Episode 78: A Cryptomancer Conversation
Welcome back to the People's Guild. This week we make a return visit to Tokyo, Japan as we sit down with everyone's favorite lead dev over at team Splinterlands, 
We get the rundown on all things CM's latest passion project, Rebellion conflicts, and also hear what's coming for guilds, guild brawls and beyond.
Always good to get a chance to hang out with Cryptomancer - especially true with so much coming in the next few weeks to be excited about here in Praetoria.
Enjoy the show!
Land Release: Challenges and Lessons Learned
The team, including Bjangles, Cryptomancer, and Hepthorn, discussed the upcoming release of their project "Land", which has been in development for over a year. Cryptomancer shared his relief at finally reaching the release milestone and the challenges faced, particularly in coordinating a large team. The discussion also touched on past experiences and lessons learned, with Cryptomancer highlighting the difficulties in meeting the release date due to unexpected bugs and complications. The team found it challenging to define a 'state of done' as new bugs emerged, leading to a spiderweb effect where resolving one bug created more. This was due to the project's use of a new architecture and coding strategy, which was different from previous parts of the game and necessitated a shift in coding philosophy.
Balancing Public and Private in New System
The participants discussed the balance between public and private information within their new system, with Cryptomancer suggesting a limit to what others can see about other people's accounts. They then shifted their discussion to the number of plots each participant owned and planned to operate. Cryptomancer suggested starting with a few hundred plots in the first couple of days and gradually increasing. Bjangles emphasized that the new system is a long-term play, encouraging participants to shift their perspective to building their plots over time. They also discussed the gradual increase of Dec staking on land as more plots are utilized over time. The conversation also touched on the anticipation of the 2.0 white paper and the upcoming Grain LP. The main decision point was whether to keep current plot production or switch to a different type, with Cryptomancer suggesting a 24-hour process to make such changes.
Chaos Legion and Rebellion Set Focus: Adaptability and Future Updates
Cryptomancer emphasized the importance of adaptability in the game and announced his decision to focus on maintaining a modern deck, specifically the Chaos Legion set and Rebellion. The team discussed the upcoming changes in mechanics and the introduction of the "Rebellion" set, highlighting the new tactics phase and the addition of a new conflicts mechanic for airdrops. The team also discussed the potential for future expansions and updates, including the possibility of adding additional passive battling elements and introducing PvE elements. The conflicts mechanic was discussed as a way to bring together different aspects of the game.
Card Game Strategy: Ambush and Weapons Training
The team discussed the potential impact of the "ambush" ability in their card game strategy. Cryptomancer suggested using it on a "recharge" card or a rare dragon summoner to enhance its abilities, which Bjangles agreed could change the game dynamics. The conversation then shifted to cards with weapon abilities but no attacks, which Cryptomancer confirmed were intentionally designed to be paired with weapons training for increased synergy. Bjangles highlighted the significance of weapons training buffs and their potential to change the game dynamics. The group agreed that observing the outcome of the weapons training meta would be interesting.
Rebellion Set and Chaos Legion Set Progress
Cryptomancer and Bjangles discussed the progress of the rebellion set and the Chaos Legion set. Cryptomancer praised Tim's work on the rebellion set and the distribution of knowledge and responsibility among the team, highlighting the growth and efficiency of their team. He also praised the impact of new updates on the game, including the Kool Mine Hunter card, and emphasized the importance of maintaining the relevance of older card sets. The conversation ended with Cryptomancer promising surprises from the creative ways players will use the new cards.
Airdrop Cards and Wagon Purchase Details
The team discussed the upcoming airdrop cards for the game's expansion set. The Cryptomancer confirmed that there will be nine airdrop cards, but the mechanics and abilities have already been revealed. The airdrop cards will be linked to conflicts, which will have a predetermined end date, and the card will be available immediately after. The amount of cards available will be proportional to the contributions of players, creating a competitive aspect. Leaderboards will also be available for players to track their progress. The Cryptomancer also clarified that wagons will be exclusively purchased with vouchers, at a rate of 10 vouchers per wagon. Finally, Bjangles asked about the possibility of a scaling pack purchase requirement for the airdrops, but the Cryptomancer did not confirm this.
New Airdrop Card System Discussed
The team discussed the new airdrop card distribution system. Cryptomancer clarified that there would be no minimum guarantees with the new system, but a minimum number of contribution points would be needed to have a chance at getting an airdrop card. The system works by staking packs and cards to earn points per hour, with each accumulated 50,000 points providing one chance at an Airdrop card. The more chances one accumulates, the higher the potential odds of getting a card, but it's not guaranteed. The exact odds depend on the total number of chances accumulated by all players. Bjangles asked about the distribution of excess cards if there are more airdrop chances than cards, to which Cryptomancer clarified that any leftover cards would not be distributed. hepthorn asked about the distribution of points based on card rarity, and Cryptomancer confirmed that the type of card doesn't matter for accumulating airdrop chances. He also introduced a new mechanic where users can increase their chances of getting gold foil cards by spending vouchers. All vouchers used for this purpose will be burned.
Improving Airdrop Card Design Process
Cryptomancer and Bjangles discussed improving the process of designing and distributing airdrop cards for their game. They admitted past issues with last-minute card design and agreed on the need for more planning and foresight. They also decided to allow immediate claiming of airdrop cards once the end date is reached. The conversation also touched on the introduction of new summoners and abilities, and the balancing act involved in creating new cards to prevent power creep and maintain fairness. They emphasized the importance of not making any card universally useful and the strategy of giving value to previously undervalued cards.
Death-Themed Splinter and Game Set Discussions
Bjangles, Hepthorn, and Cryptomancer discussed their interest in the death-themed splinter and the corrosive ward ability. Cryptomancer suggested that future sets might address overlooked aspects, and the group discussed the potential for buffing the cripple ability. They also discussed the artwork on new death cards and expressed excitement and challenges about a new game set. The group agreed that it would take time to understand which elements work best together and emphasized the need for experimentation. They also discussed upcoming changes to the brawl phrase and the introduction of Rebellion. The group expressed excitement about the upcoming events in Splinterlands and anticipated improvements to the user experience and user interface. The discussion ended with Bjangles seeking insights into the development team's focus areas, especially in enhancing the economy and polishing the user interface.
Guild Updates and Future Plans
The team discussed future plans, with a focus on game development and updates. Cryptomancer mentioned that plans are still unclear after the launch of land and rebellion, but there are plans to focus on guilds, including overhauling the guild ratings and adding new buildings and benefits. Bjangles inquired about the potential introduction of new buildings into guilds, to which Cryptomancer responded that these are still early concepts and no code has been written yet. Hepthorn reassured the team that changes are expected and Cryptomancer emphasized that all plans are subject to change. The discussion ended with Bjangles asking about the next batch of reward cards, to which Cryptomancer responded that he hasn't heard of any internal discussions about it yet.
Reward and Gladiator Cards Future Discussed
There was a discussion about the future of reward and gladiator cards in the game. Cryptomancer hinted at the possibility of new reward cards being introduced next year, but no concrete plans were shared. The conversation also revolved around the gladiator cards, which have been around since the game's launch and are seen as powerful but difficult to obtain. Cryptomancer clarified that gladiator cards are separate from other card sets and are always considered modern, regardless of the game mode. There were no indications of new gladiator cards being introduced soon.
Cryptomancer's Malaysia Plans and Product Launch
Cryptomancer shared his plans to visit Malaysia during Christmas and New Year's to monitor their real-life land plots. The discussion also touched on local Malaysian cuisine and a shared interest in a game. The conversation briefly shifted to Mexican food in Tokyo and experiences with Durian, a fruit known for its strong, pungent smell. The participants also discussed a new product launch, expressing excitement and anticipation. Cryptomancer highlighted the team's hard work and dedication in developing the product, and the team expressed a desire to make this an annual event, with plans to invite Cryptomancer back in about 9-10 months.
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