|
|
Post by Breakingchains on Mar 6, 2021 9:28:34 GMT -5
There's currently more info on the pound chat, but basically:
- stolen UCs were being traded around
- A bunch of the trade chains that occurred with these stolen pets are in the process of being reversed
- To replace the stolen UCs people legitimately traded for, they are giving new UCs to users who got left in the lurch by the reversals.
This is kind of a big deal. It's the first inkling in 14 years of any softening on the "unconverted pets are no longer supported, stop friggin' asking" policy, and the first time the number of unconverteds in circulation has ever increased. It's added extra fire to the speculation and debate around ideas like the mythical "plz tnt make a UC paintbrush", and whether staff might finally be open to testing the waters on the matter.
How are we feeling about this?
|
|
|
|
Post by Ryanruff13 on Mar 6, 2021 17:16:33 GMT -5
...Is there a blue moon out tonight? I remember the times when somebody would sneeze and -poof-, converted!!! (The fact that I independently typed that before I saw BC's second paragraph made me feel less alone in that observation.)
Not that it personally affects any of my pets, but I have high hopes for this benefitting the rest of the community, should this indeed lead to a slippery slope of making UCs less exclusive.
|
|
|
|
Post by PFA on Mar 6, 2021 19:00:26 GMT -5
I can imagine how heartwrenching it would be to get something so valuable just to have it taken away, so it's honestly super generous of them to give out UCs to people like that. Seems like a great way to let the innocent people involved walk away happy.
As for whether this opens the door for them creating some kind of "unconverter," I'm not really sure? If they do, though, I wouldn't mind getting one for my royal Aisha, lol.
|
|
|
|
Post by Duke Pikachu on Mar 6, 2021 21:19:44 GMT -5
Glad to see not only are they reversing the trades but also offering to give the honest people affected by this to create new Converted Neopets!
As for is there a chance to see a "permanent" way to get an Unconverted... I see only one possibility. Reason old TNT didn't want to allow the creation of more unconverted is because they wanted people to use the customization feature... and the best customization stuff is from the NC Mall. And I don't think it was just Viacom pushing them to do it, in addition to being an entertainment site Neopets was also a business and they had to make money. Ads weren't doing it anymore and they stopped doing most other product sells, NC Mall was their main source of revenue so would want to push it any way possible. Unconverted Neopets, having been allowed because some Neopets just look better unconverted, ran mostly opposite of this goal; they could still put on backgrounds & foregrounds & other trinkets, but they couldn't wear anything or hold anything.
So, the only way I can see them allowing for the creation of more unconverted is if you had to pay for it. Likely sell in the NC Mall, for quite a hefty amount of NC, an "Unconverter Ray" that changes a Neopet into an Unconverted if they're the right Colour and Species. If they're not going to make potential money from the Neopet being unable to wear clothes & hold items they're gonna demand money for giving it the restriction (as long as there's demand for it).
Of course, this would massively upset the Unconverted Neopet trade, so if JS cared about that they would probably add additional requirements to be able to obtain the "Unconverter Ray" (likely Account Age, and restrict how many times the ray can be purchased like once every 4 months).
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian Wolf-Park on Mar 6, 2021 22:06:39 GMT -5
I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, while I'm glad the staff are doing this, on the other, I feel that it will open up a large can of worms.
Either way, even if they haven't done this as a goodwill gesture, they're in a no-win situation.
|
|
|
|
Post by Carolyn on Mar 6, 2021 22:31:25 GMT -5
Given how many folks lost their traded pets... I'm happy TNT is doing something to make it up to them. I did a single UC trade for Tri_Rune and had that been reversed, I would have been really sad (since she has a character planned, I commissioned art for her and everything).
I don't think the unconverter ray will end up being a thing. Unless, you know, it's a one per ancient account sort of dealio. Like maybe only accounts that are over 10 years old and only one available ever. I know that means folks with 5 old accounts would jump in on that, but at least it wouldn't throw things *too* out of wack. Maybe it could be a no trade item so it'd have to be used on their account. And they can't transfer the pet they use it on or... I dunno. There would have to be some stipulations for this so it didn't go out of control, but still, I think it's all hypothetical. TNT really doesn't want to lower their NC Mall revenue by encouraging UC pets. ^^;
|
|
|
|
Post by Moni on Mar 6, 2021 22:37:22 GMT -5
easy money: subscription service for each uc pet you own!!!
alternatively, just force both a customized version of the same pet to appear alongside the UC pet version, such that people would want to spend money on a customization anyways. in fact, because they'd have to customize the uc version AND a converted version, you could make $$$
this would mean they would need to make a dramatic alteration to the codebase but fact stands, i am a genius!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Duke Pikachu on Mar 7, 2021 0:03:10 GMT -5
Either way, even if they haven't done this as a goodwill gesture, they're in a no-win situation. Maybe the best move is for JS to just only do these unconverts and stop it at that. That said, I do think unconverts should be given an internal flag noting their status (and even if they change Colour that flag would still be there, that way if the Colour change was accidental it could be undone). I don't think the unconverter ray will end up being a thing. Unless, you know, it's a one per ancient account sort of dealio. Like maybe only accounts that are over 10 years old and only one available ever. I know that means folks with 5 old accounts would jump in on that, but at least it wouldn't throw things *too* out of wack. Maybe it could be a no trade item so it'd have to be used on their account. And they can't transfer the pet they use it on or... I dunno. There would have to be some stipulations for this so it didn't go out of control, but still, I think it's all hypothetical. TNT really doesn't want to lower their NC Mall revenue by encouraging UC pets. ^^; Well, if they REALLY want to make it limited, they could treat it like they treat current super rare Colours... plus a price: * If you have use of the Rainbow Pool, you can buy an "Unconvert Wash" from the NC Mall and it'll open up the option to Unconvert your Neopet at the Rainbow Pool. * If you have the Lab Ray, you can buy the "Unconvert Mod" from the NC Mall which attaches to the Lab Ray. It won't automatically Unconvert your Neopet, rather if you have a Neopet which can be Unconverted you have a small change of unconverting your Neopet. If it does, the Mod breaks and you'll have to buy another one. * If putting in an application for the Dream Neopet Giveaway, if you selected a Neopet that can be Unconverted you can request an Unconverted Neopet but will have to put down NC alongside the request. If they're not chosen, the NC is returned to their account. easy money: subscription service for each uc pet you own!!! alternatively, just force both a customized version of the same pet to appear alongside the UC pet version, such that people would want to spend money on a customization anyways. in fact, because they'd have to customize the uc version AND a converted version, you could make $$$ this would mean they would need to make a dramatic alteration to the codebase but fact stands, i am a genius!!! I tried to ignore a "subscription" idea or suggesting it be a Premium perk as already charging money for essentially a Colour already feels scummy, don't want to make someone have to pay more than once to do it. Also I feels it defeats the point of having a UC if they're also given a normal version of the Neopet to dress-up. Having a UC is meant to be special so anyone who has one wouldn't bother dressing up a normal version (at least in NC clothes) because no one is going to see it. Infact, UC unable to put on clothes or hold trinkets is, in a way, sort of meant to be a "drawback". You either choose to have an UC or choose to dress up your Neopet, you can't have both for the same Neopet. Also, if someone wants to do this, they sort of can if they have a free pet slot available. Create a Neopet of the same species and gender, give it a similar name, Colour it the same Colour, and boom your UC has a clone/twin that you can dress up. |
|
|
|
Post by Kat on Mar 7, 2021 0:57:14 GMT -5
Kat's extremely frank opinion: I say make UCs less exclusive. The less exclusive they are, the closer we get to destroying the UC black market for good. That's one of the things about Neopets that has always made my blood boil, sorry to say. I'm not against UCs themselves (because a lot of royal and faerie pets looked really nice unconverted), but I'm against the kind of system with all its tiers and whatnot that has been built around them.
It's good that TNT is doing something for the people whose UCs got lost and/or stolen in this seemingly neverending shuffle, but they have to do more than this to ensure that this never happens again and so people don't have to double and triple check whether or not the UC they want to adopt has actually been stolen.
Besides, I don't think TNT's NC Mall revenue will be that adversely affected if there were more UCs in the pool. There are pets who were created after the whole conversion biz who won't have any unconverted forms, and there are still people who would choose customization over UC (like me, my faerie Acara would yell at me if I unconverted her and she could no longer wear pretty dresses). Backgrounds and foregrounds would also still be in high demand, too. I could be wrong, this is just me.
Another perk of converted pets: when I got hacked, none of my pets on my main or sides were taken. Had any of them been UC, they may have been lost.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lord Hayati on Mar 7, 2021 9:22:53 GMT -5
to be honest, I think UC pets should be rendered untradable, or be given a special medal and then converted. the pound chat is absolute chaos nowadays.
... wow, who brought the dessert out of the fridge? I haven't chatted here in ages.
|
|
|
|
Post by Carolyn on Mar 7, 2021 9:26:07 GMT -5
As someone whose side account *was* hacked and my UC was stolen... eyeah. :/ The exclusivity makes (especially less-used side accounts) an easy target for hackers.
I mean, heck. What if it's no-trade *AND* it's a cosmetic change, so it's UC but if you trade them away they go back to being converted? Like Lutaris run away. That way people only get their true dream pets and aren't making them to trade around like sacks of potatoes. Because... well, that always kind of bothered me, to be honest. I know that makes for a jerk hacker who transfers a pet solely to covert it, but like, TNT could track this and send them back to the account where they're UC again? Idk.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kat on Mar 7, 2021 9:28:13 GMT -5
to be honest, I think UC pets should be rendered untradable, or be given a special medal and then converted. the pound chat is absolute chaos nowadays. ... wow, who brought the dessert out of the fridge? I haven't chatted here in ages. Hayati, it's been a while! You gotta show up here more often or I WILL MAKE YOU.  Anyway, back on-topic, I agree that the pound chat is absolute chaos. I know because I tried to advertise in there for the Caption Competition. |
|
|
|
Post by Carolyn on Mar 7, 2021 9:37:19 GMT -5
Oh gosh, advertising there in the CC was... a trip. I was introduced to the tier system and was like eeeee yeah. I'm good. A very nice Neopian helped me get my dream birb, so I'll probably just um, continue to avoid it. The people there are friendly and helpful, but the values of all the pets and the constant retrading just isn't my thing. I've always been in the camp of getting a pet to love them, not to trade up or trade them around for something of the same... tier. Idk, it bothers me.
|
|
|
|
Post by Breakingchains on Mar 7, 2021 16:45:34 GMT -5
Kat's extremely frank opinion: I say make UCs less exclusive. The less exclusive they are, the closer we get to destroying the UC black market for good. That's one of the things about Neopets that has always made my blood boil, sorry to say. Honestly, this is my view, too. Do what it takes to kill the black market. The particulars don't matter as much to me. If nothing else, surely they have to know that sold UCs are lost money. I've seen the offsite marketplaces and some UCs are pushing $200 USD. That's a demand they could be filling through the NC mall. Yes, it means you'll never sell a dress or whatever for that particular neopet, but there has to be a balance somewhere. (Restrict it to events, restrict the number of times one user can do it, tie it into premium somewhere...) I'm tempted to say I don't care as much about what people do on the trading scene, and if they want to make tier lists or whatever that's just another way of playing the game. But thinking about it I do have to admit that it's created a culture of smug elitism that's very unpleasant. There's just a certain class of nasty person that thrives on the PC scene and it's maddening. |
|
|
|
Post by Herdy on Mar 7, 2021 17:18:59 GMT -5
I also don't believe in the financial loss of UCs to the degree people make them out to be. The a fair chunk of the most popular NC items are background or other universally available items. UCs aren't locked out of NC items at all.
|
|
