The team acknowledged that they are currently in a "building and designing mode," focusing on developing new features before widely sharing visuals, aiming for releases closer to completion.
Recent Developments & Updates
- The Conclave Arcana Conflicts recently launched.
- The Yappa's Pickle promo event concluded.
- Wagon crafting has been transitioned from direct company purchase to production using land resources.
- Harvest all functionality was added for land by Cryptomancer.
- There have been redesigns of the card collection/market display, battle results, and battle lobby (formerly battle history). The team actively seeks feedback on these UI changes in the Discord UX channel.
- The Android app has been released, but the Apple app was rejected after multiple submission attempts, requiring further review.
Upcoming Projects & Features
- New Game Mode for New Players (Foundation/Basic Format):
- This mode is expected to launch in the next week or two.
- Its exact name is still to be determined, with "Basic Format" currently used internally. Other suggestions like "Genesis Format" or "Foundation Format" are being considered, and community input is encouraged via the Discord UX channel.
- It's designed to help new players learn the game by using only foundation set cards obtained from the tutorial campaign.
- Cards within this mode will be capped at the silver level.
- It will feature a separate energy system from Modern or Wild ranked play, allowing all players (new and existing) to participate.
- Players can earn foundation cards and packs, and raffle tickets for weekly draws. There will be 76 prizes per week for two years, including various foil types like regular, gold, black foil, and arcane variants.
- The concept of daily quests will be reintroduced with this mode.
- The mode is intended as a starting point for new players, not the "coolest" or most complex mode.
- Auctions and Raffles: Upcoming events for the Pickle card and the Voucher Shop card (Tasoshi Draamoto) will allow players to use craftable tokens from land to win exclusive foil types.
- Craftable Land Cards: A new experimental feature is being conceptualized to integrate different parts of the game. These will be collectible cards that enhance land operations with various abilities. An initial "proof of concept" release will include a modest amount of cards (e.g., four) to gauge impact on the economy and community reaction. The specific resource requirements (e.g., Aura) are not yet final and may change.
- Extended Tutorial Campaigns: Plans are in place to add more chapters to the existing 12-chapter tutorial, further teaching players about the game.
- New PVE Campaigns: The creative team has the go-ahead to develop new Player-vs-Environment game modes for all players, which will include boss monsters, a long-awaited feature.
- Guild Overhaul: A major project planned for the end of the year, aiming to make guilds more engaging. This includes redoing guild brawls, integrating new guild buildings that all players can contribute to (not just with DEC), and tying guilds into land, ranked play, and other game modes. The goal is to improve new and existing player retention.
- Player Avatars and Cosmetics: The team is developing a concept for a customizable player avatar that represents the player's "battle mage" character within the game lore. This avatar would have design options, levels, and grant benefits. It would be visible to other players in battles, leaderboards, and guilds, allowing players to showcase their achievements and progress. This will also be tied into the guild overhaul and land.
- Land 2.0 Roadmap: Following the integration of land resources into other game areas, the focus will shift back to the Land 2.0 roadmap, including adding more resources, building leveling, and storage.
- In-Game Trading and Auction Systems: These are on the list of potential future features but are not currently top priority due to limited developer resources.
- New Rule Sets and Mana Caps: The team aims to frequently introduce new rule sets and adjust mana caps to keep gameplay fresh and highlight airdrop cards, though this has been delayed by other projects.
- New Game Mode for New Players (Foundation/Basic Format):
Marketing & Economic Outlook
- Marketing Strategy: Splinterlands is running paid advertisements on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and analyzing their effectiveness (views, click-throughs). A significant ramp-up in marketing efforts is planned after the new player game mode is released, as it will serve as a crucial landing spot for new users.
- Community Support for New Players: The community is encouraged to be welcoming and friendly to new players in Discord channels, potentially steering intense discussions to other channels. The team is also considering a different Discord landing spot for new players than the general "Tavern" channel.
- SPS Token Value: The team's primary focus is on building a high-quality product that encourages players to spend money within the game (e.g., buying packs and cards). This spending, through mechanisms like DEC burning, will naturally drive value to the SPS token, rather than focusing on artificial pumps or encouraging direct token purchases for ROI. They acknowledge a "long slog" due to overhang from 2021-2022 selling, but anticipate appreciation as new demand outpaces selling pressure.
- DAO and Finances: The company's expense rate is approximately $3 million per year. While recent sales have put them ahead of plan, they are not self-sufficient for the entire year and need continued sales. The team states they are roughly at a break-even point and are not losing money, which is a significant improvement from previous years. They have no immediate plans to expand the team without a significant increase in players and revenue, emphasizing caution after past over-expansion.
- The DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) funds the company through proposals, and all game sales (e.g., Conclave Arcana) are managed by the DAO.
- Base Liquidity Pool for SPS: The team views the SPS token's listing on Coinbase's Base network very positively, as it simplifies access for US users. Clay, the manager, was praised for his significant efforts in this area.
- SPS Rental Market: The SPS rental market has declined primarily due to a lack of demand and the introduction of the Wild Pass, which reduced low-investment bot accounts that previously constituted a large part of the rental market.
Team Morale: Generally positive and excited about the new features and improved market conditions. The Conclave Arcana sale provided some "breathing room" financially. Developers acknowledge feeling tired due to a constant stream of updates but are committed and making progress.
DAO's Role and How Investors Can Help: Investors, as stakeholders in the SPS token, are encouraged to think like business owners. They can help by:
- Marketing and promoting the game through word-of-mouth, social media, streams, and videos.
- Assisting with SPS token-related initiatives such as the Base liquidity pool, partnerships, and making the token easier to buy or stake.
- Supporting DAO proposals that fund the company, provided they agree with the proposals' merits.
Q&A
- Conflict Wagon Handling Changes: Dave addressed a question about recent changes to how conflict wagons are handled, clarifying that while the initial assumption was that winning more cards than wagons would be rare, data showed many players were "min-maxing" the system. The intention has always been that a wagon is required for each card won, which effectively acts as a $5 tax contributing to land utility. This change, allowing players to choose whether to buy additional wagon kits for extra cards or decline them, will be implemented starting from Conflict Number Two; for Conflict Number One, players will still receive any extra cards without needing additional wagons. Matt emphasized that the game is dynamic, and changes will continue to be made based on feedback and what works best, even if it means reverting previous decisions.
Base Liquidity Pool (LP): The team expressed strong positive feelings about the SPS token being on Coinbase's Base network, particularly for US users, as it significantly simplifies the process of getting into and out of crypto. They view it as a crucial "bridge" for bringing money into the game and believe it is vital to be part of major crypto ecosystems like Base, with Clay receiving significant praise for his extensive efforts in making this initiative happen.
Basic Spell or Item Card by Year-End: Matt stated that the introduction of a basic spell or item card by the end of the year is "probably not" going to happen, as it would require a comprehensive update to the entire game, far beyond simply releasing a promo card. However, he noted that the team has been implementing foundational tools, such as crafting mechanisms for auction marks and raffle tickets, which are building blocks that will eventually make future features like spell and item cards more efficient to integrate.
App Ads for Basic Format and Spellbook Benefits: Matt confirmed there are no plans to run ads within the app or for the basic format. He believes an ad-driven model would negatively impact the user experience and, given the current player base, would not generate significant revenue, deeming it unworthy. He stated that sufficient Spellbook benefits already exist, with more planned that do not involve advertisements.
"Basic Format" Name for New Player Mode: The name "Basic Format" is currently an internal working title and is "not set in stone". Nate acknowledged that many, including internal team members, agree it could be improved. The team is actively seeking community suggestions in the Discord UX channel for alternative names like "Genesis Format" or "Novice," emphasizing that the chosen name should indicate a clear starting point for new players without sounding like the most advanced or "coolest" mode, encouraging their progression to other game formats.
Team Morale: Overall, team morale is positive. Matt noted that the Conclave Arcana sale exceeded expectations, providing crucial financial "breathing room," and Dave McCoy's assistance with business management has allowed Matt to focus on exciting new feature designs, making him happier and less stressed. Nate expressed excitement about upcoming PvE and avatar features, feeling that the company is "better positioned" than ever due to recent strategic alignments. Investigator (Dev) mentioned that developers are "tired" from a "constant stream of updates" over the past three months but are professional and making good progress on prioritized projects. Dave echoed excitement for current and future developments, acknowledging the developers' hard work.
SPS Token Value and Demand: The team's core strategy to drive SPS token value is not to focus on artificial pumps or direct token purchases for ROI, but rather to build a "high-quality product" that encourages players to spend money within the game (e.g., on packs and cards). This in-game spending, through mechanisms like DEC burning, is intended to naturally increase SPS value. They acknowledge a "long slog" due to selling pressure from the 2021-2022 period but anticipate price appreciation once new demand from in-game purchases consistently outpaces selling pressure.
Guild Quality of Life Update: Guilds are slated for a "complete overhaul and update" by the end of this year, which is considered one of the major upcoming projects. Specific dates are not yet finalized as design work is still ongoing.
New Player Mode for Native Spanish Speakers: The new foundation/Genesis mode will be playable by speakers of any language. However, the team has no immediate plans to provide translations for new content due to existing time and resource constraints. It was also clarified that the new mode will be accessible to all players, not just new ones, and will feature a separate energy system.
SPS Rental Market and Minimum DEC Price: The SPS rental market has declined primarily due to a "lack of demand," significantly influenced by the introduction of the Wild Pass, which effectively eliminated many low-investment bot accounts that previously dominated the rental market. While lowering the minimum DEC price is a possibility, the primary goal is to attract more "real" players to drive genuine demand for SPS renting.
In-Game Trading System: An in-game trading system (and an in-game auctioning system for cards) is "definitely on the list of things" the team would like to implement. However, it is not a top priority currently due to developer resource limitations and other projects being deemed to offer a greater "bang for the buck". The team noted that smaller, foundational UI changes sometimes lay the groundwork for these larger features to be implemented more efficiently in the future.
Financial "Runway": The company's annual expense rate is approximately $3 million. While recent sales have put them ahead of plan, they are not self-sufficient for the entire year and require continued sales. Matt clarified that while cash in the bank might not indicate a long "runway" in the traditional sense, the company generates revenue through product sales, aiming for a "break-even level" which they have achieved, marking a significant improvement from previous years of losing money. The team has no immediate plans to expand without a substantial increase in players and revenue, emphasizing caution after past over-expansion.
Reskinning Older Cards: The team stated they would not simply "go and change the older cards" as their distinct original appearance (like Alpha cards) is considered a positive attribute. However, they have discussed and would like to add skins for cards (both new and old) at some point to allow for different appearances without altering the original visual identity of older cards.
Hardest Game Aspect to Balance: Matt believes the game economy is the hardest aspect to balance, which is his primary area of focus. He noted that Splinterlands' random rule sets and mana costs actually make card stat balancing easier compared to other trading card games, allowing for seemingly "OP" cards that are balanced by specific situational utility. The team also credited community testers for their valuable feedback in achieving good card stat balance.
Frequent New Rule Sets and Mana Caps: Matt strongly agreed with the suggestion to frequently introduce new rule sets and adjust mana caps to keep gameplay fresh and highlight airdrop cards. He acknowledged this has been a long-desired feature that has often been delayed by other projects, but expressed a desire to prioritize it, noting that there are existing Conclave Arcana rule sets that can be slowly rolled out.
20x Multiplier on Soulbound Cards: The team hasn't specifically reviewed this for the current set. However, with the previous set, the 20x multiplier was reduced to 10x when a new reward set was released, slowly ramping back up, and cards became unbindable after a certain period (5-10 months). More information will be available in the next three to four months.
Favorite Game Aspect:
- Investigator enjoys pack opening.
- Nate values the entire ecosystem and particularly enjoys Modern Ranked for quick, refreshing matches.
- Dave is most fond of collectibility, sharing an anecdote about a rare card and forming an exclusive club, highlighting the thrill of collecting.
- Matt currently favors Land, especially with new resources and crafting, finding it a more passive yet engaging aspect suitable for his available time.
Survival Mode Redesign: The team has been fixing specific issues in Survival Mode, particularly concerning liquidity bots. They have a few more months of funding, after which the DAO will decide its future. Matt acknowledged it hasn't performed as hoped but confirmed the concept remains valuable. Regardless of Survival Mode's future, Land is a primary utility for older cards, and efforts will focus on integrating older cards into Land 2.0 and the guild overhaul for continued utility.
How DAO/Investors Can Help: Investors (SPS token holders) should think like business owners. They can help by marketing and promoting the game through word-of-mouth, social media, streams, and videos. They can also assist with SPS token-related initiatives like the Base liquidity pool and partnerships (by reaching out to Clay). Crucially, they should support DAO proposals that fund the company (which is entirely funded by the DAO through sales and proposals) if they agree with the proposals' merits. The team's focus remains on building the best game product, as in-game spending will naturally drive SPS value.
There might be some errors in this summary.
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