I... honestly have to agree with this? I've spent time and effort and money getting slots/names and sorting them out and fighting clearings to either win or lose and at one point I would have been a hard 'no' at this but now I just think it'd be pretty nice to not have to do that anymore. I have characters off-site that I can't get the names of or characters under different names, but I like building their profiles here on subeta so I'd still stick around and do that... in fact, I think I would be even more inclined to work on them. (even though it doesn't look like it atm lol)

I know for some it can be seen as a prestige thing to have a really good name but does that honestly matter? Is one really better than someone else for a name they own on a petsite? Not really.

AS FOR THE ORIGINAL TOPIC. I definitely agree on there being a hard cap. I must say I find it kind of funny that I once posted about a cap off-site and got jumped by people saying absolutely not, but it's nice to see support for it here!

I've spent a lot of time and money on switching around names/ids and buying slots and honestly I'd be angry af if names were suddenly not unique. Plus I like the challenge it creates. I think that the site would be a lot less fun for me if I had all my fave names just handed to me. I'm also for pet slots and not capping them. I've gotten to the point where I have more than enough but for those who are passionate enough about their pets and characters to want more, go for it.

I support a hard cap for pet slots. It just makes sense to me. And for people that hit the cap, the slot that normally comes from the loyalty box could just be something else. Maybe csc? I dunno, some other kind of incentive could work just as well.

As for non-unique names, I'm really torn. I definitely like the idea. Allowing people to have more freedom with the characters they make for their pets is always a good idea, and it's much more friendly to newer users. However, I can't say I wouldn't be upset about it. Like others have said, the unique aspect of names on the site gives them a kind of value for people. One of my favorite pets is my legeica Soothing. I snagged them out of the adoption center pretty soon after I came back from a long hiatus, and that was a very motivating moment for me, pet-wise. I wouldn't have thought to actually name one of my pets that on my own, so it was really exciting to adopt them.

Perhaps a compromise would be to allow for a specific number of duplicate names? In this way, names could still retain some kind of "value" about them, without it being a simple free for all. I personally shutter at the thought of IDs becoming the new primary value for pets, as I feel this would potentially put a lot of older users or inactive users at risk of being targeted by hackers, since IDs are not something that can really "clear". Or maybe that's not really a concern? I was personally relating it to the mess on Neopets concerning unconverted pets and how often users with those pets are targeted.

100% support dude. i'm a pet person. pets are the only reason i'm on this site-- and i'm capped out at 82. it completely sucks.

but i have to say: i loathe the idea of non-unique names. i've worked hard to get the names i do have and i wouldn't want anyone else to have them. yes, it sucks missing out on a name, i've felt that so many times. but there are still so many names still out there. names are important to me and i would be pretty pissed if they suddenly were non-unique.

i support the idea of a hard-cap at 100, even if it gets increasingly more expensive.

I'm capped out at 89 atm and my one dream in life is to have 100 pets here. I'd love it if a few more petslots were released for CSC or Millionaire Center as a continuation of the petslot sP sink; I'd absolutely buy those slots immediately. I don't mind the idea of a cap for buyable slots (+ default slots combined) at 100 but I think it would be better to not have Quest-a-Thon prizes/Loyalty Box things count toward that cap? That way, people can't buy infinite pet slots, but people who are capped on buyable slots wouldn't be "missing out" when it comes to QaT and Loyalty Boxes.

When it comes to unique vs non-unique pet names.... Maybe it's because I've never been all that picky with names so it wouldn't effect me as much, but I like the idea of non-unique names. I honestly find unique pet names kind of weird (like, there can be only one pet named Tybalt in the whole world of Subeta? ok??) and would have absolutely no problem whatsoever if names were changed to be non-unique. I know it would be a huge change and upset people who put effort/time into their petnames, but it would also allow so many more people to get the names they want rather than having to settle on weirder alternatives, and it would be encouraging for new players who hate the idea of being stuck with the usual Neopets-esque pet names for any characters they might want to create. To me Subeta is very different to the petsites I've been on where only IDs and making pretty pets matters, because we can make fully customized profiles for our pets, put together treasure chests, add custom overlays, etc. But again, names aren't as big of a deal to me as they seem to be to some other people, so...

I don't see an issue with more pet slots.

I do not like the idea of non-unique pet names.

I've been here just over 14 years. Like others I have been thrilled to pick up a pet with an interesting name from the pound and I've had to be imaginative when it comes to naming pets I've created. I honestly don't mind the idea of pet names no longer being unique, though. If Subeta is going to attract new players and encourage them to spend real money it would help if they could name their pets anything they like.

As for pet IDs, I've got some legacy pets but the pets I created a few days ago are just as valuable to me because of what I can do with them - jobs, personalities, treasure chests etc.

i very much support more pet slots and am kinda ??? at the idea of a hard cap i'm not even at 50 pets yet and tbh don't see myself ever even getting close to 80, but i think if someone wants to have 150 pets they should be able to :c granted that it's not too much of a strain on the site ofc

as far as none-unique names go i'm more worried about the logistics of it? like if i want to show someone my pets i just use subeta.net/pets/name which wouldn't really work without unique names? please don't make me remember 44 different pet id's i can't even remember my own cellphone number orz

that aside though i wouldn't mind it! most of my pets have their actual character names but if names become non-unique i'd rename the ones that are on rw's in a heartbeat lmao

We wouldn't have to remember pet's IDs. Just go to a pet profile and look at the URL. The Pet ID is at the end of it.

that only works if you go through a pet's profile from specific places though, like the pet widget on user profiles (my pets are listed on mine with the [pet = name] code which links by name) and i think some others besides i mean like, if i want to link to a pet's profile offsite that would still mean i have to look for their id first haha

If the site did get changed to using pet IDs, I'm guessing it would be made easier to find them. One good place would be the Your Pets page so it lists each pet's name, gender/colour/species and ID number.

Keith said it could be done but not that it would be done. We'll have to wait and see if we get a Brainstorming topic or opinion poll about it.

And we are basing a lot of the discussion on the assumption that people aren't into pets/we can't retain new users only because people can't get the names they want. I think it's definitely true in some cases, but what exactly is the scale of this problem? 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% of the total user base? Without a mass and unbiased survey, we really can't make the decision lightly.

I'm sorry if this sounds too pessimistic, as I am just a pessimist myself xD. Maybe I'm completely wrong, but it doesn't hurt to see things from a different aspect I guess.

I think a cap of 100 would be fine, I'm honestly kind of overwhelmed with the 93 I currently have at my disposal. |D

As for names, I'd honestly be in support of making pet names not unique. I've spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on my pets in my time here, even doing stupid things like swapping adopted names onto good IDs and then moving them around a few months later... I've used my vacation days to attend name clearings, I've spent hours working on applications for pet names I like. I have a lot invested in my pets. A lot of time, love, and terrible anxiety. |D

BUT we're at a point where users can have 100 pets. There comes a point where GOOD unique names just start to run out when every active pet enthusiast can have that many. I feel like if people could have whatever name they wanted, it would really catapult the pet community to new heights. If people could have that OC or fanpet name they love so much, they might be inspired to make profiles, get amazing custom overlays to make their pet unique, etc. -shrug- I dunno, at this point I feel like the old system is just...archaic? How many sites other than Neopets actually adhere to the single-name system these days?

From what I can tell, most people who are against non-unique pet names are already in a position of privilege - and this is coming from someone who has 90+ amazing names and probably wouldn't change that many of them. We've been on the site for ages and we have the time, knowledge, and resources to have obtained lots of great names. But for a new user just joining the site, trying to find a name for your pet would be like Neopets all over again. And with such a small and established pet community here, having a pet named something oO_Darkness_Oo would be rather alienating.

And as awful as it is, people who adopt OUT good names only give them to established pet community members 90% of the time - to people who already have a ton of great names. I'm just as guilty there, I'll be honest. x: Buuut yeah I don't really have a horse in this race, so to speak - I'm happy with what I've got. I'm just trying to think of new users and the site's longevity here. The pet community is getting pretty stagnant and I'd like to see something breathe new life into it. And the staff have to prioritize aspects of the site that can keep them afloat financially, so... why not make pets more profitable? -shrug- Just my two cents.

I think a hard cap of 100 would be a great idea! 100 is a nice even number and...it's a lot >_> On the topic of changing from unique names: I'm totally in the support camp to move from unique names to an ID system. I can understand why people care a lot about having unique names and would be against changing things. When I first joined Subeta 11 years ago I was all about names and that little power trip you got when you had a name that other people wanted LOL

However, I was able to join a pet site that didn't have a unique name system that was around years ago, and it was just so refreshing and inspiring to have that freedom of having any name you want for your OC, fan pet, etc. And honestly? I started to care less and less if people were allowed to have the same names as I did because we all ended up getting what we wanted.

And I really agree with a lot of Evee's points. Especially this one:

I think people would still be willing to spend SP or CSC to change their pet names if we ever change to a non-unique naming system! Because then they could work on changing their current pet names to whatever they wanted (I know I definitely would for some!)

I think if we were to ever change to an ID system though, they would need to implement a way to make it easier to see your pet ID's for linking purposes. :)

The sad truth nobody wants to talk about is that there will always be something that a large percentage of people will desire in the pet community, or any other communities. Sometimes people just want to achieve something that's a bit more challenging. And no matter what it is (names, IDs, good art, fancy profiles, well written stories, large TCs, high stats etc), it won't be something readily available to most new users. We can definitely change the system, but no matter how much we change it, the people really need to come together in the end ❤.

Could =/= will.

There is absolutely no guarantee that the change will result in profit, or that said profit would be channeled into pet-related features instead of paying for more important things (like more programmers, better coding for less lag, more artists, CW admins, etc.)

One thing I can guarantee is that plenty of paying users would quit because this change would make their CSC purchases and their efforts on the site feel like they don't matter. That their time, nerves and money spent to grab that exclusive names just got flushed down the toilet in the name of The Greater Good.

Pets are tedious. Coming up with characters is work. Commissioning/drawing art for them is work. Writing up stories for them is work. Just because non-limited names could give people the chance for this does not, in any way, guarantee that people would be all over it like white on rice, churning out interesting characters for pets left, right and center. A pet won't deal +20% more damage just because it has a real name.

From the standpoint of someone who writes and enjoys making new characters: it's easier and more fun to play with wearables that are already drawn and done than it is to spend 4+ hours writing and fighting with your own insecurity about your skill as a writer, and whether your character is bad or if they're perfectly alright. Whether someone is going to crucify you offsite because something rubs them the wrong way.

People have limited free time to spend. Some just can't be bothered to work on their pets as much as others. They'd rather make an interesting, beautiful HA with the wearables that someone more artistic drew and they bought, and maybe even come up with a little story for the HA. And that's okay.

Some people just don't want to bring their characters over because the community here can frankly be downright disgusting sometimes, and they'd rather keep those characters in a safe space, where said characters (and their creator) won't get scrutinized. And that's also okay.

I want more focus brought back on the pets. I want the days of revamp dumps and releases and interesting pet colours back. But I truly doubt this is going to magically bring in many dollars and much creativity without first causing a blazing clusterfuck that God Himself hasn't seen since the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. [sub](I may be exaggerating slightly, but only slightly.)[/sub]

Subeta stopped being a pet community the moment HAs were released. I think it's time to stop searching for the miracle cure that'll bring all focus back onto the pets because that time has gone and passed. The RP forums are dead. The spotlight is... what it is, and it's certainly not everyone's cup of tea. The writing forum is dying, the art and graphics markets are chugging along. The most likely result of pet names being made non-unique is a massive dump into the pound, as said, followed by an inflation of CSC and potions.

So, no. Non-unique pet names are not going to bring the glory days back. And pets are not going to end up being "retired as a feature" either, b/c I can promise you that they'd have to fight Amber and Rah, and the rest of the pet community first.

There's already a lot of good discussion here, so I'll just add my opinion on what has already been stated:

Support a hard cap at 100 pets. Do not support non-unique names.

To follow up on what said, if you're feeling like one day you're going to log in and pets will be a deprecated feature you can probably calm down a bit. I get you- I feel like pets sometimes come off as a legacy feature on what is now a paper doll site too. But if they were going to be removed we'd have a lot of heads up time because of the sheer amount of systems and items that exist for them. From battling and related systems to the items that exist for no other reason than to look pretty in your pet's treasure, these things would have to be dealt with somehow.

Maybe they could be shifted to avatars, so you'd feed your avatar, read it books, train it, and so on (and feed it poop and rotting body part items because Subeta). To do that they'd need to design a way to shift effort invested in our pets to our avatars, because some of us have spent years training, reading to, and feeding our pets. You want rage? That person who has read their stat capped pet 2,400 books, fed it however many food items there are on site, and filled a thousand treasure chest slots with carefully selected items and rare unicorn battle loot will be really displeased. The person with 50 pet spotlights who has lovingly crafted a character out of each is going to be none too pleased about losing that too. For that matter, even an average player who dabbles in a little bit of everything will probably be unhappy to lose their pets too.

Or everything that isn't a wearable could go poof in the night. And while that would be an 'easy' solution, holy crap it would be a super nova of terrible and everyone, even the people who only play with their avatars, would probably be angry. It's unlikely the site could survive that. To be honest, I'm not sure the site could survive migrating all the pet dedicate system to avatars.

So, I mean, this rambling isn't meant to suggest a means by which Subeta could ditch pets. It's to reassure you that getting rid of them would be a huge undertaking. We'd see it coming way in advance. And let's face it, if they announced it there would be a raging drama-tsunami against it.

At the same time I agree with . Adding 50 more pet slots and making names non-unique doesn't necessarily mean we'll experience a golden pet renaissance where everyone is a bundle of creativity churning out characters. Someone (like me) will just end up having 60 some odd pets all named Steve with base stats, no story, and no treasure.

(Also, having to shift from drawing pets to wearables would just be an unending string of nightmare fuel as I challenge myself to draw messed up things. No one wants that.)

I agree yes on hard cap and on non-unique.

I don't think a pet should be determined "valuable" or whatever by its unique name but by what the owner does with it. You might have Joe the bloodred kumos with a full-blown profile and art and TC, while your friend has Joe the chibi legeica with maxed out battle stats and hundreds of books read. They're given meaning by what their owner chooses to do with them, not the text under their image that happens to be a specific combination of letters that no one else can have. And that's not to say people should be forced to do something with their pets either, they're just examples of what some users do. You want to own Joe the sheeta because you want some place to post your goat memes, go for it. That makes this Joe your Joe. Your goat meme Joe goat. The Greatest Of All Time Joe.

Of course I love owning pretty cool names like I do now.. But I also put myself through hell every time a clearing happens and I'm trying for a name. I don't want to worry myself silly about names. I don't want to be setting alarms so I can face anxiety and be let down a majority of the time. I should not have to stress over a game that's considered "casual" in the big picture, just because I want to name my pets accordingly. (Maybe I just want a sheeta named Joe to post my goat memes on.)

Also, why can't we just have equal attention between wearables and pets? I don't understand this mindset that some people apparently have that Subeta has to be one or the other as Subeta's focus. Are we a pet site or an avatar site -- why can't we be both?

Lord, sorry, my brain is like 20% functioning so this post probably looks like total schite with little logic. Also if non-unique names did become a thing, I .. would probably end up making goat meme Joe because now I just really like the idea. rip