Rarity system updated to add 4 new categories!

[Aaron✦]

But demand is a major factor on top of rarity.
Rarity is based on factual numbers.
Demand is based on feelings.

So, your telling me...
A Raven Dog, and an August PPS Lion have same rarity? How neat!!
And exciting!

I don't look at it as pets "BECAME" a different rarity.
The number of pets relative to the number of users did not change.
Pets did not become any more common or rarer. They just fall in a rarity category.
For example: If a pet was 1 in 10,000, it's STILL 1 in 10,000. Instead of being lumped in with pets that are 1 in 5000 or 1 in 15,000, they are more precisely identified in a group closer to 1 in 10,000.

Don’t like the update, voted against it. Many of my rares became uncommon and it is really disappointing (especially 2023 valentine lionesses). Seeing so many pets became “OMG so rare” is crazy. Now it will be impossible to obtain many of them. To me it seems like newer pets went down even more in rarity, older pets went up. One of my very rares turned to “OMG so rare” (white Malk dragon) and personally I still can’t say that this pet is rare enough to be called an “omg so rare” and is equal to the pps blue Malk dragon, for example. And now they are in the same group.
(Surprised to see raven dog just as an extremely rare)

[Zoruna]

I was worried that the rarities wouldn't be readable, but with the different bar choices, it's easier to read them. I chose the bar with 5 stars because I think it's the best of the options, but I'm happy that there is something for everyone.
I was surprised to see that some of my favorite creatures were rarer than I thought. Let's see what this will do for exchanges...

However, I am confused for the 2 bars supposedly informing us of an unknown / unstabilized rarity. I don't have this bar on any animal, even the creatures of the current month or the creatures from the shop still available in store ? I don't know if it's a bug or normal, but these 2 bars don't seem to be displayed, I continue to have nothing for the creatures in question. Well it's not very serious, because I don't see the usefulness of one of the 2 bars ( the one informing of an eternal baby can be, but the other is not essential ) but I find still of it's curious...

[Aaron✦]

I wholeheartedly agree with the criticisms that the OMGSR category is now unnecessarily bloated, and this has the opposite of the intended effect of helping users determine their rarity at a glance. Lumping July through Advents together has not refined the rarities of any of those pets at all, and in fact did the opposite - those pets had more accurate rarities before this update. A new user now has less information about the rarity of an MA vs a sunjewel than they did a week ago, and I don't believe that was what the update was intended to do. I wish there was more input used for this.

Same thought exactly! Like suddenly 2008 rat seem to be more valuable than raven dog and in change of rarities of other store pets, even the newer ones I'm also very surprised about some... it seems like the criteria for rarity is just how many of the old users have them farmed. When it comes to MA dogs from Christmas, it's especially inconsistent in value. And again, if anyone from the staff is even reading these please give us item rarities, it can literally be the same system as for pets now. People just won't trade items whatsoever because nobody knows their values. Thank you

We have read and replied to this suggestion very often - unfortunately because items are not single entities in the same way as pets are, it would require a total rework to implement item rarities. They sadly can't just use the same system because they're physically already using a totally different backend system.

I'd love to see some numbers behind the updated rarity bars, like how many pets per person a rarity level means or if there's anything else taken into account. I think there once was something like this years ago for the old labels and i found it helpful to understand the levels better.

I skimmed through and don't think this has been asked, but apologies if it was.

Would we be able to get the numbers on this? Like Common meaning 1 pet in x users, as so on.

This was last answered back in 2009 (as far as I could find), and I wouldn't be surprised if that information was outdated even before this update.

I think it would help give an even better understanding of what the rarities mean... and I'm a lil nerd who likes the numbers.

This is not currently something we're planning to release (from the poll post:)

please be aware that some things (like sharing the exact number of different pets in circulation) are not a potential part of this update.

[BlueEyedKite]

I wholeheartedly agree with the criticisms that the OMGSR category is now unnecessarily bloated, and this has the opposite of the intended effect of helping users determine their rarity at a glance. Lumping July through Advents together has not refined the rarities of any of those pets at all, and in fact did the opposite - those pets had more accurate rarities before this update. A new user now has less information about the rarity of an MA vs a sunjewel than they did a week ago, and I don't believe that was what the update was intended to do. I wish there was more input used for this.

-snip-

Well. While you're here. What would you have suggested as an input? I am genuinely curious if you have a good suggestion tucked away.

[Loelya]

This is not currently something we're planning to release (from the poll post:)

please be aware that some things (like sharing the exact number of different pets in circulation) are not a potential part of this update.

Hey though, just a clarification!

I really don’t think anyone here meant “please release the exact number of pets in circulation.” I think a lot of us realize this isn’t a question staff is willing to answer and have been able to accept that.

what I believe we’re hoping to have answered is what the ratio of pets is that determines rarity. like if 1 pet per 1000 active users means omgsr, or 1 pet per 500 active users means extremely rare, etc.

that’s something that would help immensely with understanding new rarity distribution without say exactly how many of these pets are out there. is that something that staff is willing to release?

[far]

Very happy about this update tbh, it feels like a step in the right direction. I disagree with the idea that pets are now even more vague in value considering this update added 4 new categories it really only had the possibility of getting more specific. About the new omgsr pets (vr before the update), I honestly doubt anyone will be valuing them the same as a sunjewel (omgsr before the update). This update did refine rarities imo, it got more specific and pets are more evenly distributed, I don't understand the opposing argument.

I agree the omgsr thing is a problem that can be fixed. I really hope we can get some kind of tier list system or something-anything for the pets in the omgsr category. I'm honestly more concerned with omgsr pets that were previously vr. Are they all the same value then? Is a grinner just as rare as a UR bee or a buckskin PPS? People have been talking about how the raven's worth plummeted, but this really isn't true. The raven is just as common as it was before the update, the # of pets hasn't changed it just is reorganized. I doubt the raven's worth will go down or that the new omgsrs will be valued above it. The raven has very demand based value, so the only way it would fall if people stopped wanting it-- which I doubt will happen & even if people stop wanting it what is stopping those who own a raven only trading it for a higher value?

While I wouldn't say this game is new-user friendly I think the update certainly helped. No new user is going to start with an omgsr or extremely rare pet so I don't think the omgsr issue really applies to new users.

This update is awesome, I'm very pleased about it. I hope the admin team continue to improve the rarity system.

[lucifer morningstar]

whether you liked the list or not, its main purpose was to help sort this exactly, taking user demand into account and trade circulation (e.g. how many were actually available in the trade market). I agree some people perhaps took it a bit far and wanted more than what something may have been worth, but the list was not intended to be there just for greedy purposes and it is up to each individual player how to play their game.

“how many were actually in trade circulation” was a “list” goal, but it was guesswork. it was guesswork mostly because the rarity categories were so broad. people did do their best I think when formulating the list to make it helpful, but over time, changes were made less and less frequently because to most users, that “list” became law, and trying to change it was doing the unthinkable (making pets seem less or more valuable when they “should” be something else, preserving the status quo above reflecting accurate trade data.)

this rarity update greatly reduces the need for guesswork. so much of the uncertainty and confusion that drove the creation of the “list” has now been effectively solved, not worsened, by this update. if there is a conflict between new rarities and the placements in the old “list,” that means the “list” was wrong. the guesswork done therein, however well-intentioned, was wrong, and now we have a better understanding that is not based on guesses.

from my understanding, the guesswork came from not being able to have specific numbers, then and now. I'm all for placing the technical value of a raven dog as the same as a "lower" list bun if it has around the same number of total pets. unfortunately we don't have access to exact numbers, so there will always be some amount of guesswork involved. I do agree with you though that the new system helps narrow down a lot of guesswork by broadening the categories, with the exception of the OMG so rare.

my concern is that the numbers are not equal in the top tier category now. like I said I find it very difficult to believe there are the same or even close to the same number of cerbs as cookie advents or buns. I've seen all sorts of '08 pets in circulation my entire trading career, but when I was hunting way back when for my orange cerberus, I would see maybe 1 out of 50 accounts even have one available, let alone be able to trade it. and that was over a decade ago. even within the last year I've seen maybe 1 orange cerb to 200-300 cookie dogs or buns. even taking no demand into account, I can't see those numbers being close enough to be a fair swap. that's what I was trying to get at earlier, though I'm not sure I explained well enough.

[Nikei]

I'm throw my two cents in but what about Dec 18th Now with so many VRs and ER and tons of OMGSR how are we to get anything good if ER and OMGSR are in one group. Could get a ER from 2011 worth nothing or OMGSR worth nothing kinda feel Dec 18th need a rework because of this update.

[okapi,]

This is not currently something we're planning to release (from the poll post:)

please be aware that some things (like sharing the exact number of different pets in circulation) are not a potential part of this update.

Hey though, just a clarification!

I really don’t think anyone here meant “please release the exact number of pets in circulation.” I think a lot of us realize this isn’t a question staff is willing to answer and have been able to accept that.

what I believe we’re hoping to have answered is what the ratio of pets is that determines rarity. like if 1 pet per 1000 active users means omgsr, or 1 pet per 500 active users means extremely rare, etc.

that’s something that would help immensely with understanding new rarity distribution without say exactly how many of these pets are out there. is that something that staff is willing to release?

^^ this
Because how are we supposed to know exactly what "rare" means versus "omgsr"? What makes the cookie dog worth the same as the skelebun now? My only guess is that it's based on the amount in circulation. If that's true, we should be able to see the numbers so people aren't trying to trade a skelebun for a cookie dog, etc. if they are not worth the same.

I also think we should bring back the list, but make it new. Because if this update was unable to factor in demand, as I've been told, then a list would be helpful especially for new users to understand that demand is important when trading too. I was actually one that voted against removing the list when that poll happened. I feel like that's partly what led to CS inflation as well.

[Kadayah]

Love the colors and the notched bar is my fav