I was playing some Splinterlands last night, as I do most nights, or when I have time and I finally scraped into Champion 1, then stopped. With two and a half days to go, I decided just to rent out my cards (the ones that haven't been played) instead of keep playing - Which is sad. But, I just don't want to get knocked out of the league again, as I battle bot after bot after bot.... then not make it back up. I really find it a bit depressing that so many people use bots to play a game. Sure, it is better than them, but do they hold the same attitude with who sleeps with their partner?
So anyway, this is where I am for the end of the season. Currently sitting in 77th position (that will not hold), a shitty ratio well under 50% and 83 Season Chests. Which I used to think was good, except the people botting are getting well north of 100 with far less rounds played - and they don't even have to watch the rounds.
Champions?
As you can see, the botting annoys me. Not because they are better than me, but because it takes so much away from the game, without putting anything in. Farmers and extractors. It is going to be interesting to see what happens if they are able to reduce the bot usage or perhaps, punish it somehow. Let them "live" in the ecosystem, but decrease their percentage rewards for chest rewards, or handicap their cards somehow. Make them like my Doctor Blight - largely useless, as it barely afflicts or drops poison.
It is funny how the mentality to bots in gaming has changed due to crypto, where instead of them being the tools of wankers and cheats, they are tools for farming. And I guess that is what it comes down to - it isn't a game, it is a farming mechanism, so as long as the people who have the power are able to farm the most, they don't mind. Skill used to be talked about in regards to Splinterlands.
That was a while ago.
It is also interesting how little engagement there is by the "top players" in the communities where they could be seen by new players, or perhaps be part of onboarding fresh faces. One of the side effects of those who use bots are lot means that it isn't only their gaming that becomes passive - they get passive too. They stop supporting the network that has given them so much. All of their actions are to maximize their holdings, even if it comes at the expense of the game itself.
This is crypto.
I really wonder if there is any crypto community that will overcome the maximization of the individual problem. I think the closest so far perhaps, is Hive, and I think that this is because there is some face to the name, not just blind accounts - people who actually connect with people - through creative efforts. For the user base, it makes it far more attractive than say, EOS....
All those bots.
Even 
He apparently got so lonely, he looks to a God to save him from the automated life.
Maybe that is the automated life.
Living via proxy.
Looking for someone to save us. Relying on something other to play the game for us.
Life has dealt us cards. In stead of playing our hand, we are handing our hand over to a set of rules in the hope it will maximize our returns, even though we get no experience of living life itself.
That is the trap though, isn't it? We see others benefiting while we miss out, so we start to let ourselves slide into routines, slowly stepping ourselves away from active participation, into passive consumption. We no longer need to think for ourselves, or wear the weight of decision making, the good book of bot has it all outlined. We just have to give up control, and follow along.
Who knows, perhaps at some point I will just give up and set a bot to play my cards or, just give up and sell my cards, or rent or whatever. At this rate, my engagement with other players will get so low that I will have no connection to it at all, so it becomes a farming mechanism for me also. Don't worry - my investment isn't worth that much now - the markets would survive a little longer.
We reap what we sow.
Sleep sounds good about now.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
