The Episode Challenge: The Ultimate Card Pack Challenge Recap

The Episode Challenge: A Praetorian Bounty

The People's Guild: A Splinterlands Podcast

Welcome back to the People's Guild. We've started a new segment of the show in which we aim to engage the writers & content creators out there through a new per-episode challenge.

We've set out a challenge this week to brainstorm & pitch ideas for what the next Splinterlands core set sale could look like - and it's time to review & vote on our entries.

The winner will be determined by a jury of your peers - through the Peakd poll below!

This week we've only 2 contenders - @fatjimmy and @javiss - get ready to rally your votes!

As mentioned in our The Episode Challenge Article, the winner will earn the rights to 50% of the rewards for the post of next week's Challenge, set to drop Tuesday.

Thank you to all who participated!

The Entries

@javiss : The Ultimate Card Pack Challenge: How Can We Sell More Packs without Affecting the Economy?

In this article, Javiss responds to a challenge from TPG, proposing creative ways to improve the sale of Splinterlands card packs without disrupting the game's economy. He begins by explaining what he believes shouldn’t be done, such as offering promotional cards or targeting packs for specific player levels, as these can distort the game’s value.

Javiss then presents two main proposals:

1. Return to Bulk Purchase Discounts: Reintroduce small discounts for bulk purchases, as was previously successful. For example, offering 5% off for 100 packs, 10% off for 500 packs, and 15% off for 2000 packs. This approach encourages players to buy more without destabilizing the economy.

2. Larger Pack Sizes: Instead of offering bonus packs, sell larger packs with more cards. For example, sell a 525-card pack for the price of 100 regular packs or a 2750-card pack for the price of 500 packs. This approach incentivizes bulk purchases while keeping the economy stable. The bonus would only be applied when opening the pack, encouraging players to open rather than resell it.

Javiss concludes that these strategies would boost sales, remain engaging for players, and protect the game's economic balance.

@fatjimmy : The Ultimate Card Pack Challenge, Jimmy!

In this article, FatJimmy addresses the topic of improving pack sales in Splinterlands and argues that $2 per pack is the optimal price point. He notes that many in the community agree $2 was a "sweet spot" for core sets, but despite selling the last two sets at $4 per pack, FatJimmy believes there’s no reason the game can’t return to the lower price.

He dismisses concerns that future $2 packs would devalue past sets, explaining that card prices are driven by utility and scarcity once packs go out of print, regardless of their original price. He points out how Untamed, sold at $2 per pack, still contains some of the priciest cards, while Chaos Legion and Rebellion at $4 per pack led to overprints, over-promotions, and decreased liquidity.

FatJimmy emphasizes that the game needs to be priced correctly to attract new players and prevent creating an entry barrier. He criticizes the current $4 pack price for limiting participation and believes it discourages new players, calling it a key reason why the game is struggling to grow.

To increase accessibility and drive more sales, FatJimmy suggests introducing multiple pack sizes and prices, including smaller packs with no rarity guarantees (e.g., single-card packs for $0.50) and larger packs with slight bonuses (e.g., 330-card packs for $100). He argues this would create a healthier secondary market and promote more excitement, especially if packs were also added back into rewards chests.

Overall, FatJimmy advocates for more flexible and lower pricing to make Splinterlands accessible, ensure card liquidity, and encourage both new and returning players to engage with the game.

Click on #TPGCHALLENGE and be sure to favorite the tag & follow along for all of our future challenges!

As a note, our weekly challenge will be based upon any of the following:

• A Monster or Summoner
• An Ability
• A Ruleset
• An Element
• A Mana Cap
• A suggested Ability or Ruleset
• A Player Bounty
• Wider Splinterlands Questions and Thoughts
• Other Hive-related Games or DAPPS

Also, drop a comment & let us know if this challenge would be something you'd enjoy.

Let the battles begin!

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