Brightvale vs. Meridell

To clarify this, this article is not one of those coherent things babbling about what you can do in Brightvale. No, this is simply a comparison to make sure all of you not-so-sane people out there in Neopia think twice before you knock down your houses in Neopia Central and move into Brightvale the second you've spun that new wheel.

Now that I've pointed out the point, we shall begin with the similarities. Both countries are medieval, so if you like old rusty swords and squeaking rickety carts you'll be sure to love those places. If you haven't noticed yet, they are both green. Meridell and Brightvale both have shops, games and the names rhyme. End of similarities (unless you'd like to point out if both of them have Ixis or something else, please be quiet). It is time to pit these two places against each other.

The (un)official combat: Brightvale vs. Meridell

First of all, the world and the maps…. Technically Meridell consists of several places. For example, there is the index page featuring links to a petpet shop, Illusen's Glade, Cheeseroller and more. From there, you can go to Meri Acre's Farm and maybe get a Pile of Dung from the Rubbish Dump. You can also go to the Castle and try to cheer up King Skarl. At last, but not at least, there is the Citadel with a petpet battling arena. Now onto poor Brightvale. It only has one map so far. Meridell definitely outranks Brightvale in this area.

Meridell: 1
Brightvale: 0

Let's move onto the attractions. As I've mentioned before, there are lots of activies going on in Meridell. Go and look for yourself. The Meridell index page contains Illusen's Glade, Cheeseroller, Ultimate Bullseye, Shapeshifter and other things. Meri Acre's Farm has even more to offer. Free things such as the Rubbish Dump, Guess the Weight of the Marrow and Potato Counter. And don't forget King Skarl's Castle! A game of Double or Nothing would really get your pockets screaming, or maybe you'd like to try a game of Meriball? In this area, Brightvale is quite a pity. This beautiful valley place only has a few attractions. The Wheel of Knowledge, the Scrollery, the Glazier and a book shop. Hands down to Meridell.

Meridell: 2
Brightvale: 0

The general attraction being done, here's a specific. The most popular attraction? Well, Meridell has probably several ones. I'm sure you avatar collectors are all flocking outside Skarl's Castle right now. Illusen fans might be in the Glade, and there is no definite popular one. Brightvale's case is quite different. The most popular thing by all in Brightvale is the Wheel of Knowledge. It can give out tips to cool, rare stuff. Take a look at the design. It is stunningly beautiful with all those pieces of glass put together. Brightvale is definitely winning this one.

Meridell: 2
Brightvale: 1

Now, most Neopians find it easy to earn NP when restocking. If you don't know what that is, just look it up by that neat search bar and you'll get loads of articles on the subject. Anyway, let's have a look at the shops. In Meridell, the only shops you'll see is the petpet shop and Kayla's potion shop. Cheeseroller technically counts as a game, so that's out. The new land of Brightvale, however, already has three shops! A battledome item shop, a book shop and a neohome furniture shop. (If you can call glass furniture, that is.) I'm sure Kayla's is nice, and those petpets are cute critters, but wouldn't you just say that Brightvale is the best? Looks like another point for the new land.

Meridell: 2
Brightvale: 2

Ah, games. A nice way to earn NP for free (mostly) and could get you a trophy now and then. Meridell has an assorted range of games. If you aren't satisfied with Extreme Potato Counter, Ultimate Bullseye, Escape from Meridell as flash, you could try out for some of the riskier ones. What about a game of Turdle Racing, Kiss the Mortog or Double or Nothing? Brightvale only has one game, as mentioned before. The Wheel of Knowledge is a great game, but its greatness doesn't measure up to the range of variety that the Meridell games offers. Case closed.

Meridell: 3
Brightvale: 2

Don't forget the king! Well, Meridell has this blue chubby one known as King Skarl. He sits all day on his throne and demands to get jokes. If people keep telling them at the same rate as they do today, the Blumaroo Court Jester is going to lose his job. Oh yeah, plus the fact that you only get to try once per day. But I hope you remember the two wars of Meridell? If I were you, I would quite certainly have some doubts about Skarl. Brightvale's king is called King Hagan and he is Skarl's brother. From what the news tell, Hagan is probably cleverer than King Skarl as he is called King Hagan the Wise. We'll just have to hope that Hagan isn't going to let some Lord Darigan invade his country…. Not too much is sure and secure, but King Hagan shows to be of promise, doesn't he?

Meridell: 3
Brightvale: 3

Now to the results! 3 - 3. Err… It's a tie. But at least it will make you think twice before ripping your NeoHome apart and moving to Brightvale, I hope. If you like lots of games, nice history and an oddball to king, Meridell is a place for you. If you're crazy about restocks and love wheels, try Brightvale. It shows lots of promises and it probably will get better in the future. But right now, people are going crazy about scrolls, books and windows. I'd suggest that you sit down and wait awhile before you have this lovely new land as your newest obsession. Otherwise you might end up on a street in Neopia Central and wonder how you got there.

On the other hand, Brightvale might be added as an extension of Meridell. There is always the possibility that it is just part of Meridell. Now that's a scary thought. I guess we'll see what happens… in time.

Author's Note: This piece was not fully seriously intended. The author is not responsible for any damage to the reader's NeoHome, restocks or obsession with dung. Any questions, comments or concerns? The reader is welcome to neomail the author.