Crazy Idea: Add an "Advice" channel. Thoughts?

In another thread, it was brought up and I expanded on(with help from others) the idea of an "Advice" channel. Similar to global and trade, it would be a standalone channel with its own chat-symbol, not simply /global 553125. There have been many iterations, notably 101, but I want to go further. I want to leave the squabbles and trolls that Global is inevitably infested with. PoE doesn't need a tutorial, we need camaraderie. Let us work together to defeat these vile inhabitants of Wraeclast.

I have been and will be massively editing this, adding new ideas and cleaning up the message.
I will quote/link to original authors where applicable.

tl;dr first.


Wall of Text version:
Please read through this wall, as many concerns have been addressed.

PoE has a pretty solid community. Global chats are pretty full, and there are a few guilds that seem like they work together well. The average player is much more extremely knowledgeable in game-mechanics than the average player of almost any other game. This leads to the newbies getting great answers to any of their questions, if those helpful players aren't drowned out by shouts of "Alt-F4" and "oh good a noob, i'm so triggered right now."

"Global 101" has been mentioned, it's a wondrous idea, but most new players won't get into it, as they won't know how. Lets take 101, lets twist it, turn it, and = Crazy idea: Add an "Advice" channel. Many games have it, and I was surprised when such a confusing game as PoE didn't. Make it an auto join chat, and add some pop-up blurbs for it during the Twilight Strand(Hillock). We all know global 1 is too full of memers for any real questions to be asked. You are more likely to get "triggered" as a response than a helpful answer. 2 and 3 are little better. Add a new chat channel, impose a few rules, and people will help each other. It wouldn't just be for newbies, many vets have a few questions too. Sure, it might not be as full as G1, but those people who care about the newbie community will hang out there and help. PoE has many dedicated players, way more than enough to make an advice channel work.

"

innervation wrote:

This channel is clicked on for new players by default. If the new players try to leave it, a box pops up explaining what the channel is, how they can use it, and how they can REJOIN it if they want to in the future. (this solves the problem of 'global 101 is cool, but how do new players know to join it if they're new and don't know how to join it?' also addresses the problem of it turning into Global 1)

Three strikes and you're out. Lots of people have expressed interest in being mentors in a channel like this. If GGG find 3 legitimate reports against you for jerking around in this channel, you can't rejoin, or you get a long timeout from it (solves the spam/troll problem) I would extend this to going off-topic and chatting too.

It would NEED to be a real channel with its own chat symbol (question mark-"?" was a stroke of brilliance I'm super proud of hahaha).
I don't think Advice chat would need more than 2 channels, I don't even really see it needing more than 1 honestly.

It would moderate itself. It's an advice channel, a LOT of people take advice channels very seriously. I've played many a MMO, and people will rage for messing with their Advice channel. I like the "three strikes", but GGG would need to add more "Report for xxxx" to simplify the process for reporters, and themselves.
Report for Off-Topic

Report for Trolling

Report for Being an Asshole.

"

DalaiLama wrote:

I think GGG could simply have a "monitor" bot that sat in the channel and recorded all messages (for verifying any reports later on) and the monitor could announce something like "This is a dedicated help channel, all messages are recorded, so please behave and be nice"

We don't want to scare away the Newbies. We need newbies. Newbies need stash-tabs. More newbies=more tabs bought=more $$$=more updates. (Probably, idk, just go with it)

It wouldn't be as hard as people are thinking.
GGG would need to implement the following:
1-New channel. Probably the hardest part for them.
2-New "report for xxxx"s.
3-A few pop-up blurbs about the channel as you run through Twilight Strand and into Lioneye's.

Moderation: Players would do it.
Information itself: Players.
We already have an FAQ. Just c/p answers.
We have lists of Gems by Vendor/Quests if people need help with gems
Players are willing to help, if GGG wants to let us :)

GGG could also implement "Tutor"s, similar to the forum's "Valued Poster" title.

"

Moasseman wrote:

They even went as far as giving Tutors (people who had completed a "tutor test" successfully) a different color in the "Help" channel.

Edit:

"

Daiena wrote:

So basically tutorials are unnecessary carebear feature that would be damn near impossible for PoE,what we do need is a dedicated chat tab specifically for new players to ask for quick questions when needed,and is/can be properly moderated by assigned community members,and harsher overall rules regarding spam reporting.

Yes.

I'll +1 this idea

I saw the other thread and that probably IS the best way to go for help.
Used to be good back during beta when you could ask that stuff without getting troll answers
So this channel would need to be heavily moderated.

Atm though i'd expect you to maybe trial this idea, see if you can get GGG's help on enforcing the channels chat rules, and put an add up in general every 20/30 minutes.

Maybe ask support if they could sticky the basic info in the help/gameplay parts of the forum as well

I'd be all up for this +1.

Longest of time ago I played Tibia where they had few major global chat channels, those being "Trade", "General chat", "English chat" and "Help". They even went as far as giving Tutors (people who had completed a "tutor test" successfully) a different color in the "Help" channel.

There were constantly people asking questions that ranged from complete newcomer style to advanced math

+1

"

Moasseman wrote:

They even went as far as giving Tutors (people who had completed a "tutor test" successfully) a different color in the "Help" channel.

Love this idea. Similar to the "Valued Poster" in the forums.

"

Aethroz wrote:

It would moderate itself. It's an advice channel, a LOT of people take advice channels very seriously. I've played many a MMO, and people will rage for messing with their Advice channel. I like the "three strikes", but GGG would need to add more "Report for xxxx" to simplify the process for reporters, and themselves.
Report for Off-Topic

Spoiler

DankMemer: GG drops, fucking pro [Kaom's Heart] Suck it newbs
OriginalName: Hey Memer, remember to stay on topic in /Advice, thanks.
DankMemer: Lol origianl jelly af cuz cant drop t1's watafag

Report for Trolling

Spoiler

MyFirstCookieCutter: How do I get to Tidal Island?
DankerMemer: ALt-F4

Report for Being an Asshole.

Spoiler

IPlayFNAF: What do I do with Wisdom Scrolls?
TheDankiestOfDanknessLordMemer: this fucking noob. "What do I do with wisdom scrolls?" haha shove um up your ass. Triggerd.

]

I like the overall idea, and I would try to join the channel and help out. As far as moderation goes, I think GGG could simply have a "monitor" bot that sat in the channel and recorded all messages (for verifying any reports later on) and the monitor could announce something like "This is a dedicated help channel, all messages are recorded, so please behave and be nice"

"

DalaiLama wrote:

I like the overall idea, and I would try to join the channel and help out. As far as moderation goes, I think GGG could simply have a "monitor" bot that sat in the channel and recorded all messages (for verifying any reports later on) and the monitor could announce something like "This is a dedicated help channel, all messages are recorded, so please behave and be nice"

Nice, I like it. A simple reminder to keep people on topic, and saving messages helps GGG if they want to add the "Tutor" title, and as you said keep track of trolls.

"

DalaiLama wrote:

"

Aethroz wrote:

It would moderate itself. It's an advice channel, a LOT of people take advice channels very seriously. I've played many a MMO, and people will rage for messing with their Advice channel. I like the "three strikes", but GGG would need to add more "Report for xxxx" to simplify the process for reporters, and themselves.
Report for Off-Topic

Spoiler

DankMemer: GG drops, fucking pro [Kaom's Heart] Suck it newbs
OriginalName: Hey Memer, remember to stay on topic in /Advice, thanks.
DankMemer: Lol origianl jelly af cuz cant drop t1's watafag

Report for Trolling

Spoiler

MyFirstCookieCutter: How do I get to Tidal Island?
DankerMemer: ALt-F4

Report for Being an Asshole.

Spoiler

IPlayFNAF: What do I do with Wisdom Scrolls?
TheDankiestOfDanknessLordMemer: this fucking noob. "What do I do with wisdom scrolls?" haha shove um up your ass. Triggerd.

]

I like the overall idea, and I would try to join the channel and help out. As far as moderation goes, I think GGG could simply have a "monitor" bot that sat in the channel and recorded all messages (for verifying any reports later on) and the monitor could announce something like "This is a dedicated help channel, all messages are recorded, so please behave and be nice"

Anything would really help.
As far as i can make out,every year they plan to do one expansion and one major update e/g Ascendancy was an expansion,and Prophecy will be a major update. So every year there will be more content and the game will grow larger in raw size and things to do in it,while mechanically as i mentioned in the previous post,the game provides huge amount of resources in forums,stuff like masters,labyrinths and many other smaller every day things would be beyond tedious to google for or look up on forums,even more so if you've no idea what to look for.

So a heavy moderated chat tab dedicated to new players would be a really nice addition,now everyone knows that there is no way GGG would or could put actual employers in that chat and pay them to sit there 24/7 and weed out the spammers and trolls,however as discussed above,tutors or people with decent chat history could be given the access to mute someone if needed,and to avoid abuse of it,they would be the only ones actually moderated by GGG,e/g if you start going all justice warrior and muting anyone who dares to even write ''Hi people'' would and should end up being stripped of the privilege.
A bot in my personal opinion would be really ineffective as far as recording the chat goes,because at the end of the day how do you make a distinction between a healthy discussion regarding someone's question,and simple spam and trolling.

I like this because as a player that learned from the community (as most casual players will) I would like to give back , and having a place I can go to actually help with questions I know would be beneficial instead of sorting through the chat that happens in global all the time.