The Void Within Discussion [Split 1]

[Pickles]

There was a lot of 1000 earlier. It went FAST. That's $2500. It's essentially printing money.

The cookies are really unclear to begin with. You reach the daily max points 2x as fast. This would be useful for maxing out the hospital shifts, since you cannot actually do so currently (present max actually possible is 160, but the cap is 200) or for just getting your battling points done faster (but...since I use those battles to get to the 50k NP mark anyways, what's the point there???).
The only thing you get "more" on would be story line ones, achievements, and void essences. They have made it so that the achievements and story line extra points do NOT count towards your trophy (but only the prize shop), but for some reason, the extra points for the essences DO count for extra towards your trophy. The weekly void collection bonus and community bonuses are still up in the air.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm hoping the fix the essences extra points. They really shouldn't count towards your trophy. I know it's not much, at 350-700 per cookie, but it's still irritating that you can pay to advance your trophy points faster through them.

[Blue]

So, if you cannot exceed the daily maximum plot points by having the cookie, all it would do for me is make up for the one shift (x2) hospital volunteering that I refuse to do. Personal target is 3 shifts per day. The 4th is during sleeping time This actually takes pressure off of timing the shifts to the minute. 3 per day is not too difficult, even if I miss the mid-day shift by a few hours. So, for $2.50, I can get an extra 40 points per day for a week (280 plot points per cookie). No thanks. Of course, that is ~1,100 points per month lost, which will be 5k to 10k by the end of the plot. Is it worth it? No. Will I be annoyed at the end of it all? Yes. Will I get over it. Probably.

[Pickles]

It would actually be more, as the void essences don't have a "cap" in terms of plot points (or prize points) at this time. And it's a timed cookie, so you can pull the "extra day" thing out of it. (I forgot about this earlier).

So...max "extra" right now would be hospital (40x8=320), plus Void essences (minimal 50x8= 400, potentially 800), so 720 or 1120 per week towards your prize points AND trophy, plus any achievement or story double points (not towards trophy).

Once more hospital shifts open, the hospital extra points will be a moot point.

I will be passing on the cookie one way or the other, but I truly wish they'd cap the number of points allowed to go to your trophy for the void essences.

[Blue]

Dang. Now I'm torn. One cookie could get me "back on track" to make up for the lost hospital shifts. The void essences would close that gap. But still, it's $2.50. LOL... Not like I don't have bunch of "free" NC from several giveaways that I have not yet used. I was saving it to buy FQ Cookies for when they go on sale, whenever that might be.

[Pickles]

250 NC = 5 FQFC's when they're on sale. I'd go with the FQFC's.

They may yet change how these cookies work, and whether or not certain things go towards prize shop only or trophy points. Even if you do decide to do one, I'd hold off for a few days to make sure things don't get tweaked.
I mean, you could NOT hold off as well, and take advantage of the fact that the essence points ARE going towards trophy points now, but no guarantee they wouldn't go back and remove them anyways. (Honestly, though, I doubt they will. They still haven't taken off the extra 20 points that I got from a hospital shift when it bugged. I don't think they're treating things as strictly as old-school TNT would, at least with glitches like that.)

If you timed it right, you could potentially collect 2 weeks of void essence 80% bonuses, plus the upcoming community bonus (which we'll probably hit in 12-13 days), all in one.

[Siniri]

Ugh. I don't like paying getting you things that unbalances the game. It's one thing to give expensive items to premium members that they can then sell (and even then, I'm pretty sure they at least have to work for it, by battling or at least scratching a card/spinning a wheel), but actually selling plot points? I really hope they make sure it really is only the max you're supposed to get per day.

But they've already royally messed up the economy, so what's one more drop in the bucket?

If they keep going down the pay-to-play route, though, that will probably be the actual drop that breaks my bucket. I quit that petpet game they had because all the collections in it required you to buy things to actually complete them. And as a completionist, if I can't get them all, I might as well get none of them.

(I don't begrudge anyone who decides to buy one, of course! I have free NC and could as well. My displeasure rests entirely with TNT.)

[Blue]

What was the petpet game? I have that same completionist gene and must have bailed on that early as well. Ditto for the latest mobile game - I am not signing up for NeoPass for all the nightmares it apparently has. Besides, with the QL, AC, and the Plot, I am already investing more time than usual... I am enjoying it, though and have been getting better at completing things more efficiently.

[Siniri]

I don't remember what it was called. It had a bunch of lands, and site events, like an alien landing in the farm area. Lots of quests, but I realized most of them needed real money to fully finish things, so I stopped playing.

Grey Eggs and Bacon
for the void essence weekly prize for me today. Sorry I can't make the daily post; I'm at work.

[Pickles]

It was called...wait for it....Petpet Park.
I actually loved it. It was a lot of fun. The only thing I think I spent NC on for it was a different p/b for my petpet. I think? I don't remember. It's been so long. I think there's a team of people trying to recreate it on their own. It's been a while since I saw that, though, so who konws?

The other shoe dropped on the NC cookie. There IS a max points you can earn for essences...PER WEEK. It's 370. (50x7 days, 20 for the bonus). To top it off, there's apparently a bug right now where if you've earned the 370 before collecting your bonus, it doesn't award the item prize either. Ooof.

Will edit today's tasks in shortly.

Daily Tasks:

1) Finish hospital volunteering and click to start new one x2 (can be done every six hours).
2) New dialogue has popped up! After you read it, it will show up as Chapter 3 Page 6

King Skarl: What? What do you see?!
Luxinia: They have been through so much…trapped in a dark strange place…how terrible. S..sorry I mean, I found no deception in what she has said and can sense her intentions are true.
Queen Fyora: Very well then, I move for us to bring in this pair and allow Dr. Lanelbrot and Jerdana to treat them.
King Skarl: Hold on now; this doesn’t prove that their ailment is entirely safe, though! It could still spread or mutate, or who knows what!
Queen Fyora: I understand your concern, but since they seem to hold no ill will towards us and are the only ones with experience with how this ailment works I think it would be best to move forward with this plan.
Queen Nabile: And just look at them Skarl! They need our help!
King Altador: Agreed. Furthermore, their ailment and experience with the void could hold invaluable information about what is happening.
Queen Fyora: Well said! They are the best connection we have to the Void.
King Skarl: I still think the dangers outweigh the-
Queen Fyora: AHEM. I would think you of all of those in this room would understand their predicament. Wasn’t it just you whom others did not want to allow to stay due to your own current…gloomy condition?
King Skarl: *grumbles* Very well, if the rest of the council concedes then so do I.
Dr. Landelbrot: I shall start working on a solution immediately. I will need you to tell me exactly how you were able to make the device on your arm though.
Nyx: It wasn’t me. Like I said before, Juni here made it…I was passed out at the time so I have zero clue how he did so.
Dr. Landelbrot: You mean that Faelie you are holding built the device that stopped an aliment no one here has ever seen before???
Nyx: I…I know how it sounds but he’s no ordinary petpet…he was technically ranked above me at Virtupets Delivery Co.
Dr. Landelbrot: I have many questions! But most of them must wait, come we must start looking into how the device works at once!

3) Collect 10 void essences (Faerieland, Krawk Island, Tyrannia) - Don't forget to collect your bonus prize if you haven't missed a day!
4) (Optional) Regular Battledome challengers - if you want any of their drops; if you'd prefer plot drops, skip to step #4)
5) Battle in BV wave I and/or II
6) Daily quests and Trudy and regular dailies
7) Altador Cup (Unless you're Maraqua, then take a break today)

My bonus was: Cloak of the Night
Wahooo! I realllly wanted that one. It's a wearable battledome weapon. Soooo cool.

[Siniri]

Oooh, I have one of those! My battle pet is wearing it. I didn't realize it was a weapon, too. Is it useful? (Or might it be with harder opponents?) Or is it better just to wear it?

I'm home from work and was about to make the post, but Pickles beat me to it. I work a later shift tomorrow, so I'll try to remember to make it early in the morning.

It looks like chapter 3 might be rounding up? And maybe we'll finally get to see Landelbrot's machine soonish...

[Blue]

Bonus: Strale

I was thinking it was cute. Then I looked up its value and its beautiful. I put it in my shop for a mere million... 'tis a bargain. Much better than colored pencils

The cloak looks cool, so I bought one and put it on my battle pet

[Siniri]

Daily Tasks:

1) Finish hospital volunteering and click to start new one x2 (can be done every six hours).
2) Collect 10 void essences (Brightvale, Moltara, Ice caves) - Don't forget to collect your bonus prize! Today's your last chance!
3) (Optional) Regular Battledome challengers - if you want any of their drops; if you'd prefer plot drops, skip to step #4)
4) Battle in BV wave I and/or II
5) Daily quests and Trudy and regular dailies
6) Altador Cup (Unless you're ????, then take a break today)
7) Tarla is in. Remaining windows: 11:12 AM NST, 3:23 PM NST, 8:28 PM - Secret Laboratory Map (thanks Bean and Edd!)

[Pickles]

Daily Tasks:

1) Finish hospital volunteering and click to start new one x2 (can be done every six hours).
2) Chapter 3 Page 13 is up! Another background today.

Dr. Landelbrots Temporary Lab Background

3) Collect 10 void essences (Moltara, Happy Valley, Neopia Central)
4) (Optional) Regular Battledome challengers - if you want any of their drops; if you'd prefer plot drops, skip to step #4)
5) Battle in BV wave I and/or II
6) Daily quests and Trudy and regular dailies
7) Altador Cup (Unless you're Kreludor)

I was hoping based on the chapter update that maybe we'd get the step...but I guess not. Maybe Monday? I'd be surprised if the release it during this chapter at this point, since it will probably end Sunday night.

[Blue]

Bonus: Strale I was thinking it was cute. Then I looked up its value and its beautiful. I put it in my shop for a mere million... 'tis a bargain.

Apparently, it was indeed a bargain at just a few NP under 1 million. Just checked my shop and it's already gone

[Siniri]

I hope they release it on a bye day (or double bye days), or after the AC. And maybe take a break from hospital shifts and/or battling and/or void essences during the puzzle. There's already so much to do every day.