When I first joined years ago, I know the monks were a thing but they never approached me. I know it’s important to reach out, but lots of players are too nervous to bother someone they don’t know. So, especially in WS chat, it’d be pretty useful for monks to directly approach new players who seem confused, even with just a /msg.
Secondly, the monks really are super mysterious and confusing. They live at Cloud Temple, but they have little to no lore or reason for being there or for knowing the lands. I think this adds to the issue that most monk guidance has ooc chatter; there’s little to go off of irp. Thus, I think it’d be helpful to establish a more structured base for the monks, give them some more intriguing lore, and have them be more involved in the world itself. They can retain their neutrality and even have that be enforced ooc, but I personally believe that players would feel like they’re actually learning to participate in the server better when they’re interacting with a people who are involved. Likewise, it would give monks more of an incentive to rp as their characters and generally be around for when new players need help.
A third idea, that could be more flexibly changed and would probably require more thought, would be a volunteer system for established players to guide a new player. Some sort of sign-up or mentor system located near the Cloud Temple (or in the forums/Discord) that new players could voluntarily sign up for themselves. I think that would take a load off monks who don’t have all the time in the world, and allow new players some more freedom in the kind of help they receive, especially since they’re already interacting with grounded members of the playerbase. The volunteers could focus on general info or be nation specific, allow the new player to establish themselves in a community, and the new players would have square choice in who guides them, to avoid any nation pressure or bias.
By all means, this system may not be perfect and could use much refining, as most of it is just thoughts spewed from my mind within the last five minutes, but I think something of the sort would open up the resources a new player can access and encourage many to explore the world alongside someone who willingly introduces them to what they’re most familiar with.
The monk guidance system is flawed, but it’s a concept that could grow into something great. I appreciate the concern and efforts to improve on it, so keep it up!