• Sep 20, 2021, 7:16 PM(edited)OP

  #1

  Alright! Received 20 responses for the survey, and as promised, I shall now post the results.

  
  

  A LOT of people opted for custom responses, and some will be consolidated as they are the same answer or similar (such as someone saying 'facebook ad' and others just saying 'facebook'). Also keep in mind that not all 20 people answered certain questions, depending on the question being asked. I'll be displaying the results highest to lowest.

  
  

  So let's get started!

  
  

  JOINING SENSIPETS

  
  

  When did you join Sensipets?

  16/20 - July to September

  3/20 - April to June

  1/20 - January to March

  
  

  How did you hear about Sensipets?

  9/19 - Facebook

  3/19 - Tumblr

  2/19 - Howey

  2/19 - Friends

  1/19 - Instagram

  1/19 - Neopets Discord

  1/19 - TheGamingList

  
  

  Notes: Genuinely surprised Facebook wins here! Tumblr tends to be the realm of pet sites these days.

  
  

  What convinced you to join Sensipets?

  9/19 - Neopets/Marapets/General Pet Site Interest/Nostalgia

  4/19 - Cute Art. Lots of Cuteness. Everywhere.

  2/19 - Staff members.

  1/19 - Positive review on Tumblr

  1/19 - May have more potential/responsive staff than Neopets

  1/19 - Likes idea of a start up not broken like Neopets or complex like Flight Rising

  1/19 - Boredom

  
  

  Notes: A bit difficult to categorize as they were all custom responses. There was a lot of overlap in the nostalgia category with the 'cute pets/cute art' specifically.

  
  

  How often do you visit Sensipets?

  14/20 - Daily

  3/20 - Every few days

  1/20 - Once or twice a week

  1/20 - Whenever I remember

  1/20 - Several times a day

  
  

  How long do you tend to spend on Sensipets when you visit?

  12/20 - 0 to 1 hour

  2/20 - A couple hours

  5/20 - A nebulous few minutes to 2 hours/ Tab left open/ frequent alt-tabbing

  1/20 - No clue

  
  

  Notes: The general consensus seems to be that we're on daily, roughly for an hour. This lines up with surveys from other pet sites, including the popular ones like Flight Rising, Neopets & Marapets. It's not uncommon for folks to have their time spread across multiple pet sites, as the general preference is sharing time across them all versus dedicating to one exclusive site.

  
  

  
  

  THE PETS

  
  

  What are your favorite pets? Select all that apply!

  13 votes - Serpens

  10 votes - Helio

  9 votes - Dainen & Reaver

  8 votes - Requien

  5 votes - Rajeck, Prulen & Trachops

  4 votes - Dramsi & Pocku

  2 votes - Belline

  
  

  Notes: As is tradition when it comes to pet sites, people immediately fall in love with the snakes, felines, canines and gryphons. More people need to love my whale baby :C.

  
  

  How many pets do you own?

  11/20 - 3 or 4

  6/20 - 1 or 2

  2/20 - 7 or 8

  1/20 - 5 or 6

  
  

  Notes: I've noticed folks on here prefer to hold onto pet slots, likely due to how new the site is and the open opportunity to gain new pet species. I'd love to do a more in depth study on the pets themselves as it'd give a good idea of what types of pet species are accepted and wanted more than others.

  
  

  Have you colored any of your pets?

  7/20 - Only some

  4/20 - ALL OF THEM!

  3/20 - None of them

  1/20 - All but one, I like his original color

  2/20 - Most of them

  1/20 - One is purple from Reaver plushie

  2/20 - Working on it/Trying hard to

  
  

  Notes: I'm curious on a more in depth study here as well. How many are coloring their pets by accidental play with Reaver plushies? How many are intentional? How many are holding off due to a lack of color options?

  
  

  Do you enjoy coloring your pets via food?

  7/20 - Yes, it's unique!

  4/20 - Neat/okay concept but confusing/scared of accidental change.

  3/20 - It could be better.

  3/20 - I CHANGE THEM WITH FOOD??

  2/20 - Indifferent

  1/20 - Don't like it

  
  

  Notes: I am glad I did a Color Mechanic study (I'll be posting that soon this week) in regards to how coloring your et works. It's pretty clear to see, even from this small sampling of the active playerbase that the mechanic is confusing and needs polish. I feel this is mostly due to the mechanic being brand new and unlike other sites, it's not as intuitive as it would have been. This can be seen partially with the Enchanted Reaver plushies as well, as new users have mentioned accidentally changing their pets.

  
  

  What are you favorite pet color combinations?

  - None of them

  - I'd like more interesting ones, they're pretty basic.

  - I don't know what any of them are except white.

  - White

  - White

  - White Serpens

  - White Rajeck

  - Black

  - Black Belline

  - Black Serpens

  - Black Serpens

  - Purple

  - Purple Trachops

  - Brown

  - Brown Trachops

  - Brown Reaver

  - Brown Requien

  - Pink

  - Pink Requien

  - Pink Serpens

  - Maya Prulen

  - Red

  - Blue

  
  

  Notes: I don't think any of us are surprised that Black and White dominate the charts LOL

  
  

  Have you changed your pet's species before?

  9/20 - Yes!

  7/20 - I can WHAT??

  4/20 - No.

  
  

  Notes: I wonder how many of these are the results of a certain Enchanted plushie XD

  
  

  Do you enjoy changing your pet species via berries?

  8/19 - Yes, it's unique!

  7/19 - I CAN CHANGE THEM WITH BERRIES???

  1/19 - Indifferent

  1/19 - Haven't changed them. Method of obtaining them and length to grow them is annoying, especially with low drop rates.

  1/19 - Been trying to get a Reaver/Aqui Berry. No dice.

  
  

  Notes: For the person looking for an Aqui Berry, shout out if you're cool with it and there are plenty of people here who will throw you an Enchanted Reaver plushie in the color of your choice for free!

  
  

  Next up will be the avatars, games and features (if I can fit it in the word limit >_>)

  
  

  ~ Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind ~

  ~ You're working so damn hard, you forgot what you like ~

  🏳️‍⚧️🐕‍🦺 

  
  

• Sep 20, 2021, 7:19 PM(edited)

  #2

  THE AVATAR

  
  

  Do you have a avatar?

  17/19 - Of course, who doesn't?

  1/19 - Don't care to make one.

  1/19 - Yeah, but not enamored with it.

  
  

  Notes: I should have added an addition question to this to the tune of "Have you customized it?"

  
  

  Do you enjoy the avatar customization?

  7/19 - Yes, it's fun to dress up/be represented

  5/19 - Yes, but needs more options

  3/19 - Indifferent.

  2/19 - Yes, but too masculine/not enough feminine options

  1/19 - I love dress up games, I'll spend plenty of time on it

  1/19 - Not into human avatars

  
  

  Notes: I see you and respect you, my furry friend. I do agree with the too masculine comments. Being transmale, my biggest issue is finding an avatar that doesn't instantly become feminine just because I prefer long hair and a skirt. At the same time, not all the gals want to be seen as a chick just because of long luxurious lashes! More customization will be greatly appreciated in the future.

  
  

  
  

  What types of clothes do you enjoy buying or would like to buy?

  - I don't have an avatar

  - Haven't bought anything yet

  - Anything

  - More

  - Skirts, Kilts

  - Street clothes, glasses

  - Black clothes

  - Cohesive/color coordinated outfits

  - Fancy seasonal themes

  - Goth options

  - Boleros, jackets, hoodies

  - Longer hair, colored extensions

  - Gothic, emo, punk, scene, edgy clothing & accessories

  - Aesthetic clothing styles

  - Casual/normal clothing

  - Handheld items, sweaters, stockings

  - Pretty & elegant, goth & edgy, cuteness, costumes

  - Dresses, skirts

  - Backgrounds, items around the feet, books on the ground or in hand

  - Themed items

  
  

  Notes: *looks over list* ... Let's just say I do not envy the clothing artist. You got some serious work ahead of you.

  
  

  
  

  THE GAMES/FEATURES

  
  

  Do you send items to the Giving Garden?

  15/20 - Yes!

  3/20 - No.

  1/20 - Haven't yet.

  1/20 - Yes, but only when I have too much of an item. An achievement would be nice?

  
  

  Notes: The Giving Garden is what the Discard option wishes it could be.

  
  

  How often do you play Trachops Fruity Treasures?

  7/19 - Only when I have to.

  3/19 - Never.

  2/19 - A few times a week.

  2/19 - Once a day

  1/19 - Less than an hour

  1/19 - Played once on the phone, didn't work well.

  1/19 - I don't play other games because Memory is the best money maker.

  1/19 - Rarely. It's quick and easy, but not pretty to look at or fluid.

  1/19 - It looks bad, plays bad, and isn't worth it for 5,000 SC.

  
  

  Notes: Trachops Fruity Treasures is truthfully the biggest con I've heard about Sensipets from folks and not just from this survey. It's definitely in its infancy and is underwhelming as a source of income with the existence of pet requests and Memory. While it would benefit greatly from a re-balance and polish, it might be better set it low on the priority list until time can be dedicated to helping it rise in rank.

  
  

  How often do you play Memory?

  5/20 - A few times a day

  5/20 - Only when I have to

  3/20 - A few times a week

  2/20 - Once a day

  2/20 - Less than an hour

  2/20 - Never

  1/20 - I kinda forget to.

  
  

  Notes: Memory is massively popular for its quick ability to amass wealth as an active user. The only con I've repeatedly heard is that it works poorly on the phone due to the poor layout. It's difficult to convert a game like Memory into one that is suitable for the phone, and will likely take a good bit of testing and fiddling to get it just right for mobile users.

  
  

  How often do you play Elementals?

  6/20 - A few times a week

  6/20 - Once a day/Spamming one element quickly

  5/20 - Only when I have to

  3/20 - Never

  
  

  Notes: Elementals is 1 of 3 dailies on the site (followed by Soup Kitchen and Bank Interest), and despite being easy to play and resulting in quick immediate cash, it has been overrun by the pros of other options on site. While there's no penalty for losing, the rewards are just too low and pet requests offer a quick drop and dash option for more reward. Mobile users have stated the notifications get in their way, making it a quick decision for them to do anything else. Even a single game of Beginner Memory will net you more funds faster for whatever is needed.

  
  

  How often do you play Mystic Grove (Gardening)?

  12/20 - A few times a day

  3/20 - Less than an hour

  2/20 - A few times a week

  1/20 - Only when I have to

  1/20 - Never

  1/20 - All day usually

  
  

  Notes: Coupled with the results of Questions 4 & 5, I'd think it'd be safe to say that folks are often playing Sensipets for the Gardening feature (In my upcoming Coloring study I state the site should consider calling itself Sensiseeds LOL).

  
  

  If you play, why do you play Mystic Grove (Gardening)?

  9/20 - Finding new things to grow

  6/20 - Collecting/Hoarding

  3/20 - Searching for Pet Species berries or Familiars.

  2/20 - Repetitive task with relatively instant gratification

  1/20 - Haven't played it yet

  
  

  Notes: It isn't a shock peeps love the Gardening feature. It's arguably the most interactive and unique feature on the site, so I'm not surprised with any of the results involving its usage. I expected there to be a higher amount in this sample looking for pet species, but it also makes sense given most people have made the pets they've wanted and are either only going after the 3 un-creatable pets or not at all.

  
  

  How often do you do pet requests?

  15/20 - A few times a day/As often as possible

  2/20 - A few times a week

  1/20 - Only when I have to

  1/20 - Haven't played it yet

  1/20 - I did more before pets maxed out stats

  
  

  Notes: I feel pet requests and gardening are the ultimate killers of the other games/features on site. They provide items and currency, a sense of accomplishment, and are both 'drop-n-go'. Neither require you to stay on or focused on the site, so its a nice asset to users who don't have a ton of free time to invest in games.

  
  

  What rewards do you look for in pet requests?

  13 votes - Mystery Items

  11 votes - Currency, Pet Stats

  7 votes - NPC Reputation

  4 votes - Doesn't matter/Don't Care

  1 vote - Didn't know it existed

  1 vote - Haven't played it yet

  
  

  Notes: I'm actually surprised with how many people love the mystery items. Currently, it's extremely easy to obtain all items on site (minus pet species seeds due to paid content), so I imagine it's more "what rando thing will I get" versus "I'm trying to get this item".

  
  

  Do you participate in the fanart contests?

  14/18 - No

  4/18 - Yes

  
  

  Do you participate in the forums?

  13/20 - If something is interesting

  3/20 - No

  2/20 - Yes, daily if I can

  1/20 - Rarely

  1/20 - Haven't posted yet

  
  

  Notes: Given this survey was posted in the forums and apparently sometimes in the Discord? These results make sense LOL.

  
  

  Next up for the finale is Financial Support & Merchandise and Future Features!

  ~ Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind ~

  ~ You're working so damn hard, you forgot what you like ~

  🏳️‍⚧️🐕‍🦺 

  
  

• Sep 20, 2021, 7:23 PM(edited)

  #3

  FINANCIAL SUPPORT & MERCHANDISE

  
  

  Are you a subscriber?

  14/20 - No

  5/20 - Yes.

  1/20 - We can subscribe??

  
  

  What package do you subscribe to?

  1/2 - 3.99

  1/2 - 9.99

  
  

  Notes: This question in particular was added in late so it's obviously an inaccurate read for the sample. I can at the bare minimum deduce that 2 of the 5 subscribers are free, as they've been confirmed to be staff, leaving 3 others to be users.

  
  

  Why do you subscribe? Select all that apply.

  4 votes - To support the site

  3 votes - Extra pets, extra inventory, extra garden pots

  2 votes - Behind-the-scenes Discord channel

  1 vote - Free/Staff

  1 vote - Not subscribed yet, but will in future to support site!

  
  

  Notes: This one has a bit of a discrepancy as well. 5 folks subscribed, but there were 7 responses here. Judging by the answers, there are two users who haven't subscribed, plan to, and are doing so to support the site.

  
  

  What is preventing you from subscribing? Select all that apply.

  7 votes - No money/too expensive

  2 vote - Want extra incentives or extra perks like # of tickets per months

  1 vote - Scared of subscribing due to not knowing where extra pets/inventory goes.

  1 vote - Site isn't at a stage where subscriptions are worth it

  1 vote - Joined and had no idea

  
  

  Notes: This one surprised me. To start, there needs to be a description regarding the details of subscribing, as I have seen this question and been involved in it again and again in the forums. What shocked me however is how many people don't find the incentives worth it. I'm not aware of any other pet site that offers double the pet slots, double the inventory and double a game's reward gain and am REALLY curious on what folks would consider a valid reason to subscribe to the site.

  
  

  I agree that the site is too early in its stage to ask for subscriptions, and it has been talked about how a Kickstarter may have been a better idea to help boost the advancement of the site. Folks that I have recommended Sensipets to found it a red flag that a site in Alpha, the first stage of testing, is doing subscription fundraising. Whether there's a plan in place to add incentives to subscriptions, opt for a Kickstarter or avoiding both options in lieu of another alternative, we'll see!

  
  

  Have you donated to Sensipets?

  7/20 - No.

  3/20 - Yes!

  5/20 - No, but would like to.

  5/20 - Unaware of donation option

  
  

  Notes: I think there overall needs to be better explanation of the paid options on the website, especially since the site does need funding of some kind, so placing this high on the priority list might be wise!

  
  

  Have you purchased tickets before?

  10/20 - No.

  5/20 - No but I'd like to.

  4/20 - I have!

  1/20 - What are tickets??

  
  

  Notes: I would have put in a question asking what they buy tickets for but 90% of the ticket options are clothing with 1 item specific to the gardening game... so I feel the two choices would be pretty obvious LOL.

  
  

  Have you purchased merchandise?

  11/20 - No.

  6/20 - No but would like to.

  2/20 - There's merchandise??

  1/20 - Yes!

  
  

  What have you purchased? Select all that apply.

  1 vote - Candles

  
  

  If not, why not? Select all that apply.

  7 votes - Not interested.

  4 votes - Not the right kind of merchandise

  5 votes - Didn't know it existed/ There's stickers and buttons?!

  2 votes - No money

  1 vote - Too expensive

  1 vote - Would buy plushies

  1 vote - Haven't yet.

  
  

  Notes: Viewing the shop, there's clearly been more sales than one, so those who have purchased either weren't interested in the survey or didn't view the forums/discord often enough to see it.

  
  

  
  

  FUTURE FEATURES & AUDIENCE

  
  

  What are your favorite parts about Sensipets?

  - The pets, cute pets

  - What the team adds for original and fresh ideas

  - Gardening features, Collecting seeds/berries, Growing food for pets

  - Avatar inclusion

  - Friendly staff and players, laid-back forums, the people, staff interaction, chatting

  - Interesting NPCs, Befriending NPCs

  - Like the art, cute art for pets

  - Requests

  - Species options

  - Changing pet colors with food

  - Sharing art

  - Intuitive UI/UX

  - Not much

  - Nostalgic concept being explored in an inclusive way

  - Finding secrets

  - Games

  - Training stats

  Notes: I don't think anyone's surprised a good portion of the answers lean towards the pets and community!

  What kinds of features would you like to see in Sensipets?

  - Other ways to change pet colors

  - More gardening

  - More NPC interactions

  - Higher stats

  - More clothing for avatars, clothing option for pets, more pet customization, more ways to entertain pets, backgrounds for pets

  - Different pet skins like pirate, baby, etc.

  - Lore, site wide plotlines

  - Trading

  - Combat system

  - More games, lottery games, better games

  - More contest variety outside of fanart, more community events

  - Temporary subscriber benefits via in-game currency payment or ticket purchased

  - More places to explore

  - More dailies

  - Player shops and galleries

  - Anything that makes it more of a pet site

  - More features in general, more content

  - Toys that don't break immediately

  - More pets

  - Battle system

  Notes: There's a TON to cover when it comes to adding new content, and it would be nice to see staff reveal a comprehensive roadmap for the future of the site. A popular feature on Flight Rising is the transparency of the staff to provide upcoming information and more concrete deadlines when to expect them. This is always a good idea as it encourages and incentivizes users to stay on site, even during the slow periods of low updates.

  
  

  A side note is that there are hints around the site in regards to adding educational/real-world progressive content. While this is a unique take with a pet site (I only know of Nutrinopets who implemented this, albeit poorly), when gathering information from users on other pet sites, many don't seem interested with connecting the real world to their experiences on pet sites, as many use it as a means of escape, taking much needed mental breaks from college or jobs, or needing to connect with a like-minded community unaffected by heavy topics seen on social media today.

  
  

  There isn't enough information from staff to know just what kind of educational content will be added or how it will function beside all other features, but that'll likely be revealed the closer we get to a release.

  How old are you?

  1/20 - 13 to 17

  4/20 - 18 to 22

  6/20 - 23 to 27

  6/20 - 28 to 32

  3/20 - 33 to 37

  Notes: I think it's going to be obvious that with pet sites, the age range is going to be extremely wide, and as always, its going to be wise on staff's part to ensure those under 17 (1 answered here, but I imagine there's many more) are given a safe environment to explore with very clear guidelines aimed towards all users with what kind of content is accepted.

  
  

  Conclusion

  
  

  I think it's safe to say that despite a small sampling of what are considered active users, there is a lot of expectation towards future features and how the staff chooses to implement them, as well as how they approach them. As the site grows, there's going to likely be a need for more moderators and less personal interaction from the creative staff responsible for output.

  
  

  When there's a much more significant amount of users on the site, I'd like to redo this study to gauge a more accurate picture of user expectations. It was actually pretty difficult getting even 20 people to answer the survey, taking a little over a week. This could have happened for a variety of reasons, ranging from no interest in providing feedback/input, not engaging in the forums or Discord, or just not active online the site enough to provide information or see the survey.

  Anyway, here's hoping the staff keeps a clear ear open to hearing from users, and here's to the future!

  
  

  ~ Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind ~

  ~ You're working so damn hard, you forgot what you like ~

  🏳️‍⚧️🐕‍🦺 

  
  

• Sep 20, 2021, 7:24 PM(edited)

  #4

  For those who requested artwork for doing the survey, I believe I have a couple left over, and will complete those this week for you, so thank you for being patient!

  ~ Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind ~

  ~ You're working so damn hard, you forgot what you like ~

  🏳️‍⚧️🐕‍🦺 

  
  

• Sep 20, 2021, 8:58 PM(edited)

  #5

  Next study coming up is an analysis of the Coloring mechanic, and boy, I gotta tell you, it feels WRONG to see my pets in colors not made for them LOL.

  ~ Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind ~

  ~ You're working so damn hard, you forgot what you like ~

  🏳️‍⚧️🐕‍🦺 

  
  

• Sep 21, 2021, 12:21 PM(edited)

  #6

  Interesting results! I wonder how many artists the site has, they might have their work cut out for them with all the clothes people want SDJGJDGS

  
  

  Also hi, I'm the 3rd subscriber that did the survey too early to see the question! I got whatever 6 months costs since I had an old visa giftcard (I never know what to do with those!)

  💖💛💙 sööp 💙💛💖

  (any pronouns)

• in reply to @Shard

  Sep 21, 2021, 3:40 PM(edited)

  #7

  Replying to @Shard

  Interesting results! I wonder how many artists the site has, they might have their work cut out for them with all the clothes people want SDJGJDGS

  
  

  Also hi, I'm the 3rd subscriber that did the survey too early to see the question! I got whatever 6 months costs since I had an old visa giftcard (I never know what to do with those!)

  Aha! We have discovered the culprit LOL

  
  

  From what I understand, there's one or two artists per set on site? So for example, @ArtsyAxolotl does the pet artwork. So I imagine they either have or or two people doing the items. The art style is consistent enough in the items which makes me think its just one person.

  ~ Come hang out 'cause you're out of your mind ~

  ~ You're working so damn hard, you forgot what you like ~

  🏳️‍⚧️🐕‍🦺 

  
  

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