The Problem with Old Editions in Splinterlands (Part 2)

Best regards Splinterlovers 💚

In the first post of this series, I discussed the issues surrounding older editions: the lack of trading volume, the very low demand, and what this means for these cards that marked the beginning and success of Splinterlands over time. While I understand that new cards need to be stronger and more useful in battle, the reality is that we need to find a way to make these cards more valuable within the economy so that loyal, long-time players can still benefit from them.

That’s why, if you’re not familiar with all the issues surrounding these editions, clicking HERE will let you read about what I’m talking about. Although in this second part we’ll now focus more on practical steps and ideas that can be implemented to try to resolve all of this and boost the volume and demand for these cards, because—even if players see it negatively—the more volume and liquidity there is overall, the more activity there will be on the chain, which ultimately is very important for the entire ecosystem.

So, if you want to know what ideas I have for breathing new life into old cards, keep reading this post until the end, and I hope you'll let me know which one you like best:

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Proposals to “Revitalize” Demand for “Wild” Cards

Okay, in this section I’ll discuss three proposals related to mechanics that already exist in the game. While practically everything I’ll mention relates to existing game elements, a few of them might include something new—but I’ll cover that in the next section. With that out of the way, let’s dive into the content and proposals that could revitalize the much-needed demand for “Wild” cards.

Proposals for Revitalizing Old Menus

• GLINT Multipliers Based on Ownership History: The current way GLINT is earned is based solely on matches won in ranked battles. That’s why we could implement a system where players who own cards from these older editions receive a higher bonus than the one already in place for “Wild” battles. As I mentioned, this already exists, but the BONUS should be higher than the current one and should only affect the GLINT we can earn, not the SPS.

• “Legacy” Tournaments with VOUCHER Entry: This is a simple idea that could be easily implemented, where tournaments are created for a specific edition—such as “Untamed” or “Chaos”—and the entry fee is the VOUCHER. I think that if these types of events are held more frequently, demand for the cards could rise; however, it depends on the prize being offered—if it’s substantial, many people will be looking for cards from older editions to play and win the rewards.

• Integration with the Exemplar System: I love this system because it lets you customize a card based on the player’s “Avatar”—something that’s never been seen in any other game. However, getting straight to the point, it would be interesting to allow the Exemplar system to interact with cards from older editions, where our Exemplar could gain abilities from one of our older cards through a burn process, with certain clear limits, of course.

Other “Offers” (Themed Seasons, Exclusive Titles, and more…)

In this second part of the post, the ideas are a bit different and, if you will, more versatile than the previous ones; however, I think they’re good ideas that could revive demand for older cards and allow capital (liquidity) to flow much more freely throughout the game. After all, a liquid market is what everyone wants to be able to move freely, because, sure, it’s fine to spend money on the game—the team has to get paid somehow— but we, as players and long-time supporters of the project with capital tied up, would also like to have new cards—and we would have them if the market were liquid.

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Anyway, I got a little off track, but let's get back to the remaining points to wrap up this post:

More versatile general options

• Themed Seasons (The Awakening of the Alphas): The idea is simple: over the course of several seasons, certain changes will be implemented in the game, but they will focus exclusively on older cards, giving these cards a "buff" that directly impacts their stats—and only in the "Wild Format." This would undoubtedly create demand, forcing players to buy or rent these cards to stay at the top of their rankings.

• Exclusive Achievements and Titles for “Collectors”: Titles in Splinterlands serve certain purposes within the game; one of the most important is to demonstrate a player’s status. The idea is to introduce titles that are non-transferable and are automatically earned by having a complete SET of an older edition at the maximum level. The idea is that these titles grant certain benefits, such as obtaining resources in lands, discounts on energy, and so on.

• The arrival of “Ancient Essence”: This is one of my favorites, but it might never come to pass. The idea is to create a mechanism that directly benefits land cards through ancient cards, where those cards can be converted into a resource called “Ancient Essence,” which would be used during the land’s third phase to craft spells and artifacts that enhance various aspects of the lands and our own cards. If this comes to pass, I’d need it to improve in “Modern,” but you’d need to leverage the ancient cards to achieve it—a win-win for everyone.

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Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this post, and especially the ideas that could be implemented to improve demand, liquidity, and volume for these cards—something that would benefit the entire ecosystem if one or more of these ideas were to be implemented in the game. One thing I didn’t mention is that it would be great to hold special “Black Foil” giveaways and raffles for all these types of rarities for those who have older cards in their collections; this could also help.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to comment on this post.