Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, it’s Slanted Fish here with a special guest!

The full moon may have come out, but it was looking a little skinnier last Thursday night when Skinny Moon popped into the PHC for a brief visit. For those who missed it, this post is here to recap what went down.

(And yes, that is her current outfit!)

At about 10:30 p.m. (Eastern time) last Thursday, March 9, Poptropica Creator Skinny Moon talked with Poptropicans on our Poptropica Help Chat hangout for about 45 minutes. She started off by introducing her latest blog post about fixing problems with Google Chrome’s compatibility with Poptropica, saying:

Hey everyone!

Quick update. Chrome updated today and it’s not playing nice with Flash for everyone. Here’s what to do if Poptropica won’t run for you on Flash: http://blog.poptropica.com/2017/03/problems-with-google-chrome-and.html #fastestblogpostever

Wanted to get it out there because we know lots of people play at night!

Other than dispensing advice for the Chrome issue, Skinny Moon also stayed to answer some of the latest questions burning in the minds of the Poptropican community. From Pop Worlds development to coaching soccer, Jessica had plenty of insight to give, and what follows is a Q&A style post to recap what she shared:

idk: I have a question. Why is the Snowpocalypse game on Home Island formatted with the smaller screen? Was it just easier to develop in this case?
Skinny Moon: You know, I really don’t know!

Tall Cactus: Will the Snowpocalypse game still be available on Monday? I’m on vacation and I didn’t bring my computer.
Skinny Moon: Yes it’ll be up for a while!

Tall Cactus: I just find it funny that I just arrived in Florida and a snow themed game comes out lol
Skinny Moon: Wish I were in Florida right now!!!

idk: When will the snow and stuff disappear from Home Island?
Skinny Moon: We don’t have a definite date. March is cold here in Boston – we’re getting snow tomorrow. BOOOOOOOO. So we’re feeling the cold here.
idk: “Boo”? For snow? You Bostonians are crazy! D:
Skinny Moon: I’m so sick of the cold. I want spring!!!

Smart Flame: @Skinny Moon How are you?
Skinny Moon: I’m good! Tired. Very busy!!!

Smart Flame: Will Poptropicans be able to have accessories (Example: Watches, bracelets…)
Skinny Moon: I don’t know exact details… but pretty sure that’s the plan! I don’t know for sure about which accessories, though.

Smart Flame: Have you played Snowpacalypse? And if so, what’s your high score?
Skinny Moon: I’ve played it a couple times and my score is EMBARRASSING.

Tall Cactus: when will the costume contest winner’s designs be added to the store?
Skinny Moon: The grand prize winners are in final design stage now. Then off to a developer!

Pusheen: What did you have for lunch today?
Skinny Moon: Hmmmmm, what DID I have for lunch…??? Thinking… Oh! A baked potato. And a cookie. I’m running low on food. LOL

idk: Skinny Moon, when do you think Poptropica Worlds will release? Expecting any more delays?
Skinny Moon: I can’t give any dates on Worlds. I can say it’ll release in Spring. That’s really all I can say right now!

Smart Flame: Dr. Hare or Binary Bard?
Skinny Moon: That’s like choosing my favorite kid.

TallMeloniscool: Who had the idea of making Poptropica Worlds? And why did you make Poptropica Worlds? What were you Creators thinking!
Skinny Moon: Not one person in particular as far as I know. As for why… You may know that Flash isn’t going to be supported anymore, eventually, by Chrome and maybe other browsers (I don’t know exact details). And Poptropica, like many other games, is built on Flash. So we are now using Unity to develop Poptropica, and that’s what we’re developing Worlds!

Smart Flame: What’s your favorite part of Pop Worlds? (that you can tell us)
Skinny Moon: I am really excited about Poptropicans having their own houses they can decorate!

idk: How much behind the scenes stuff do you see at Poptropica HQ? Anything that the public will never know?
Skinny Moon: Oh, sure! Lots of stuff! But most of it is everyday work stuff – not exactly exciting! What is fun is being in on the development of Worlds as it’s been happening. It’s really a privilege.

Smart Flame: From the pictures we have seen of houses, is it safe to say they’ll be on their own separate island, or will it be on the Home island of Pop Worlds?
Skinny Moon: I think I know the answer to that but I shouldn’t say, just in case things change! Unexpected stuff can happen in game development!

TallMeloniscool: On non-SUI islands, why was the map feature removed? You know, the one where you see where you are?
Skinny Moon: Some sort of technical reason, I believe. Honestly I don’t remember. Sorry – that’s a boring answer but the truth!
TallMeloniscool: Ok, so why was the homepage removed?
Skinny Moon: Again, I don’t remember… something technical.

ABSORBED: Who is your favorite Poptropica Help Blog author?
Skinny Moon: What is it with you all asking me to pick favorites tonight? LOL! I can’t choose! Are you going to ask me my favorite song ever next?
ABSORBED: Hahaha what is your favorite song?
Skinny Moon: OMG I HAVE NO IDEA

Korikasai: Will all the islands in the original Poptropica be remastered in Pop Worlds?
Skinny Moon: I’m guessing not all because we’ll create new islands, too.

bd: Do you work at Poptropica HQ or from home?
Skinny Moon: I mostly work at home. My office is decorated with #PoptropicaArt you all do!

Tall Cactus: Will new Creators be joining when Worlds comes out?
Skinny Moon: That’s a good idea!

TallMeloniscool: What were you creators thinking when you made 7 islands only for members?
Skinny Moon: I wasn’t with Poptropica then, but I’m guessing yes – what @RedLizard2015 said. It’s a way to make membership more valuable. Only 6 are members-only now. Remember you guys, Poptropica is always FREE. Membership sweetens it, but you can always enjoy Poptropica without membership.

Smart Flame: Will common rooms be in Pop Worlds?

Skinny Moon: Hmmmmm, good question! I don’t know exactly.

TallMeloniscool: What! So that means maybe there might be no multiplayer! Nooo battles!!!
Skinny Moon: I don’t know for sure. Don’t make assumptions! I just don’t know the answer to every question.

Tall Cactus: Will there be sponsored islands on Worlds? Members only islands?
Skinny Moon: Don’t know for sure. Some things I just can’t say – need to maintain the element of surprise!

Smart Flame: Will store-bought items be transferred onto Pop Worlds from original Poptropica?
Skinny Moon: Can’t say about store items. Not sure. I can’t get into lots of details you guys, sorry.

At 11:06 pm, she wrote on the chat, “Okay, I’m falling asleep at my keyboard. It’s been a loooooooong day” – but stuck around for a little while longer.

Smart Flame: What’s your favorite fruit?
Skinny Moon: Ooooh, that’s a tough one. Yikes. I’m very indecisive about favorites. Maybe blackberries.

The Judge: other then monkey wrench island, in your opinion what island is a good island for beginners to play?
Skinny Moon: Probably 24 Carrot. It’s not too hard and it’s got Dr. Hare, who’s so iconic for Poptropica!

shakyskunk: Why is Mya white? Do you find it weird talking to a bunch of kids?
Skinny Moon: Re: Mya — she’s not white.

Here’s an interesting tidbit for you: Skin and hair color is all done with code. So mockups that are done in pure art software doesn’t have the same skin and hair varieties as in-game. It’s just how it turned out on the graphic!

And no, I don’t find it weird talking to kids. I’ve always liked “working” with kids – I was a camp counselor for years and working with tweens and teens was always the most fun for me. Now I’m a soccer coach – and a mom.

shakyskunk: So you’re a… soccer mum?

Skinny Moon: I’m a soccer coach. And mom. And soccer mom, I guess, though I don’t like that term. And Poptropica social media/community manager. And more!

TallMeloniscool: wow you have a busy life

Skinny Moon: I am perpetually tired. LOL. I soccer coach in my little town. For second graders. It’s awesome.

TallMeloniscool: How did you become a Poptropica creator?

Skinny Moon: Back when Poptropica’s parent company needed someone to manage some social media and blogging for Galactic Hot Dogs, I got that job. Then they liked what I did, so I transitioned over to Poptropica.

Hyper Gamer: How often does your kids play Poptropica?
Skinny Moon: few times a week. They love it!

TallMeloniscool: Do you know about Poptropica glitches like dummies and Avatar Studio Glitch?

Skinny Moon: Yep!

Finally, at 11:17 p.m., she wrapped up by reposting the Chrome blog post, and saying, “Ok, I’m exhausted and falling asleep while typing. I have to go! Have a great night!”

–

Thanks for stopping by, Skinny Moon! As always, it was a pleasure to get some answers and just get to know a Creator who also happens to love coaching soccer for kids.

If you want to meet the coolest Poptropicans of the community, the PHC is where it’s at. Pop in anytime, we’re always open.

Stay popping,
–🐠

Home Island, Snowpocalypse

The Snowpocalypse is upon us!

March 9, 2017March 29, 2017 Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, it’s Slanted Fish, live with the weather report. It looks like today’s forecast is a full-on snowpocalypse! Winter isn’t over just yet – over at Poptropica HQ in Boston, the temperature is around 0 Celsius (30s in Fahrenheit). Chilly!

UPDATE: There is now an igloo on Home Island for the Snowpocalypse game. Simply travel over to the right, past the photo booth, until you reach it!

snowpocalypse igloo

If you head on over to Home Island, where it’s still snowing, there’s an all-new game to play called Snowpocalypse! To find it, go left to where the billboard is, and click on the third dot to bring up the Snowpocalypse board, then click on it to bring up the game.

snowpocalypse1

From there, click on the snowball to go through the instructions and start playing. The basic idea is to throw snowballs at the bad guys (who will pop up from the snow forts) by clicking on them, taking them down before they pelt you. If you’re hit 5 times, it’s game over! Your bucket has 3 snowballs in it at a time, so remember to reload (by clicking it).

And with that, let the games begin! You’ll encounter villains (and other not-so-villain characters, which you still want to aim at) like Binary Bard, Princess Elyana, Zeus, the Big Blue Zomberry, Captain Crawfish, and more. As your score gets higher, you may even see police officers patrolling the front of the battle lines. The flags in front of your fort indicate how many lives you have left.

The Poptropica Creators even put out a video guide for how to play Snowpocalypse, which you can check out here:

Pretty straightforward and fun! It’s cool (literally) to have a fun new feature on Poptropica as we wait for Worlds to debut this spring – maybe this is a subtle reminder that it’s still winter, but we sure do have something to look forward to this spring!

This might be one of the last things added to the current Poptropica – they don’t call it an apocalypse for nothing, right? 😉 However, the Creators do also plan to add something in April for Wimpy Kid Month:

…next month. April is Wimpy Kid month and we'll be doing some stuff you'll really like! 😀

— Official Poptropica (@Poptropica) March 6, 2017

In any case, the Creators want to share pictures of your high scores on social media! To participate, just take a screenshot of your high score and share it on social media to Poptropica at their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Be sure to tag them, and they’ll share your pic!

Plus, let us know in the comments what your high score is and what you think of this apocalyptic new game!

❄️ Stay warm, and stay popping, Poptropicans! ❄️

Guest Posts, Pop 5

Pop 5: Ideas for Multiplayer Features

February 24, 2017June 22, 2017 Slanted Fish

(Hey Poptropicans! This is a guest post written by TallMelonisCool, a Poptropica player in the community. In this post he’ll be sharing his ideas for more features in multiplayer rooms. Enjoy! –🐠)

pop5-multiplayer

Hey guys! So, I like popping into common rooms a lot on Poptropica to chat with, battle, and friend other Poptropicans. Although it’s pretty fun, I think there are some features that could be introduced to make multiplayer on Poptropica even better. Hopefully, the Creators can consider these ideas for the future, and I also hope you guys like these ideas. Let’s go!

1. Make it easier to view who’s currently in the multiplayer room

In order to show the options for chatting, battling, or friending someone in a multiplayer room, the player you click on has to be standing still – but sometimes, they just will not stop moving!

What they should do is have a window you can open or close that lists all the players currently in the room, as well as options next to them that say Chat / Battle / Friend. Prompting any of these actions would bring your Poptropican over to them if you aren’t already there, so they can see that you’re interested in interacting with them.

2. Show what the other player is busy with

You know when you really want to chat or battle with a Poptropican, but they’re always busy? Well, I’d love to know just what they’re busy with. Whether it’s looking through their backpack items, browsing the store, or checking out their friends’ profiles, I’d like to see the message “Sorry, I’m busy right now” changed to something that indicated what they were up to.

They could even have a feature where you can click on options for feelings (like the ones on your friend profile), so you can tell others something like, “I’m feeling happy/sad/sleepy right now.”

3. Option to choose who your chat question is directed to

Not everyone knows this, but when you chat with someone, every Poptropican in the room gets to answer the question. This is cool sometimes, but not always. It’s not so great when you just want to battle someone but they’re taking a while to answer and then a question comes up that delays them even further. Instead, you should have the option to either ask everyone the question, or just the one player you clicked on when you pressed Chat.

They should also add the option to enable/disable receiving questions if you don’t want to chat at a certain time.

4. A new mini-game

I play a lot of head-to-head game battles in the multiplayer rooms, and I really do mean a lot. So sometimes, I wish there were more options for games to play. Poptropica has only twice added more games to the collection, when Soupwords first came out in 2008 and Pathwise in 2009.

Anyway, here are some games I’d like to play multiplayer on Poptropica:

Chess: This game has lots of skill involved, though it tends to take longer to finish than the other games usually do. Still, we already have Sudoku, which also takes a while to finish a round.
Switch: Switch is currently a single-player game only, but I can easily see this game becoming a multiplayer game. It could be a timed game where the winner is whoever scores the highest by racking up the best combos.
Circle Tap: Imagine a whiteboard with a circle (or a dot). The goal is to click on the circle before the other player does. Once it’s clicked, it will move to a different position, and you’ll try to click on it again before the other player clicks on it, and on it goes. The first to click the circle 10 times wins!

5. More actions (emotes)

Multiplayer rooms already come with a few actions, which you can perform by pressing the emoticons on the right side. But multiplayer rooms could be even more social with some more emotes. Here are some ideas:

waving a hand
tap dance
fold arms
looking up
clapping
hands on waist
hands in the air
sit down for two seconds

Alright, that’s all I have now, guys. Thanks for reading, and if you have any comments or suggestions of your own, please leave them down below!

–

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by TallMelonisCool!

The PHB welcomes guest posting from anyone in our community if you have something to share, whether it be sneak peeks, My Place in Poptropica stories, or any other ideas you might have. We also encourage sharing on the PHC (Poptropica Help Chat).

If you have an idea for a guest post, send it in to [email protected]!

Guest Posts, Poptropica Worlds

Poptropica Worlds: Preview Pic Analysis

February 15, 2017June 22, 2017 Slanted Fish

(Hey Poptropicans! This is a guest post written by Smart Flame, who also runs his own site, The Smart Way to Poptropica. This post, while grounded in fact, is still just speculation. With that said, enjoy! –🐠)

Hi guys! Smart Flame here, and today I want to discuss a picture that Poptropica recently released for the upcoming Poptropica Worlds. Now, Perfect Sky on the PHB has already commented loosely about the photo in her post, but I’d like to go a little more in-depth, even politely disagreeing with a few of her points. The parts discussed below are labeled for your convenience. Let’s take a look:

pop-worlds-2017-graphic

From a peeping Dr. Hare in a nearby bush to mountains in the distance, there’s a lot to see. Some of these are a dead giveaway as to what they are, while others are a little more ambiguous. All that being said, here are my thoughts:

Dr. Hare

There is really no question at all as to Dr. Hare’s identity. Even the Creators have acknowledged his return in the Poptropica Worlds FAQ. We’ve seen hints that 24 Carrot is going to be one of the islands remastered for Poptropica Worlds, so Dr. Hare could very well return in a new and exciting way.

Pelican/Seagull

Well, the bird beside Dr. Hare in the picture could either be a seagull or a pelican. If it’s a pelican, could Escape From Pelican Rock Island be remade as well? However, it is one of the newest islands, so this may not be likely. We’ll probably see the regular EFPR Island in the new Worlds.

Oliver (from the comics and graphic novels)

Considering that Poptropica is exploring the idea of a universal storyline in its universe, Oliver and the others from the comics and graphic novels may play huge roles in this. Maybe we’ll see the storyline continue online with islands for each of the books after Mystery of the Map.

Park Ranger

Past sneak peeks have indicated that a similar design is for a park ranger from the unreleased Crisis Caverns Island. I like to think of it as, maybe, a guide that you’d have throughout Poptropica Worlds or Home Island: someone who could give help advice and chat with your character.

Blimp

In all due honesty, the blimp’s presence probably means we will still use blimps, something I’ve always hoped Poptropica would continue with. The only observation I can make here is that it has no Poptropica logo – maybe it’s just facing the opposite direction.

Coins

These gold coins buried in the sand seem interesting. They were first seen used tokens on Wimpy Boardwalk, but for Poptropica Worlds, there are two guesses for possibilities I see with them: either they are Pop Coins (like from Mocktropica, where every movement is restricted unless you pay up), or coins you can use to buy items to use to decorate your house. The second possibility seems more likely, considering how silly Mocktropica’s Pop Coins. Using coins to buy decorations for your house would be cool – I’d be excited for something like that!

Island with Knight, Tower, and Princess

This is confusing. Although, at first glance, it reminds us of Astro-Knights Island, it looks to me more like a Sleeping Beauty type of island. First of all, the knight here does not look like the knights we meet on Astro-Knights. The castle is gray instead of brown. The princess has the same design, though. Is she a predecessor? I still think that this takes place in Arturus, where Astro-Knights is, but years before Mordred came along.

Island with Ferris Wheel

Although it’s tempting to chalk this one up to Monster Carnival, this doesn’t quite resemble it, even when the Monster Carnival rides are in normal daytime mode. The colors and the star design don’t quite match up. Honestly, I have no idea what this one is, but I don’t think it is Monster Carnival. I think it could be a once-in-a-while carnival event or something entirely new.

Island with Snowcapped Mountains

At first glance, I thought this was Survival island. But when you zoom into the cave, you’ll notice the two bright red eyes. It really confuses me, since Survival doesn’t have something like this – although you could consider the bear in the cave from Episode 1, his eyes aren’t bright red; they’re asleep. Could there be a remake of Survival Island as well, with a monster to defeat?

Island with Big Skull

The skull here most definitely looks like the one from the Pirate Outpost on Skullduggery Island. There is a clear resemblance to the trading post, which is surrounded by pirate infested waters. The difference here is the daytime setting, which makes it seem less ominous.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this picture. Thanks for reading, and bye!

~Smart Flame

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Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Smart Flame!

If you have an idea for a guest post, send it in to [email protected]!

My Place in Poptropica

My Place in Poptropica: Lone Bird

February 11, 2017March 6, 2017 Slanted Fish

This is the My Place in Poptropica story of Lone Bird, who shared Poptropica with everyone she knew, despite her own computer being unable to play it. See below for how to send in your own MPIP!

mpip-lonebird

2007–2013 | Playdates & Poptropica

Okay, so unlike most Poptropicans, I didn’t discover Poptropica through Funbrain (in fact, I had no idea what it was, and I just learned last year).

Instead, for me it all began when I had a playdate with my BFF, Comical Berry. I remember going on her computer, and then she showed me a game that would change my internet life. When I saw the little character with the big head, I immediately knew this was a game I needed to try out. You see, I’ve always been a fan of games where you can customize your avatar, but Minecraft was the only game I knew; however, I couldn’t get it. Instead, I was stuck playing PBS Kids games.

So as you can imagine, when little me saw a Poptropican in a Magic Tree House-themed island (The Magic Tree House series was my all time favorite book series back then), I was super excited! I asked my BFF what the game was called, and she replied, “Poptropica! It’s fun!” I immediately made a note of this, and then we began to play Poptropica in real life together. Meeting characters like the emperor and Annie on Red Dragon Island was when I realized that I had a bright gaming future ahead of me.

After being introduced to Poptropica, I quickly made an account, Lone Bird, which is the one I have to this day! Poptropica quickly became the game, the one that you play every single weekend, and the game you’re addicted to. I loved it so much that I began to write stories about my best friend and me in Poptropica.

2014 | Computer Crash

Then one day, on a dark and stormy Saturday, I was playing PoptropiCon, the newest island. This memory is so vivid in my mind. I was at the part where you race Cheetah Girl when the unthinkable happened. The game froze and the screen came up with a not-so-touching message: Adobe Flash Has Stopped. And with the most pleasant-looking robot avatar! And then the screen went black… forever. Yup – my computer was dead. (RIP Connor the Computer, 2006–2014)

I was devastated. Little me was all like. “W-What?! No, m-more Poptropica?!” This, frankly, made me take matters into my own hands… I could only play Poptropica at school when we were having “technology parties.” There went my gaming future… *sniff*

2015–2016 | Sharing Pop & Finding the Fandom

Even though Poptropica was no longer something I could enjoy frequently anymore, I decided I would share Poptropica with my friends and family. I introduced it to all my friends at church, who made accounts and enjoyed it! (Well, until they got bored..) I then introduced it to my BFF (a different one from the one introduced me to Pop), Popular Snowball.

After introducing Poptropica to a lot of my friends in school, Pop became the “it” game in my class for a few weeks! I didn’t stop there, oh no, I made an account for my sister – and then even one for my mom. (Don’t even ask why I made an account for my mother…) So even though I lost Poptropica for myself, I helped a lot of people find Poptropica!

Okay, so I loved Poptropica, but as it happens with many people, there were some islands I could not complete. That’s when I found the help of YouTube! (Thank you, YouTube! ^.^) I remember the first video tutorial I ever found was on Survival Island. I don’t remember the YouTube channel, but I think it was Fierce Moon from Poptropica Secrets.

Anyways, her walkthrough was good, but I wanted to find something with better quality. That’s when I found the king of the Poptropica YouTube world, Thinknoodles! After watching one of his videos, I was hooked! They were funny, and I thought his “Road to Captain Thinknoodles” series was (and still is) awesome! I liked seeing his reactions as he played islands for the first time. I thought it was neat!

Now for how I found the PHB! Okay, so I always read the PCB (Poptropica Creators’ Blog) and when you search it up online, the PHB is listed as well. However, I always thought it was some kind of hacking blog because of the word “cheats” in the description. But one day I decided to click on it, expecting the worst. To my surprise, it looked fantastic! I was immediately hooked, reading as many blog posts as I could. From there, I found out about all these other amazing fan blogs! So that’s where that began.

2016–beyond | Epilogue

I now have a computer, finally! However, as we all know, Poptropica has been quietly lately as they work on Poptropica Worlds, so I haven’t been playing it as often. I still love it, though lately I’ve been playing more Roblox than Pop. If you want to add me on Poptropica, my username is Bellaisa55.

Anyway, that’s my MPIP! I hope you enjoyed it. And now a word from my sister: “I love you, Fishy!!”

Thank you for reading! I hope I didn’t make you fall asleep…

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Hope you enjoyed this “My Place in Poptropica” story! Feel free to send in your own (please include a minimum of 550 words, type with good spelling and grammar, divide it into labeled sections, and include your username). If you send in your story, we will continue to post new community MPIPs!

~the Poptropica Help Blog