Lyonel Noale
Friendly Gaian
22,450 Points
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100
Since New Years has passed and a lot of old members will be returning in the new year (welcome back~!), I suppose that it'd be a good idea to just create a permanent link to this useful guide, to help cut down on the number of inflation threads that will probably pop up...
There you are! If you have any other questions, post them here!
Credit goes to sterek for creating this handy guide~! Thank you!
===
All of us have different habits when it comes to logging on to Gaia - some are avid returners, logging in at least once a day to get their fill of updates, the daily chance, and to actively engage themselves around the site; some enjoy poking around every so often when they're bored or perhaps are just curious about what has changed; and others, I have found, only return whenever event season rolls around~!
I've been an avid, active user for the past year, even though I made my account back in 2008 (which really isn't that long ago compared to some oldbies~!), and actually ended up returning last September to prepare for the Halloween event. So I think that it makes sense that a lot of people come back for the holidays, since that's when the online community on many sites starts preparing special events and celebrations to entice users both new, old, and returning!
And that's where my discussion comes in~! As someone who has been here an entire year for once (and who has seen SO many things happen, from Animal Bases to Housing Updates to super Inflation to the L33t and Hyype scandals and the like), I'm curious about the opinions of those who have returned! And for those of us who have stayed, I've got a few things to ask, as well~!
Changes We Have noted so far (help add more!):
Marketplace/Economy/Gaia Cash Changes
-Inflation (Gold Generators Galore!)
*A Gold Generator is an item that can be purchased with Gaia Cash from the Cash Shop (La Victorie). It will grant you a random amount of gold! The first were called Flynn's Booty.
*This large influx of gold has caused items in the marketplace to inflate drastically.
*Still wondering? Want more information about gold generators, the gold cap, and inflation? Check this link~!
-Gold Sinks aplenty~!
*Gold Sinks are ways that users can 'delete' some of this generated gold from the site, and help fight inflation!
*Some of the most common are Kickstarters (see below), Flynn's Plunder, the increase of the Marketplace Tax to 5% and Loyal's Bazaar!
-Kickstarters! LOTS of Kickstarters! (credit to 'Hydro)
*A Kickstarter on Gaia is like a donation drive. Users donate their gold to 'fund' old and new events and site features. Usually, personal prizes are given out for this donation which include items, achievements, or raffle entries!
*See this journal entry for links to the threads about all of the Kickstarters so far!
-Gaia Cash New Pricing and Tiered System!
*Check out the Payments Page for sales and to see the new tiered structure!
Scandals!
-133TGATE Scandal... staff and marketplace interference?? Link Here!
-Hyype Scandal Here's a Helpful Link!
-TekTek; want to find out why it's gone? Here's a helpful link! Click here! (credit to Apple Blossom19)
Avatar Base and Item Changes/Updates!
-New Animal Bases!
*Did you know instead of a human, you can now choose to be a tiny paw instead? It's true! Just head over to Customize your Avatar and pick a base from the scrolling menu on top of it! Right now the options are Human, Cat, Bear, Wolf, Puppy, or Bunny!
*Check out this guide for all the animal items available!
*Want to see them in the order they appeared on the site instead? Then Check This Guide Out!
-Abundance of Arm/Leg/Body Mods
*Check out the Gaia Guides and Resources Forum! There's tons of guides floating around listing all of these neat new items!
*TekTek no longer as dependable for item updates/browsing (credit to Adnama Lavode)
-Recolours Galore~! (credit to Mimiaki)
*You'll notice a lot of items getting recoloured! Don't worry, we still get a lot of new items too.
-New Limited Quantity Items! (credit to Fanny Flaps)
*Limited Quantity Items (aka LQIs) are sold in the cash shop. There are a limited number of them available for a limited time, this number appears under the price of the item (i.e. 999/999qty, 48hrs left) to let you know how many there are in total, and how many there are left to purchase. They are available to buy until they are sold out, or until their time runs out, whichever is first!
*Limited Quantity Items Policy - Check this out for more information!
*Want to see all the LQIs? Check out this guide!
-Tickets and User Created Items, hurray~! (credit to Slick Southpaw)
*A ticket is a special item that can be won! There are many different kinds in existence. Some allow you to recolour existing items, some allow you to create completely new ones! Some give you the chance to be drawn by an artist employed by Gaia, and you can even be featured in your favourite shop!
*Here's a Handy Guide! It has information about all the different kinds of tickets, links to the rules, and information about tickets that have been redeemed!
-Need Inexpensive Items in this Expensive economy? (credit to 'Hydro)
*Click Here for Cheap Items! Remember that prices are always changing though, so for more accurate information, check the last few pages of this thread, not the first.
*And remember, the only thing better than cheap is free! Click here for known active free item grants!
CIs and RIGs!
*A CI is a Chance Item. A RIG is a Random Item Generator. These two terms refer to the same thing. A CI or RIG can be sold in the Cash Shop or in a Gold Shop for either cash or gold. They will appear under the 'Special' tab in your inventory, and they will grant a random item once they are opened, and then disappear from your inventory. Depending on the type, they can grant new or old items. If you have one in your inventory and you want to know what you can get, try using the Site Questions and Assistance forum! Someone will be happy to link you to an item list for your RIG/CI!
-Monthly CIs/RIGs
*For a while, we had two larger CIs/RIGs released monthly. These are typically the RIGs that grant new items (and some older ones as well!). At this time, we're back down to one!
-Multitude of Mini-CI's
*We get a lot of smaller CIs scattered throughout the month. At this time, most of them grant older items that have been recoloured. Occasionally we get a mini CI that grants all new items!
Site Features and Changes!
*Make sure that you're subscribed to the Staff Updates forum and you have it enabled so you don't miss out!
-Cash Shop Announcement Overload & La Victoire Digest
*For a while we were receiving an overload of announcements relating to the cash shop! We now have the La Victoire Digest, which is a single announcement containing a lot of the smaller announcements condensed into one instead.
-The new Cash Shop Rococo opens! (Credit to Robin Tair)
*Originally, it was set to feature one gaian artist monthly with new items, but that project was abandoned. It now features old returning cash shop items!
*Check it out here!
-How Charming, it's GOFusion! A whole new feature! (credit to Madam Ace)
*Collect charms to craft new and old items Here!
*Need more information? Check out this guide!
-Lanzer leaves GaiaOnline?
*Here's the Full Scoop!
-Uncle Kenny says goodbye (credit to Shadexx03)
*More Details Here.
-Achievements removed from Header (credit to SolluxDoubleDongs)
*Achievements are still available on the My Gaia drop down menu, or your Achievement Page Here!
*Check out This Guide for more information!
-Housing System Updates!
-Spirit of the Summer Event! (credit to Shadexx03)
-Zomg is currently down for 'maintenance'! (credit to SolluxDoubleDongs)
-Zomg! is, sadly, taken down permanently. Official Announcement
-An explanation is given as to why Zomg! has been removed Announcement Here
-Daily Chance has been updated and upgraded! (credit to Madam Ace)
-Interested in Alchemy? Well, it's now much more affordable! (credit to Madam Ace)
-Ask the Admin suddenly stops... (credit to babyl10)
-"Ask the Staff begins...?
*Check the actual announcement here!
-Ask the Staff Archive! Check out past threads! (credit to Snow Danger) Click here!
-Locked accounts are unlocked! Hurray! (Credit to Elinoi)
*Check the announcement here!
-Pink Link chance boxes have had their gold payout increased!
-Tips now offer 10,000 gold, instead of the original 25g! (Credit to Snow Danger)
-About a year after the creation of a new site by Gaia known as Tentacl, the aforementioned website is shut down...! More Explanation Here!
Anything else that I may have missed? Let me know!
SPOONS (yes, that's right, an actual discussion section):
For those of you who have just returned, what are some of the biggest changes you have noticed?
For those who have stayed: suppose that you WERE returning after a hiatus (so from one event to another, whether this be from last Easter to this Halloween, or last Christmas to this Halloween, etc.) what would be your overall impression of the site, and how it may have changed from when you last were online? DO you think that anything would come across as different? The same?
In your opinion, what is the BIGGEST change between this year and last year?
What's the best change? What's the worst?
And finally: any other guides I should add to help our returnees? Any suggestions~? Anything helps!
Also: Big thanks to Cosmic Glitter for being so awesome and helping me make this thread much better! THANK YOU!
And even more thanks to Snow Danger (and whoa, what a cool name~!) for helping me realign and neaten up the 'What We Have Noted' section!! Thank you thank you thank you!!
There you are! If you have any other questions, post them here!
Credit goes to sterek for creating this handy guide~! Thank you!
===
All of us have different habits when it comes to logging on to Gaia - some are avid returners, logging in at least once a day to get their fill of updates, the daily chance, and to actively engage themselves around the site; some enjoy poking around every so often when they're bored or perhaps are just curious about what has changed; and others, I have found, only return whenever event season rolls around~!
I've been an avid, active user for the past year, even though I made my account back in 2008 (which really isn't that long ago compared to some oldbies~!), and actually ended up returning last September to prepare for the Halloween event. So I think that it makes sense that a lot of people come back for the holidays, since that's when the online community on many sites starts preparing special events and celebrations to entice users both new, old, and returning!
And that's where my discussion comes in~! As someone who has been here an entire year for once (and who has seen SO many things happen, from Animal Bases to Housing Updates to super Inflation to the L33t and Hyype scandals and the like), I'm curious about the opinions of those who have returned! And for those of us who have stayed, I've got a few things to ask, as well~!
Changes We Have noted so far (help add more!):
Marketplace/Economy/Gaia Cash Changes
-Inflation (Gold Generators Galore!)
*A Gold Generator is an item that can be purchased with Gaia Cash from the Cash Shop (La Victorie). It will grant you a random amount of gold! The first were called Flynn's Booty.
*This large influx of gold has caused items in the marketplace to inflate drastically.
*Still wondering? Want more information about gold generators, the gold cap, and inflation? Check this link~!
-Gold Sinks aplenty~!
*Gold Sinks are ways that users can 'delete' some of this generated gold from the site, and help fight inflation!
*Some of the most common are Kickstarters (see below), Flynn's Plunder, the increase of the Marketplace Tax to 5% and Loyal's Bazaar!
-Kickstarters! LOTS of Kickstarters! (credit to 'Hydro)
*A Kickstarter on Gaia is like a donation drive. Users donate their gold to 'fund' old and new events and site features. Usually, personal prizes are given out for this donation which include items, achievements, or raffle entries!
*See this journal entry for links to the threads about all of the Kickstarters so far!
-Gaia Cash New Pricing and Tiered System!
*Check out the Payments Page for sales and to see the new tiered structure!
Scandals!
-133TGATE Scandal... staff and marketplace interference?? Link Here!
-Hyype Scandal Here's a Helpful Link!
-TekTek; want to find out why it's gone? Here's a helpful link! Click here! (credit to Apple Blossom19)
Avatar Base and Item Changes/Updates!
-New Animal Bases!
*Did you know instead of a human, you can now choose to be a tiny paw instead? It's true! Just head over to Customize your Avatar and pick a base from the scrolling menu on top of it! Right now the options are Human, Cat, Bear, Wolf, Puppy, or Bunny!
*Check out this guide for all the animal items available!
*Want to see them in the order they appeared on the site instead? Then Check This Guide Out!
-Abundance of Arm/Leg/Body Mods
*Check out the Gaia Guides and Resources Forum! There's tons of guides floating around listing all of these neat new items!
*TekTek no longer as dependable for item updates/browsing (credit to Adnama Lavode)
-Recolours Galore~! (credit to Mimiaki)
*You'll notice a lot of items getting recoloured! Don't worry, we still get a lot of new items too.
-New Limited Quantity Items! (credit to Fanny Flaps)
*Limited Quantity Items (aka LQIs) are sold in the cash shop. There are a limited number of them available for a limited time, this number appears under the price of the item (i.e. 999/999qty, 48hrs left) to let you know how many there are in total, and how many there are left to purchase. They are available to buy until they are sold out, or until their time runs out, whichever is first!
*Limited Quantity Items Policy - Check this out for more information!
*Want to see all the LQIs? Check out this guide!
-Tickets and User Created Items, hurray~! (credit to Slick Southpaw)
*A ticket is a special item that can be won! There are many different kinds in existence. Some allow you to recolour existing items, some allow you to create completely new ones! Some give you the chance to be drawn by an artist employed by Gaia, and you can even be featured in your favourite shop!
*Here's a Handy Guide! It has information about all the different kinds of tickets, links to the rules, and information about tickets that have been redeemed!
-Need Inexpensive Items in this Expensive economy? (credit to 'Hydro)
*Click Here for Cheap Items! Remember that prices are always changing though, so for more accurate information, check the last few pages of this thread, not the first.
*And remember, the only thing better than cheap is free! Click here for known active free item grants!
CIs and RIGs!
*A CI is a Chance Item. A RIG is a Random Item Generator. These two terms refer to the same thing. A CI or RIG can be sold in the Cash Shop or in a Gold Shop for either cash or gold. They will appear under the 'Special' tab in your inventory, and they will grant a random item once they are opened, and then disappear from your inventory. Depending on the type, they can grant new or old items. If you have one in your inventory and you want to know what you can get, try using the Site Questions and Assistance forum! Someone will be happy to link you to an item list for your RIG/CI!
-Monthly CIs/RIGs
*For a while, we had two larger CIs/RIGs released monthly. These are typically the RIGs that grant new items (and some older ones as well!). At this time, we're back down to one!
-Multitude of Mini-CI's
*We get a lot of smaller CIs scattered throughout the month. At this time, most of them grant older items that have been recoloured. Occasionally we get a mini CI that grants all new items!
Site Features and Changes!
*Make sure that you're subscribed to the Staff Updates forum and you have it enabled so you don't miss out!
-Cash Shop Announcement Overload & La Victoire Digest
*For a while we were receiving an overload of announcements relating to the cash shop! We now have the La Victoire Digest, which is a single announcement containing a lot of the smaller announcements condensed into one instead.
-The new Cash Shop Rococo opens! (Credit to Robin Tair)
*Originally, it was set to feature one gaian artist monthly with new items, but that project was abandoned. It now features old returning cash shop items!
*Check it out here!
-How Charming, it's GOFusion! A whole new feature! (credit to Madam Ace)
*Collect charms to craft new and old items Here!
*Need more information? Check out this guide!
-Lanzer leaves GaiaOnline?
*Here's the Full Scoop!
-Uncle Kenny says goodbye (credit to Shadexx03)
*More Details Here.
-Achievements removed from Header (credit to SolluxDoubleDongs)
*Achievements are still available on the My Gaia drop down menu, or your Achievement Page Here!
*Check out This Guide for more information!
-Housing System Updates!
-Spirit of the Summer Event! (credit to Shadexx03)
-Zomg is currently down for 'maintenance'! (credit to SolluxDoubleDongs)
-Zomg! is, sadly, taken down permanently. Official Announcement
-An explanation is given as to why Zomg! has been removed Announcement Here
-Daily Chance has been updated and upgraded! (credit to Madam Ace)
-Interested in Alchemy? Well, it's now much more affordable! (credit to Madam Ace)
-Ask the Admin suddenly stops... (credit to babyl10)
-"Ask the Staff begins...?
*Check the actual announcement here!
-Ask the Staff Archive! Check out past threads! (credit to Snow Danger) Click here!
-Locked accounts are unlocked! Hurray! (Credit to Elinoi)
*Check the announcement here!
-Pink Link chance boxes have had their gold payout increased!
-Tips now offer 10,000 gold, instead of the original 25g! (Credit to Snow Danger)
-About a year after the creation of a new site by Gaia known as Tentacl, the aforementioned website is shut down...! More Explanation Here!
Anything else that I may have missed? Let me know!
SPOONS (yes, that's right, an actual discussion section):
For those of you who have just returned, what are some of the biggest changes you have noticed?
For those who have stayed: suppose that you WERE returning after a hiatus (so from one event to another, whether this be from last Easter to this Halloween, or last Christmas to this Halloween, etc.) what would be your overall impression of the site, and how it may have changed from when you last were online? DO you think that anything would come across as different? The same?
In your opinion, what is the BIGGEST change between this year and last year?
What's the best change? What's the worst?
And finally: any other guides I should add to help our returnees? Any suggestions~? Anything helps!
Also: Big thanks to Cosmic Glitter for being so awesome and helping me make this thread much better! THANK YOU!
And even more thanks to Snow Danger (and whoa, what a cool name~!) for helping me realign and neaten up the 'What We Have Noted' section!! Thank you thank you thank you!!
