The Art of True Neofriends

Random Neofriend requests are something that riles many of Neopia’s citizens. And really, is there anything more awkward? Imagine that you walked up to me and randomly said, “Hey, I’ve never talked to you or seen you before, and I don’t plan to talk to you in the future, but will you be my friend anyway?” Er, no, sorry.

You look dejected. “Why?”

“Well,” I explain, “wouldn’t you rather have a Neofriend who actually knows you and talks to you?”

You still seem confused. “What’s the point?”

That is probably a very big factor in people randomly asking for Neofriends. They really don’t see any point in actually being friends with their Neofriends; they simply want lots of names on their list so they can appear to be popular.

So, I ventured to the neoboards, asking people for their opinions on random Neofriend requests.

“I say that you should only request to be someone's Neofriend if you've talked to them. Not been on the same board as them. But actually talked to them. I hate it when someone I don't know asks to be my Neofriend out of the blue. It's annoying,” tehtony told me.

losersrockmysocks, however, had a different view. “I think that if you don’t have any Neofriends, it’s okay to ask people from your guild or talked to on boards to be your friends,” she reasoned, also making a good point. Both, though, generally said the same thing - it’s best to have talked to the user before making them your Neofriend.

But how many people will actually accept random Neofriend requests? I decided to run a little experiment to find out. I randomly found ten users and attempted to befriend them.

To my amazement, about 80% of them accepted. That’s right, out of ten completely random Neofriend requests, eight were accepted. And of those eight, only one bothered to neomail me and begin to talk to me or even ask me why I wanted to be their Neofriend. The number seems surprising, but when you think about it, it isn’t that hard to believe. Some people just hunger for friendship, even if it’s false.

So, how do you make real Neofriends? Those people who will stick with you through thick and thin and actually talk to you? I’ve provided some sources below.

1) Your Guild

Back when I was a newbie, I would simply join a big guild that looked nice. But then I never went back to the guild. I never bothered to participate in any guild activities, or even introduce myself on their message board. I soon became wiser and more experienced on Neopets and joined my current guild, where I have made many, many friends. Be sure to find the guild that is the right fit for you. If you’re looking for a smaller guild that almost seems like a tight-knit community, I would recommend searching the Guild neoboard, since many budding new guilds go there to advertise. If you’re looking for a big guild with a website and everything, go to the main guild page and join one of the first guilds in a popular area. I guarantee that if you find the perfect guild for you, you will make many Neofriends.

2) Roleplaying

Are you a regular on the Roleplay board? Then make some friends through it! I personally only roleplay pets, and I have made some friends through that, but my friend darksunangel confirms that you can make friends through any kind of roleplaying.

“I was in a particularly silly roleplay once; it was just for fun,” she told me, “and it was so fun that when I had to leave I said any of them could request to be my Neofriend, and I found myself with a bunch of requests the next day when I signed on.”

3) Chatting

Go to a board like Fan Clubs or Help Chat and you’ll be sure to find SOME kind of board where people want to chat. Fan Clubs is particularly good, since you can find people with common interests and begin chatting. If people have a good time chatting with you, it’s pretty likely that they’ll accept if you ask to be their Neofriend. Just be sure to continue chatting.

4) Searching

Okay, I know I already said that random Neofriend requests are mostly disliked, but give me a chance with this one. If you really like something in particular, then search for a username containing the thing you like and you’ll probably find someone who likes it too. For example, if you like, say, Kacheeks, you can search for a username that involves Kacheeks. Or if you like asparagus, then just Neofriend Adam and tell him of your great love for his favorite vegetable. I’m sure he’ll understand and want to be friends with you too. ;)

However, keep in mind that if you befriend someone this way, you should probably send the person a neomail before or after your request, telling him or her a bit about yourself and why you’d like to be friends. Chances are, they’ll probably appreciate that and might want to be friends with you.

5) Contests

You’re very impressed with the most recent Site Spotlight/Userlookup Contest/Storytelling Contest/Beauty Contest/etc. winner. You wish you could build sites/make lookups/write stories/draw as well as they can. So, maybe if you become friends with them, they can give you some tips! Do remember, though, that winners of contests get several Neofriend requests a day. Be courteous and tell them how much you liked their entry and how much you admire their skills. Then, attempt to strike up a conversation. If you are successful, and you and the winner have been chatting amiably for a while, ask if you can be their Neofriend. If they say yes, congratulations! If they say no, don’t be offended. Just continue chatting and perhaps they will ask you to be their Neofriend at a later date. People don’t necessarily have to be your Neofriend to be your friend on Neopets.

    Hopefully, after reading this, you’ve made lots of Neofriends who are actually your friends and know how to handle random requests. Just don’t let your new popularity affect your ego too much. ;3