The future of PPT

[DM was on fire!]

Another thing is, we need to consider the fanbase of the site which we want to open out to include. Since Neopets is a kids' site nowadays, if we incorporated elements of stuff like Gaia or Subeta (Just two random sites) the fanbase would be much different. Older, more... uhm, mature-seeming than most of the Neopets fans. XD Possibly removing the "Neopets fansite" stuff and turning into a generic chat forum would help, but we could still have an area on virtual pet sites including Neo so that the people who want to can have a place to talk about it.

I'd love to see a focus on Subeta again. There was a Subeta help site through PPT, and that's why the PPT items (all of which I own) were created; because Planet Subeta (if I remember correctly, that's what it's name was) was the first help site for Subeta.

[Zero!]

It also helped that Lina_Blade who was a prominent member/moderator here was also an artist on Subeta at the time, haha.

But yeah, either we need to expand our fanbase to Subeta and Gaia or something else where older people frequent (I don't know many older people who still frequent Neopets outside of this forum... or even within this forum...), we're dead like Flame said. A bit sad, but hey, if we can't save ourselves and recruit members for some reason or another, this forum will just be a great waste of money for Yukio. P:

[Hyperion]

I was surprised to see this forum take a dip in activity. For some reason, it seemed like one of those places where that just wouldn't happen. Are neopets just not that popular anymore (I don't know since I haven't visited that site in years)? In any case, I agree that the forum should restructure itself to suit the times. Along those lines, I know a message board about Star Wars that used to have several forums for Star Wars and Star Trek, but that recently made them all (i.e., "Pure Star Wars, Pure Star Trek, Star Wars vs Star Trek") part of a sub-forum in the Science Fiction forum. They're now even more of a general discussion forum. I'm not sure if that's where PinkPT should take itself, but that's one way to go about it. The suggestion here for shifting to a new fanbase (e.g., Subeta, whatever that is) sounds more interesting.

[Helena]

I was surprised to see this forum take a dip in activity. For some reason, it seemed like one of those places where that just wouldn't happen. Are neopets just not that popular anymore (I don't know since I haven't visited that site in years)? In any case, I agree that the forum should restructure itself to suit the times. Along those lines, I know a message board about Star Wars that used to have several forums for Star Wars and Star Trek, but that recently made them all (i.e., "Pure Star Wars, Pure Star Trek, Star Wars vs Star Trek") part of a sub-forum in the Science Fiction forum. They're now even more of a general discussion forum. I'm not sure if that's where PinkPT should take itself, but that's one way to go about it. The suggestion here for shifting to a new fanbase (e.g., Subeta, whatever that is) sounds more interesting.

I'm not too sure if Neopets is just less popular in general, but I do know that it is less popular with the PPTers. The members are getting progressively older, and neopets keeps making its target audience younger, thus leaving most of us bored with the site. Coupled with the constant "kiddification"/"cute-ifying" and the whole ads everywhere/neocash stuff, a lot of people just don't have an interest in the site. The people that DO still play seem to mostly be little kids, not the type to be joining forums. /theory

Also, Subeta is a virtual pet site, like neo, but I think it has a lot more emphasis on community in general. It's a lot more mature and stuff, targeted at an older audience.

[metalmario]

I'm a Neopets-forums-only poster, and I wouldn't mind seeing all or most of the Neopets forums smooshed together. I don't like having to check 5 forums every day when each only has one active thread (I'm looking at you, plot forum that has been like that since it was created). There's really no need to have so many when most have threads from a year+ ago still on the front page. Hell, I'm a member of another (non-Neo) board whose front page doesn't even have any threads from the last two hours on it (and this is America at 3am in on a Tuesday morning, imagine the weekends) - that's likely where a lot of activity comes from. People see 15 active engaging threads and post in 10 of the ones pertaining to their interests. Having 50 forums only works with hugely active boards in the first place, really, which this place was once upon a time but not even remotely anymore.

[_jennythegreat_]

Wow, I haven't been around in a while, didn't realize how quiet the place had gotten. I'm sorry to see it, as this has always been one of the strongest Neopets fan sites I've seen... I do understand though that Neo has changed a lot over the years. I don't play the way I used to, and it is largely due to the changes. Even the things I enjoy are dampened a bit by the fact that if I want to really stay in that top tier of players I have to continue to pay for new items or challenges, and that players who pay more can achieve things I can't even through working and playing the games. I'm sure they're making money hand over fist with that stuff, honestly, but I do think for longer term players, even premium players like myself, it has lessened our enjoyment.

I wish sometimes they'd make it like some of the other sites, where once you pay you have the same access to everything. That way at least it could be a once a year cost, rather than dollars for every item you want. Just to participate fully in the "stocking stufftacular" this year costs 20$. That may not seem like a lot, but couple it with perhaps wanting to buy a background for your pet, or participate in the Games Master NC challenges and you can spend a fortune.

Anyway, I know all this likely isn't that useful to us here in this thread... It's just when I see a thread like this one it makes me sad, and I thought I'd bring that to the table where I'm sure there are others who feel the same. I will definitely try to come around more myself here, and also read back and look through some more of people's ideas about how to help.

All my best to the folks who run PPT, it has been a pleasure.

[lemonade]

I think the recent plot boosted activity here. But we still need more people!

[Smusique]

Yea, I saw the plot, but being that it was so late into the plot, I decide not to jump in. I usually come in at this time of year just for the advent these years (I hardly ever play games during any other months anymore).

I'm actually a long time user of PPT, since the early years of this decade (Yup, I'm old, lol...I was just about 12 or so when I first signed up for Neopets in 2000), but I had never signed up for the forums. However, I had no idea this forum was really active during the time Neopets was still popular. Oh how I wished that Neopets was still family oriented and when non-neopets links were still allowed. Damn scammers ruining everything--part of the reason why I almost never play anymore (I actually find that links helps link neopets guides or layouts outside of neopets). Good 'ol days.

However, I do support trying to implement other family-oriented sites such as Gaia. At least they don't censor words as badly as Neopets do. I find it extremely frustrating trying to initiate a proper conversation without all the censoring here and there on non-offensive words. What the heck happened to free speech?

[Kitten Medli]

I could have sworn I posted in this topic before. Maybe it didn't go through? Or it could have been considered rude, idk.

Anyways, I definitely would like to see this place thriving again. This place was my first forum home, and sometimes I miss the community we had here.

[Blue]

I could have sworn I posted in this topic before. Maybe it didn't go through? Or it could have been considered rude, idk.

Anyways, I definitely would like to see this place thriving again. This place was my first forum home, and sometimes I miss the community we had here.

I looked through the trash. Your post must not have gone through...

PPT is a bit more tolerant than the Neoboards, and their smurf filters.

[ahoteinrun]

It was you, the members, who made this place amazing. I look back and I smile and I remember those I respected & cared about. To wax poetic, it was like a gem in a sea of stones. That one bright spark that really blew Neopets & the whole fandom up in my face. And now?

All I see is gravel. No spark. No life. No smiling faces. Just random emptyness with a spattering of sparks trying to breathe life into nothingness.

It will never rise again to be what it was... because it cannot without those who made it what it was.

What is great is gone. What is gone will not return.

[Zero!]

Woah, Inrun put it perfectly. Screw Neopets - it was the PEOPLE here that made this place amazing. I've even made some friends off of this that I still talk to (somewhat), and it's been about SEVEN YEARS since I've first met them...
but now, they're long gone off of PPT, just like all of the other people that made this place great.



Seems like we've established that this place is dead and will never again rise to greatness. Perhaps another group of people will come in and create their own little community to be remembered later, but that is doubtful.
So uhh... it's dead... now what? :|

[Helena]

So uhh... it's dead... now what? :|

Cover it with cheese and feed it to the meepits.

[lemonade]

There must be a way to revive this site, the question is, how?

[Siniri]

There must be a way to revive this site, the question is, how?

Here are some things that might work (most of which have been mentioned in this thread before):

1. Each member who wants to see this forum revive should post -- and not just in this thread. Posting gives something for others to read and respond to. If each person made 2-3 posts each time they visited, others would be more inclined to post -- and to visit more often, creating a snowball effect.
2. Consolidate some of the various boards. Right now, there are too many Neopets-related boards given the level of activity. Maybe add boards for topics of interest to the currently active membership (this could be determined by polls or reading through posts).
3. Host some forum-wide events. When was the last game of any sort (WW, H&H, Minority Rules, etc.)? When was the last major Halloween/Christmas set of events? How about Neopets-related events, like Rubbish Dump or KeyQuest parties?
4. Send out PM's to the membership announcing said events, trying to lure them back to participate. But this will only work if things are different than they were when they left (e.g., more interest shown by the administrators of the forum).
5. Recruit new members. This comes last because if we don't give them anything of interest, they're not going to stay.