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Post by Twillie on May 14, 2021 13:02:56 GMT -5
This year's Altador Cup is kicking off today with the first batch of press releases! So far, you can read coverage on Maraqua, Virtupets, and Darigan Citadel. |
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Post by Duke Pikachu on May 16, 2021 0:51:33 GMT -5
Oh boy, the Press Releases! The only few times where TNT can flesh out the players by telling us any interesting activities they've been doing between seasons aside from training (because, you know, that's an obvious thing they would be doing unless there's something noteworthy to mention that happened around the training). So, let's see what we learn about the first 3 teams up: * Darigan Citadel: Are sad they lost and promising to do better this year. * Maraqua: Are sad they lost and promising to do better this year. * Virtupets Space Station: Are sad they lost and promising to do better this year. Oh, wait, that's right, using the Press Releases to build lore (and hint at possible new players) was something old TNT did. JS instead just likes to re-state the obvious most of the time that the losing teams are sad they lost and are promising to do better. Over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND...GAH!And yes, I know, every year I complain about this over and over *slaps self*... again about this issue, but am I wrong? Okay, going deeper into the released ones, do fans of DC need to be reminded they lost to Meridell last year? Oh, they made a new offense strategy, big whoop, like that even effects gameplay (isn't DC a 3 forward +1 defender team anyway?). Maraqua, do you care the team uses weighted vests while training underwater? Virtupets is already known to use anti-gravity training (which we were told about via the early ACs in a much more interesting Press Release on an accident with it resulting them skipping out a year) so for VP fans you aren't even given anything new! Oh, and of course they just focus on the Captains, because writing something for the other players would mean having to develop individual personalities for them so better stick with a general "face" of the team they can keep generic thus easier to right for. Now, obviously this year is very different because JS had to remake the games in HTML5 (would have rather they skipped a year but then they'd have to found something else to fill the AC slot with and AC in their view is probably one of the easier events to do). They had a lot more to do so in-lore changes weren't going to be a factor this year... but, could they still have tried? Maybe use this to show "hey, we're actually putting more thought into the AC then previously" this year, even if just for the Press Releases. But no, same-old, same-old. A positive I will give is the new NC prizes look nice, Yooyuballs based on each team! Neat, and the ones they released look pretty good. Darigan is obvious but still looks good, I like the a maractite design for Maraqua, and like how they incorporated the red outlines since they look like "V"s for Virtupets. Wonder what the others will look like? Well, after some URL changes, I was able to find all but Mystery Island. Click below for spoilers and my opinions, though what I will say is that I think they picked Darigan, Maraqua, and Virtupets first for a reason...: images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballaltador.gifOpinion: Now, I don't have a problem with it being all gold had it been the ONLY one to be like this. Though, as you'll see, it's far from the only one that is normal Yooyuball that has different colors applied to it *sigh*. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballbrightvale.gifOpinion: Doesn't look too bad, I'll admit I'm not sure what else they could have done with Brightvale aside using its colors. Though I am confused on where they placed the colors. Like, from how I recall a Yooyuball unrolls, wouldn't this Yooyu have a yellow & white ear, yellow and green arm, and green and white leg (with a green tail)? images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballfaerie.gifOpinion: Like, what were you expecting? Though this does mean Faerieland also has one of the nicer looking Yooyuballs. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballhw.gifOpinion: Egh, really? This is the best you can come up with for the Haunted Woods Yooyuball? Not gonna even add like spikes? Maybe a pair of bat wings? images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballkikolake.gifOpinion: Could have made it look like it was made of wood since one of Kiko Lake's main business is carpentry (and it's a woodland area). images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballkrawk.gifOpinion: Now, an issue with these is that they're a YooyuBALL and not a Yooyu. Like you'd think with the Krawk Island one they'd made it look like a pirate, but anything that'll make it look like a pirate would apply more to an unrolled Yooyu (like wearing clothes, having an eyepatch, hook hand/peg leg, etc). So in that regard it's hard to make a Yooyuball look like a "pirate". That said there are some things they could have done which would make sense, like having an earring on one of the ears, maybe have the tail have a hook on it, give it some tattoos like KI's jolly roger. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballkreludor.gifOpinion: Now, I'm not against this, but I wished for the gray bits they made it more look like moon rock. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballlostdesert.gifOpinion: This isn't bad, but I think it would have looked even better had they tried making it look like a vase (with Egyption-like drawings etched on it) or even a pyramid brick-stacking look. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballmeridell.gifOpinion: Same thoughts with Brightvale, what could they have done? Given it knight armor, or at least resemble a knight helmet, maybe? images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballmoltara.gifOpinion: This looks nice! Granted, only really resembles one half of Moltara, but it at least has a concept it can go off from that connects it to Moltara in one form. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballrooisland.gifOpinion: This more looks like a beach ball. Like, could you have made it look like a rolled jester's hat or maybe put dice symbols on it. It just looks so... plain for lack of a better word. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballshenkuu.gifOpinion: If the Brightvale, Meridell, and Roo Island Yooyuball hadn't convinced them maybe they should have done something else, the Shenkuu one should have. Just yellow and (dark) red, that's it. And no, I too am having trouble thinking of what else they could have done, which is why I said they maybe should have then scrapped the team Yooyuball idea and gone with something else (like how about goalie vests & gloves? Since this is in Altador how about toga robes? Do a nod toward the Olympics and make torches with different color fire). images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballterror.gifOpinion: REALLY? The Terror Mountain Yooyuball looks more like the Snow Yoouy than the Snow Yooyu Petpet! Grr... it likes fine BTW, makes perfect sense, just reminds me how the Snow Yooyu Petpet doesn't look like a proper Snow Yooyu even though the only thing TNT had to do was take this image, cut out the yooyuball in the back, and shrink it to 80x80: images.neopets.com/altador/altadorcup/registration_login.gif. No, instead they recolored the ugly basic color Yooyu white and cyan and thought THAT looked good. images.neopets.com/items/mall_hh_teamballtyrannia.gifOpinion: I like it, like with the Moltara one more represents one part of its world but it's probably the part that most people remember (in Tyrannia's case probably because that's where the more interesting attractions are like the Giant Omelette, Concert Hall, and now access to the Battlegrounds. |
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Post by Kat on May 16, 2021 19:23:38 GMT -5
I have to wonder what else they're working on that warranted skipping the NT releases for AC stuff. I understand that Aesop is wearing a lot of hats nowadays contrary to the old tradition of NT editors only sticking to anything NT-related but you'd expect more out of a press release if they had to sacrifice a release of the NT.
I'm now also wondering if the NT will be relegated to a biweekly release from here on out until the AC is over.
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on May 16, 2021 21:34:03 GMT -5
I have to wonder what else they're working on that warranted skipping the NT releases for AC stuff. I understand that Aesop is wearing a lot of hats nowadays contrary to the old tradition of NT editors only sticking to anything NT-related but you'd expect more out of a press release if they had to sacrifice a release of the NT. I'm now also wondering if the NT will be relegated to a biweekly release from here on out until the AC is over. The beta site is another 'sacrifice' for the Cup, according to the release notes from the beta site, which means a longer wait before the entire site is converted or missing features added. Either way, at least for me, expectations for this year's Cup has been soured greatly. I just hope that what they're doing with the Cup will be worth these sacrifices. |
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Post by Twillie on May 16, 2021 23:55:35 GMT -5
It’s apparent at this point that TNT has been stretched for time and resources, what with the conversion to mobile and HTML layered atop every other part of running the site. As such, I imagine site events for the time being won’t be 100% on par with what’s usually expected, which can indeed be disappointing.
However, as the Altador Cup goes forward, it’s still expected that this thread stay on topic and not devolve into excess criticism or negativity. It’s alright to share your thoughts and feelings on the AC, of course, but I just ask that when you do so, that it be done in a balanced manner without overt harshness or yelling.
We want to make sure that this thread and board remain a place people feel comfortable posting on and reading. The purpose here is to share in and enjoy the AC and Neopets, especially when they may serve as positive outlets or escapes. That becomes challenging or uncomfortable for many though when the overall tone becomes too negative, so I just ask that those who post be mindful of this and their choice in wording.
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Post by Breakingchains on May 17, 2021 5:50:09 GMT -5
I'm just anxious to see what the game conversions will look like.
At least one game went through a change with the conversion (Ice Cream Machine getting flipped) so if we see something like... the timing on ShoSho changing by 5 frames, that alone will upset some people's routines lol. And an upset could ultimately be good or bad for the event as a whole, we'll see.
I can see why they'd focus on the AC to the exclusion of other things right now. The AC is a consistent moneymaker and brings extra site traffic every year, and there are four games to convert plus NC elements to set up. Just from that perspective it makes sense for other things to go on the backburner for a bit.
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Post by Duke Pikachu on May 17, 2021 6:01:57 GMT -5
New three are up: * Brightvale: King Hagan was sad they lost and helped them to do better this year. Slight variation but pretty much the same idea as the others. Heck, we don't even learn anything about the team this time but rather King Hagan. This also feels like the dozenth time he has intervened in some way either punishing, making demands, or helping with their training. The punishment part made sense when they were a team of cheaters, but after that storyline wrapped up and they started playing clean I feel that also should have been done with Hagan's involvement for the most part. * Meridell: King Skarl was happy they at least beat Brightvale and promised rewards for doing the same this year (and a "Skarl is gluttonous" joke). Alright, a little different, though like with Brightvale don't really learn anything about the team, and I feel it all gets underplayed at the end with the Skarl joke. Infact, aside from the slight mention from the start, Meridell coming in 2nd is completely downplayed! Nothing against Brightvale, but doesn't MD usually rank higher than BV? Why is this year different? If any team's should be generic "promising to do better" it probably would have been Meridell because now Meridell would be hungry for 1st after getting so close to it last year! Heck, maybe even "joke" about the point judging changes. * Mystery Island: And last but not leas Mystery Island's Nix have been replaced by a new player... WHAT?! NEW PLAYER! Yes, finally, after many years of the teams remaining the same we're getting (a) new AC player(s?)! Mystery Island's new player is an Island Cybunny named "Tulay Ada", a Mystery Islander newcomer who's able to spring around Defenders. Team Mystery Island even got a new background... which is the team in their default poses (and their Yooyuball isn't that impressive). But, that aside, this is a very positive news!  images.neopets.com/altador/altadorcup/2021/freebies/backgrounds/160_mysteryisland.jpgDid some more URL digging to see if there were any other roster changes. Spoilers obviously, though you may be disappointed (remember, previously old TNT use to only introduce one new players and do a team trade): No team trade this year... BUT we do have another new player and a much needed one! Faerieland is getting a VANDAGYRE player (though they'd add a Vandagyre to Team Shenkuu first but Faerieland is just as good as team as any, may give them a nice boost in popularity if not attention)! images.neopets.com/altador/altadorcup/2021/freebies/backgrounds/160_faerieland.jpgThough, just because the simple URL changes I did only turned this up may not mean there aren't other changes. We'll just have to wait an see.  |
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Post by Kat on May 17, 2021 6:59:05 GMT -5
I will say one thing I look forward to with the AC this year - and that's finally having the budget to drop some NC on Team Meridell gear from the NC Mall. I'm already trying to put together a look or two. Random fact: "Tulay" means "bridge" in Filipino. I doubt they meant for that to happen but yeah. It's hilarious that King Skarl is just "lol as long as you beat BV again this is fine" instead of "OKAY THIS YEAR PLEASE BRING BACK THE CUP." |
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Post by Lord Hayati on May 17, 2021 9:03:39 GMT -5
still not looking forward to this.
I don't Trust TNT with converting the games to HTML5, given the job they've done with some of the others.
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Post by charming thievery on May 18, 2021 21:44:34 GMT -5
As much as I'm nervous about what the converted games might be like, I'm happy and relieved to be getting the AC! ^^ I just really hope all goes well...like, really hoping, lol. NC Mall gear: I love that our pets can hold a yooyuball! Definitely want to trade for/buy a FL one when it comes out. :3 Although, when I checked what it looks like on quads, I was a little disappointed at first? I'm not sure how I feel about it being on a pedastal/stand since I don't know if that would look good with the pet I want to customize with it. On the other hand, it comes with a fun team banner, so... : ) Re: spoilers shared by Duke Pikachu : I'm so excited about the Faerieland Yooyuball! xD YES, I want my pets to have an actual faerie yooyu(ball) in their custom! It's so pretty! <3 (Though I wish this one at least would flutter/hover around in midair next to your pet if they were a quad...) Anyway, thanks for sharing the previews!
(I do agree with you that some of them aren't as creatively designed as they could have been. I like a lot of your suggestions on what they could have done instead. Missed opportunities! D: ) New player(s):First, I really appreciate that JS actually created a new player(s)! I didn't think they would, not this year especially, and they went and exceeded my expectations! That helped give a little more idea of the effort they were putting into the AC this year, particularly after seeing the classic pages still being used (considering the fantastic update to the Negg Fest) kinda gave a well, lukewarm first impression. Second, the new Cybunny on MI is soooo adorable and pretty! I love her design and rather spunky appearance so much! She fits in perfectly. :3 (And YES for adding more female players!) Though as much as I appreciate her addition (she's now one of my faves), I'm a bit sad they chose Teylor Nix to replace. He had become one of my favorites based on Random Contest entries for Team MI, haha. Spoiler based on JN's info: As for Faerieland's new Vanda... Mixed feelings on that one. (Or maybe not *that* mixed.) As a Team FL supporter, I've become attached to the players I've gotten to know. So when I found out from the FLUFF board that we'd gotten a new member, I panicked a little, wondering whom we'd lost. And of course, it turns out to be my favorite member of the team, lol. OTZ Elbin!! The one I usually move around and score with when playing YYB! D: He'd earned my loyalty from that. And I wish we'd also gotten a cute new background too!  I've never been a huge fan of the color combo of the faerie Vanda (or the similarly colored Gnorbu), and the fact that they're in the middle of the image makes their coloring stand out a bit jarringly in my opinion. The Vanda doesn't blend in as well with the purples and pinks of the other team members, the way Elbin had. But whatever, I'll get used to it. I'm just mourning the loss still. ^^; The more I stare at the image, the better it starts to look, haha. Anyway, now that I've gotten my unhappy feelings out of the way... It's nice that there's finally a Vandagyre player! And perhaps another member who could help even out the gender disparity in the AC teams just a little more? Also, I am looking forward to the beta AC site theme! The themes that have been coming out have been super nice and frequently quite creative, so I'm excited to be able to use it during the Cup! (I never used the classic version before - why would I replace TFR/TK? - and kind of forgot there even was one, lol. But looking at it now, it's also nice, and it makes me happy that one of the bottom rotation images is Prytariel. :3 Edit: Oh, it finally gave me a refresh with Kakoni too! ) |
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Post by Kat on May 19, 2021 19:43:52 GMT -5
NC Mall gear: I love that our pets can hold a yooyuball! Definitely want to trade for/buy a FL one when it comes out. :3 Although, when I checked what it looks like on quads, I was a little disappointed at first? I'm not sure how I feel about it being on a pedastal/stand since I don't know if that would look good with the pet I want to customize with it. On the other hand, it comes with a fun team banner, so... : ) Oh gosh, I looked up the Meridell Yooyuball and I actually like how it looks on a stand. (I'll just need a good BG where you could reasonably have a Yooyuball on a pedestal with a little banner, though.) |
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Post by Duke Pikachu on May 19, 2021 19:48:50 GMT -5
Oh gosh, I looked up the Meridell Yooyuball and I actually like how it looks on a stand. (I'll just need a good BG where you could reasonably have a Yooyuball on a pedestal with a little banner, though.) What about the Meridell Altador Cup Locker Room Background? |
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Post by Kat on May 20, 2021 4:52:50 GMT -5
Oh gosh, I looked up the Meridell Yooyuball and I actually like how it looks on a stand. (I'll just need a good BG where you could reasonably have a Yooyuball on a pedestal with a little banner, though.) What about the Meridell Altador Cup Locker Room Background? It's not in the NC Mall (yet) but the Altador Cup Room of Glory is also an option. Also, I have to say - Gotta love Neopia's royals royally sticking their noses into their Yooyuball teams. (Also, that pun has to be simultaneously the best and worst one thus far.) |
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Post by Duke Pikachu on May 21, 2021 6:11:01 GMT -5
So with all Teams Pre-Tournament Press Releases now available, how are they? Well here's the basic breakdown:
* Faerieland: Got a new player.
* Mystery Island: Got a new player.
* Kiko Lake: Had a big party, joke about them still taking donations.
* Lost Desert: Derbu Azar accused Kiko Lake's Meela Kitah of kicking sand in face which Meela countered by pointing out she had no feet.
* Meridell: King Skarl is just happy they beat Brightvale and promised to reward the team doing it again this year, also "King Skarl is fat" joke.
* Roo Island: Team blames King Roo for coming up with their strategies.
* Shenkuu: Mentions rumors of Larcy Phu & Mirsha Grelinek are still arguing.
* Everyone Else: Are sad they lost and promising to do better this year.
And a big fat Baby Pteri for anything character related. Oh, sure, they MENTION the players here and there, but it's nothing substantial. Most of the time its the Captains just saying general stuff. We don't learn anything about the characters outside of their professional Yooyuball careers, the new players for FL and MI we're given just a general sentence about their performance and nothing really on their personality. Like, JS, why are you even bothering writing any of these if you're not going to tell us anything interesting about the teams & the players? Not sure if there around anywhere, but if you have them I would suggest looking at the older Pre-Tournament Press Releases that old TNT wrote and take notes what they did, notably:
* Telling us what some players did outside of their careers like wacky hijinks or charity events, etc..
* If there's any team drama, TELL US about the drama instead of just a "these two players are arguing but they say they aren't" and then saying how the team promising they'll do better this year.
* Speaking of which, STOP DOING THAT. Of COURSE the team is going to promise to do better, which team isn't? It's something you don't need to tell us as we figured that's the case.
* Speaking of something to stop doing: puns are not a replacement for interesting trivia. Like almost all the press releases are filled with puns thinking if they throw enough at us we'd think each of them is different when most are telling us the same message: sad they lost, promise to do better this year.
* Also, vary up the stories. Seriously, you have Meridell, Brightvale, and Roo Island pretty much joking how their kings are getting in the way of their training. Infact I think previous years for Meridell you also had King Skarl involved in some way. There's more to these worlds than just that they're ruled by a king!
Here's an idea you could have done (or maybe can do next year and every other year if you can't think of anything interesting to write about): Make a Random Contest where users come up with their own Pre-Tournament Press Releases and pick a winner for each team that'll be made the official Press Release that year (or pick multiple!).
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Post by Herdy on May 21, 2021 7:28:07 GMT -5
Sadly it is part of a wider trend you can see if you look back at recent content, where actual world building or interesting stuff is forgotten and instead replaced by themed puns.
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I've never been a huge fan of the color combo of the faerie Vanda (or the similarly colored Gnorbu), and the fact that they're in the middle of the image makes their coloring stand out a bit jarringly in my opinion. The Vanda doesn't blend in as well with the purples and pinks of the other team members, the way Elbin had. But whatever, I'll get used to it. I'm just mourning the loss still. ^^; The more I stare at the image, the better it starts to look, haha.
