Pink Poogle Toy Forum

Sorry, but my editing background is causing me to comment. In the statement, "Best of all, it's completely free," the "completely" is modifying "free" and is not modifying "its." So, it is not saying that the complete site is free. Instead, it is saying that the use of the site is completely free of charge. Big difference.

So, Neopets' statement still holds true. It costs absolutely nothing to use the site.

I just hate when people post in their Signatures, "Proud Premium Member" or something like that.

I mean, come on. ._. Get over yourselves. We can see you're on Stealth! in your lookup, quit acting like you're better than us.

Granted, but how many people are going to make that distinction? It's a technically true -- yet misleading -- comment.

What ticks me off is they said it would ALWAYS be free. They would never make anyone pay to play the site. ever... And of course, they lied.

They did not lie. They are not making anyone do anything. Only a teeny portion of the site is for people who pay anything, whether that's premium members, cell phones users, or people who redeem codes from merchandise. If anyone pays for anything on the Neopets site, it is because they chose to do so. At least 95% of the site if perfectly free. I don't understand why people keep complaining about that teeny bit that isn't.

But they haven't "made" anyone pay to play the site. You can if you want to but you certainly don't have to. And in my opinion as a premium user it certainly isn't worth it in that respect. I pay for the conveniences and as a luxury instead of getting pc games. If my money become any tighter (and I am on an extrememly limited student budget - me poor) then it'll be bye bye premium and I wouldn't be any worse off in neopets terms.

So yeah, the site is completely free. They certainly haven't taken away anything from the site from free players and they haven't given anything huge to those who pay - you'd make more neopoints by spending your real cash on tcg codes and prize redemptions, there are plenty of prizes that can only be won through those yet nobody argued that made the site un-free

As for the "proudly premium" people they annoy me just as much as the "anti-premium" people of who there seem to be equal amounts. I gave up on the premium neoboards as I was sick of the elitist and controlling attitudes of some users - obviously not everyone is like that but the most vocal are sure to be found there of course and with my limited patience of neoboards I didn't last long. Not long after I gave up lurking on the normal neoboards I used to lurk on - like BD and Avatar due to the premium bashing and complete lies about what premium people could do. Premium people coming to those boards made the matters worse and it all just ends up in one big mess.

Anti premium or proudly premium - you're all just as bad to me and to be completely honest I really don't see the point in it at all. It seems some people forget they are supposed to be playing neopets for enjoyment!

I think they should just take the Super Shop Wizard off, or tone it down even MORE. I believe some people are still moaning because the Premium members can look up Codestones, Faeries, and the like.

I myself only use it as a simple tool to help me price my shop - sure I've taken advantage of a few little deals (Who could resist a Green Uni Morphing potion for 300 NP?) but besides that point - the majority of the Premium members took it WAY too far.

When you THINK about it, Premium members are really only paying for an Email address, a Portal page, and the Premium chatboards. Anything else is basically a little EXTRA that we test.

Some people joined just for the SSW - they were still in their trial period, and yet I saw them complaining about how they were paying to use it.

Some people just need to get over it, learn that Premium is still in Beta testing, and learn that Neopets itself is just a GAME.

Sorry about that. >>;

I really doubt the majority of premium users abused the SWW. You only hear from the louder people, of course.

Bravo, Trick. You said it so very well!!!!!! I would add something but Trick already said everything that I would have wanted to say. Go, Trick!!!!

Everything on the site is free.

Paying just makes the free things a little better.... like getting a cherry on top.

I really wish people would stop caring about an unfair advantage. Every time I see it, from ANYBODY, it gives me a negative view of them. Ive said it so many times.... LOOK at what you DO get for free? Complain all you want, but what happened.... if they charged you for neopets? Then you would have nothing. but they are GIVING you this for FREE. FREE. Be thankful for what youve got. I dont see hobos going around bashing people because they have a house. As far as I know, they are thankful for what theyve got. I'd say, for what the non-premium members are paying, which is NOTHING......... theyve got it pretty good.

I agree with you, TWW -- to an extent. I think there's way too much complaining about premium going on. However, your post kind of makes it sound like TNT is this wonderful benovelent company giving us a great game with no strings attached, and that's not really true -- the site's only "completely free" because we have to put up with ads and because we play sponsor games and succumb to their "immersive advertising." If we didn't do that, they'd definitely charge us to play (or shut the site down) because it wouldn't be making money. So I can sort of understand the mindset where non-premiums feel overlooked and unappreciated when stuff like this happens, because we really are important.

I'm with the people who talked about "perks" as opposed to "advantages." Premium members making extra NP; getting scratchcards, a special avatar, and sidebar; and earning the space faerie charm? Totally fine by me -- they pay enough for the site, and they deserve stuff like that. Them having that doesn't hurt my playing experience one bit. Premium members getting an advantage when it comes to wiz sniping, restocking, auctions, or any of that stuff? Not cool, because it does take NP away from non-premiums. And although we may not be paying as much to play, we are still making the company money, and we don't deserve to have our Neolife made harder.

I'm really happy with the current compromise where the premiums have the super shop wiz but can't search for "big-ticket" items. I actually think they should get a few more searches per hour because right now it seems pretty low, but aside from that, it's a good system.

We have to "put up" with advertising? It isnt horrible... at least we dont have the option of choosing count chocula as a neopet.... I dont mind have some banner ads (as 90% of websites on the web have them!!) and If i see a mcdonalds related item on neopets, ive find it a little comical.

You say we have to put up with these ads.
What if we didnt have them? And neopets could no longer exist?
Youd just have to "put up" with that.

A different solution to the problem. Why not make it like the Shop Wiz where you get a large amount of searches before you're banned (Why not 200, nearly as good but not quite) and lift the filters but instead of it automatically listing the lowest price, why not have the Shop Wizard say something like

"My wizardliness tells me you can find the item for cheaper"

when your results are not the lowest price.

EG :

Owner of shop - Price of Adam Pie (TCG)


Mark - 1,000 NP
Borovan - 1,500 NP
John - 999 NP
Timmy - 20,000 NP
Norman - 80,000 NP

Search 1 :

Norman - 80,000 NP [My crystal balls going nuts, you can find the item for much cheaper]

Search 2 :

Mark - 1,000 NP [Its hat tingling close to the lowest price]

Search 3 :

Timmy - 20,000 NP [I could stock my entire wizarding supply closest with the difference between this and the lowest price]

Search 4 :

John - 999 NP [The Newt's Eye just exploded. This is definately the cheapest anywhere]

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That way you still have to refresh which gives the non-premiuns a fairer playing field too wheres still giving the Premiums a perk.

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Sorry if the above post made no sense, I'm so out of it right now *goes door to door looking for Chicken Soup*

Yes, I would.

I think you missed the point of my post. I'm not complaining about the ads (actually, I block them, so they don't bother me one bit), or about the immersive advertising (sponsor games give good payouts). I'm saying that all members, premium or no, make the site money, so I do get annoyed when some premium people (not necessarily anyone here) infer that all non-premiums are freeloading second-class citizens who have no right to complain about anything on the "free" site.

Basically, my opinion is thus: premiums pay actual money for the site, so they deserve perks like the portal, e-mail, special scratchcards, a super shop wiz (albeit one that can't search for big-ticket items), and the lucky space faerie charm. But I don't think they deserve things that will allow them an unfair advantage in areas where they're directly competing with "normal" users. (Beta testing games is exempt from this because while it may give premium members an advantage at first -- due to the fact that they can practice ahead of time -- the high score tables reset every month, so there will be plenty of chances for everyone on the site to compete for trophies). We all make the site money and we all assure its future, so we all deserve a fair chance at making NP.

I applaud the new feature on the Super Shop Wizard that allows an unlimited search for an average price instead of restricting it in those meager few seaches (based on the top 10 lowest prices.) I think it does settle a lot for those who are just using the SSW for pricing rather than looking for a bargain on the wiz.