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Post by Breakingchains on May 2, 2023 14:59:48 GMT -5
I am... not sure how I feel about faeries arguing the merits of science vs. magic. xDDD; Especially in this setting. Where magic is an absolute given. Everyone uses it, everyone knows it's there, wars have been fought about it etc. It almost seems like in Neopia there shouldn't even be that much of a recognized distinction between the two.
(Which, okay, maybe the issue is more divination than magic in general. But I'd have to do a deeper dive to be able to remember how much divination has been used in the lore and whether Mira's objections make sense or not.)
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Post by Duke Pikachu on May 2, 2023 17:19:54 GMT -5
I am... not sure how I feel about faeries arguing the merits of science vs. magic. xDDD; Especially in this setting. Where magic is an absolute given. Everyone uses it, everyone knows it's there, wars have been fought about it etc. It almost seems like in Neopia there shouldn't even be that much of a recognized distinction between the two. (Which, okay, maybe the issue is more divination than magic in general. But I'd have to do a deeper dive to be able to remember how much divination has been used in the lore and whether Mira's objections make sense or not.) Well let's remember the Faerie wanting a scientific take is the Space Faerie. While Mira herself relies on magic to do her responsibilities, her closest allies (mostly The Resistance, all whom are Neopets) more often than not use technology and science (any magic they do use is either as a power source or something directly given to them by the Space Faerie, such as her token). Likewise, this probably isn't the first time something she found in space stumped her and she needed some help. I imagine most of the time she would go to Virtupets/Kreludor (possibly contacting The Resistance if it's a sensitive manner) to have scans and analysis done, but this time around since the object is shaped like a Negg she figured her sister who's magic revolves around Neggs may be able to help (welp, Negg on her face). Mira's problem isn't just the divination (I believe she herself has some precognitive abilities, like I think the first time Sloth showed up she gave Neopia a telepathic warning). If anything, Magon put a "time limit" on things and, even if she doesn't believe him, now feels slightly rushed in the off chance he's correct and the Negg will hatch into a monster. She just wants definite answers, probably used to getting them when she directly went to Virtupets/Kreludor who used technology to analyze things. And now the next "expert" Kari found introduced themselves as someone who uses tarot cards and their own family disowned them for some vague "scientific" method he came up with using them. She's frustrated.
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Post by Liou on May 3, 2023 1:59:43 GMT -5
I suspect this is more of a way to insert a "only trust reliable sources and always check facts, kids, and also adults really!" theme. I'm also weirded out by Mira doing this, although she hasn't exactly had characterisation beyond "good guy" and "lol space faerie dropping stuff on us" Or maybe it's the unusual character balance of the event with two faeries and neither of them being a sidekick that weirds me out.
Orion SHOULD HAVE BEEN A HISSI DANGIT I AM VERY MAD ABOUT THAT.
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Post by Gelquie on May 3, 2023 3:44:30 GMT -5
Yes, Orion is completely off base for using his tarot cards in order to put his magic into his divining skills to find a starting point, and completely ignoring the science. Hear that, Light Faeries? You're invalid.
Also, Mira's "I don't know. Is it wise to get others mixed up in this?". Mira, what do you think we've been doing this entire time?
...Yeah, I kinda get what they're trying to do here, it just feels a bit weird characterization for Mira, in a world that obviously runs on magic. (Seriously, there is no scientific explanation for many things in Neopia.) Orion seems more or less agreeable about it all, though. Unrelated, but I really like his design.
Then again, with Magon, Mira also went "We could use just about any help we could get at this point...". Maybe she has issues with Orion's family history that has not been disclosed? Or Magon's... questionable finding lowered her patience while instilling vague-time-limit pressure.
I am curious where the plot is leading and what the "neggs" really are. Can't say I have any leads right now, except a couple of extremely vague pseudo-guesses. One is that this is a Dr. Sloth machination signalling a possible return. But it's been so long, TNT might be done with him. Maybe it's more of a strange phenomenon thing. Anyone's guess is as good as mine.
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Post by Liou on May 3, 2023 3:57:15 GMT -5
Yeah Mira's been pretty inconsistent. And I wish there were more of the weird maybe-not-neggs? It seems underwhelming with just the one.
Also regarding the latest clues: this had better not be a sneaky way of getting us to play a new appgame ಠ_ಠ
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on May 3, 2023 7:10:31 GMT -5
Day 13 Playing by the beach could make anyone thirsty. Maybe once you find the stash of Neggs, you can buy supplies for a smoothie!
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Post by barnowl42 on May 3, 2023 12:04:56 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm kind of guessing that given that he's specifically a tarot card reader, which is a thing in the real world (unlike, say, being an earth faerie or a Nimmo wizard or something, which is more obviously fantasy), the "oh but we should be careful whether to trust him" is a somewhat hamhanded attempt to get across a 'don't give your money to just anyone who says they have psychic powers, kiddies' message across while still including tarot in the plot. Not necessarily a particularly well-done one, but I'm guessing that's what they were going for. (Although as someone who collects tarot decks, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'd totally buy a Neopets one if they ever printed one.)
Speaking of... This feels like a silly question, but... has anyone figured out if there's any point to playing the tarot game after you've played three times and 'cleared' it for plot purposes? Is there a prize if you get some number of correct answers in a single game? I can't figure out whether there's any point to continuing to play what is functionally a game of chance.
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Post by June Scarlet on May 3, 2023 14:13:39 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm kind of guessing that given that he's specifically a tarot card reader, which is a thing in the real world (unlike, say, being an earth faerie or a Nimmo wizard or something, which is more obviously fantasy), the "oh but we should be careful whether to trust him" is a somewhat hamhanded attempt to get across a 'don't give your money to just anyone who says they have psychic powers, kiddies' message across while still including tarot in the plot. Not necessarily a particularly well-done one, but I'm guessing that's what they were going for. (Although as someone who collects tarot decks, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'd totally buy a Neopets one if they ever printed one.) Speaking of... This feels like a silly question, but... has anyone figured out if there's any point to playing the tarot game after you've played three times and 'cleared' it for plot purposes? Is there a prize if you get some number of correct answers in a single game? I can't figure out whether there's any point to continuing to play what is functionally a game of chance. Looks like I get to be the one to break it to you. Neopets has an official licensed Tarot Card Deck through Geekify. Actually, the real deck came before this event, it's like a product tie-in. I got the Tarot deck myself, and the quality is amazing.
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Post by barnowl42 on May 3, 2023 15:57:17 GMT -5
Ooh! Thank you for letting me know—this is very exciting news (and I’m glad the quality is good)!
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on May 4, 2023 7:54:21 GMT -5
Day 14 While others may say these are loathsome, these next Neggs are with playthings that are cherished among some.
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Post by Duke Pikachu on May 4, 2023 20:43:25 GMT -5
Okay, this emphasis on "science" is starting to bug me.
Like, I assumed when Mira said it, she was just meaning she wanted solid evidence and answers to things. It wasn't specifically she wanted the answers through "science", just that she was unimpressed with Magon who isn't that good of a mage and Kari just brought her another guy who used tarot cards. And, as I reasoned above, she just said "science" as that's likely what he other contacts, aka those who live on the Virtupets Space Station and Kreludor.
Heck, I just remembered, they DID try to use science & technology at the start! Dr. Landelbrot! All he was able to get was the "Space Negg" was giving off traces of anti-matter (huh, that's something which sounded important but they quickly then dropped).
Back on point, then when Orion was trying to make his case, he was just using the term "science" as that's what Mira said so was just trying to reassure her his methods aren't as flimsy as Magon's. Not that Orion didn't sound flimsy himself, never explained what his scientific method was and still began his part using tarot cards.
But now after using his tarot cards in a game of Tyranu Evavu to gather our energy, turns out Orion was just saying what he needed to say to get Mira to agree. Well, they're not presenting it like that, but as far as I can tell Orion had used mystical methods to figure out the vague clue the "Space Negg" needs something you can't find in space to "reveal" themselves. And he then passed the buck to Mira to figure out, sending her on a fetch quest.
So now in the story we're waiting to see what Mira thinks Orion means. Something you don't find in space. Air? Liquid water? Warmth? A hammer to just smash the dang thing open...
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on May 5, 2023 8:10:39 GMT -5
And just like last year, a new petpet is discovered. Thanks to Mira exposing the 'Negg' to gravity, it ended up hatching and revealing Bython, a two headed snake. Day 15 clue I've used many tools to hide Neggs in the past, but none that can somehow make a bubble chair last!
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Post by Breakingchains on May 5, 2023 13:57:18 GMT -5
Snek! I love him And I JUST species-swapped Spangly to get a robot bun. Would be more fitting if I'd done a robot hissi but hey, this is pretty cool too. Maybe for next year's PP haha.
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Post by downrightdude on May 5, 2023 16:59:18 GMT -5
I got all the prizes from Negg Fest! Granted I had to buy the plushie and candle, but still!
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Post by Twillie on May 5, 2023 17:54:17 GMT -5
I was able to get all the prizes I wanted, namely the stamp, book, and polar lights foreground! :3 I tried to get the plasma effect, but I was cursed to get nothing but the slushie from the plasma negg lol. I also got a bunch of candles, so I guess that'll take care of my neohome's light bill for a while.
Admittedly I kind of zoned out to the dialogue these past few days xD; I didn't assume anything world shattering would come of the mysterious neggs, so I didn't really care how they discovered what they were so much as actually seeing the reveal for myself. And we got a cute new petpet out of it, so I'm good!
Picked out the yellow bython, even though the base purple is very pretty. Something about the yellow just struck me, like it's a rare coloration like a shiny Pokemon. It was a harder pick than the talpidats were for me though, lol.
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