It's X-Mas, Silly! Where's My Present? by ladyariel32 | |
NEOHOME CENTRAL - So, you're hanging out in your Neohome. You've lit up your
fireplace and positioned yourself on your most comfortable sofa. You face the
window, see the stars up in the sky and the moon smiling down on you and a Neopet
face pressed against the glass window pane and…hey, wait a second! A face? Oh,
it's just some Gelert with a young girl standing beside him. Uh oh, isn't that
your best friend and her Neopet?
"Uh, what are you doing outside MY Neohome tonight?" you say suspiciously.
"It's Christmas, silly! Where's my present?" the girl replies.
DEEP CATACOMBS - Have you found yourself facing the very same dilemma presented
above? I bet you have! Well, what do you know…time sure flies. It's the Month
of Celebrating all over again. The Advent Calendar is back in service and you're
delighted. Unfortunately, it's also time to make a list and start the Christmas
Shopping. Only, you have no idea where to start.
The Problems
1. You spent ALL your NP's on that shopping spree last week. Now, you have
a measly amount of NP's left. Just right for a few crummy presents.
2. You have all the NP's you need but you can't seem to think of a gift to
give to your precious Neofriends. You don't want to give them something dry
and unimaginative.
3. You don't have the NP's and you don't have the creativity. 'Nuf said.
The Ultimate Solution
All you really need is a little Christmas gift-giving know-how. With a sufficient
fund and a crazy imagination, you can get away with anything! Continue reading.
You won't regret it. ^^
Step One - Plan your budget.
Determine the number of Neopians you plan to give presents to and the estimated
amount of NP's you think you're going to need. If your budget is a little too
small for your liking, INCREASE it. No one in Neopia can ever be called poor
unless of course, they don't have a Shockwave Player or they are terribly unlucky
(impossible). Within a few minutes (or hours) of playing games, you'll be able
to get the right amount.
Step Two - Research.
When did research become part of the process? Well, since always. Because
there isn't enough time for you to do that yourself, I went ahead creating a
list of all the types of Neopians and what type of presents they might appreciate.
1. The Collectors - They are the ones who usually have galleries
or are planning to build one. There's no question what they're expecting this
Christmas: an item that isn't in their gallery yet. If money is not the object,
go and get them one of those unbuyables they've been yearning for all year.
If money is the object, though, improvise. Give a collector an item that has
the same theme as his/her gallery. For example, if your friend is a Gelert
Item Collector, give the person the book "A Gelert on Treasure Island" or
a Green Gelert Plushie.
2. The Really Rich + Super Poor - The Really Rich are the ones who
have everything they could ever want and MORE! The Super Poor are the ones
who have nothing they want but still want MORE. The simplest thing to do here
is check your friend's userlookup/petpages. Most of the time, you might spot
a Wish List. Go ahead and grant one wish (if you can afford it). If you're
about to run out of funds and your best friend is one of the wealthiest people
in Neopia, skip ahead to the fifth category.
3. The "No Nonsense" Type - They DESPISE useless gifts. Who cares if
your present cost you half of your NP's? What more can I say about the Neopians
in this category? Well, they are more likely to have a Bottled Faerie in their
Inventory rather than a Bottle of Love. ^^' Your best choice is to buy something
that is useful, not something to place in their SDB.
4. The Guild Neofriends - They are the WONDERFUL people you met when
you joined the most WONDERFUL guild in Neopia (doesn't everybody say that?).
If they don't fit into any other category or you just want to fit them into
this one, buy guild-themed presents for all of them. For example, if your
guild is The Neopian Times Appreciation Guild, you might buy different writing
items like a Diary, Faerie Kougra Pen, Doglefox Marker, etc. You get the idea.
5. The "Surprise Me" Type - They are the ones who can be included in
any of the categories above but also crave surprises. They are the ones who
are expecting a nice gift this Christmas but not necessarily an expensive
one. Oh, and they'll be really disappointed if they find a piece of dung (unless
you're Matt who loves dung -- sorry, I just had to mention that) from you
in their Inventory. Here are some ideas to help you shop for them:
· Look at their USERNAMES. This method only applies to your friends
that have unique usernames (meaning you actually understand part/all of
it). After looking, what words or even Neopet items pop into your head?
For example, one of my friends has the username frostcrystal. The words
"snow", "ice", & "crystal" appeared in my head. Okay, from there, all you
have to do is pick an item related to any of the words… and VOILA!
· Look at their PETS. A person who owns an Aisha might appreciate
a White Aisha Collar or an Aisha Plushie. A person who loves the Battledome
and owns a Jetsam might want Jetsam Battledome Equipment.
· Watch what they say (or rather, type). Do some Neopet-related words
appear frequently in his/her Neomails or Guild Posts? For example, a friend
always ends his/her guild posts with "Zeenana Split" or "I love Dr. Sloth!".
Take the hint.
· Surprise yourself! Buy your Neofriend something you said you'd
NEVER EVER buy or something he/she won't expect you'll give.
Step Three - Go shopping!
Now that you have everything you need, it's SHOPPING TIME. Make sure you don't
go beyond your budget and that you'll still have NP's left by the time your
shopping extravaganza ends.
And now…
All you have to do is wait for December 25 to arrive. Just in case you don't
know how to give your presents, you can give them by using the "Give Item To…"
option when you click an item in your Inventory. I hope you benefited from reading
my article. Enjoy your Christmas! ^^
Note: Special thanks to NTAG and its great members. I wrote
this article after having a brainstorm while reading through everyone's posts.
^^ Oh, and thanks to Crystal (frostcrystal) and Matt (matterbug_adoption) for
allowing me to use their names.
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