A much as I have loved Splinterlands during the last 5 years, there also always has been quite some frustration as many obvious flaws have yet to be fixed. These are some improvements that I see as much needed in order to get a bigger adoption...
The Big Splinterlands Strength!
To start off on a positive note, the one thing that every Play2Earn game needs but only a few succeed in is to have a Fun Core Gameplay Loop. Splinterlands for sure has this with the way battles work along with upgrading of cards and the current economy. The game remains fun if you have some time to put your focus on it and also not unimportant, it is a game that you can 'build your life around' and be invested in as a daily hobby similar to Hearthstone, World Of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, Sorare, ...
However, at the same time there are so many flaws which makes it hard for the game to really get a wider adoption. These are some things that need to be improved...
- Invest a lot of money to reach the fun gameplay at Gold Level or higher
- Understand the Dynamics & Economics of the Game
- Grind at least 60 minutes each day without exception
- Put up with the extreme Pay2Win Mechanics
- Be willing to see card values go down over time
- Skip fun experimentation for optimal play
- ...
To go in a bit more detail on each:
Sure it's possible to just rent cards but this is a major hassle still and just not friendly toward new players with so many different cards while they have no clue about any of them. If you want to play gold or higher, you quickly have to drop 2000$-5000$ every year to keep up with the modern league as packs simply are expensive. No matter how much you spent, you will also always feel like you are lacking unless you have a complete set.
Improvement: Splinterlands should have a game mode that is pay2play where a new player can pay a microtransaction in order to play the game that is the most fun possible and where everyone plays on a level playing field. This in a way that makes them learn the game while giving a fair challenge. There is no other requirement for this aside from getting the spellbook which should include a couple entries to this game mode. There should also be some rewards that are higher compared to the entry price for those that perform best and a slight loss for weaker players. I already wrote how exactly this can be done a couple of weeks in my article on Fixing The Onboarding Problem
For new players, after the easy way to get in with the credits system buying the spellbook, things get just ridiculously complicated. There is DEC, SPS that needs to be staked in order to get rewards, the card level up system, leagues, Vouchers, Energy, Daily Focus, Modern, Wild, 600+ Cards to choose from, Gameplay Dynamics to learn, ...
Honestly, right now if anyone asks me if they should get into Splinterlands I tell them not to because it's all just too much to grasp and I also wouldn't like to be the one to explain every single aspect of the game.
Improvement: Also here, a simple easy to understand game mode where new players don't have too many things to think about but instead can just have their focus on the fun core gameplay and getting a hang of that would do wonders. Once they are passed that, they easily can explore the ecosystem further without being scared away instantly.
The fact that you are obligated as a player to play at least 60+ minutes each and every day without exception in order to get your rewards so it at least compensates to drop in card prices over time is totally bonkers. This just narrows the potential players like crazy as almost nobody has time for this (unless there is a bull market and earnings are totally irrational). This dynamic also takes away so much fun of the game as oftentimes I'm rushing in some battles just because I have to and not because I actually want to play at that time. When I do have time and really feel like playing, the game also is just so much more enjoyable. Right now the pressure to play each and every day is just way too high an unrealistic for an adoption aside from a niche player base who really build their life around Splinterlands.
Improvement: Also here could a pay2play game mode be a possible solution allowing a base of players who come in at times they actually want to play instead of having to play every day. I'm sure there could be other solutions for this problem.
While for sure there is skill involved in Splinterlands, in the end, it is the ultimate Pay2Win game which can make it really frustrating for new players who simply don't have the needed cards. The game is most fun when you have a really wide collection of cards and are matched up in a fair duel which often result in very similar decks. At the same time, collecting more cards and completing your collection is surely a fun aspect of Splinterlands.
Improvement: Have a game mode were everyone is on a level playing field giving them access to all cards which are provided by those who own them in an easy way with part of the fees to play going to them as a 1-click rental income.
With all the changes and nerfs that have been made in the past year to make the economy more sustainable, it has also come with a dynamic where all the utility is pushed toward the newest card set. This makes it that cards are bound to decrease in value over time and only part of that decrease can be recovered by the rewards that are earned. The problem this brings about is that Splinterlands has just become a losing proposition instead of a Play2Earn game. I do understand though that the idea of buying cards once and earning with them forever also isn't realistic. This doesn't mean that more should be done to make sure that card valued over time don't get hit as hard as they have in recent years.
The chart says it all as despite the crazy inflow of new cards from Chaos Legion, Riftwachters, Rebellion it continues to be in a decline overall.
One of the other issues I have with the game is that it's impossible to experience one of the most fun aspects of the game which is experimenting with different fun decks since the ranked mode pretty much always forces you to play optimally based on the 3 different game rules. It's like the game plays itself after some time. In the past, I bought multiple cards just because I wanted to have fun with them. But when it came down to it, I always chose more optimal decks and never really got to have the fun I wanted.
Improvement: Again here, a fun new game mode that allows for experimentation somehow would enhance the game so much and make it more fun.
Conclusion
If Splinterlands wants to get wider adoption, it really needs to become way more friendly toward new players. You can't have a requirement to be obligated to play 60+ minutes each and every day. This is on top of having to invest 2000$-5000$ every year to keep up with Modern League while it's almost guaranteed that the value of your collection will trend down more than the earnings that you get. A combination of some new game modes that are very friendly to new players and more card-burning mechanics could make a world of difference for the game.
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