Description and Purpose[]
The Help Desk, located on the 2nd page of the game's Main Menu, is a window containing options for getting technical, GM, or other assistance. You are initially presented a menu of functions, choosing one of the commands will redirect you to the appropriate section of the help desk for assistance. The Help Desk is intended to be your in-game connection to PlayOnline's customer support.
- Note that the functions of the Help Desk have changed considerably since the game's release; some options may be new to you
Functions[]
The initial help desk screen contains the following options:
- The first option, Q&A, will prompt you for a query when selected. Type in some keywords (Or an article number if you know it) to search PlayOnline's FAQ database. When the search results come up, select an article to view it. Press ESC or your close window button when finished.
- Mentor Search closes the help desk screen and performs a search in the current area for any players that have the Mentor flag turned on. This typically does not yield results unless you're in a highly populated area.
- A little known fact- While there is no parameter available to search for mentors with /search or the search command in the main menu, if you first perform a mentor search through the help desk you can press enter on the pink bar at the top of the search window (which is highlighted by default when you perform a search), you can expand the search to all areas or a different area using the menu that appears. This makes it easier to find a mentor, particularly if you are not in a populated area such as a city.
- Help Desk redirects you to the screen containing your options for contacting a GM, which earlier in FFXI's history was the initial screen for the help desk. Select the category that best describes your problem. Depending on your selection the help desk may offer some advice in an attempt to reduce the need for your GM call, but if this advice is not helpful you can continue on to contact a GM. If you do, you will be taken to a screen to enter a (brief) description of your problem and send your call.
- the Config option takes you to another screen with five options:
- Enable Mentor Status: Puts up the Mentor flag beside your name, if you have registered to be a mentor with the A.M.A.N NPCs located in each city. Grayed out if your flag is already up or you are not registered as a mentor (Registering as a mentor has certain level and game play time requirements.)
- Disable Mentor Status: Removes the Mentor flag from beside your name. Grayed out if Mentor status is not currently enabled.
- Cancel New Adventurer Status: Removes the ? icon from beside your name. Only available if you are playing a new character and it has not already been removed (Either by using this command, or achieving level 5 / 10 hours game time played.)
- The next "option" is merely a disclaimer regarding the mentor system (Mentors are not Square-Enix employees) and highlighting it simply brings the whole thing into view as it goes off the bottom edge of the window.
- Back: Returns you to the previous screen. (ESC / close window button will also work.)
- Back: Closes the Help Desk screen, returning you to the Main Menu. (ESC / close window key will also work.)