Ten Ways to Make an Account "Stick"

“Why would you lose interest in your account?” you may ask, outraged. For a long time I couldn’t figure it out. Why would I make accounts, lose interest, forget the password, and create another one months later? (Disclaimer: I only ever had one main account at a time, and there was always a month at least of inactivity before I’d create a new one.) It was only two years ago when I decided that keeping one account for a long time was important to me that I began to figure out how to make my account “sticky.”

1. Bond with your pets

When I first decided to make this account “stick,” I went out of my way to be sure to care about my pets. Having a sad, sulking pet is only good if it’s Grey. Otherwise, I doubt staring at a crying pet on every page will help you bond with it. Read your pet books, buy them food; anything to get to know your pet’s personality will help. Buying him or her a Petpet or building a Neohome are great ways to make you think about this account as a permanent place to stay.

2. Set goals

This is probably the most important way to make an account stick in the long term. If you’ve accomplished everything you can think of, then what’s the point of staying around? (Neopets has so much going on, I’m not sure how this is possible!). Setting goals such as being published in the Neopian Times, getting your pet to a high level, or collecting as many trophies as possible will help you stick around and keep you from starting over. Something I found that worked for me relatively early on is setting the goal of getting a Lab Map. This isn’t transferable, it’s decently expensive, and it gives you something to mark your account as something special to you.

3. Make friends

This is also very important for sticking to an account. If you join a guild or become a frequent presence on the NeoBoards, you’re going to end up making friends (Unless you’re type of person who just sits there playing with an Usuki doll in the corner, growling!). Isn’t a bit tiresome telling everyone you’re switching accounts (again)? Exactly. So this time, stick around and make a name for yourself!

4. Get game and event trophies

Do you know how many war trophies I have scattered on random accounts? A fair few (granted, all of them are relatively bad). But now, no one who goes to my account will know I scored one measly point in the Tyrannian War because I changed accounts. Participating in events like this will make you think twice about leaving your accounts, because things like this can’t be re-gotten. Even simple game trophies can make you feel more accomplished and connected to your account (and make your lookup super shiny).

5. Get involved

Things like writing articles for the Neopian Times and Poetry Contests really make you think about the site and why you enjoy it. I’ve found that participating in contests (even my ill-advised foray into making portraits of my pets) have made me enjoy my account and appreciate all that I’ve accomplished, even if it’s not that much in comparison to some.

6. Do something you’re proud of

For me, this has been mostly writing and pet based. But anything that makes you proud can really help. Did you make a thousand million goals in Yooyu Ball? Great! Have you finally gotten your dream pet? Awesome. Accomplishments are what bond you to your pets, to your lookup, and finally to your account.

7. Know that your first pet doesn’t have to be your last

When I was younger, I would sometimes create a new account “to see how fast I could train my pet.” I thought it was embarrassing to have a poorly trained pet on a four- month- old account, but now I’ve learned that that isn’t everything (and starting over every few months isn’t the way to get a well-trained pet). Maybe you want your first pet to be the belle of the ball and be a beautiful Faerie pet who would get smooshed by a Spyder. That’s perfectly fine! And if later you change your mind, that’s okay too. Remember, you can have up to 20 pets on your side accounts, and there isn’t someone going around judging you because your pet isn’t perfect (I hope.)

8. Do your dailies

One of the easiest things is simply to log on a bit every day. Even if it’s just to check up on your stocks or collect your interest, small things like this remind you of your account and your connection to it. Even when you're busy with other things (School? What school?), making time to get ice blown at you by an angry Snowager and heading to the Healing Springs afterwards can help you make that connection. And who doesn’t love all of those bottles of variously-colored sand from the Tombola?

9. Collect Something

Speaking of sand! Once I decided to dedicate my entire gallery to different types of sand I got from the Tombola. I later decided that this wasn’t as cool as I had initially thought, but it was something amusing for me to do in my spare time. Finding some color or type of items you particularly like can be a fun way to explore the site and figure out how to get the next item. I’m no gallery expert and have thus far avoided the expensive side of collecting, but collecting can help you connect.

10. Give yourself a break

If maintaining your account becomes a chore you hate, take a break. It’s not like you can’t come back once you’ve cooled off a bit! Once you’ve realized that your account will still be there for you when you come back and you haven’t failed by not checking up on things for a while, you’ve made an important step towards sticking by your account. In a way, by taking time off and knowing you’ll be back is a great way to make your account “sticky.” Just remember to come back so your pets and Neofriends don’t get too worried! :)

Coming from a previously sticky-averse player, I hope that this has helped anyone out there realize the benefits of sticking to one account. I’ve found that it makes me appreciate my pets and accomplishments more, and has given me much more happiness than randomly searching for my super old account and seeing three sad Kacheeks does.