a nature user), then asking them to look up and do the rest of the skills in front of you.
5.) Represent yourself and your guild, you are the first person this person is meeting potentially if they think the guild is boring or blah then they won't stay. If you make them feel a part of the guild or commune/city right off the bat then they are more likely to come back.
6.) Encourage them to make friends, and offer yourself to answer any questions they may have about their skills, or about the guild or commune they live in.
7.) Some novices will be clingy, not want to go to newton or off on their own, if you aren't willing to take them around and do the whole mentor protege sort of thing, try and find them a buddy, or ask them to start searching for others.
8.) It's a good thing if you are having fun as a player while doing it because that makes it worthwhile to them. This is a hard game to learn if it's the first they have played or even coming from another.
9.) Check up on them infrequently. If you see them later that day it's a good thing to shoot them a "Is everything going alright?"
10.) Immediately become interested in their character, point out how they look so nondescript and ask them about goals they may have and if they don't have any tell them to try and think up some.

I spent a lot of time when Shishi was in the ebonguard teaching novices, I think once I taught 5 at a time once which was a little crazy and it's a fun part of the game if you make it that way. You just have to not be discouraged by the knowledge that there is probably a 70% chance that you will never see them again. This isn't a be-all-end-all list, there are other things there, the most important part is to RP your character and intro them to their new environment, doing skills is just a part of mechanics, the RP will make them stay (Normally).

It also helps to have the mechanics stuff in a notepad saved. The when you say "Now it's time for you to learn x amount of lessons in (skillset) because you need such and such and such abilities, and they are important because blah blah blah" or "Now look at AB (skillset) (Skill) to see how to use it, use it and do the same thing for (skill) (Skill) (Skill), I suggest you also look at your other abilities at your conveniance as well."

If you have those things written up already then it frees up your typing time to interact and have some fun with the new one in your new environment whether it's treating them like a maggot, or telling them hug time is the first of every month, or whatever your city/commune does.

I enjoy novices for the most part, but the deal is that most of them are alts. They're just going to run straight to the nexus, learn their skills, and go and do something else.

After awhile of looking for a real novice, you just kind of give up and stop giving a :censor:.

Personally, I try to do the greeting spiel for all novices, and if they're my guild, I'll see how quickly they respond. If they either don't respond, or if they respond right away, I treat them as alts and move on. If they take a few seconds to respond, but seem to need help, I'll walk them through the skills and the basic syntaxes, and a bit of what the guild stands for.

Hmmm. I hadn't thought about that angle before. I guess if you twist Tosha enough you could get something workable and Seren-related. I don't think our previous attempts were any worse though, if only because it seems bizarre to have this Bull dude in our skills without him at least pretending to exist.

I definitely agree. Especially when you look at the skillset and see that it could easily have been made Stag-based. I mean, you've got antler-shaped weapons, you gore, you fling people around with your antlers, you kick people into other rooms, you stomp. Those are all Stag things.

Also, I asked in a different thread but I'm not sure how much attention it will get.

How does Shofangi actually play? I mean, Nekotai, I love the flavor of. Their use of poisons and such feels interesting and creative. Does Shofangi have anything like that? I can't really "see" it from just looking at their skill list. Is it a fun style in combat, or is it kinda bland? Like, Ninjakari has the chain tricks, Nekotai has poison.. what is Shofangi's unique aspect?

Their flavour in combat is being unremarkable.

Shofangi's special trick is turning into the Hulk for 60 seconds.

No power greenlocks are nice.

Tosha would be a weird angle to work from - its purpose is to reach a spiritual peace, and to overcome the inherent rage/bloodlust that loboshigaru have.

I don't think you really have that in Serenwilde.

Except it could be about channeling that Primal Nature that all people have. Tosha monks may be looking to lock it up, but once you control the flow of something, you can re-direct it however you wish. That control shows itself in Harmony, but as well, the ability to unleash that harnessed Primal Power is shown by the Shofangi trans skill, where they "Hulk out" for 60 seconds. That is them releasing everything they seek to control and directing it rather than letting it direct them.

Edit: Hell, what else is a bull other than a symbol of blind, animal rage and virility? I'd say the Tosha approach meshes pretty well with a Bull-based martial art.

Oh! I found someone better than the Hulk for the Shofangi.

Mr. Furious.

During dev we were going for a theme of having our legs given one of those aura overlay things of bull's legs so we could smash things with them, and the shofa would keep things in place/flay the skin to prevent bones from healing/carving right through some of them/etc.

It sooorta made it into the gameplay (hindered vastly by the way envoys tried to turn monks into warriors 2 so some of the skills are unusable in favour of grappling up to momentum 5 or something before we can do much), but some of the messages didn't work out as well as they could (see: Buck, which makes me think more of a donkey kick than anything else, or Boganj, which is just weird).

Did that open up a Pentera's box of rage?

Possibly. When I taught Moondancers and Hartstone I would normally go through the various skills they learned before showing off a little bit. The wicca skill is handy cause you can give away the fae like this. Could introduce them to their bashing if vermin pop up where you teach.

For illuminati, I can't really say. if you are fully transformed maybe give them a glimpse of your mutations, maybe some flashy paradigmatic skill?

Butterfly them!

You don't clear things with the admin. You invent something, and then you market it aggressively.

It might not seem like it now, but that's the way it was with every guild. I watched the Celestines write what the Supernals believe. Most of it is not taken from the mouths of the Supernals. In fact, some of it wasn't even meant to become canon. You know who first said that Raziela believes that the merciful choice was to kill the tainted? Not Raziela. Not Elohora. Amaru. Amaru didn't even mean it. Amaru said it tongue in cheek to mock a vocal pacifist. It stuck anyways.

I had more hands-on experience with it in the Blacktalon. Nyla wrote up this thing about the Wraiths and Crowtongue. Crowtongue stuck really well, no one really liked the Wraiths (didn't make sense anyways), sooo...since he was a permaenemy for theft anyways, we denounced it as heresy, retconned his enemy status to be for said heresy, and wrote the book on Crow and proceeded to market it aggressively. Now, your average BT is rooted in a warlike tribal culture, complete with catch phrases like "death comes on four swift wings."

We're doing it again in the Templars. Kalikai has no idea what's going on, and I don't really see any pressing need to clear it with her. It will be done, then when it is done, we will push it aggressively and make sure the admin are aware after the fact, because it's an ingrained and public part of the guild culture.

It even has RL counterparts. Take the Bible. Slavery is perceived as evil by most Western Christian groups, even though its permissibility shows up on the same page as the judgement against homosexuality in some printings. The Bible would be the "canon," but no one's going to let that get in the way of anything. Slavery is evil, Raziela euthanizes baby viscanti, Crow will lead you to victory in battle if you eat and drink until you're fat and stupid, the Templars still practice Transmology and can tell you the path to enlightenment, Brother Bull is very real, and no one can say anything different.

And you and Tlarras know that the guild leaders love your guys ideas and you guys get a big thumbs up and help when we can!