Serebii
06-09-2022, 02:14 AM
So it's happened. You've either restarted fresh, are recovering from having your main frozen, or have bought a shell. And you have no idea what to do to not stick out like a sore thumb among the countless other users on the website as you build or rebuild up into something more. The following guide is aimed at helping you build up and legitimize how your new (or recently inactive) account looks to other users, and, with some time, patience and a bit of luck, not draw any negative attention towards you.
Legitimizing your account is not an overnight process. Some of these tips may take you weeks or even months to get yourself looking presentable, but it's worth it in the long run. Having an account that doesn't look as if it's an obvious shell or throwaway means you'll have an easier time flying under the radar and continuing about your business without any trouble.
★★★★★★★★★★
46530
-★- Handling Basics: The First Glance -★-
We'll be heading into the beginning of our guide with the two biggest and probably most obvious parts of your account: Your userlookup, and your pets. These are very likely the first two things other users will notice and judge about your account, and getting them both looking presentable is extremely important.
[*=center]Pretty Up that Lookup!
★ One of the easiest and most low effort things you can do is find yourself a nice looking premade userlookup code. In doing so, you've already put yourself at a step above "just" a basic looking account or shell.
★ You can find premade lookups via a quick Google search. But if you're untrusting (or just lazy) in general, SunnyNeo ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) has a small collection that still mostly work nowadays. With some tweaking you can get them looking quite nice.
★ List a few small blurbs about yourself in your "about me" section. Pick a name or nickname to be addressed as, perhaps supply an age if you're feeling good about that. The real meat here should be your interests, what you like to do on Neopets in general or perhaps any goals or wishes for the site in general. It may be a good idea to lurk around on the Neoboards and see how others have filled out their lookups to get an idea of what type of thing is "expected" to be there.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Pets are important too!
★ Have multiple pets. This looks a lot better than simply having one or two. If you're an outright newbie, basic colors are fine to start with, but definitely look in to at the very least beginning to customize them. There are plenty of NP wearables that are not only cheap, but look good, so take a look around and see what you can find.
★ When you do begin to paint your pets, it's probably better to avoid anything TOO flashy looking. Try for cheaper colours like Snow, Christmas, Speckled, or Cloud. These are colours easily obtainable to even new accounts due to their price, and thus they're 100% believable. An account under 4 or 5 months parading around higher-end colours like Stealthy, Royal, or Faerie looks a bit odd, especially if they're on multiple VWN or WN pets.
★ (That said, BN/DN pets are easier to get away with in situations like that because it looks as if you've gotten lucky and plucked them from the pound.)
★ For the love of god DO NOT show up out of no where on a new account with UCs, RWs or RNs. These would raise so many red flags. Have patience and build yourself up first. I'd be wary of even attempting to house anything like this on an account younger than 2 years at minimum, especially if it is meant to be a main. There are other wonderful guides on the forums that will teach you how to obtain and secure pets like these, so I would very much recommend you seek out and read them in addition to this guide if they are one of your goals.
★ After a time it may be a good thing to buy a few NC cards and begin obtaining some nicer-looking wearables. NC is a good thing because it shows you're investing in your account a bit. However, like the above, try to avoid anything *too* flashy. For the first few months of your time on the site, stick to what's currently available in the mall, or "trade" for lesser value items or pops. Do not show up out of no where with highly coveted NC items.
★ Pick a pet and begin training them for the Battledome. The Swashbuckling Academy is cheap enough to throw a few hundred NP at every few hours for a stat boost or two, and having a beginner BD pet shows genuine interest in the site.
★ Likewise, use JellyNeo's Item Database ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) to look up and purchase a bunch of cheap books to read to your pets. This will show yet more interaction with the site and basic mechanics, while also giving you more credibility.
★ Give your pets a bit of flair of personality by customizing their lookups a bit. Premade pet lookups are just as easy to find as userlookups are, and you can fill them in with almost anything you want. Some people keep a record of Battledome stat thresholds, others write stories about their pets, really the sky is the limit here.
★★★★★★★★★★
46527
-★- A Deeper Dive: Your Shop and Gallery -★-
Shops and galleries. Everyone has them, and with how economy-driven Neopets is, you'll need to get these up and running eventually too. You may as well build them up in a similar way to the rest of your account, as every little detail helps you ultimately pass muster.
[*=center]Do a Capitalism! (Make a Shop)
★ Start off by making a small shop and beginning to sell from it. Usual newbie behavior is just trying to hock whatever you can manage to scrape together from Random Events or dailies. Follow along with this line of thinking to keep your shop from looking empty. A few cheap or themed items priced at 1k, 2k or 5k to be presented as "donations" are another common thing I see newbies do, and it might just help you appear that much more legitimate.
★ As your account ages, you might wish to appear as if you've gotten into restocking. Pick a few of the easier shops to restock from, either by RSing legitimately or using the autobuyer presented to users here on the forums. Food, Books, Medicine and Toys are good shops for newbies to try their hand at restocking in. Avoid shops like Magic, Coin and Stamp until your account has aged a bit, as those always look suspicious.
★ Shops are, you guessed it, yet another place you can customize. Many places feature premade shop layouts and it may be a good idea to snag one just to pretty the place up a bit.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]It's Not Hoarding! (Start a Gallery)
★ Pick a gallery theme and start filling your gallery with the cheaper/easier to get items from said theme. Plushies are a fun one that a lot of newbies fall into, or maybe there's a certain kind of food that you like. This one is mostly up to personal preference, so be creative.
★ Just like the above, galleries also have a smattering of premade coding that you can hunt down and just slap in there. Find one that somewhat matches the theme of what you're collecting and just roll with it.
★★★★★★★★★★
46528
-★- Show Your Dedication: Avatars, Neodeck, Stamps & Trophies -★-
If you've come this far, you may as well continue on by adding yet more flair to your lookup. Avatars, a Neodeck, Stamps, and Trophies do a lot for helping an account look played in and thus, more legit. They really are a cheap and easy way to get those numbers up.
[*=center]Neoboard Avatars
★ Arguably one of the first things people see when they look at you. The number is near the top of your lookup, your currently selected avatar is displayed near it, and they're just a decent way to gauge how active someone really is.
★ Start working your way up by gathering all of the clickable or nearly-clickable avatars. Thankfully there is an already put together list ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) that makes this task quick and painless.
★ Don't just stop there, however. A mistake I see a lot of people do is not attempting to mix up their avatar count or obtain anything further. Just by playing around on the site you'll obtain avatars from random chance or just on accident, or maybe there's a few you'll want to actively aim for just because of their look. Grab whatever you can feasibly get, especially seasonal avatars.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Neodeck Cards & Stamps
★ This is an incredibly easy one since there are a lot of Neodeck cards and stamps that barely cost anything thanks to dailies and events. Just grab a selection of cheap cards/stamps and chuck them in to make yourself look as if you've taken a passing interest in this part of the site. More is always better, if you can help it. But that being said, this is hardly worth breaking the bank over unless your overall goal or theme is collecting. And even then you want to stretch out these goals over time so as to not look suspicious.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Trophies
★ There are a smattering of easy trophies you can obtain to flesh out your lookup and thus, make yourself look more legitimate. I actually won't go into detail about them here because there is already a wonderfully written guide here on the forums ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) that does an excellent job showing what's available and how to get them.
★ I WILL however lay out a caution about one trophy in particular: The Kadoatery. Do NOT attempt to go for this trophy while your account is still young. Yes, it is an easy trophy to get, but the people who feed Kads are just as nosy and obsessive as those on the Pound Chat. I advise you build up your account for a few months before beginning to feed any, and even then GO SLOW.
46529
★★★★★★★★★★
46531
-★- Tying Everything Together - Extra Flair -★-
There's just a bit more to do before you've got an account that not only looks legit, but is hopefully a safe haven for whatever it is you're trying to do on Neopets as a whole.
[*=center]Pick an aesthetic or theme
★ Every single Neopets player falls into something like this whether they know it or not. It's in their usernames, their lookups, their shops, which Neoboard avatar they use... everything. Find something you like and just let it ooze into every single facet of your account. Own it.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Join a guild
★ You don't have to be active, but simply joining a plausible sounding or looking guild is enough to help give you credibility. Search for "newbie" friendly guilds to join, or find one that relates to your account's theme or aesthetic. You also have the option of creating your own guild, however if you choose to go that route, I would very much recommend making it private so that others cannot see that its sole member is you.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Have Wishlists & Goals
★ A good way to make yourself seem genuine. Everyone on Neopets has goals they're trying to attain. Pick something realistic and have a way to keep track of your progress somewhere public. Your userlookup or shop are good places for these. Something like a more expensive paint brush or morphing potion works, or if you've aged your account a bit, you could list a stamp or Neodeck card you're after. The sky is the limit.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Invest in Premium
★ I know what you're thinking, ugh, spending more money. Well, in addition to Premium just being overall worth it in general (Yearly premium pet perk, random events, extra boons, pet slots, and nerkmids from the BD) it also goes a long way to making you look as if you're a legitimate player. Someone actively spending money on the site is less likely to throw it away by cheating, after all.
★ Other users can see that you are a Premium user by looking at your lookup. There, the lovely Space Faerie Charm displays itself if you have an active subscription.
46532
★★★★★★★★★★
46533
-★- Have Caution! -★-
While you're doing everything above, I do have a few extra warnings and cautions for you to help keep yourself out of the public gaze, and hopefully unfrozen until you look a bit more believable.
[*=center]Avoid the High Score Tables!
★ Until your account is built up, you want to stay off the high score tables as much as possible. Newbies getting a ton of flash game trophies always look suspicious. Trophies like The Wise King, King Skarl, etc are safe as they're random chance.
★ As an additional word of caution: I suggest to never ever keep enough NP on hand to get on the tax-based trophy high score lists, because a new account having that much NP outright is not only insane and improbable, but a HUGE red flag for illicit activity.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Stay Off The Neoboards!
★ I will repeat this until the end of time. The Neoboards are your enemy. The people who reside on the Neoboards (The Pound Chat and the Trade Chat ESPECIALLY.) are your enemy. Being active on the Neoboards places you in the public eye and makes it exceedingly easy for people with more time than sense to keep an eye on you.
★ If you absolutely MUST use the Neoboards, then I beg of you, do not be an idiot. Do not flaunt any achievements or rarities you may have stumbled across, and do not command attention whatsoever.
★★★★★★★★★★
Really the general idea is to have your account look not only lived in, but loved. A tiny bit of time and attention being poured into each section of the site that is visible to other people can go a long way to keeping others from suspecting you as a cheater. I've built up and helped others build up their accounts over time using the above tips, and I can promise that as long as you're not doing anything to draw unwanted attention to yourself, they really do help the public gaze look the other way.
Legitimizing your account is not an overnight process. Some of these tips may take you weeks or even months to get yourself looking presentable, but it's worth it in the long run. Having an account that doesn't look as if it's an obvious shell or throwaway means you'll have an easier time flying under the radar and continuing about your business without any trouble.
★★★★★★★★★★
46530
-★- Handling Basics: The First Glance -★-
We'll be heading into the beginning of our guide with the two biggest and probably most obvious parts of your account: Your userlookup, and your pets. These are very likely the first two things other users will notice and judge about your account, and getting them both looking presentable is extremely important.
[*=center]Pretty Up that Lookup!
★ One of the easiest and most low effort things you can do is find yourself a nice looking premade userlookup code. In doing so, you've already put yourself at a step above "just" a basic looking account or shell.
★ You can find premade lookups via a quick Google search. But if you're untrusting (or just lazy) in general, SunnyNeo ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) has a small collection that still mostly work nowadays. With some tweaking you can get them looking quite nice.
★ List a few small blurbs about yourself in your "about me" section. Pick a name or nickname to be addressed as, perhaps supply an age if you're feeling good about that. The real meat here should be your interests, what you like to do on Neopets in general or perhaps any goals or wishes for the site in general. It may be a good idea to lurk around on the Neoboards and see how others have filled out their lookups to get an idea of what type of thing is "expected" to be there.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Pets are important too!
★ Have multiple pets. This looks a lot better than simply having one or two. If you're an outright newbie, basic colors are fine to start with, but definitely look in to at the very least beginning to customize them. There are plenty of NP wearables that are not only cheap, but look good, so take a look around and see what you can find.
★ When you do begin to paint your pets, it's probably better to avoid anything TOO flashy looking. Try for cheaper colours like Snow, Christmas, Speckled, or Cloud. These are colours easily obtainable to even new accounts due to their price, and thus they're 100% believable. An account under 4 or 5 months parading around higher-end colours like Stealthy, Royal, or Faerie looks a bit odd, especially if they're on multiple VWN or WN pets.
★ (That said, BN/DN pets are easier to get away with in situations like that because it looks as if you've gotten lucky and plucked them from the pound.)
★ For the love of god DO NOT show up out of no where on a new account with UCs, RWs or RNs. These would raise so many red flags. Have patience and build yourself up first. I'd be wary of even attempting to house anything like this on an account younger than 2 years at minimum, especially if it is meant to be a main. There are other wonderful guides on the forums that will teach you how to obtain and secure pets like these, so I would very much recommend you seek out and read them in addition to this guide if they are one of your goals.
★ After a time it may be a good thing to buy a few NC cards and begin obtaining some nicer-looking wearables. NC is a good thing because it shows you're investing in your account a bit. However, like the above, try to avoid anything *too* flashy. For the first few months of your time on the site, stick to what's currently available in the mall, or "trade" for lesser value items or pops. Do not show up out of no where with highly coveted NC items.
★ Pick a pet and begin training them for the Battledome. The Swashbuckling Academy is cheap enough to throw a few hundred NP at every few hours for a stat boost or two, and having a beginner BD pet shows genuine interest in the site.
★ Likewise, use JellyNeo's Item Database ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) to look up and purchase a bunch of cheap books to read to your pets. This will show yet more interaction with the site and basic mechanics, while also giving you more credibility.
★ Give your pets a bit of flair of personality by customizing their lookups a bit. Premade pet lookups are just as easy to find as userlookups are, and you can fill them in with almost anything you want. Some people keep a record of Battledome stat thresholds, others write stories about their pets, really the sky is the limit here.
★★★★★★★★★★
46527
-★- A Deeper Dive: Your Shop and Gallery -★-
Shops and galleries. Everyone has them, and with how economy-driven Neopets is, you'll need to get these up and running eventually too. You may as well build them up in a similar way to the rest of your account, as every little detail helps you ultimately pass muster.
[*=center]Do a Capitalism! (Make a Shop)
★ Start off by making a small shop and beginning to sell from it. Usual newbie behavior is just trying to hock whatever you can manage to scrape together from Random Events or dailies. Follow along with this line of thinking to keep your shop from looking empty. A few cheap or themed items priced at 1k, 2k or 5k to be presented as "donations" are another common thing I see newbies do, and it might just help you appear that much more legitimate.
★ As your account ages, you might wish to appear as if you've gotten into restocking. Pick a few of the easier shops to restock from, either by RSing legitimately or using the autobuyer presented to users here on the forums. Food, Books, Medicine and Toys are good shops for newbies to try their hand at restocking in. Avoid shops like Magic, Coin and Stamp until your account has aged a bit, as those always look suspicious.
★ Shops are, you guessed it, yet another place you can customize. Many places feature premade shop layouts and it may be a good idea to snag one just to pretty the place up a bit.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]It's Not Hoarding! (Start a Gallery)
★ Pick a gallery theme and start filling your gallery with the cheaper/easier to get items from said theme. Plushies are a fun one that a lot of newbies fall into, or maybe there's a certain kind of food that you like. This one is mostly up to personal preference, so be creative.
★ Just like the above, galleries also have a smattering of premade coding that you can hunt down and just slap in there. Find one that somewhat matches the theme of what you're collecting and just roll with it.
★★★★★★★★★★
46528
-★- Show Your Dedication: Avatars, Neodeck, Stamps & Trophies -★-
If you've come this far, you may as well continue on by adding yet more flair to your lookup. Avatars, a Neodeck, Stamps, and Trophies do a lot for helping an account look played in and thus, more legit. They really are a cheap and easy way to get those numbers up.
[*=center]Neoboard Avatars
★ Arguably one of the first things people see when they look at you. The number is near the top of your lookup, your currently selected avatar is displayed near it, and they're just a decent way to gauge how active someone really is.
★ Start working your way up by gathering all of the clickable or nearly-clickable avatars. Thankfully there is an already put together list ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) that makes this task quick and painless.
★ Don't just stop there, however. A mistake I see a lot of people do is not attempting to mix up their avatar count or obtain anything further. Just by playing around on the site you'll obtain avatars from random chance or just on accident, or maybe there's a few you'll want to actively aim for just because of their look. Grab whatever you can feasibly get, especially seasonal avatars.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Neodeck Cards & Stamps
★ This is an incredibly easy one since there are a lot of Neodeck cards and stamps that barely cost anything thanks to dailies and events. Just grab a selection of cheap cards/stamps and chuck them in to make yourself look as if you've taken a passing interest in this part of the site. More is always better, if you can help it. But that being said, this is hardly worth breaking the bank over unless your overall goal or theme is collecting. And even then you want to stretch out these goals over time so as to not look suspicious.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Trophies
★ There are a smattering of easy trophies you can obtain to flesh out your lookup and thus, make yourself look more legitimate. I actually won't go into detail about them here because there is already a wonderfully written guide here on the forums ([Only registered and activated users can see links]) that does an excellent job showing what's available and how to get them.
★ I WILL however lay out a caution about one trophy in particular: The Kadoatery. Do NOT attempt to go for this trophy while your account is still young. Yes, it is an easy trophy to get, but the people who feed Kads are just as nosy and obsessive as those on the Pound Chat. I advise you build up your account for a few months before beginning to feed any, and even then GO SLOW.
46529
★★★★★★★★★★
46531
-★- Tying Everything Together - Extra Flair -★-
There's just a bit more to do before you've got an account that not only looks legit, but is hopefully a safe haven for whatever it is you're trying to do on Neopets as a whole.
[*=center]Pick an aesthetic or theme
★ Every single Neopets player falls into something like this whether they know it or not. It's in their usernames, their lookups, their shops, which Neoboard avatar they use... everything. Find something you like and just let it ooze into every single facet of your account. Own it.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Join a guild
★ You don't have to be active, but simply joining a plausible sounding or looking guild is enough to help give you credibility. Search for "newbie" friendly guilds to join, or find one that relates to your account's theme or aesthetic. You also have the option of creating your own guild, however if you choose to go that route, I would very much recommend making it private so that others cannot see that its sole member is you.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Have Wishlists & Goals
★ A good way to make yourself seem genuine. Everyone on Neopets has goals they're trying to attain. Pick something realistic and have a way to keep track of your progress somewhere public. Your userlookup or shop are good places for these. Something like a more expensive paint brush or morphing potion works, or if you've aged your account a bit, you could list a stamp or Neodeck card you're after. The sky is the limit.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Invest in Premium
★ I know what you're thinking, ugh, spending more money. Well, in addition to Premium just being overall worth it in general (Yearly premium pet perk, random events, extra boons, pet slots, and nerkmids from the BD) it also goes a long way to making you look as if you're a legitimate player. Someone actively spending money on the site is less likely to throw it away by cheating, after all.
★ Other users can see that you are a Premium user by looking at your lookup. There, the lovely Space Faerie Charm displays itself if you have an active subscription.
46532
★★★★★★★★★★
46533
-★- Have Caution! -★-
While you're doing everything above, I do have a few extra warnings and cautions for you to help keep yourself out of the public gaze, and hopefully unfrozen until you look a bit more believable.
[*=center]Avoid the High Score Tables!
★ Until your account is built up, you want to stay off the high score tables as much as possible. Newbies getting a ton of flash game trophies always look suspicious. Trophies like The Wise King, King Skarl, etc are safe as they're random chance.
★ As an additional word of caution: I suggest to never ever keep enough NP on hand to get on the tax-based trophy high score lists, because a new account having that much NP outright is not only insane and improbable, but a HUGE red flag for illicit activity.
★★★★★★★★★★
[*=center]Stay Off The Neoboards!
★ I will repeat this until the end of time. The Neoboards are your enemy. The people who reside on the Neoboards (The Pound Chat and the Trade Chat ESPECIALLY.) are your enemy. Being active on the Neoboards places you in the public eye and makes it exceedingly easy for people with more time than sense to keep an eye on you.
★ If you absolutely MUST use the Neoboards, then I beg of you, do not be an idiot. Do not flaunt any achievements or rarities you may have stumbled across, and do not command attention whatsoever.
★★★★★★★★★★
Really the general idea is to have your account look not only lived in, but loved. A tiny bit of time and attention being poured into each section of the site that is visible to other people can go a long way to keeping others from suspecting you as a cheater. I've built up and helped others build up their accounts over time using the above tips, and I can promise that as long as you're not doing anything to draw unwanted attention to yourself, they really do help the public gaze look the other way.