[urgent] this site really is actually dying

[Faybell]

I once suggested that they be made non-tradeable and that also made people upset lol. I just don’t see a solution that everyone would be happy with. =_=

Edit: what if we just got rid of trading c$? Was that even always a thing? I don’t really remember it being a thing back when i first started but maybe my brain is just misremembering?

Re-edit: also not trying to ignore what you guys are saying. It just can be difficult to read long paragraphs because I’m visually imapaired.

[iHolli]

also what is even going on with store pets??? like does anyone know??? i went on a hiatus for like a year and i come back and store pets go up in price and go down in rarity??

{this particular bit is bc C$ has such a wildly high amount in circulation it's virtually worthless. In turn there's tons more store pets floating around, decreasing their rarity. CS tried to make them cost a little more to combat the C$ inflation but I don't know if it's actually working. The ponies from last month are the first in years to be VR but I suspect that's more to do with people not being as interested in them... though we may know for sure in a couple months when the current store pets get their rarities.}
{I don't really have anything to add that hasn't been said about the rereleasing store pets already but I agree that something needs to be done. It should not cost hundreds of real dollars for a single pixel pet and it's only going to turn into thousands as things get worse. Considering you're not allowed to exchange real money for CS pets, at this point it feels like you might as well be doing just that if you want anything at all, especially store pets. On a site aimed at kids, that's incredibly unrealistic for children.}

.Holli.

[Cina]

I have been reading through this thread for a while, and just thought I should voice what i think really sucks about this website dying.

I joined back in 2020 and played non stop up until mid 2021, back in 2020 it was easier for me to trade and work my way up, but af5er it just got way harder to find people with things i actually wanted. So i stopped playing and only logged on if a friend showed me cute monthly pets i wanted. I never participated in events, and if i did it was only a day or 2 before i got bored and didnt log back on. Just the large drop in players makes it harder for me to actually enjoy the game. I really enjoy and spend a lot of time trading on different games, its something that brings me joy. But here, with the lack of active people and just seeing the same people over and over again is really sad. I have goals and pets i really want, and spend hours every day searching for them. But the only times i do find the pets i want, they are NFT, despite sitting in an open group. Or, they expect extreme overpay which is something i try not to do. I havent been around the game for nearly as long as other people, but i would just really like to see new and older people return to the game. I hope CS can do SOMETHING in the future that would nudge people back into the game.

And, I am also apart of another semi-deas community that is mostly full of traders. But, its not completely dead and i dont think it ever will be because of the things they add in. Every month they add something new, and they give options for buying monthly memberships with currency you can get by playing minigames. They host regar contests and give out brand new items to winners , and those get a lot of engagement. And around 70 people win per week, which is a lot and helps stabalize the community. I just thought that if CS had something like this it could help also.

[ZeroToInfinity]

also what is even going on with store pets??? like does anyone know??? i went on a hiatus for like a year and i come back and store pets go up in price and go down in rarity??

we did the same thing. we went to buy the current store pets and they were 25c$ a piece but usually just rares. store pets are really much like stock. you have to hold on to them for a year or two before they become very rares. i remember when the terrarium cats were being passed around like candy but for users who just started they were impossible to get. i started right around then and they were my dreamies from the get go. now, as an older user i still can't get them because they're so expensive and most of them are locked away in keepers folders.

additionally, dec 18 pets are still of lower value than true dates because i don't even know why. plus, older users are leaving because they just don't get much reward out of it. i mean, look at the re-release discussion thread. there are plenty of old users saying, I've been here for x years (usually six or more) and I've never gotten a single omgsr. lets face it, the only reason i have an omgsr is because someone over payed for my art.

also, the oekaki program needs some serious revamping. it is so hard to figure out and has about half the tools that most programs have. for example, you can't change the tolerance on the fill bucket. even the oekaki communities are dying out. does anyone remember keldines? well they were really only available to people who spent real money on this game (hint hint- back to c$ inflation). i don't remember exactly why they shut down but a lot of users left out of frustration of not being able to get one.

i have compiled a list of suggestions:
1) allow older users more chances to get a valuable pet on dec 18 - this will allow older users to feel encouraged to stay for even more time. if we don't want all the accounts going inactive we need some sort of motivation. it could be like pick from one of these three or something like that.
2) run an auction (or multiple) for a custom pet or something - we need to get c$ out of circulation.
3) limit how much c$ a user can buy each month - this will limit c$ from coming right back into circulation. maybe let them buy enough for a set of store pets each month.

i know that the staff can't do everything but seriously, something needs to be done at this point.

[FriedApplePie]

also what is even going on with store pets??? like does anyone know??? i went on a hiatus for like a year and i come back and store pets go up in price and go down in rarity??

{this particular bit is bc C$ has such a wildly high amount in circulation it's virtually worthless. In turn there's tons more store pets floating around, decreasing their rarity. CS tried to make them cost a little more to combat the C$ inflation but I don't know if it's actually working. The ponies from last month are the first in years to be VR but I suspect that's more to do with people not being as interested in them... though we may know for sure in a couple months when the current store pets get their rarities.}
{I don't really have anything to add that hasn't been said about the rereleasing store pets already but I agree that something needs to be done. It should not cost hundreds of real dollars for a single pixel pet and it's only going to turn into thousands as things get worse. Considering you're not allowed to exchange real money for CS pets, at this point it feels like you might as well be doing just that if you want anything at all, especially store pets. On a site aimed at kids, that's incredibly unrealistic for children.}

.Holli.

I agree for the most part. Overall, this is the most dead I’ve seen CS, and it is becoming worse each year. The major cause of it is the store pet situation. I know technically store pets are not considered as part of having a full collection, but the reality is that nearly every player wants them and this needs to be considered. The older store pets costing too much does hurt the trading economy, but there is no solution unless they rerelease them—which would cause many to become upset. I know personally I would not care if they were rereleased for a limited time, but that is my personal opinion. Anyhow, nowadays it is entirely too difficult to trade-up or build up a decent trading folder, and I know so many players who purchase C$ to be able to trade or they use off-site trades as well to be able to get anything (which ultimately these websites use real-life currency too in order to advance and receive the nicer stuff). If you do not spend money, whether it be on ChickenSmoothie directly or another website, you will not be able to trade-up. It is unfortunate, but most people I know with amazing collections have had to spend thousands in order to do so. Even when I went on a hiatus for a few years there and came back in 2020, it was easier to trade. One example would be the Ravens. Ravens were not even a consistent 2 nons at that time, and now people expect 5+ nons for a Raven. This huge increase is what hurts CS, and eventually players just quit because they feel like they cannot advance on here without spending money. There just needs to be something to provide more stabilization, because as time goes on these store pets will only go up in worth—especially as people go inactive or even delete the pets.

[FriedApplePie]

additionally, dec 18 pets are still of lower value than true dates because i don't even know why. plus, older users are leaving because they just don't get much reward out of it. i mean, look at the re-release discussion thread. there are plenty of old users saying, I've been here for x years (usually six or more) and I've never gotten a single omgsr. lets face it, the only reason i have an omgsr is because someone over payed for my art.


i have compiled a list of suggestions:
1) allow older users more chances to get a valuable pet on dec 18 - this will allow older users to feel encouraged to stay for even more time. if we don't want all the accounts going inactive we need some sort of motivation. it could be like pick from one of these three or something like that.
2) run an auction (or multiple) for a custom pet or something - we need to get c$ out of circulation.
3) limit how much c$ a user can buy each month - this will limit c$ from coming right back into circulation. maybe let them buy enough for a set of store pets each month.

i know that the staff can't do everything but seriously, something needs to be done at this point.

I admit that maybe receiving more rereleases on December 18 would help. A few years back the system to adopt was different for Dec 18, it did not used to be separated into three boxes for the December 18 pets. I personally dislike having three boxes like we do now, and I feel that many older users feel the same way for the most part. I do believe a motivation like you said in your suggestion would be beneficial.

[cats135]

This huge increase is what hurts CS, and eventually players just quit because they feel like they cannot advance on here without spending money. There just needs to be something to provide more stabilization, because as time goes on these store pets will only go up in worth—especially as people go inactive or even delete the pets.

Legit this. Until Dec 18, I had no fodder at all of worth. And I've been here since 2012. Everyone *expects* you to overpay, or go ham on CS$, when so many people, especially the younger players, can't put irl money into this. A game shouldn't be reliant on money to be fun, and the inaccessibility of collecting and the rising prices and inflation, and all that, are the core reason why even *I* feel burnt out on the site. Like eventually, if you can't do art like others, the site hits a dead end.

As a veteran player, I suppose any suggestion I'd have would be the recurring CS$ issue, and how to fix it. I now play Flight Rising, and their system is great. *Two* currencies, both of which CAN be gotten with irl money, but it isn't NEEDED. I haven't put a single dime into it and am able to support myself fine, even as a noob. It feels accessible to even early beginners, and doesn't *need* irl money to be gained, though it can be done to push it.

Spose my gist is just accessibility to Everyone, not just those with tons of $$$ or art skills, and a fix to the $ issue overall, whatever that may be.

[Peoni]

I admit that maybe receiving more rereleases on December 18 would help. A few years back the system to adopt was different for Dec 18, it did not used to be separated into three boxes for the December 18 pets. I personally dislike having three boxes like we do now, and I feel that many older users feel the same way for the most part. I do believe a motivation like you said in your suggestion would be beneficial.

This. I returned after leaving in early 2016 to find that your chances of receiving decent pets on Dec 18th had plummeted lol. I had really been looking forward to the release too. I don't know *why* they changed it, but it's a huge downgrade from the way it used to be done imo.

Editing to add: I'm aware that the original system never guaranteed a VR, but there was also the possibility of being able to obtain more than one initially.

[iHolli]

additionally, dec 18 pets are still of lower value than true dates because i don't even know why. plus, older users are leaving because they just don't get much reward out of it. i mean, look at the re-release discussion thread. there are plenty of old users saying, I've been here for x years (usually six or more) and I've never gotten a single omgsr. lets face it, the only reason i have an omgsr is because someone over payed for my art.


i have compiled a list of suggestions:
1) allow older users more chances to get a valuable pet on dec 18 - this will allow older users to feel encouraged to stay for even more time. if we don't want all the accounts going inactive we need some sort of motivation. it could be like pick from one of these three or something like that.
2) run an auction (or multiple) for a custom pet or something - we need to get c$ out of circulation.
3) limit how much c$ a user can buy each month - this will limit c$ from coming right back into circulation. maybe let them buy enough for a set of store pets each month.

i know that the staff can't do everything but seriously, something needs to be done at this point.

I admit that maybe receiving more rereleases on December 18 would help. A few years back the system to adopt was different for Dec 18, it did not used to be separated into three boxes for the December 18 pets. I personally dislike having three boxes like we do now, and I feel that many older users feel the same way for the most part. I do believe a motivation like you said in your suggestion would be beneficial.

{I discussed this in the rerelease thread but as it is now the boxes are either you get really great pulls or you get something that just turned rare three days prior. Not only does it feel incredibly disappointing, especially when you've been here for 10+ years and have never pulled a UR, but it does nothing whatsoever to repair the horribly damaged economy. There needs to be more. Even if it were one box with a guaranteed 08 / 09 pet. Maybe more than one day a year for releases. Twice a year, quarterly even. Especially considering people who just joined can't even have a chance until next year-- of course that's to prevent cheating, but what motivation do they have to stay a whole year before they even get a CHANCE at something good enough to trade? and yeah, I gotta say, I actually got way better pets before the system changed.}
{I don't agree with limiting C$ purchases though. One, the site would never go for that--why limit their monetary intake? and two, there's already tens of thousands, even millions of C$ already out there. Limiting what you can buy only hurts people who can only get C$ by buying it. I don't have anything but pets to sell and I rarely make more than a spare C$ here and there. If I can't buy C$, I'm actually less inclined to be online until the next month rolls around and my limit refreshes.}

.Holli.

[LilMissFerret]

Perhaps a way to fix the Dec 18th issue would be to add specific year boxes? You get one ‘08, two ‘09/‘10, and three ‘11/‘12 or something along those lines?

That way you’re guaranteed to get something older and more valuable.

I know I got a lot of meh stuff for Dec 18th this year. I got a rat I’m unsure of, and something else that I don’t even remember. It was just a random rare that went straight to my trade folder. I did get the UR dragon, but I honestly don’t know what to do with it. It’ll probably just rot in my trade folder lol