Okay, so I've been on hiatus for awhile now, and I've come back to some changes on Mene. I'm not here to rant about them, but I just have little tidbits of things I'd like to throw in here & there. xDD;

When I came back, I first noticed that the gold cap on games had been changed. While this makes earning gold very hard for me (and probably other users), I understand the basic purpose of it: Fighting Inflation. Before my hiatus I remember inflation always seeming to be a problem.

The next change I noticed was in the amount of gold you won from Admin's Pick. I thought this was nice, as people who win that generally work hard on their avatars and deserved more than what they were originally getting (500 gold I believe).

I would naturally notice the things involving gold first, hahaha. xDD;

But a recent event has triggered my interest more so in the value of gold and items on here, specifically involving the NPC items and such.

First, I understand that these items are meant to be "rare" in a sense as they're handed out from the NPC's themselves. It makes sense for them to be rare, to an extent. I can understand seeing around 10-20k on these items. To me this honestly makes sense and with a bit of playing games, posting around the forums, and maybe exchanging a few items, it can be easily attained. The hardest part is just finding a seller in my opinion.

I mention this because I don't understand what has happened.. just recently an item that isn't even a month old went for 102k in items and gold. This item would be Lise's item, the Bertie Bear. I realize that both the seller and the buyer are happy (As the seller is my friend, I'm happy for her, truly. xD), but what about the new users coming in? To me this site isn't growing like it should and this could have something to do with it possibly. Seeing an item that is still new to site over 100k would certainly make me not a pleasant newbie, especially when it's really not the easiest thing to earn gold sometimes~ xD Seeing something like this could make me feel easily defeated, especially when you look at some of the V-day 07' items, that are constantly rising due to rareness.

BUT, what I'm really boiling down to with all of this tldr rant is that Mene really isn't as new-user friendly as it could be. /;
Sure, the conversations here are great, I love everyone I talk to. But some potential new users might be pushed away.

I think what this site needs is something new, something that can be a way to earn gold and could draw people into the site. Something that some users might not like, because I've noticed that a LOT of users on this site don't like change, but maybe that's what we need. /: I mean, not everyone who's new is going to down the site, right?

Anyways, I'll end my rant with some suggestions. xDD;

1. Profiles - Allowing customized profiles can be a simple way for new/old users to make gold, as some people know how to code/design. Granted I know this would involve coding, etcetc, but it could be a great idea.
2. Changing the Layout - Okay, I love Mene's layout. It's changed some gradually, I know, but maybe sprucing the forums up a bit more could draw in new people.
3. -I'm tired, I don't even know what the "3" should be.. I originally was just going to make a post about profiles and it turned into a rant. D:

Maybe post ideas/opinions/etc? ;'3

/END RANT D;

Meh, When I joined there were still items selling for a ton of money.... Such as the King's Crown and Val and St. Patty's day stuff from... 07? But it didn't matter. I don't know if it's just me, but I'm fine with not getting something worth a bajillion gold. I see it and say, " Oh, it's a status symbol? Whatever."
So for me, having expensive rare items isn't really a deal breaker. Every site has a few.

I paid 102k for my Bertie because I wanted it and had the money. As they say, what good is having the money if you can't enjoy spending it? That's the nature of the beast, and the good thing about the NPC items. You're only looking at it from the perspective of "new person comes in, wants NPC item, can't buy it" rather than the proper perspective of "new person comes in, wants NPC item, finds out how to get it, talks to NPC, gets item, is happy." or the optional "sells it for obscene amounts of money and actually has a head start."

Being new user friendly is certainly important, but what about being old user friendly? Maybe old users want cool new rare items to quest for. Users don't have to have every single item on a site to be happy. Will new users really quit because they can't afford a bear's head? That's ridiculous.

Besides which, the way that the NPCs are handed out means that everyone has an equal chance of getting one for free, whether they're a new or old user.

Okay, I realize that I talked a lot about the NPC items and ranted about the bear head. Whatever. But what I was boiling everything down to was making more ways for new/old users to earn gold, to potentially even have a chance at getting the more expensive items.

And for the matter, I never said users have to have every item on the site to be happy. I feel like you guys just all read into the "rare" parts of this rant and didn't even try to suggest anything for new/old users. I'm just saying that I feel this site needs something new to it that can have an impact and bring gold into the economy, thus why I suggested new ideas.

When I joined gold was a lot harder to earn. Also, games actually took money from you if you lost. Fishing, you had to buy bait for too. I think that since the beginning, Mene has gone through a lot of improvement. I think that gold is actually pretty easy to get here. I don't think that the site should really put emphasis on earning gold anyway. Focusing more on the community is more of what the site should be about.

I do agree however, with the layout of the site not being "flashy" enough. It's simple and I can see how someone can look at it and think that there is not much to it based on the simple design. I don't have a problem with the design, just saying that I can see how it would detour people.

I joined right after those games were done away with. Slightly sad I didn't get to at least see them ,but I've never really heard much greatness from them, so idk. I'll stick to my tetris for gold earning, lolz. xDD; And gold can be simple to earn, as long as you're willing to post a lot and play games daily (This is a lot easier with the new cap as well). But other than that, you can only RP, -maybe- exchange, and set up an art shop if you're any good. Not everyone likes doing those things. I just think there should be more options on ways to earn gold. I mean, it might draw more people into the site. When I joined what feels like forever ago, I always imagined this site to be much bigger than this, but it isn't. I feel like Mene is somehow limiting itself, idk how to explain how I feel. /:

I'm glad you agree with me on this. Mene hasn't changed at all really since I've joined, look wise. It's a pretty basic layout and I can see it easily how it can make people not want to join. I mean, compare out layout to someplace like Ernya. I think their site can easily appeal to people, just because of the colors. :lol: They have a really pretty site and while I don't enjoy their community as much sometimes, you can still chat with users and make friends easily. Plus, their forum set-up is really nice. :'3

I strongly agree with everything you said I love mene and I loved it when I joined but if I was to join now I wouldn't want to stay around...I can't really explain it be something new would be great

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I understand what Cami is saying though

But I say if the old users love mene they should support mene in everything old or new

Yeah, the old games weren't that great. They were pretty much just point and click then hope that you earn gold and don't lose any. XD Although, I did like the card game, Chance because it was fun. I'm kind of chatty so I earn most my gold just through the forums. I do think that Mene needs another community oriented feature. I personally always wanted to see a market place instead of the exchange to make it easier to sell and buy goods. Some of the threads in the exchange are treated like chat threads. It comes down to what the site has money for in the end though.

@Vicky - That's what I was thinking. I can understand that older users may want to quest for new "rares", but they should support new changes, if any are made. I still don't like a new item becoming so expensive so quickly though..

@Mystic - I've always wondered it a marketplace would work here..but I don't think it ever could. Too many people like to chat in their threads while selling items and such. Plus, a marketplace *could* become a potential way to inflate items too soon and too quickly. So idk. Just seeing a new way for users to earn gold and maybe some things changed here and there could bring an improvement to the site. I understand the site doesn't have money coming out of the air, but I think if the site can bring new users in, they could potentially bring in new donators to the site..

But, I looked at the Fresh Meat section earlier and it just seemed pathetic to me, out of all the users that had posted, only a few looked like they'd even made an attempt to stay on the site. /:

Yea I know, its would be great to get everyone aboard with new changes
I don't know what to say about the new items being expenisve though, I think the only way to change that is that a set prices for all the items, but that would be fair since its up to the users to sell there items at any price they want.

I would love to see a new home page, a new fourm layout and maybe people won't like this but some type of starter kit. I understand the rag clothes is very cheap and all so why not give it out free to the new users.

I don't think the gold cap for the games should change though, and I also don't think the gold you get from posting should go down.

I don't know, I would just love something different
I like how the events are, I think that was a great change

It really would be nice to see everyone on board, but I know that won't ever happen. As for the items, if there's no price on it, people seem to think it's worth more, idk why. Having a "set price" wouldn't be good, that much I know. It's up to the users to decide what price to pay, but I think there should be some kind of...idk, I guess a "moral" limit. You shouldn't have to pay an outrageous price just because you can, there should be some sort of stopping point I think.

And as for everything you just said, Vicky, I agree. I'd love to see the site spruced up a bit more. c:

I think the economy in general is a little messed up on mene...And if I joined today, I probably wouldn't stick around...Unfortunately for me I've spent a lot of money here already, and that makes me feel obligated to try and make something out of my investment.

I joined in March, posted a random, "Hello, I'm from Gaia," thread in the Fresh Meat section, played a few rounds of Attack of the Fan Girls, then I moved on. I just did not really "get" Mene back then. I have just recently returned and discovered that Menewsha is about the people you meet here, in addition to the gorgeous items.

I do feel that this website has a bit of a learning curve, but I find that all Avatar Communities do. Menewsha reminds me a lot of Gaia back in 2004 (sorry haters :XP ) and I like it. It is laid back and there is so much attention to detail (minutia pun, HA). I read every FAQ and rule when I came back and it helped me understand Menewsha more, but there are still some things I don't understand yet like events and NPC interaction since I have yet to experience either. I can honestly say I never read the rules on other websites, yeah, I am bad to the bone, but I felt like I HAD to here because my chances of getting banned were high, it was a bit intimidating. I also felt I really had to change how I communicate on the Internet to have any chance of surviving here and that has turned out to be a positive change, but I certainly would not have bothered had I not had a lot of time to waste. :sweat:

I suppose I have nothing to contribute other than my honest experiences here, but I must say it would break my heart if Menewsha did not survive. It certainly does not look like a website that isn't making money! I have to say, Menewsha seems to have almost no lag for me whatsoever, knock on wood. I will try to donate every month if only to honor the fast servers here, not to mention the amazing staff and gorgeous art. Love it! :heart:

Well now that you say that, it would be nice to have like a starting price for most the rare items
like maybe 30k being the highest you should pay
Though this would take most of the rights of a seller, it will even out somethings in the long run

I also think mene should give the creative people a chance to help out
I know there are some great artist and some users that are good with coding and what not
maybe like a mini event type thing where all the people can get together and come up with ideas and this will be a great way to get more people to speak up and join in on change for the better.
Maybe prizes can be given and all the chatting that would be going on people would make gold easy.
Maybe have the NPC's have a art contest

This all I can think of right now lol
Might be a big over whelming right now, but why not just give it a try?

but keep in mind with new changes there should also be some new rules

Oh yea I think there should be like a short video made for when people are just joining to break everything down
The staff can do it together or have an like video made with the npc's showing around the site and telling and showing you thinks like where everything is located and who you can ask for help and what not

Lol I'll stop and see what you guys have to say about this
Sorry for any typos....I'm currently on my phone so it will be to annoying to go and try to check for errors


/ head claps for Computosaurus! Your my hero! lol
I too love all the people here and the staff....they make me feel so safe!

Well, I don't think there should be a set value for new "rares". When they pop up, it's ultimately up to the buyer and seller what price they want to sell and buy for. What I'm saying is that there should be some kinda of "limit". You shouldn't be willing to inflate the item so much in order to get it. I realize this makes the item more "rare" and harder to acquire as others will see it and keep that item to themselves if they have it, they won't want to let it go until another user wants to pay a huge fee for the item. /:

I think that's a neat idea though, but I could see people not wanting to participate in it. I mean, that's what this forum is for right? Plus, it would cause fights and disagreements on a lot of things, and I can see it making a lot of the people on the site mad. The video seems like a good idea though. o: The NPC's could act themselves while still informing people about the site and letting them in on how things work. THat way when an event rolls around, they won't just slink back and might talk to the NPC's or join other conversations. ^^;

@Computosaurus - Well, at least you read the rules~ xDD I know I didn't until I got told in my Fresh Meat thread. :lol: I double posted and when I learned not to, I just went and read the other rules since I found that one odd.

I'm glad you're fitting in here though~ :"D <3

Originally Posted by Vickyll3

Oh yea I think there should be like a short video made for when people are just joining to break everything down
The staff can do it together or have an like video made with the npc's showing around the site and telling and showing you thinks like where everything is located and who you can ask for help and what not

Yeah! This was kind of what I was hinting at. I know we're all (well I am) so spoiled, wanting everything to be all simple and explained step by step. I am pretty sure the only reason I posted in the Fresh Meat Forum back in the day was because an NPC told me to! :lol:

Originally Posted by .Simplicity.

@Computosaurus - Well, at least you read the rules~ xDD I know I didn't until I got told in my Fresh Meat thread. :lol: I double posted and when I learned not to, I just went and read the other rules since I found that one odd.

I'm glad you're fitting in here though~ :"D <3

Haha, I am glad you think I am fitting in! :XP

@.Simplicity: true this may cause a lot of dis agreement but there can be a rule to keep the peace?

@.Simplicity & Computosaurus: yea I really like the idea of the video I this it will be cute and helpful

I don't think that anyone mentioned the fact that the reason the gold cap was cut down to 250 from 500 had nothing to do with inflation (although it certainly helps) it was to draw people back into the forums more. At that point they also raised the amount of gold you get for posting.

Also on the subject of NPC items.

There is always going to be items that are hard for people to get. It keeps things interesting and fun. If a person had every item....there would be nothing left to stay for. I know right now the bear head is outragious in price....but personally it wasn't that hard to get. I got one for joining the writing contest of lise's (and my writing wasn't even that good....I didn't spend nearly as much time as I usually do on it). They are high in price right now because people want them bad enough to pay those outragious prices and they haven't been around long enough to have alot in the system. They are not retired though......thats the crutial thing....I do believe lise will probably hand out more during future events which will in turn cause the prices to go down. Its really just a matter of patience. Wait until the big hurrah over them dies down a little and then quest for them.

Great point....

That makes perfect sense with the forum thing~ :'3 I don't really see much of a difference in that though either. But, that could also have something to do with college/university and such. A lot of people are studying and going to school right now. /:
But I always thought lowering the cap was to help inflation, and like you said, it has helped. :'3 I like that really.

I just do'nt understand why people would want to pay that much, that's all. @@ I mean, it's crazy. xD

Yeah, I do think it helped a little bit although mene is super slow right now.

We where actually having that conversation in another thread the other day. We where concerned that the population of mene is dieing off. Now CK was also a Part of this conversation and shes totally convinced that the new Event Style is totally going to help mene's population. That makes me super excited for the new event style. I am hopeful that what mene is experiencing is simply just a lul and not a slow death.