What keep's everyone active?

[SuperVerl]

Aside from fun things like Oekaki, making friends, and trying to collect pets, I think what keeps me here is habit. Seriously, it's habit. I joined in 2011 and went on just about every day. Aside from Webkinz, it was the only thing I had to do. Even in the period of time that I considered myself less active, I was still going on every other day. It's like an addiction...

But yeah, for a couple years I only got on to see if the pound was open, check if I got trades/messages, and look at the archive. I adopted the pets every month and then tried to get each outcome. That's all I did. For some reason, though, I decided to be more active recently. I think it was because I decided to join the LOLO game. It got me active in trading. Starting a goal helped, too. First it was a hoard based off my sister's role play character, then it was trying to get all new line cats (2 left!). I made new friends and I've found more motivation to draw, which is a big deal for me.

Chickensmoothie is a place of my childhood. I grew up and matured here, and I still even have pets from when I started. That sentimental value along with the fact that I want to be a kid forever keeps me here. It's like my safe place.

[nickjr]

I honestly have no idea what keeps me coming back. I adopt pets and I participate in all events, but I don't trade regularly. I lurk a ton on the forums and sometimes I post, but usually I don't want to post. I've had my PMs turned off since mid 2013 (5.5 years and counting) because I don't like dealing with people other than my friends and other definitely-nice people in private. I only roleplay and draw in private with my RL best friends now, mostly due to lack of time and inspiration. But if CS died then I would be devastated. (for real, not exaggerating--my other internet home, Unicreatures/Unifaction, got the plug pulled unexpectedly almost 3 years ago and I still actually cry about it, complete with tears and everything)

I'm going to throw a dart in the dark and say it's nostalgia that kept me coming back long enough for me to recently decide to top up my account for the first time ever with $20 of some of my first ever hard-earned money. It's probably nostalgia that keeps me coming back often enough that I see places where I could help and actually want to help (e.g. community stuff, making site suggestions).

(Seconding what was said about the money-to-C$ conversion being SO GOOD. Now that I've used some of my own real life money and can properly... feel?? how good the rate is, I'm actually intrigued that most store pets still end up VR. Think that goes to show just how many people play CS without spending real money.)

[mediocre mackerel]

CS has a very unique community. I used to play animal jam, which is very limited due to membership. (You can't post your art publicly without buying membership???) CS not only has pets, trading, anddress ups, but it also has forums, oekaki, events, roleplaying, and so much more. Everyone is so kind and much more mature than Animal jam.. Its somewhere I can draw an anthropomorphic character and not be judged as a "furry." (Nothing against furries!) It is also a place where I can meet different people with different interests, and sometimes very similar to you! It's not that hard to find alike people and make friends and chat! Before I knew of CS, I drew on animal jam's art feature, which wasn't all that good (no layers, undo button that only undos ONE move, no smoothing, opacity adjustment, pen pressure, nada). Drawing on the oekaki has improved my skills so much since then, and I love to draw more.
I also have a growing collection of characters, which I love to draw, develop, and share with others. I would hate to abandon them all, not to mention abandoning all the communities and friends I've made

However, if cs shut down, I would have mixed emotions. First off, I'd be very sad after all my time working to get where I am on this site and all the people I wouldn't be able to get to, as well as the communities/clubs I've joined. However, cs does take my time and I am often found procrastinating it. If cs shut down, I would be free, though extremely sad D:

[Aaron✦]

I think it's gotta be my friends and my collection. I know CS inside-out and it feels like an internet home, and I just think it would be weird not to check in once a day. But trading for pets to try and complete my collection is what keeps me online in the day to day for sure.

[GAIRENTH]

Definitely the art community.
I love drawing on the Oekaki and looking at everyone else's art.
I enjoy giving compliments and giving suggestions on techniques and such people can try when developing skills, and it's just fun to watch others grow and improve so much.
It's sometimes hard to do that on other sites like DA, but its easy here because it's a smaller community.

[DoomyPanda]

When I first joined, I loved collecting and dressing up pets, watching them grow, and posting on forum games. Then there was a period of time in the past couple years when having more than one page of pets bothered me, even though I'm very sentimental about them, so I traded away a lot minus the ones that have a lot of meaning to me. After that, events kept me active.

...And just a few days ago, I was looking through the archive at all the pets I've missed, got really excited for the pound, and now I'm really excited about collecting cool pets again! lol

But most of all, I love the community. Things have changed since I first joined, as they do with any site, but in many ways its unique attributes have remained stable.

[Inactive User 1]

MUST

COMPLETE

COLLECTION


I have a problem plz save me ;-;

[RainWingThing]

The oekaki. I've been so wrapped up in school I haven't really been able to check the pound or remember about events and monthly adopts. The oekaki is the best digital program I currently have access to so whenever I do digital art I come here and it keeps me active. My friends gradually stopped checking the site so I think that's another factor for me as well- it's not as fun anymore unfortunately. I miss those fun times

[Yorkipoo Hudson]

Simply because of the animals! I am animal mad

[hotel?trivago.]

Honestly? It's become an escape, it almost feels like I'm not in the real world, I think quite a few people use it to get away from reality for a little while,, through several CS discords I've meant so many great friends and I don't know what I'd do without some of them. The community is honestly so genuine it's hard to believe there's people so nice. I love how diverse everyone is, and how caring, nice, and supportive they are!

Another part is trading, it's nice finding pets you just adore to be honest. And trying to get that pet and save for it, it makes you determined, and you learn what works and what doesn't, and then you come across amazingly nice people who gift you, and will trade with you, and sometimes you even talk through trades!

I also love forums and discussing topics I'm passionate about, everyone here has so much passion for what they do, I love talking about music with people, TV shows, youtubers, comics, and playing games with people, I also love the oekaki boards and all the fun stuff in that.

Overall CS is an amazing place with amazing people, it also has affordable currency for adults, and kids who scrape up some money, CS has trades, free pets, a free art program, and so much more I can't explain. CS is my second home