Maximizing your Habitarium's Success

Know your P3s: There are many types of P3s, (petpetpets), and it took my four levels to figure out there are three types of P3s in your garden. Aside from the three species, Larkin, Mootix and Pinchit, there are three jobs your P3s can have; Nester, Worker and Solider. Knowing what each job entails certainly makes your job a lot easier.

Workers are designed to work. They are the best at harvesting items the fastest and repairing broken buildings. They can fight off pests, which become a real problem later on.

Soldiers are designed to fight. They do not do labor around your garden; however they can repair buildings. Soldiers may seem worthless when you need to harvest more grass, but they come in handy when those pesky blue bugs come in to ruin your hard work.

Nesters are the best at laying/hatching eggs. They are the ONLY P3 that can lay eggs, so make sure you have a few around. They can also do work around your Habitarium.

While all P3s can fight and most can harvest, an even blend of the three jobs is key for a great Habitarium.

Stay stocked on important items: In the beginning it may be tempting to buy fun items to spruce up your garden. But your main job is to stay stocked on food, sleeping aids and medicine. Your P3s cannot do any work if they are tired, hungry or injured. Happy P3s mean a better Habitarium. Once you get to higher levels you can house more P3s, which makes it easier to get materials for that gazebo you want.

Items you should never be without include cornmeal, which feeds your pets, candy sprinkle, which makes your pets less tired, and droplets of nectar, for when they feel sick.

Get neofriends: It doesn’t matter how great your soldiers are; at some point it won’t be enough. Having neofriends who play the game benefits you in many ways. They can repair your resource tiles if they’re ruined by pests, they can assist an ill P3, or even help repair damaged buildings. Along with that they can send gifts. Having neofriends is an easy way to boost your success in the game.

Know the raid game: If you’re going to raid, you have to be smart. Scope out the other person's P3s. How many soldiers do they have? Is there anything in the garden worth looting? If you are confident that you can pull off a successful raid, then you have to be strategic with your soldiers. Don’t send them all over; save some for if pests come to your own garden.

Keep tabs on your resources: Your resources are your life in this game. If you aren’t planning on building any buildings, then stop harvesting mud, wood and rock, which are used to build things. Instead focus on the resources you’ll need for the items you need. It’s always good to have an even amount spread out between food based resources and building based resources. Staying on top of your inventory will help you to never be caught in a situation where you can’t buy something you need.

Know your EXP: EXP is how you level up. Each level up yields new gifts, from neopoints to your account, to eggs for your garden. Earning EXP can be done in many ways and gives you different values for each task completed. Each item harvested is worth 1 EXP point. For every building you build you also receive EXP. Discarding an egg is worth 200 EXP and any gems you get from pests are worth 30 EXP. Having a nester always nesting is a great way to earn EXP because discarding eggs gives the most EXP. However, if you want to hatch an egg, that can also give you 30 EXP. While the status bar at the top may seem daunting, it’s really not. A great way to get your EXP is make sure your P3s are all cared for and just minimize the window, checking in on them every so often.

Adapt with your garden: If you notice a lot of your P3s getting tired and you don’t have enough houses, you have to buy more! It’s the simplest way to make sure that you will succeed. Be active, be involved, and be obsessed with your P3s. When you know what your garden needs, it’s easy to make sure things run smoothly. A well run Habitarium should move fluidly with no problems at all. As long as you stay involved, it’ll be more and more easy to leave your P3s alone and know that they can manage on their own.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Have a question? Not sure what you’re doing? Any glitches in your game? Just ask for help! The Neopia FAQ answers almost any question that could come up during game play. And if that doesn’t help there’s an entire board dedicated to the game. Chances are if you’re having a problem with something, somebody else has already had to deal with the same problem as you and probably has the answer for you.

So there you go! A completed guide on how to maximize the success of your P3 garden. While at times the game can seem frustrating or boring, it’s worth it in the end. The prizes are fantastic; the friends you can make are great. And all the time and effort you put into your Habitarium will show when people look at it.