Plot
A plot is an on-site activity that tells a story of the Neopets world. Usually users can participate to earn prizes, and plots often coincide with the release of new worlds. Plots first began to appear on August 15, 2000, with Arrival of Virtupets.
Format
Plots follow a story, which is usually depicted as comics or short animated films. User participation varies between plots: early plots had users collect certain items and deliver them to a character. Later plots were entirely Battledome orientated, and users participated by fighting enemies in the Battledome (in "waves", containing different types off enemies) and in some cases choosing which side to fight for (known as a "war"). As a major battle reaches its end, users may face a "Boss" character. These type of enemies are not defeated by a single player, but most likely by the entire site community.
The Curse of Maraqua plot experimented with having both a Battledome system and a support system involving collecting items for those people who did not enjoy fighting in the Battledome. Later plots started becoming more puzzle orientated with smaller Battledome sections - most noticeably the Lost Desert Plot.
The story of plots is typically released in comic book form and separated by chapters. The comics exist to explain the background of what is happening in the plot. Most plots can only be participated in while these parts are being released, and after the final part is released its puzzles are closed. The stories typically remain viewable after this time, however. The exception to this rule is the Altador Plot, which can still be completed to date.
At the end of the plot, prizes are either given out automatically based on how much a player contributed to the plot (i.e. how many enemies they defeated or how many puzzles they completed) or can be bought for 'plot points' that correspond to the player's contribution. Plots reward the player with a site event trophy for completing them or participating, and a site theme or avatar is not uncommon.
Plots almost always have lasting impressions on the world of Neopia, the most common of which being new worlds for users to explore. Characters are often introduced in plots, or taken from games and expanded on. Certain heroes and villains have appeared in more than one plot, most noticeably Dr. Frank Sloth, who has appeared in three plots and made cameos in two others.
Plots by year
The following is a list of all the plots that have happened sorted by year. In italics are events or puzzles that are site-wide but do not have the story element of plots, or are off-site video games.
Trivia
- Plots often have references to popular culture or literary works (see the Trivia sections in the respective articles for further information).