Faerie Festival + Charity Corner 2023
Oct 14, 2023 3:17:40 GMT -5
Stephanie (swordlilly) and RielCZ like this
Post by Duke Pikachu on Oct 14, 2023 3:17:40 GMT -5
Thoughts on the next story segment:
Anyway, for anyone interested, now that we're at a point in the CC which everyone can buy their shop's top prize, I decided to write up a review of each Prize Shop. I made a thread on the Events Neoboard, but I'll just repost it here:
Illusen's Prize Shop:
* Illusens Staff (960 pts): Just get it. Powerful BD weapon, even if your Neopet doesn't have the HP to take full use of it. A full blocker that does decent damage is good alone. Because its healing is based on max HP, it is a weapon that grows stronger with your Neopet. Unless your opponent uses Dark icons you'll likely be using a stronger attacking weapon most of the time. But as the old saying goes: Better you have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
* Negg, Usuki, & Plush (240 pts): Gallery items, Negg is Gourmet. If you or a friend have a Gallery these fit in than sure. Same for the Negg but for Food Club. But otherwise I feel they're safe to skip unless you want to hold onto them to see if you can sell them later or use as bargain fodder.
* Illusens Silver Shield (240 pts): It's one of the rare full Earth blocker in the game (with some bonus blocked Dark icons for good measure). Not bad at all, though unless facing an opponent that uses a lot of Earth has no use outside it. BUT is is also notably a r99 item. r99 are notable in two days. First they are the max rarity of Jhudora's Bluff & Illusen's Glade. Second, while not true for this Charity Corner for some reason, previous Charity Corners had r98-100 items being the highest point rewarding items (and when it was a 5-for-1 they were especially the most wanted rarity tier). NOTE, for that second point there's actually a better 25 point item for that (though its r98), and unless they replace the top prize the Illusen's Glade point is moot (Jhudora's Bluff on the otherhand...).
* Faerie PB & PPPB (240 pts): Solid options to invest in. First, if you want a Faerie Neopet or Petpet (now or for a future custom), here you go (customizers may want to stock up on a few)! Faerie is a popular Colour so PBs for it are usually on demand, shouldn't take to sell one (though maybe now it'll be a while as this will be a major release of them). BTW, from here it's sort of all downhill.
* Illusen Faerie Doll (200 pts): Gallery.
* Illusens Hip Blade (192 pts): r99, Gallery, bad weapon.
Going to start skipping around and generalizing, just assume if I don't mention it its a Gallery item.
* Books: Most of the time I feel books are a good investment. Notable ones here are "The Untold Story", "Illusens Journey", and the scroll. The books worth 25 points? You can skip, better to buy them then spend points on them.
* Elixir & Essence (25 pts): Stat potions, but for Intelligence and Movement/Speed which are the two lesser stats atm. There's 3 BD items which you need a certain Int/Mov for: Crisp Blue Tunic which drains 100 HP if Int is 750+, Heavy Blue Tunic which freezes if Int is 1000+, and Heavy Robe of Thievery which steals an item if Int is 67+ & Mov is 200+. HBT may be worth it if you can get Int that high, but CBT has been outclassed and stealing isn't working so HRoT is useless. Also these potions don't work all the time. Just easier to read 1k of the cheapest books your Neopet will read and training Movement up to 200 the normal way if (1) they ever fix stealing in the BD & (2) you ever plan on stealing opponent's equipment (they return to their rightful owner after the battle). I say skip these.
* Wearables: There are 2 clothing items, get them if you want but their also cheap so may want to save the points and buy them through Shop Wizard. Same for BG, but it's 1 point. If you have 24 or less points you can pick up some if you think you'll use them, but otherwise better to go with the 1 point food item as its r93 thus Gourmet.
* Stamp: Stamp is cheap, skip.
* Pencil of the Earth Faerie (25 pts): This is the 25 point r98 item in Illusen's shop. After you're done making your major purchases & any potential Gallery fillers, if you have above 25 points stock up on these for next CC.
Jhudora's Prize Shop:
* Jhudoras Cloud Stamp (670 pts): Get it. While it's price will go down because of this event, it is a rare stamp for an Album that awards an Avatar. It has value.
* Jhudoras Bewitched Ring (320 pts): DON'T EQUIP THIS, IT CAN'T BE REMOVED BY NORMAL MEANS! Gallery, strictly Gallery. It's not all that powerful anyway.
* Dark Faerie Doll (320 pts) & Jhudora Statue (240): Both are r99. Otherwise Gallery, though the statue is for NeoHome v1 NeoGardens which still works.
* Food: The Purple Potato Aperitif (240), Container of Purple Liquid (240), and Dark Faerie Mushroom (25) are all Gourmet so pick them up if you want; you can skip the lollipop.
* Wearables: The Foreground and Wings are expensive so may be worth picking up whether you plan on using or later sell. As for the backgrounds, skip the one worth 25 points (cheap enough to buy from Shop Wiz). Both 1 point items are backgrounds so you'll probably end up getting some anyway (and if you somehow don't, they're cheap).
* Faerie PB & PPPB (240 pts): Same as I said in Illusen's Review.
* Jhudoras Potion (192 pts): In-Depth Battlepedia best described J-Potion, it's a once-per-battle Sword of Skardsen for around a mil. Now, for most low and even middle 1-player opponents, that should be enough. It's not a bad weapon, but it's outgrown very fast. As soon as you can buy a Hidden Tower weapon, let alone 2 of them, that's when J-Potion's time on your weapon set ends. Your next goal would be either a Ghostkerbomb or Varia is the Bomb (and if you already have that you can pretty much skip J-Potion). And with recent releases of very strong weapons, I'd only suggest picking it up if you think you or a friend are at the BD stage where its useful (or Gallery).
* Jhudora Faerie Doll (200 pts): Gallery.
* Books: Only two worth getting are "Untold Story" and "Jhudoras Secret" as both aren't having more copies released.
* Dark Faerie Bow & Token (128 pts): Both bad weapons, but also r99.
* Jhudoras Bluff Trick-or-Treat Bag (128 pts): Sadly this isn't one with a stamp. The bag itself likely costs more than anything you get from it. Gallery.
* Jhudoras Dark Collar (50 pts): This is a tough one, even for just 50 points. It's not bad per se, but niche. To take full advantage of it you need an opponent that uses both Light and Dark icons. There are weapons which do more damage for the same price or cheaper. Gallery.
* Dark Faerie Hair Brush & Dark Faerie Shield (25 pts): Both these are r98, so if you got nothing to better spend your points on suggest stocking up for a future CC.
This post is already long so think I'll stop here and make another responding to above posts.
Before I go on, I do want to say that I do believe in climate change (because my eyes work and I have a functioning brain) and support finding alternative fuels. While my pessimist side of me thinks what damage we've done can't be undone (or at least will take thousands of years to heal), the optimist in me thinks we can at least keep things from getting worse. And looking at things through a liberal eye, can't help but compare the conservative party's attitude and behavior to these issues being on par with Captain Planet villains.
So, with that all said, YEESH, they REALLY lay it on thick here. And, being someone who believes in climate change & alt fuels, felt this was preaching to the choir. Which in other media I don't really have a problem with, such as with Pokemon (looking at you Sword & Shield)... but the way its being done here feels off. Now, this could just be because I'm a Neopets purist and follow with the concept that Neopia as a whole doesn't have high technology except for Virtupets and Kreludor. Aside from some jokes, Neopia Central doesn't have motor vehicles or electronics, or at least non-Virtupets tech which has a specific aesthetic.
Now, I could believe that a greedy business in Moltara could start a sorta industrial revolution and start introducing steampunk (or I guess in this case dieselpunk?) vehicles and machines which start giving off exhaust. But show, don't tell. Like, maybe prior to the Faerie Festival release items which have that aesthetic to it. A Moltaran Car Foreground, books about Obsidian Fuel, BD weapons (like a flamethrower and chainsaw), etc.. Maybe even have an "Obsidian Refinery" where you can trade in all those Shiny Obsidian we've collected hundreds if not thousands of over the years and they give out "questionable" rewards like soot covered toys & food, gas masks and hazmat suits, etc.. Get it into the mind of players that this Moltaran industrial revolution is happening and thus leads into this Faerie Festival.
But no, the way they did it feels like a slap in the face. Up till now they've been "subtle vague" on the whole "this is a message about pollution & climate change". We're told Moltara has been producing machines which has been releasing a smog that is notably affecting the Faeries (especially Earth Faeries if lllusen's coughing is anything to go by). Being Faeries are elemental beings who's existence is vital to Neopia, whatever hurts them is hurting the environment, it's obvious enough to get the message. BUT, for those of you in the back seat, we written the message on this baseball bat and now we're gonna full force swing it right into everyone's face!
Okay, so going into the actual story segment. On Illusen's side she reveals she's meeting with a Moltaran businessman to talk about this smog and alternative fuel idea she has. Alright, fine. Meanwhile, on Jhudora side, she just suddenly says she has uncovered questionable financial information about says businessman and wants to confront him. Um, okay? WHERE did this come from? Aside from her idea of destroying the factories, Jhudora didn't seem to care that much about the smog? But now it's revealed she had dug up FINANCIAL info on the guy? This just feels very spontaneous with little explanation. NOW, before you say anything, yes, I am conferring that Jhudora is doing this because she does actually care, especially for Illusen, but doesn't want to show it cause she's got an image to keep up. Fine for when they do that big reveal, but right now it just feels spontaneous as there was no build up to it whatsoever even to those who attended Jhudora's Faerie Festival.
So, finally able to visit the mysterious tower in Moltara, Illusen is surprise to see Jhudora as they both meet the Moltara businessman, Monty McTaggart. And this is where subtlety goes up the smoke stack. McTaggart is a straight-up Captain Planet villain; loves polluting, says its the grandkids problem. Jhudora eventually has enough and brings up the financial info (via a favor she got by beating the Skeith Bank Manager in poker; is there another bank in Neopia where I can deposit my NP?): McTaggart went bankrupt a few years ago yet suddenly is now back in businesses producing polluting machines. Reading all this felt a bit surreal, am I really reading a Neopet story about Jhudora and Illusen confronting a corrupt businessman about climate change and financial conspiracy?
The insanity (slightly) subsides as Jhudora finally had enough that she tells Illusen to wait outside while she threatens McTaggart (say what you want about Jhudora, but she gets a job done). McTaggart reveals he was funded by Malkus Vile. Interesting twist, Vile is presented as a mastermind crimelord, so they better have a good reason for him to do something that he knows is going to get the Faeries' attention. After some more arguing which indicates Illusen is starting to weaken, both Faeries set off to find Vile. Which I'm glad to say does sound more interesting then them dealing with a corrupt polluting businessman.
So, with that all said, YEESH, they REALLY lay it on thick here. And, being someone who believes in climate change & alt fuels, felt this was preaching to the choir. Which in other media I don't really have a problem with, such as with Pokemon (looking at you Sword & Shield)... but the way its being done here feels off. Now, this could just be because I'm a Neopets purist and follow with the concept that Neopia as a whole doesn't have high technology except for Virtupets and Kreludor. Aside from some jokes, Neopia Central doesn't have motor vehicles or electronics, or at least non-Virtupets tech which has a specific aesthetic.
Now, I could believe that a greedy business in Moltara could start a sorta industrial revolution and start introducing steampunk (or I guess in this case dieselpunk?) vehicles and machines which start giving off exhaust. But show, don't tell. Like, maybe prior to the Faerie Festival release items which have that aesthetic to it. A Moltaran Car Foreground, books about Obsidian Fuel, BD weapons (like a flamethrower and chainsaw), etc.. Maybe even have an "Obsidian Refinery" where you can trade in all those Shiny Obsidian we've collected hundreds if not thousands of over the years and they give out "questionable" rewards like soot covered toys & food, gas masks and hazmat suits, etc.. Get it into the mind of players that this Moltaran industrial revolution is happening and thus leads into this Faerie Festival.
But no, the way they did it feels like a slap in the face. Up till now they've been "subtle vague" on the whole "this is a message about pollution & climate change". We're told Moltara has been producing machines which has been releasing a smog that is notably affecting the Faeries (especially Earth Faeries if lllusen's coughing is anything to go by). Being Faeries are elemental beings who's existence is vital to Neopia, whatever hurts them is hurting the environment, it's obvious enough to get the message. BUT, for those of you in the back seat, we written the message on this baseball bat and now we're gonna full force swing it right into everyone's face!
Okay, so going into the actual story segment. On Illusen's side she reveals she's meeting with a Moltaran businessman to talk about this smog and alternative fuel idea she has. Alright, fine. Meanwhile, on Jhudora side, she just suddenly says she has uncovered questionable financial information about says businessman and wants to confront him. Um, okay? WHERE did this come from? Aside from her idea of destroying the factories, Jhudora didn't seem to care that much about the smog? But now it's revealed she had dug up FINANCIAL info on the guy? This just feels very spontaneous with little explanation. NOW, before you say anything, yes, I am conferring that Jhudora is doing this because she does actually care, especially for Illusen, but doesn't want to show it cause she's got an image to keep up. Fine for when they do that big reveal, but right now it just feels spontaneous as there was no build up to it whatsoever even to those who attended Jhudora's Faerie Festival.
So, finally able to visit the mysterious tower in Moltara, Illusen is surprise to see Jhudora as they both meet the Moltara businessman, Monty McTaggart. And this is where subtlety goes up the smoke stack. McTaggart is a straight-up Captain Planet villain; loves polluting, says its the grandkids problem. Jhudora eventually has enough and brings up the financial info (via a favor she got by beating the Skeith Bank Manager in poker; is there another bank in Neopia where I can deposit my NP?): McTaggart went bankrupt a few years ago yet suddenly is now back in businesses producing polluting machines. Reading all this felt a bit surreal, am I really reading a Neopet story about Jhudora and Illusen confronting a corrupt businessman about climate change and financial conspiracy?
The insanity (slightly) subsides as Jhudora finally had enough that she tells Illusen to wait outside while she threatens McTaggart (say what you want about Jhudora, but she gets a job done). McTaggart reveals he was funded by Malkus Vile. Interesting twist, Vile is presented as a mastermind crimelord, so they better have a good reason for him to do something that he knows is going to get the Faeries' attention. After some more arguing which indicates Illusen is starting to weaken, both Faeries set off to find Vile. Which I'm glad to say does sound more interesting then them dealing with a corrupt polluting businessman.
Anyway, for anyone interested, now that we're at a point in the CC which everyone can buy their shop's top prize, I decided to write up a review of each Prize Shop. I made a thread on the Events Neoboard, but I'll just repost it here:
Illusen's Prize Shop:
* Illusens Staff (960 pts): Just get it. Powerful BD weapon, even if your Neopet doesn't have the HP to take full use of it. A full blocker that does decent damage is good alone. Because its healing is based on max HP, it is a weapon that grows stronger with your Neopet. Unless your opponent uses Dark icons you'll likely be using a stronger attacking weapon most of the time. But as the old saying goes: Better you have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
* Negg, Usuki, & Plush (240 pts): Gallery items, Negg is Gourmet. If you or a friend have a Gallery these fit in than sure. Same for the Negg but for Food Club. But otherwise I feel they're safe to skip unless you want to hold onto them to see if you can sell them later or use as bargain fodder.
* Illusens Silver Shield (240 pts): It's one of the rare full Earth blocker in the game (with some bonus blocked Dark icons for good measure). Not bad at all, though unless facing an opponent that uses a lot of Earth has no use outside it. BUT is is also notably a r99 item. r99 are notable in two days. First they are the max rarity of Jhudora's Bluff & Illusen's Glade. Second, while not true for this Charity Corner for some reason, previous Charity Corners had r98-100 items being the highest point rewarding items (and when it was a 5-for-1 they were especially the most wanted rarity tier). NOTE, for that second point there's actually a better 25 point item for that (though its r98), and unless they replace the top prize the Illusen's Glade point is moot (Jhudora's Bluff on the otherhand...).
* Faerie PB & PPPB (240 pts): Solid options to invest in. First, if you want a Faerie Neopet or Petpet (now or for a future custom), here you go (customizers may want to stock up on a few)! Faerie is a popular Colour so PBs for it are usually on demand, shouldn't take to sell one (though maybe now it'll be a while as this will be a major release of them). BTW, from here it's sort of all downhill.
* Illusen Faerie Doll (200 pts): Gallery.
* Illusens Hip Blade (192 pts): r99, Gallery, bad weapon.
Going to start skipping around and generalizing, just assume if I don't mention it its a Gallery item.
* Books: Most of the time I feel books are a good investment. Notable ones here are "The Untold Story", "Illusens Journey", and the scroll. The books worth 25 points? You can skip, better to buy them then spend points on them.
* Elixir & Essence (25 pts): Stat potions, but for Intelligence and Movement/Speed which are the two lesser stats atm. There's 3 BD items which you need a certain Int/Mov for: Crisp Blue Tunic which drains 100 HP if Int is 750+, Heavy Blue Tunic which freezes if Int is 1000+, and Heavy Robe of Thievery which steals an item if Int is 67+ & Mov is 200+. HBT may be worth it if you can get Int that high, but CBT has been outclassed and stealing isn't working so HRoT is useless. Also these potions don't work all the time. Just easier to read 1k of the cheapest books your Neopet will read and training Movement up to 200 the normal way if (1) they ever fix stealing in the BD & (2) you ever plan on stealing opponent's equipment (they return to their rightful owner after the battle). I say skip these.
* Wearables: There are 2 clothing items, get them if you want but their also cheap so may want to save the points and buy them through Shop Wizard. Same for BG, but it's 1 point. If you have 24 or less points you can pick up some if you think you'll use them, but otherwise better to go with the 1 point food item as its r93 thus Gourmet.
* Stamp: Stamp is cheap, skip.
* Pencil of the Earth Faerie (25 pts): This is the 25 point r98 item in Illusen's shop. After you're done making your major purchases & any potential Gallery fillers, if you have above 25 points stock up on these for next CC.
Jhudora's Prize Shop:
* Jhudoras Cloud Stamp (670 pts): Get it. While it's price will go down because of this event, it is a rare stamp for an Album that awards an Avatar. It has value.
* Jhudoras Bewitched Ring (320 pts): DON'T EQUIP THIS, IT CAN'T BE REMOVED BY NORMAL MEANS! Gallery, strictly Gallery. It's not all that powerful anyway.
* Dark Faerie Doll (320 pts) & Jhudora Statue (240): Both are r99. Otherwise Gallery, though the statue is for NeoHome v1 NeoGardens which still works.
* Food: The Purple Potato Aperitif (240), Container of Purple Liquid (240), and Dark Faerie Mushroom (25) are all Gourmet so pick them up if you want; you can skip the lollipop.
* Wearables: The Foreground and Wings are expensive so may be worth picking up whether you plan on using or later sell. As for the backgrounds, skip the one worth 25 points (cheap enough to buy from Shop Wiz). Both 1 point items are backgrounds so you'll probably end up getting some anyway (and if you somehow don't, they're cheap).
* Faerie PB & PPPB (240 pts): Same as I said in Illusen's Review.
* Jhudoras Potion (192 pts): In-Depth Battlepedia best described J-Potion, it's a once-per-battle Sword of Skardsen for around a mil. Now, for most low and even middle 1-player opponents, that should be enough. It's not a bad weapon, but it's outgrown very fast. As soon as you can buy a Hidden Tower weapon, let alone 2 of them, that's when J-Potion's time on your weapon set ends. Your next goal would be either a Ghostkerbomb or Varia is the Bomb (and if you already have that you can pretty much skip J-Potion). And with recent releases of very strong weapons, I'd only suggest picking it up if you think you or a friend are at the BD stage where its useful (or Gallery).
* Jhudora Faerie Doll (200 pts): Gallery.
* Books: Only two worth getting are "Untold Story" and "Jhudoras Secret" as both aren't having more copies released.
* Dark Faerie Bow & Token (128 pts): Both bad weapons, but also r99.
* Jhudoras Bluff Trick-or-Treat Bag (128 pts): Sadly this isn't one with a stamp. The bag itself likely costs more than anything you get from it. Gallery.
* Jhudoras Dark Collar (50 pts): This is a tough one, even for just 50 points. It's not bad per se, but niche. To take full advantage of it you need an opponent that uses both Light and Dark icons. There are weapons which do more damage for the same price or cheaper. Gallery.
* Dark Faerie Hair Brush & Dark Faerie Shield (25 pts): Both these are r98, so if you got nothing to better spend your points on suggest stocking up for a future CC.
This post is already long so think I'll stop here and make another responding to above posts.