 Neopoints, What is the Point? (Pun Not Intended)
by emmasam79
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For many of the people on Neopets, getting neopoints is their priority. Some play the wide variety of games found on Neopets while others spend all their energy trying to cheat people out of their valuable items on the trading post, and still others follow them as they win items to sell or even complete the hard-to-find treasure maps and reap their reward, selling the items they gain, and keeping the neopoints. While it is not difficult to see that all these pastimes are focusing on getting the much desired neopoint, I have noticed that not many people have looked back upon their neverending frenzy of harvesting neopoints. “Why,” they will ponder, “do we need all these neopoints?”
Though many Neopians do not know me, any that do will tell you that I am a thinker. A sort of... philosopher if you will. The only thing I like better than the “why” questions, is the answers to these questions. This is why I have compiled a list of reasons. An answer to the why that has bothered a many thinker; Neopoints, what is the point?
The “Survival” Response (Though many will tell you that this is the reason that they collect neopoints, it is also an answer that is mostly used by people who don’t know the answer to this well worn question.)
If you ask someone why they collect neopoints, the most likely answer you will get is that they collect neopoints for survival. This, being the most common answer, is why most people do collect neopoints. People need to buy food to feed their pets, as well as getting them a toy or book to keep them from being unhappy. Neopians also need neopoints to play some games.
The “Power” Response
(The only reason, besides the “Survival” Response, that does not fall under the category of “______ master” is that of the “Power” Response. This is probably the shortest reason to explain since everyone has felt the tug of the desire for money.)
Have you ever heard the saying “money is power”? This is also true for neopoints. Even if a user never spends a single point, they would feel very good satisfaction if they were to have an excess amount of neopoints, enough to buy anything their heart desired, but this is very hard if that day comes and all you want are neopoints!
The “______ master” Response
(Many people feel a desire to be the best in a field of their choice; be that anything from being a wizard in the Battledome to making their neohome the fanciest one in all of Neopia, or from collecting all the avatars in the world to making your guild one on the lips of all of Neopia! This section will be tackled in a bunch of ‘sub sections’.)
“Battledome master”
One of the second most costly ‘masters’ (for want of a better word) is the Battledome one. Items to prepare you for your trip to the Battledome, from those bottled fairies that don’t bless your pet (if it isn’t a high enough level) to the codestones that increase your abilities if you train on Mystery Island, don’t come cheap. These items can cost from 3.5k (1k = 1000 NP) to 6k.
Once you get into the Battledome you need to buy weapons. If you want to be a Battledome master, then you have to buy the best weapons. The grand lightning beam instead of the basic, those super rare one shot weapons that you have to get another of once you’ve used it once, Hidden Tower weapons (shhh! It’s a secret), those scorchstones, and other hard-hitters don’t come cheap. You’re not springing for a plastic butter knife and a wet snowball.
After the Battledome, you need to heal your winning or losing pet (even if they didn’t lose, they still need to have their hp restored to max before they move on to their next ‘victim’), and sometimes the Healing Springs doesn’t cut it. You need to buy potions galore to heal your 500 hp pet.
“Avatar Master”
On the boards, fonts, siggies and avatars are an expression of individuality. Many people like to show off by flaunting their newly acquired “Pwned By The Lab Ray” avie all over the boards. Hmmm... let’s think. The complete lab map probably costs 450k (approximately) from your average dealer. So that avie (that can not be lent to you from other players, making it harder to acquire than most) is 450k plus you have to keep using it until you get your pet’s species changed!
Ok, now let’s go for the Faerie Queen Doll avie! This one is simple but expensive as well! I see people asking for 500k-600k collateral! Ouchies!
And there are many other avatars that take as much money and time! That makes the ‘Avatar Master’ a very expensive choice! “Neohome master” Want your house to stand out? So do neopets! They want the best of the best! If building the house and buying all the wallpaper and carpeting to go in it doesn’t empty your wallet, you will also need to furnish all your newly built rooms with furniture. Ok, no big deal, right? Wrong. Furniture costs a lot more than expected! Be sure to have your wallet heavily lined for this shopping spree!
The “______ master” Response (continued)
And the masters continue on and on! The point is that this is why most people raise neopoints. I’m not going go through all the ‘masters’. Maybe one day I’ll do an article on all of them and how to become one, but for know I have given an answer to one of the pondered questions in all of Neopets.
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