The Beginning of my Splinterlands Journey
I have been blogging on the blockchain since October 2019 last year, and have not really explored any of the decentralized gaming application that are also built on the blockchain. I got really curious which gaming platform is the most popular among all decentralized games, and you've guessed it right - it's Splinterlands! - ranking first on gaming category on StateoftheDapps.com the most popular online listing for decentralized applications on the internet.
However, it was only this week that started using my account. Because I am registered on the STEEM blockchain, my account on Splinterlands was also automatically created by the platform. This means that I can use my account anytime I want, and this week, I started playing seriously.
Exploring Splinterlands
I spent a few dollars to purchase my first set of cards, and started exploring the platform. I discovered immediately the icons on the upper left corner of the site, and if you hover your mouse on each you'll notice the following:
- SHOP - This is where you can buy expansion packs for 2,000 credits equivalent to $2 or approximately PHP 102. Each expansion pack has 5 randomly selected card from the UNTAMED expansion set. You can also buy potions, orbs and skins from the shop. I bought a few packs from this shop using credits and crypto.
- OPEN - This is where you can open your purchased pack. All you need to do is to drag a card pack from the inventory panel to that mystical looking well that swirls on your right. It took me a bit of time to figure this out because when I purchased my first pack, I did not really know where it went. It is also important to note that you need to drag one pack at a time, so if you bought 100 packs that means you'll drag a pack 100 times to the mystical well on your right.
- MARKET - This is where you can purchase cards for your deck. It is important to note certain codes: LVL means level, the higher this is the more powerful your card becomes, while BCX means 'base card experience' which refers to the number of individual cards that have been combined to make up this card. Note that in order to level up a card you need to reach the required number of BCX and must combine similar cards. You'll find the required BCX to level up when you click on the card's STATS just look for the number of cards that you need to collect in order to reach the next level.
- CARDS - This is where you can find your playable and owned cards. You can also use the drop-down filter to find cards that you're selling, leasing and cards you've rented.
- BATTLE - If you want to rank up, this is where you need to go. You can rise on the leaderboard by battling other players on Splinterland. The higher your ranking points is the higher you'll go up the ranking board or leagues. Everyone starts as a novice, then bronze, then silver, then gold, next is diamond, and finally the highest rank is reserved for champions. Champions are players whose ranking points have reached 3,700+. My rank right now is Gold, and I need a few more points to reach diamond. In a few days, the season will end, and loots according to ranks will be rewarded to players who participated on this season. I am absolutely excited to see what's inside these loots.
- EVENTS - If you're more interested on sponsored events where you can earn more money, then this is where you go. Everyday, different ranking events are organized, and certain conditions must be satisfied before a player can participate. Some events will require a participation fee, while some are free to join. Regardless, winning an event can be rewarding as sponsors are pretty generous when it comes to prizes for winning players.
- GUILDS - This is where you can join a guild. I have not really joined a guild yet but what I have read so far is that guilds can give you discount privileges which can be pretty useful when making purchases from the market.
- FAQS - This is the last button and it is for frequently asked questions! :-)
How to Earn Cryptocurrency on Splinterlands
I can honestly say that the gameplay has me addicted, and I just couldn't stop myself from playing continuously. It bothered me though that my Energy Capture Rate (ECR) has started dropping below 50% which means that I can only earn less than half of the Dark Energy Crystal (DEC) from each ranked match win. I found out that I can only rise in the Leaderboard by battling other players on the platform, however, I notice that every time I battle a player, whether I win or lose, my ECR would drop by a few percentage. This means that If I play non-stop, my ECR would drop so low that even if I win a battle, I will not be earning any DEC.
I guess your curious what DECs are. Well, unlike most online games, Splinterlands has its own digital currency that you can earn and spend in the game. DECs are actually tokens that you can exchange for other cryptocurrencies which you can trade on decentralized exchanges. I have been using the Steem-Engine and TronLink to switch back and forth between these digital money - STEEM to DEC, DEC to TRX, then TRX to DEC. I know that I can also use HIVE now, but unlike TRX and STEEM, it is still a bit challenging to use HIVE on Splinterlands.
So how do you earn more DECs?
- WIN THE BATTLE - You can earn DECs by winning the battles against other Splinterland players. High ECR and winning streaks contribute to earning more DECs. You can also earn DECs by winning battles on events. This can be pretty difficult though for novice players as veteran players who are participating on events have better card set-ups and most novice players have not gained enough experience and familiarity yet to make quick decisions up front and under 3 minutes before each round. Poorly made card set-ups can result to a disastrous loss in battle, and player needs to gain some mastery of each element before even engaging in battle.
- SELL YOUR UNUSED CARDS - A quick tour of the market will give you some idea of how much each card is worth. Of course, certain cards worth may increase or decrease depending on the price on the market. As more players become more interested or disinterested on certain cards, the value of the card will also change. Not all cards in hand will be useful to players, some will remain unused for a very long period of time. It is recommended that these cards are sold on the the market so that other players can purchase them.
- RENT YOUR CARDS - An interesting feature of this game is the leasing facility. Once can actually lease cards to other players at a price. This can be a pretty useful way to earn passive income for some players.
Is Splinterlands Boring?
In five days, I have played a total of 280 battles, reached Gold I League, and spent more hours on Splinterlands than on Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram combined. If that is not addiction, then I am unsure what is.
I have played several online card games, and level up games in the past, and one thing that really got me frustrated with most of these games is how unfair the gameplays are. Most online games are just really there to trap players into this sense of accomplishment that will keep them spending more money to build stronger characters with no real sense of strategy.
The experience I am getting on Splinterlands is different though. Having the most expensive card is not a guarantee of winning the battle. Battle conditions vary, with rules changed and mana caps placed. Players are required to make quick decisions on which element to use, which summoner to play, and how monsters are arranged on the battle field. In less than 3 minutes, battle decisions are made and winners are awarded DECs while losing players ranking are penalized. I love how every match is packed with strategic decisions which players make in less than three minutes.
Up Next
On my next post, I will write about my experience on converting DECs to other cryptocurrencies, and how easy it is to actually move your DECs from the platform to any of your favorite exchanges.
Thank you so much for reading my article. If you haven't started playing yet head over to Splinterlands.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://pinoyviajero.blog/splinterlands-the-beginning-of-my-journey-to-gold-i-league-and-more/