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Thanks for the feedback Domenick and Rare! +repped you both
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@(you need an account to see links) , really battling is my first love , so battling is a must , i dont like games in which you just have to feed your pet or just customize , but adventure /mystery i.e in the forms of plots or exploration of new worlds to obtain new items would also be cool. Chatting boards are a necessity :p. Im all for the black market
Userlookups YES , i also like sub-games in which we can earn points and trophies.
Evolving pets would be awesome , kinda like Pokemon , we gain xp from battling , reach a certain level and the pet evolves , come to think of unlimited no. of pets would be cool like a pokemon game which can be played online with elements of neopets
@(you need an account to see links)., thanks for the response! I +repped you
As I said in the other thread, the game mechanics as a whole would have to be inherently mirroring that of neopets. There's a finite tuning to everything on the site that wouldn't be possible in any other setting. For example, the battledome is rewarding to players that put in hours of hard work and effort, which keeps people coming back to the site; but that goal is only there given that the methods of gaining wealth / training your pet cost a lot of money.
Same thing goes for avatar collecting. While it's got a reputation for frivolity, you do have to work very hard in order to gain all those little 50 x 50's. It also puts values in certain items, and encourages users to check out the neoboards.
On the topic of neoboards, on the topic of "the neopets theory," these have to be the backbone of what makes the site what it is. Without the neoboards, users can't connect, and once they do, they get jealous. They start to wonder, 'Hey, I wish I had 20 million!' and 'Hey, I wish I had that avatar!' This creates the competition and livelihood of the community that motivates people to partake in the activities that take long hours to be successful at; thereby addicting them to the site.
As far as USD trading goes, I don't think it's a good idea to implement this. If you truly want a recreation of the neopets environment, everything (legitimate) would have to be attainable in two manners: Slow, painstaking flash games, or Fast, trading and restocking. The two player groups of those who have visited the neoboards and those who have not are tipped towards those who haven't, and the people that learn to make money at a more developed level goes down even more out of the other group. This means there's a few people restocking, and a lot of people working to buy their items; which makes the restockers competitive, and the masses have something to work for.
Giving players objectives to work for that require strenuous amounts of online time is imperative to a consistent user base. Having to save 1 million for a paint brush, or 16 million for a draik / krawk (6 months ago) is for a large part what kept a lot of people coming back. In the process of working towards these, they have a chance of assimilating into the social parts of the game and becoming attached to it, which is why we have users on the boards sporting 130+ months and on.
What I do mean suppose a new pet site was released. Would you like to see a human avatar as well as pets?
No, because this would turn away a lot of people. The anonymity that is default, a lack of association with reality, is a large proponent of increased social activity.
Customizable pets or no?
Possible, but not a focus- For reasons why, see neopets.com population charts from 2006-2013.
Bigger emphasis on housing and easier customization of such?
Housings pretty much a gimmick in all honesty, as with the proper set up of pets, they aren't worth much. Yeah, they're neat, but no, you can never actually interact with them actively (and if you could, it would get boring), so it loses appeal all together.
A battling system?
Battling, in the neopets sense of the word, is a fine-tuned method of making people work in every way. Training your pet, battling your pet, and getting weapons for your pet all require time and dedication to evoke success, which means a loyal user base that wants to. As well, plot centered wars pitting fellow players together would increase competition for people that already do battle, and entice more people into getting hooked on the activity as well.
Different worlds or a singular world?
Multiple worlds brings the opportunity for many games, site features, and plots, which are integral to keeping the climate of the site active.
Guilds, Chatting boards or malleable chat rooms?
Boards and guilds only, as the value of person-to-person contact is less when you don't have a identifying post to go with your name; for instance, when I see giver_of_gifts_again post, I know that they'll have CC signature and a cliffhanger avatar. That kind of familiarity isn't shared in a chat room.
Static pets or evolving pets? A limited number of pets requiring more accounts or an unlimited number with the option for only one account?
Static pets, as there's a "time limit" on how interesting your pet can be if it's the latter. If pets can change over time, then that means that long-term playing is discouraged, due to people hitting the end of their pets' evolution. Better to have set attributes assigned to the pet that players can indefinitely increase in comparison with their friends pets, other peoples pets, or goals they have for themselves. Users should be confined to their pet and their pets only, and in order to emphasize the attachment a user needs to have with it, there shouldn't be an unlimited number; as well, facilitated pet transferring should be frowned upon in light of people receiving pets they have not worked for. Pound trading would still be possible, but safe transferring should not.
A trade center, auctions, user shops, or none of the above?
All of the above, and an emphasis on markets as well; malling is an important part of the "casual user" experience.
Personalized user lookups or a personalized "about me" page linked from a standard UL?
UL's should be all-encompassing and contain all the information about a person, and there's no need for an external page. As some already do, if you really feel it necessary, you can make a petpage if you feel like it describing yourself; but the user lookup should be mandated to concisely display a users attributes to all people that wish to view them.
Plots?
Most definitely, as prizes and activities within the plots motivates people to keep on coming back to attend every single site event.
Flash games? Nom-flash games?
Both, because some basic but popular "card / luck" style games don't necessarily need to be flash; IE bilge dice. Keep in mind that the majority of incoming users are going to head straight to the games room, and flash games need to be high in quality because of that.
Avatars?
The avatars on neopets are very specifically made out to be as popular as they are given their size and quirks; they are small, but communicate a lot and are generally physically appealing. Having avatars is the first step for people to get out of the "I want XX paint brush" phase and into "I want to collect YY avatars" level of involvement on the site. However, dilution of their properties can make them lose their value in the average persons point of view.
Trophies?
Yes, as they represent a meter by which advanced users can compare themselves to the rest of the population. It also represents a way by which people can make their account look better, which becomes a focal point in ones' goals as they get more and more into the site.
-x-
Kind of long winded, but I figured detailed responses are important if they end up becoming a reality. Just remember, when in doubt, copy neopets... Honestly. There's nothing better you can do than mimic the web's #3 trafficked site in 2003.
Nik (01-01-2013),Persephone (01-01-2013),r (01-01-2013)uz z eh
@(you need an account to see links), thanks so much. I fully +repped you and I'll be responding more fully in our PMs.
I'll be able to talk more easily later today when I'm not as busy.
@(you need an account to see links)
That was perfect, seriously.
Neopets is completely about competition between users and having infinite room for growth.
@(you need an account to see links)
By simply making boards and copying the neopets style marketplace; user shops, main shops, trades and auctions as well as a way by which you can show your wealth through galleries, pets and battling (among other things) you will make an awesome site.
Also customisation for user pages is important
Tell me how your project is going via PM maybe? I would love to watch this thing grow or maybe even be a part of it
Last edited by Nik; 01-01-2013 at 03:09 PM.
Thanks! I have done a lot of analysis in my free time as to what makes neopets tick, and I'm glad I nailed all the points; agreed on your thesis there.Originally Posted by Nik
@(you need an account to see links), I look forward to learning about what you've got going on. Sounds good!
@(you need an account to see links)
@(you need an account to see links)
It's also important to have tons of items, each item needs to serve a specific purpose though.
Food, Quest, Battle, Customise related items ect.
Everything needs be able to be used in some way and help the player. Junk items in neopets only help fill galleries and get the packrat avatar.
Agreed. I think neopets had the same idea, which is why they have only managed to amass 50k+ items after 13 years or so. However, it'd be hard to find intrinsic uses for every single item.
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