Atlas of the Ancients

[metalmario]

And the first step is 'Click on the Map'. Yeesh. To be honest, I would have rather just had a comic released (one that looks a lot better) than having such stupid, frivolous interactivity. Concentrate on making a good story first, set the scene for us, and then, when the step's going to really matter, let us plunge into it when it feels satisfying. 'Click on a Map' does not feel satisfying; it just feels stupid.

Not everyone who plays Neopets has been playing for years and years, and seen plots before. The first step has to be really obvious for newbies to figure out "HEY, there's more to do here than just read the comic! I wonder what other easter eggs I'm supposed to find... *searches*" When the Mystery Island plot was out I had NO IDEA that players were supposed to interact somehow, and I missed out on everything entirely. Give it a break, it's the first step. Judge after we've had a few.

[forcesinbalance]

Yeah, I'm not actually concerned about the simplicity of the first step. This bit wasn't a puzzle. It was just a prologue, meant to get people started, and a map is a decent way to do that. It'll be nice if they've come up with some interesting ways to use the map item itself in the plot. Personally, I would have made it a usable item that redirects you to a full-page image of the map when used; then, at various points in the plot, the image there would change to zoom in on various locations, and eventually become an image map linked to plot-relevant pages. Maybe even have some Raiders of the Lost Ark-esque travel routes appear, tracing the path of your journey.

That's probably too much to hope for, however. At most, there may be stages that check if you have it in your inventory. More likely, they'll just check to see if you collected it.

[ChaosShadow]

Not everyone who plays Neopets has been playing for years and years, and seen plots before. The first step has to be really obvious for newbies to figure out "HEY, there's more to do here than just read the comic! I wonder what other easter eggs I'm supposed to find... *searches*" When the Mystery Island plot was out I had NO IDEA that players were supposed to interact somehow, and I missed out on everything entirely. Give it a break, it's the first step. Judge after we've had a few.

It's not that I want something complex from the get-go (truth to tell, I got lost on step two of the Lost Desert plot and couldn't hope to complete that awful maze), just something a little more than 'click this map, get map in inventory'. Admittedly, clicking things in Flash comics is not something I do automatically to begin with, even having seen several Neopets plots that involve it; it just feels like cheap interactivity to me.

Maybe I'm just naturally biased toward not liking Roxton plots (despite there only being one other so far) because the original was so simple and unsatisfying and I'm expecting the same from this one. It's not really endearing itself to me right now. (Because obviously Neopets must endear itself to me specifically, how dare they not.)

Personally, I would have made it a usable item that redirects you to a full-page image of the map when used; then, at various points in the plot, the image there would change to zoom in on various locations, and eventually become an image map linked to plot-relevant pages.

Something like this would have been nice, too.

[Siniri]

As much as we like to whine and kvetch, though, there is a solution: get a job working for TNT and join the plot department. Or send in suggestions detailing the kind of plot puzzles you'd like to see and hope for the best.

While you're working for TNT, can you send me my DD2008 MegaSuperb prize, please?

I'm only pickin' on ya because I agree with you. I want plot, plot, plot! LDP-style, please, since I just missed out on that one. But I'll take what I can get. Because that's all I can do, really.

[Daze]

Chapter 2 has been released, but it seems no new plot step.

[smudgeoffudge]

What do you know? The Volcano is still there.
http://www.neopets.com/prehistoric/volcano.phtml
I have a theory that the new quest will involve Tyran Far, bringer of fire to Tyrannia...with his body being on fire and everything.

http://www.neopets.com/neopedia.phtml?n ... 9&criteria
You can see him on the plateau

http://www.neopets.com/prehistoric/plateau.phtml

He looks like this

and also like this

[forcesinbalance]

Just because he was mentioned by name, I went and beat up the Flaming Meerca in the battledome. No noticeable effect. (I also bashed Magnus the Torch and the Lava Ghoul while I was in the neighborhood, just on general principles, but that didn't seem to do anything either.) Maybe we'll get the critter in the cave as an opponent?

If they were trying a direct route from Shenkuu to Altador, then they were actually moving away from Tyrannia. Given the oddly inefficient sequence laid out by his High Llamaness, that doesn't mean much, though. There doesn't seem to be much between Shenkuu and Altador City but forest and some inexplicably-placed mountains. To the west of the route is ocean, and to the east is the mountain range separating the area from the Haunted Woods.

The writing in this one was slightly less cringeworthy, though both Roxton and his comeuppances were ladled on rather thickly.

[Jacob]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm feeling stoked about this new story. Ancient history of Neopets is something that has never really been explored, and has been kept away from for a long time. There have already been plenty of inconsistences within Neopia's history, and that they are trying to make mends in some way (which just makes more questions)...really makes me smile.

And in terms of plot difficulty, at least this isn't the The Lost Desert Plot. That thing was nuts.

[ginny-ROX]

I logged onto my school computer this morning to check for any new parts to the plot and now I find that my school has blocked neopets.
I was thinking about just sliding into the system and unblocking it buuut they would then lock my school account and won't unblock it until the end of the school year which isn't practical considering we are only just finishing our first half term.

[huesland]

I can't help but think that the speech bubbles with the red around them are possibly a clue.

[MagicalMystery]

I have nothing against the Writing so far (I haven't had time to read Chapter Two yet so I'm not in a position to comment... ahem) but I'm just not a fan of the Art style. It probably shouldn't matter so much to me but... I just don't like the coloured-outlines. >.>;; I've never been a fan of coloured outlines in Cartoons or Comics and it's just made things too soft, as it were. Sigh. I don't know why I don't like coloured-outlines... I just don't. On the subject of the first Plot Step being a simple click... I was annoyed at that just because it seemingly signalled that this wasn't going to be a War. And I so want a War... sigh. >.< I read the FAQs and it basically insinuated that this wasn't a War either. ...I haven't been able to get past that disappointment so I don't know what to say on the difficulty of any Puzzle Plot.

They probably don't think Wars are suitable for their new demographic or something. Sigh.

[smudgeoffudge]

I wonder how likely it is that the wind shifted and the drifted to Neovia? I don't think anyone mentioned that yet. It is always night there and stars are out. It is nighttime with stars in the last panel.

[Daze]

On the subject of the first Plot Step being a simple click... I was annoyed at that just because it seemingly signalled that this wasn't going to be a War. And I so want a War... sigh. >.< I read the FAQs and it basically insinuated that this wasn't a War either. ...I haven't been able to get past that disappointment so I don't know what to say on the difficulty of any Puzzle Plot.

A war is different to just having enemies to fight in a plot.

I am sure we are still going to have a battledome element mixed in with our clues, just like other recent plots such as Return of Dr Sloth, Journey to the Lost Isle and A Tale of Woe.

Wars need an actual plotline that suggests one group is taking over or attacking another. Just by reading Chapter 1, you can tell it is a 'search and discover' type of plot.

[smudgeoffudge]

Can someone find the old link or article about when Kiko lake team got stuck in a cave? Maybe it was the same cave? I don't know. I searched the old news from around June 2008 but I couldn't find what I was looking for.

[Daze]

Can someone find the old link or article about when Kiko lake team got stuck in a cave? Maybe it was the same cave? I don't know. I searched the old news from around June 2008 but I couldn't find what I was looking for.

Altador Cup III.

No onsite articles are available for it, but Google is your friend!!

Following up on last week's big story, a messenger from Kiko Lake has arrived in Altador bearing news of the team's fate. According to the courier, Kiko Lake's team was trapped by a rockslide that occurred while they were on their way to the tournament. It seems that, when the boulders started raining down on them, the players rushed to safety in a nearby cave. At some point during the disaster, however, the cave's entrance became blocked by boulders, which weren't cleared away until days later by a team of rescue workers.




Thankfully, the players avoided suffering anything more serious than a couple of scrapes and bruises. However, their time in the less-than-ideal conditions not only left them starving and weakened, but also cost Kiko Lake their chance at participating in this year's tournament. "We'll just have to regroup and give it another shot next year," team captain "Poke" Cellars said. "In the meantime, though, we might want to look into finding another route to Altador, preferably something a little less dangerous."

It is actually from PPT.

http://www.pinkpt.com/neodex/index.php/Altador_Cup_2008