Welcome to the latest edition
of the TNE Report Card. This is the newsletter you registered for at
The Neopian Educator. If you do
not wish to receive this, please reply to this message with “unsubscribe”
in the subject line. You will be removed before the next one is sent out. If your e-mail does not support html, please
contact me to let me know for the next issue.
Contents
Ø Featured Article Neoboards How they've changed the way we chat.
Ø
Featured Game
Ø
Featured Food
Vegetarian
Cheeseburger
Ø
Featured Site
General News
Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the news on a day to day basis. Here are the highlights from the Neopets news page for this month...
Mad about Neggs?
Well why not say so in your shop with this new Blog.
(
|
Something has happened! |
|
|
|
Ohhh how cute. It seems Sprixle
has got a Mootix in its mouth. Have
you been feeding it lately? |
(
Neopets finally launched the flash game (that players found several
months ago) named Raiders
of Maraqua. Swim down to Maraqua
and collect as much treasure as you can from the destroyed city. (
Neopets changed the Tombola
so you don't automatically get a Booby Prize. (
Usuki
Frenzy now pays out 50% more Neopoints. (
If you have collected any posters,
you may be able to hang them on your Neohome walls.
Eventually you will be able to do this with every poster. JC couldn’t wait to
hang some in her
room. (
Neopets increased the average win
for Raiders of Maraqua by 50%. (
Neopets is proud to present Warf Rescue Team.
Stack the Warfs up to save the Kadoaties
in the new game. (
Neopets added another button - linking
to the Neopets: The Official Magazine!!! Click
on it for news, subscriptions, and the chance to submit your original art to
get published! It's coming out very very soon!
NeoChat has been given a total overhaul and has been changed
into NeoBoards. Evil
Things and Monster Sightings has also been brought back by popular
demand. (
Nepets updated Pet Central so that
the text makes slightly more sense, and it has resource links at the bottom
of the page. (
Neopets added a new Neopedia article today... the Lesson of the
Techo Master. (
There are two crazy new Shop
Blogs to celebrate Brown Day. (
Neopets added a new Neopedia Article
about Illusen. Why she went to Meridell,
and what she is really up to. (
Another new Neopedia article was added. This one
is about the secret behind Codestones. (
You can download more information about the upcoming Neopets TCG by
clicking here. It's about 400k so may take a while to download.
(
NEW LOGIN – Neopets has come up with a new login procedure that
is hopefully more secure and will do away with those nasty fake login pages!
You enter your username first, and then when you see your Neopet,
you enter your password. (
|
Something has happened! |
|
|
|
Dr.
Sloth has deemed you worthy of using his image on the NeoBoards! |
(
There is a new rather spooky Neopedia article about
the Deserted
Fairground...it may be too spooky for the youngest Neopians.
(
|
Something has happened! |
|
|
|
Oh
no! Where on earth is LFojwof, you cant find him
anywhere!!! Where on Neopia could he be? |
(
Hold your mouse over the Neopets Logo and
you may see a new Babaa themed roll over. (
Neopets increased the amount of neopoints you get from playing Grundo
Snowthrow by 50%. Grundo Snowthrow will also be
available on the new board game in shops now.
Attention Big Spenders: When you purchase *ANY*
artifact from the Hidden
Tower, you will be able to use the Fyora
chat avatar.
Illusen and Jhudora have decided to let people who are at quest level 20 and higher use their avatars. You can also get the Wheel of Excitement one by winning 10,000 np.
 |
 |
 |
(August 18, 2003)
Because some people were cheating the Neopian Lottery by buying up thousands of cards, now each player can purchase a maximum of 20 cards a day to make it fairer. (August 18, 2003)
Neopets has released another Random Event:
|
Something has happened! |
|
|
|
Oh
look, a delicious biscuit is on the floor. You bend down to pick it
up, and spin around - somebody has stolen 114 NP from you while
you were distracted! |
(August 20, 2003)
Usuki
Frenzy will always be (from now on) the Featured Game during the
Usukicon. (
Three new recipes were released for the Magic Cooking Pot.
 |
 |
 |
Usuki Green Salad |
Usuki Head Stew |
Usuki Rarebit |
First there was Brucey B Slots... now there is Black Pawkeet Slots. Better, bigger prizes, and with a bonus
game! Currently Black Pawkeet Slots is in Alpha mode
which means they have capped the max bet to 10 NP. They will most probably
make this a little bit higher when all the bugs have been worked out. Best of
all, they say that this game will give out DUBLOONS! It doesn't at the moment
– but that is coming soon! (
Neopets increased the amount of neopoints you get from playing Zurroball
by 50%...not that that will help anyone as bad at
it as I am...
- Basic Mathematics
- Starting Science
- Grammar and Language
- Learning Art
- Simple Spelling
- Potion Brewing Basics
- Physical Education
- Early Neopian History
(August 28, 2003)
Yet another new random event...
|
Something has happened! |
|
|
|
Uh
oh! Some mean-looking bullies approach you, hold you upside-down, and
steal the 894 NP that falls out of your pockets! |
(August 28, 2003)
NEW GAME - Want to learn about Neopian Chemistry? There is no better place to start than Chemistry for Beginners. (August 29, 2003)
Special Days for this month were:
- Aug 8th - Blumaroo Day
- Aug 18th - Meerca Day!
- Aug 20th - Annual Usuki Doll Convention
- Aug 24th - Grundo Independence Day
- Aug 29th - Kyrii Day
Pet Changes
Pets are painted at the Rainbow Pool (on the Main Shops page) with special magic paint brushes. Click here for a list of all pets and their available colors.
v Acaras can now be painted GLOWING. (August 1, 2003)
v Gelerts can now be painted with the GLOWING Paint Brush. (August 1, 2003)
v It seems the Lenny is the latest pet that will be getting a new look....
(August 4, 2003)
v Peophins and Kikos can be painted with the Brown Paint Brush at the Rainbow Pool. (August 6, 2003)
v Poogles now come in BROWN too. (August 6, 2003)
v Techos can now be painted with the Plushie Paint Brush. (August 7, 2003)
v Your Chomby can now look like Nessie with the help of a Maraquan Paint Brush. (August 7, 2003)
v Blumaroos also can now be Maraquan, Ghost or Brown. (August 8, 2003)
v Your Chomby can now be painted with the Mystery Island Paint Brush. (August 11, 2003)
v Shoyrus can now be painted with the Faerie Paint Brush. (August 11, 2003)
v Peophins can now be painted with the Pirate Paint Brush at the Rainbow Pool. (August 14, 2003)
v The large Cybunny animation has been updated. (August 14, 2003)
v Shoyrus can now be painted with the Pirate Paint Brush. (August 15, 2003)
v
The Poogle has been redrawn. From this: 
to this: 
(August 15, 2003)
v Meercas can now be painted Plushie and Starry. (August 18, 2003)
v Get your hands on a magical USUKI PAINTBRUSH, and you use it to paint an Usul - look what may happen! Finally! Difference between male and female pets! Hopefully, we’ll see more of this trend in the future.
(August 20, 2003)
v The Maraquan Krawk is now available at the Rainbow Pool. (August 21, 2003)
v You can now own an Island Grundo. (August 25, 2003)
v Get hold of a Pink Paint Brush and you could be the proud owner of a Pink Grundo. (August 25, 2003)
v The Ixi now comes in a Mutant version. (August 26, 2003)
v Grarrls can now be painted with the Ghost Paint Brush. (August 28, 2003)
v Kyriis can be painted Pink and Striped at the Rainbow Pool. (August 29, 2003)
PetPet Changes
For those of you looking for the Petpet Puddle, it is part of the Rainbow Pool. When you are on the Main Shops page, click on the Rainbow Pool. At the top of the next page is the link to the Petpet Puddle. Click here for a list of all petpets and their available colors.
Lots of petpets got makeovers this month...and a new petpet was released.
q The Petpet Puddle Help Page is now ordered in a less chaotic manner. (August 1, 2003)
q Kadoatie, Uniocto, Greeble and Spardel can now be painted with the GHOST Petpet Paint Brush. (August 1, 2003)
q
The Angelpuss has been given
a make-over, so it now has a body and head than just the giant winged head/body
combo with feet… (August 4, 2003) From this: 
to this: 
q Some new petpet Buddy Icons were added. (August 5, 2003)
q Puppyblews, Kadoaties, Angelpuss and Polarchucks can now be painted Brown. (August 6, 2003)
q Dogglefox, Baabaas and Cobralls now can be mutated at the Petpet Puddle. (August 7, 2003)
q Stegos, Rocks, Moltenores and Kadoaties can now glow in the dark with the aid of a Glowing Petpet Paint Brush.
q The Babyca is the new petpet available in the Petpet Shop now, although it is rather rare. (August 19, 2003)
q
Gruslens have got a new pose so now you can see more of their
adorable faces. From this: 
to this: 
(August 19, 2003)
q
Miamice have a bold new look too! They have gone from this:
to this: 
(August 20, 2003)
q Meowclops, Cyodrakes Babass and Snowbunnies are the latest petpets that can be painted with the Ghost Petpet Paint Brush. (August 26, 2003)
q
Faellies have a new look. From this: 
to this: 
(August
26, 2003)
q Blookies have been updated so now they look kind of like the new Angelpuss.
(August 27, 2003)
q Spardels can now be painted with the Black Petpet Paint Brush. (August 27, 2003)
TNE News
As with all good help sites, the pages on the Neopian Educator are always under construction. Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome. Simply fill out the automatic comment form.
kku88 dropped me a note to let me know that gilbertvasquez is the actual owner of http://gilbertvasquez.blogspot.com/ the best source for the daily crossword answers. The Other great sites page has been changed to reflect that.
The Magic Cooking Pot page has finally been updated. Note that some of the older recipes (such as those using Fish Neggs) have been changed by Neopets. Also, some of the names have changed (like Sushi has been changed to Baked Fish so it won't be confused with the other item with the same name). If some corrections still need to be made or you have found some that are not listed, please let me know.
The last time I updated the Cliffhanger pages, it seems that I uploaded an outdated copy. That has hopefully been fixed. I'm sorry about any problems it may have caused.
Now that Neopets has added the Rubbish Dump to the Meridell map, it has been moved from the "Secret" areas page to its proper place on the Meridell portion of the Tour. For the anonymous unhappy user who sent me a note about that, the link itself has not been removed, just relocated.
Work is continuing on the FAQ's. Another project currently under way is a "Museum" of sorts...but it is rather labor intensive and will probably not be up and running for a while.
Featured Article
Have a help article you'd like to see here? Submit it to: Naomi_Tran@baylor.edu
Featured Article:
Neoboards: How they changed the way we chat
This month, the old NeoChat was replaced with a new style: NeoBoards. As usually happens when Neopets adds some major new thing, this seemed considerably more cumbersome and slower than the old system...at least in the beginning.
There are some interesting changes that may take some getting used to…especially for those who are often found on the Help and Newbie Chats. Boards are no longer sorted by when the boards were created. Instead, they are sorted by when someone last posted on them. This will become problematic since guild/shop/bc ads can be bumped up to the top (and bump question boards down in the process) by simply commenting on that board. This situation is compounded when the boards are particularly objectionable, such as scam boards.
Most of the new features are vast improvements over their previous counterparts. There is now an easy to use Chat Preferences page that quickly lets you pick an avatar, develop your signature, and set up your default neoHTML. For the first time, users are allowed avatars, and even though they cannot create their own, Neopets has made some that you have to find/earn, making them more desireable.
Listed below are some quick answers to some of the most frequently asked questions I have seen while on the Chat.
What is an avatar? An avatar is just a fancy term for a picture that represents you on a chat. Many chats (on other sites) will allow you to create your own, but Neopets limits you to a preset selection in order to prevent objectionable images from being used. There are special avatars that you can get around the site like the Number Six avatar you get by carrying the same amount of neopoints as Adam is on the “About us” page or the Dr. Sloth one you can get from a random event.
|
|
|
| Number Six |
Sloth |
Here is what mine looked like when I got it:
Adam 'David' Brent - A business runs on efficiency, of communication. Adam
knew this when he started Neopets back in 1999. He created an atmosphere
where he is a friend first, and a boss second...
probably an entertainer third. When Adam is not optimising
database queries, or writing PHP-based games he is usually engaging
in one of his other pastimes - playing the guitar, writing poetry or
giving generously to charity.
|
||||
Once you "find" or "earn" a special avatar, simply return to the Chat Preferences page to select it. A list of avatars and how to get them is currently being compiled.
What is a NeoTitle? A NeoTitle is a little “catch phrase” that you can add next to your avatar. It is not a signature. These are preset phrases that cannot be altered. To truly personalize your posts, you will want to set up your default NeoHTML and a NeoSignature.
What is NeoHTML? NeoHTML is a carry over from the old chats. There was a lot of confusion about how to use it or even how to set it up. This has been simplified on the new NeoBoard system. It is used to add a little fun to your posts either by using emoticons, bold or colored fonts or even different sized fonts.
As with standard HTML, you use "tags" to tell the computer what you want it to do. The format is roughly "opening tag" My stuff here "closing tag". For NeoHTML, these tags are already set up for you; all you have to do is replace the word "text", or specify what type, size, and color of font you want.
We'll start with a text replacement, first. Let's say you want to emphasize the word "great" in the following: "You won a new petpet at Tombola? That's great news!" Here is what you would do:
1. Type: You won a new petpet at Tombola? That's
2. Click on the "B" button just above the message box. You will see [b]TEXT[/b] appear in the message box. Replace the word TEXT with the word/phrase you want to be in bold letters. In this case, you would use "great". It should look like this: [b]great[/b]
3. Finish your phrase. This works for B (bold), I (italic), U (underline), G (glowing) and S (Shadowed) buttons as well as the "sup" (superscript) and "sub" (subscript) buttons.
If
you have done this correctly, it should look like this:
You won a new petpet at Tombola?
That's [b]great[/b] news!
and post as:
You won a new petpet at Tombola?
That's great news!
Now let's talk about changing font. To change the font, click the purple "F" button. You should see this: [font c=black s=3 f=arial]TEXT[/font] The "c=black" portion means that the color of your letters will be black; "s=3" indicates how big your letters will be; "f=arial" means that the actual font style will look like the arial font in a Word document. When you have time, you may want to play around with a few phrases in Word just to see how different fonts look. As you can see, it's almost as simple as typing a Word document.
How is the default NeoHTML set up? If you want to use the same type of font on almost every post, you can set it up on the Chat Preferences page. If you want your message board postings to always default to pink, glowing, small, floaty text, then that is where you do it. Note that instead of “TEXT” you must use the word “neoHTML”.
What is a NeoSignature? A NeoSignature (or siggy as they are often referred to as) is like a signature for a letter. It’s your own personal phrase that sets your posts apart from someone else…like your name. Neopets will allow you to set up your own signature as long as you do not create something objectionable. As with the avatars and other features, you can set it up on the Chat Preferences page.
What are emoticons? The little smiley faces, tiny pet pictures, and small images you see on the posts are called emoticons. Originally, they were emotion icons. Since then, several non-emotion pictures have been added and the name has been condensed to “emoticons”. A short list may be found at: http://www.neopets.com/smilies.phtml A more substantial list is currently being compiled. Some are listed on the chat board itself and can be inserted simply by clicking on them.
This will hopefully cover the basics of the new NeoBoards. If you have any more questions, or feel I have left something out, please let me know.
As always, play safe and have fun!
~StaggPub~
Featured Game:
Submitted by:
Have a guide you'd like to see here? Send it to: Naomi_Tran@baylor.edu
Recently, people have indicated trouble finding the answers to the new version of My Scene Trivia. Here is a quick list of the questions/answers. They are arranged alphabetically by the question. Please let me know if I missed any...
At the beginning of April, Chelsea was crushing on (but
became just friends with): River
At the end of April, Hudson helped Barbie: Decorate her place for spring
At the end of March, what kind of 'outrageous' store did Nolee take Chelsea
to? Candle store
Chelsea and the girls went to see River: Play with his band
During the trip with her dad, where did Madison meet that crush-worthy cutie? On the plane ride home
In April, Madison's dad suggested she volunteer at the:
Animal Shelter
In her purse, Madison keeps tickets for: Shows
In her sketchbook, Chelsea drew a vanilla suede: Football stitch bag
In mid-April, Barbie thought Bryant was definitely crushing on: Nolee
In mid-April, Chelsea and friends threw a last-minute party. What kind?
Mexican fiesta
In mid-March, Barbie was sooo excited about which must-have fashion for
spring? Miniskirt
In mid-March, Madison bought adorable salt & pepper shakers shaped
like: Shoes
In the Shop Gallery, Madison's urban-chic look includes which type of
top? Leopard print halter
In the Shop Gallery, Barbie and her friends LOVE tooling around town in:
A cool convertible
In the Shop Gallery, Chelsea is wearing a racy-red: Miniskirt
In the Shop Gallery, which of these is not a fave hangout for Barbie and
friends? Movie Theater
In the Shop Gallery, which of these is not part of Chelsea's 'fab flirt
wear'? Strapless denim skirt
In the show 'Does She Buy It' what cutie does Madison talk to at the club?
The DJ
In the show 'Does She Buy It" Madison, Barbie and Chelsea end up
dancing with: Nolee
In the show 'Game On' Barbie and Madison join Hudson and Bryant at a:
Park
In the show 'Game On' Barbie and Madison spot the guys: Girl-watching
In the show 'Lost or Found' Barbie meets a totally cute: Artist
In the show 'Lost or Found' the hottie who finds Barbie's phone: Already
has a girlfriend
In the show 'Next Stop' Chelsea offers to help the lead singer at the
club with: A new look
Madison joined her dad for a fabulous trip to: The Bahamas
Nolee inspired Chelsea to make bags and belts based on: Astrology signs
The first week of March, Barbie was bummed because: Robbie
left New York
The girls kid Madison about her going into a 'trance' when she: Listens
to cool live music
What a disaster! Chelsea accidentally left her important
notebook: In a cab
What awesome new gadget did Barbie get in mid-April? A cell phone that
takes photos
What color is the cuff Chelsea sketched in her notebook? Green
What did Chelsea send to the woman who returned her treasured notebook?
A handmade purse
What fun new game is on Barbie's cell phone? Shoe Sale
What kind of cute pooch did Barbie get at the animal shelter? Yorkie
What kind of precious pup did Madison get at the animal shelter? Terrier
What kind of stylish top is Barbie sporting in the Shop Gallery? Lace
Cami
What sassy swimwear does Madison have in the Shop Gallery? Gold lame style
bikini
What's the name of Chelsea's messy but adorable pup? Mambo
Where did Madison get the fave earrings in her purse? At a sample sale
Which color is not available as a background for Barbie's
cell phone? Pink
Which of River's fave foods did Chelsea pack for their picnic in Central
Park? Tofu dogs
Which of these did Madison and her dad not do for his birthday? Go to
the movies
Which of these hip fashions is not featured in Chelsea's sketchbook? Black
suede sandals with silver straps
Which of these items is not in Madison's purse? Necklace
Who was videotaping Madison and friends for a documentary?
Bryant
Name: Vegetarian Cheeseburger
Available: From the Main Food Shop
Neopet’s Description: Mmmm…junk food -yummy!
TNE’s Description: For your favorite
veggie lover.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 C. sunflower seeds (shelled)
- 3 C. brown rice, cooked
- 1 medium carrot,
shredded
- 1 medium
onion, chopped
- 1/4 C. soy
sauce
- 2 eggs, lightly
beaten
- 1 Tsp. dried
thyme
- 1/3 C. chopped
fresh parsley
- 1 can (16-oz.)
garbanzo beans, drained and mashed
- 1/2 C. Italian-style
breadcrumbs
- Vegetable
oil for frying
- 8 hamburger
buns, toasted
Condiments: Shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, vegetarian cheese, pickles, mustard and mayonnaise.
Directions:
Preheat the
oven to 350° F. Toast sunflower seeds
on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes until golden. Combine sunflower seeds,
beans, rice, onion, carrot, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs, soy sauce and thyme.
Mix well. Form into 8 patties. Pan-fry burgers in oil in large skillet over
medium-high heat until thoroughly heated (about 4 minutes per side). Serve
on buns with condiments.
Featured Site
TNE Teacher’s Pet
Award
Have a site you'd like to see here? Nominate it here.
This month's featured site award goest to DizzyNeo. It's quick loading, clean style makes it easy to navigate. I'm told that there is often help available online at that site, but I've never been on at the same time as they are. Drop by and take a look.
NEOPETS,
characters, logos, names and all related indicia
are trademarks of Neopets,
Inc., © 1999-2003.
All rights reserved.