Helpful Tips for Raking in Random Avatars

     You can attempt (most) game avatars whenever you like. You may seek out kind-hearted Neopians to borrow necessary items and pets for other avatars. Generally, your success in achieving an avatar is reliant on how much concentrated effort you put in. If you are determined enough, then you reap the rewards for your efforts.

     But what happens when there is only luck involved in procuring an avatar? These avatars fall under the category of random avatars. “Randoms”, as I will refer to henceforth, will be the focus of this article. While it is true that luck is a key component to unlocking randoms, I am here to offer some tips to stay organized and speed up the daunting task of collecting all random avatars. Let’s get started!

     1. Include random avatar attempts during your dailies.

     If you have been playing Neopets for any amount of time, you may have developed a daily routine by now. Log in, feed your Neopet, collect bank interest, throw a coconut at the creepy Quiggle at the Deserted Fairground… this quotidian humdrum is unique for every user. While repetitive, executing this daily process is a huge benefit for your account overall, not just for obtaining avatars. Avatars such as: Grundo - Discarded Plushie, Imposter Apple, and Geraptiku – Deserted Tomb may only be attempted once per day anyway! Therefore, you might as well give daily randoms a try as you’re going about your daily routine. Come up with a clear list of all activities to try and follow this list to never missing out on a daily random attempt again!

     2. Keep a schedule for time-sensitive avatars.

     For other randoms, you are restricted to certain timeframes, some fixed and others variable. For example, the Snowager is asleep three times per day: 6AM, 2PM, and 10PM NST. I have heard from citizens of Terror Mountain that it is quite cranky when outside of these times. Honestly, I would be cranky too if I required three naps every day! Sleeping preferences asides, in order maximize your number of attempts at the avatar, you will want to visit at these three hours as habitually as possible.

     As opposed to the Snowager, The Great Turmaculus of Meridell has a variable waking. You will need to check in at different times during each day to get your Random attempt in. Using a calendar or your limited-edition Defenders of Neopia planner, you can keep track of these crucial moments. The better organized you are, the more attempts you will allow yourself to achieve these rare avatars.

     3. Save up your Neopoints!

     During your noble quest to gather all randoms, you will eventually come across those which require neopoints to attempt. The amount of neopoints required is… you guessed it: Random! As an example, the Bon Appetit avatar requires that you take your Neopet to the distinguished Kelp restaurant of Neopia. However, it is certainly not cheap to eat like Maraquan royalty! Indulging in a four-course meal at Kelp would leave you with a hefty bill in the tens of thousands of neopoints. Suddenly that free Ant Eaten Ham in your inventory is quite tempting, no?

     You will need to save many neopoints and realize that there is no guarantee that spending neopoints will garner a coveted random avatar on the very first try. Setting a strict budget is extremely helpful. For instance, the Lever of Doom can be pulled for 100 neopoints. Therefore, if you set a budget of 10,000 neopoints daily, you could make up to 100 attempts and then move on for the day. Remember, avatars are fantastic, but there are only so many consecutive days that your Neopet can tolerate the same food from the Soup Kitchen, so control your spending and budget accordingly!

     4. Look to your community for motivation.

     One of the greatest parts of Neopia is the camaraderie among its citizens. Many Neopians are working to achieve goals that may align with your own. By visiting the community boards, you will find endless support. There are boards which give tips on how to get specific random avatars, and there are also boards dedicated to reminding you when certain randoms become available. If you are not too great with schedules, a Snowager or Turmaculus alert can be found on the community boards. The Neoboard topics range from a dedicated troop of explorers stalking the legendary Buried Treasure of the Black Pawkeet to those admirably hunting down quest items for Edna the Zafara. Take some time to get the know your community and you will harness the motivation needed to reach your avatar dreams! I believe the related adage is “there is strength in numbers.”

     5. Keep spinning!

     Spin to win! (No whammies.) There are six grand wheels of Neopia, all possessing an exclusive avatar. The six wheels are: The Wheel of Excitement, Wheel of Misfortune, Wheel of Knowledge, Wheel of Mediocrity, Wheel of Monotony, and Wheel of Extravagance. It’s very important to note that each wheel can be spun a different number of times per day. For example, the Wheel of Excitement may be spun once every two hours, while the Wheel of Knowledge may be spun once a day. If you’re after these random avatars, make sure you are spinning as often as possible. It’s great to spin the Wheel of Mediocrity during your daily routine, but you can technically spin it every 40 minutes, so take advantage of the varying spin opportunities!

     A game-changing tip to know is that through the Battle for the Obelisk activity, you can potentially double your allowable wheel spins for the week. If you join the Brutes or the Seekers and win the battle, you can unlock the “Right Round Round Round” boon, allowing you to spin wheels twice as often. If you win with the Awakened faction, there is a random chance that this boon is available too. Having this boon in conjunction with the knowledge of how often you may spin is a powerful combination for random avatar success.

     6. Most important of all: Don’t stress!

     At the end of day, your avatar-hunting quest should be about having fun! While optimizing every aspect of your Neopian journey may seem tantalizing at first, this may also cause burnout! Try to take it easy sometimes too. Go play a game of Gormball or throw darts into Kiko Lake, the latter being a personal favorite of my Korbat especially. Quite naturally, as you have fun with your Neopet and involve yourself in the community, wonderful progress unfolds before your very eyes. There is a much greater story at work here, and the random avatars you amass will be but one chapter of your charming stay in Neopia. Thanks everyone for reading!