The Dreaded Makeover by tdyans |  |
Neopia is a world that is constantly changing. It just takes one look at the
news page to realise that fact. Most of the time, change is a good thing. After
all, without change, we wouldn't have any new worlds to explore, games to play,
or pets to adopt. If Neopia always stayed the same, it would probably be a pretty
boring place, so change is definitely necessary. But when it comes to your NeoPets,
if you're like me, change can be a frightening idea. That's right, I'm talking
about... the dreaded makeover.
When it comes to our furry, scaly, and feathery Neopian friends, however,
change is as inevitable as it is with anything. Since the time that I first
came to Neopia, there are very few species that haven't changed in some way,
whether it was a small change such as added shading or even a drastic one such
as a complete change of species. Whenever a particular colour of pet or a particular
species is changed, I see people create petitions to get it changed back, but
I don't think I've ever seen these petitions actually cause the pets to be changed
back. This doesn't mean that if you don't like a change, you shouldn't try to
do something about it, such as signing or creating a petition or writing to
NeoPets to let them know what you think. But in the case that these methods
prove ineffective, this article is meant to offer tips on how to prepare for
the possibility of a makeover and how to deal with one when it actually happens.
First of all, although NeoPets usually gives us fair warning when a major
makeover is going to happen, you never know. They could unexpectedly give an
entire species a makeover at some point, and they do often unexpectedly alter
the look of certain paint brush colours of pets. This is why you should always
be prepared for the possibility of a makeover. If you really love the way your
pet looks and dread the thought of it being changed, save a picture of it somewhere.
This way, if your pet does get changed someday, you will still be able to look
back and remember what it used to look like. You can even put the old picture
of your pet up on your pet's page if you want other people to be able to see
how your pet originally looked.
If your pet does undergo a makeover that you don't like someday, you'll undoubtedly
want to complain and find people who will sympathise with you. The chat boards
are perfect for this of course, but you must be diplomatic. While you may dislike
what has happened to your pet, other people might love it. Don't yell or say
things out of anger when this happens, no matter how upset you may feel about
your poor pet. Just try to understand their point of view, and try to explain
your point of view to them. Of course, this goes both ways. If you see someone
complaining about their pet's makeover, you may like the new look and think
they're being silly. But try to put yourself in their place and remember how
you would feel if one of your pets was changed from the look that made you want
to create or adopt it in the first place. You can still express your positive
opinion about the new look, but let the person know that you sympathise with
them and understand why they don't.
Finally, there's the question of what to do about your pet when it gets a
makeover. Don't run to the pound and abandon your pet as soon as you see its
disastrous new look. Remember, it's not your pet's fault, and he's probably
feeling as distressed about the change as you are, so don't punish him for it
if you can help it. You have a lot of other options that you should consider
before you turn to abandonment. If it's just your pet's paint brush colour that
has changed, all of the NeoPets species have many different colours to choose
from, which you can see at the Rainbow Pool.
If you take a look, you'll probably be able to find another colour that you
like. The paint brush might be expensive, but if you don't have enough Neopoints
to buy it right away, you can keep working to save your money, and when you
finally get enough it will have been a very rewarding experience.
If the look of your pet's entire species changes, on the other hand, and you
can't stand it, you still have a lot of choices before you turn to the pound.
Think about it; is there some other species of NeoPet that you've always admired
but never created or adopted? There are several ways in which you can change
your pet into this other species, including magical plushies and morphing potions.
Again, while these may be pricey depending on what species you want, it will
be worth it to keep your beloved pet. If Neopoints are no obstacle, you might
even consider the Lab Ray. One of the regular pitfalls of the Lab Ray is that
it changes your pet's species, but if you don't really care for the look of
the species any more, then you can use it without worrying. You can increase
your pet's stats, and it might even get turned into something that you can admire
once again.
Maybe, like me, even though you don't like your pet's new look, you can't
imagine it as any other species than the one it already is. In this case, give
it time. It's obvious that you care about your pet since you are attached to
its identity despite the different look, so if you wait, the new look might
just grow on you. You may not ever love it like you did the old look, but at
least you can learn to live with it and maybe even like it.
In the end, if you feel that despite all of these options, you can't stand
to keep your pet, at least try to be sure that it finds a good home. The pound
really isn't such a bad place; it helps tons of pets to find loving owners.
So, if you feel that you really can't love your made over pet the way you used
to, putting it into the pound at least gives it a chance to find someone else
who can. Hopefully though, with the tips that I've given you on how to prepare
for and deal with a makeover, you will never have to make that choice despite
the constant changes taking place in Neopia. |
