I made it to Diamond III for the first time and then,
decided to quit playing Splinterlands.
That was several days ago.
The reason I quit was simple - with the cards I have, I can't compete in the Diamond Leagues and would just be slaughtered. Even if I rented more cards - I am just not good enough. Of course, I could have stayed in gold and kept plugging away there - but what does that get me?
Fucking Splinterlands.
It is a bastard of a game so far, as while I have only been playing it for six weeks, it has taken all of my money. However, because I chose to buy-in quite heavily, I have also been able to advance quite quickly, atop the coaching tips I get from SL veterans. But what has surprised me the most, is how sticky the tokenization model is.
I came in late to the game as an investor first, not planning to play. But in the end, I opened up card packs and then, bought more card packs to hold and then opened them and bought some more. This has left me in a pretty good position and while I think that I have put "quite a few thousand" into the game, currently it is looking pretty good on technical value increases.
While the 40 loot boxes on offer in Diamond III aren't much of an attraction as I don't get much more than potions currently, the reason I stopped playing is two fold.
The first is that I want to spend more time writing and there is an opportunity cost involved with playing - time. It takes time to play and it is the same time I have to write - so if I want to write as well, I have to either give up sleeping totally, or give up playing. I chose to quit Splinterlands.
However, I will likely only be quitting for this new season, as for the next two weeks, reason two comes into play.
As a latecomer to the scene, I am a fair bit behind many others and have a pretty steep buy-in, meaning that my cost average is very high. Compared to the gains since I started, it is like buying Bitcoin at 15,000 - Ludicrous!
Yes, the value of what I hold is up almost 3x since I started buying a few months ago - so I can't complain - but I also can't sell! This means that I am a little short in the liquids department and I want to keep collecting the SPS on my holdings. My collection power on my cards isn't that high (though I am guessing it isn't that low either in comparison to many players) but as this is a prerequisite to getting access to the presale of Chaos Legion packs, I want to make sure I have enough available, if I want to buy.
So far, this in itself has been a pretty incredible return on my investment in terms of yield, as after 36 days, my SPS holdings look like this:
As said, far from the biggest holders, but doing okay considering my late entry - but it was costly to get my buy in. A lot of people look at the "returns" that people get in various areas and forget that there is a cost to getting them - this is something I have met along the way as a content creator on Hive, as a few people look at the post rewards with some envy, but have no visibility on what it took to get to this point.
There are costs involved.
Risks too.
But hopefully, this SPS will get me a little more possibility in terms of Chaos Legion packs. However, there is still a problem as while I might have access, I don't have liquids to buy the packs with, which is another reason that I am sitting out the current season and instead of playing, renting my cards out to other players. I think this works well for everyone involved, as while I am earning on the rentals, they are able to get access to game earnings and if they can prove they have a brain, their rewards will cover costs and earn them income. It is actually a pretty efficient market in this regard.
What has surprised me however, is that I am able to earn quite well on my cards and between the rental DEC and the incoming SPS, Splinterlands is now one of my largest incoming value streams. This has surprised me a lot, but I also know (suspect) that in the coming months after the release of Chaos Legion packs, rental markets will dip, as new players get more cards they can compete with cheaply, ones they actually own.
This means that the 40% return for the day, doesn't equate to anywhere near that for the next year - but even if it ends up being 10%, that is a pretty decent amount, considering. I have heard rumors that Chaos Legion will be out soon, so I can expect this to drop accordingly as well. But in the mean time, I can use it to earn some DEC and then through Tribal DEX, pool it with some HIVE to earn some more SPS, if I choose. Or, I can sell it and use it for pack purchases when the time comes.
Note: Oh, and the rental market will likely bounce back stronger later, as new players discover Splinterlands globally. Just think, what happens with a million unique players a day.
So, this is where I am now, a Splinterlands Quitter.
Well, "on hiatus" until further notice.
I do want to keep playing though and I think there are still legs in the growth of the game, but I also know that even writing a post like this one, helps condition my brain more effectively than the playing at this time. When it comes to value, the value of me having a well-functioning brain far outweighs any of my investments.
Who am I kidding...
Okay, it likely isn't worth more if all of this crypto nonsense booms to the moon, but incase it doesn't it is good to have a safety net that can at least pack shelves at the grocery store. A few more months, and I might be at that level.
I would be happy though if Splinterlands keeps making its climb and becomes a runaway success in the mass market, because I suspect if it does, even with my late entry, I will be able to do well enough from it that I don't need to worry about packing shelves.
As said, the tokenomics are pretty sticky with Splinterlands as it offers what for me is vital for a significant investment - usage potential. A lot of people want to buy and hold, washing their hands of participation, but I like to use what I buy, which is why HIVE is so attractive to me, as I literally get to use it to increase the value of my holdings - rather than stick it on a shelf like a nerd who bought StarWars merch in 1982 and still hasn't opened the box. Where is the fun?
While I know that everyone (including myself) is hoping for life-changing value to rock our world, I am still a believer that the journey is important and we have to have some fun along the way. We all have a different definition of what that fun might be, but I really enjoy the economics side of crypto and the more complex the dynamics become, the more I like to think through the potentials - usually.
Because of my condition, I am struggling to think in these areas, so I am going to be experimenting a bit more and diving into the familiar, but newly unknown - if that makes sense to you.
Today I contacted one of my clients in a bid to get my business up and running again and hopefully I will have some sessions this month. I enjoy working - as it means I don't have to think about using crypto to live, plus it introduces me to interesting people and ideas, specialists and experiences that I can't get sitting on a couch or playing a game.
Maybe if IRL continues to collapse - all I will have to catch me is a few sats, a pile of HIVE and some game cards. If things go well, it'll be enough. But it isn't yet by a longshot.
Thankfully in crypto, we never have to wait long though because everything we ever dreamed is always coming,
SOON.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Note: That might be the first and last time I make it into the Diamond Leagues - but at least I made it once.
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Lol. I can't win in Bronze 111 league but I'm still playing hoping to get some DEC. I can't quit yet because this is my only source of income. I only get 20 to 50 DEC a day, better than nothing.
Not too bad from playing a game :)
Thank you sir. I just followed you.
I do wonder if I should keep playing. I've built my deck from rewards and a bit of buying with other funds, but cards are so expensive now, so upgrades cost too much. You will not win many cards these days and battles are tough. It is tempting to rent out most of my cards and just take the income. I do pretty well from SPS. But then I quite like playing the game :)
deffinatly play... balance it, take some profit now dude, you´ve got to live. you´ve got my measly upvote and this !PIZZA
I have other things I want to do and so balance is important. I play in a guild, so I have some responsibilities to them.
!BEER
You need to stake more BEER (24 staked BEER allows you to call BEER one time per day)
@steevc! I sent you a slice of $PIZZA on behalf of @eythorphoto.
Did you know you can trade $PIZZA on Hive-Engine, Tribaldex, or LeoDex? (1/10)
This might change in terms of the cards as Chaos Legion is released - I don't mind the tough battles. I lose a lot - 50%ish.
Not being able to buy packs is not great, but I have not bought many lately anyway. I do wonder where the game is going. If it's only viable for rich people to pay then it loses something.
I must be doing something wrong somewhere, you have less than half the value of my collection and yet are getting more rent than me. Maybe I'm too expensive!
What can I say - It is all about personality.
silence
silence
silence
silence
silence
Edit:
You have to readjust quite often - especially at the start of the season. Remember that people in lower leagues are limited in what they can use, so don't rent the MAXed as much. They also rent shorter-term. There are good tools to compare values.
Select "rented" and then "not delegated"
Then compare your rentals
what tools do you use
Just on https://peakmonsters.com/ and the filters
Best tool I've ever seen in terms of blockchain data usability. It's all you need to know exactly what to do and when, of course, not spending too much of that time that you were talking about in your post.
That's my best and most valuable asset, time, and I need as much as possible but I'm afraid I can't buy nor extend it.
Congrats on your achievements in SL!
I only just took ALL my cards off play and added them to rent. I have some heavy-hitters that go for startlingly low rents. The big summoners are easy to rent out but some Leg creatures not so easy. Still getting used to peakmonsters, is that what you mean?
Yes, I am using https://peakmonsters.com/ as well. It is pretty easy to use.
Just experiment a bit with the filters and the compare to reset the ones that haven't rented. Every couple days, compare all and see what has shifted up in value significantly - choose those, take them off rent and as they come off, reset them.
I was doing great until end of season. Are those rental stats you showed current, or before EOS?
I took them just as I posted.
current:
Splinterlands has inequality designed into it. I think the max I can get is 12.
On returning to the game after more than a year off I found that I am limited to how high up I can go in leagues. So even though I get a rating that could put me in Silver I, I can only play up to Silver III. That's bullshit. If I'm good enough to be in a league I should be able to play in it. It's just a cynical ploy to get people to drop more money into the game.
I agree that if good enough, but I am unsure what it ends up meaning in terms of cards required to compete. I am not knowledgeable enough on these things yet.
I read your story here, but I don't understand about card games.
which I hope you can control yourself here, because games like this will make us forget ourselves.
I wish you success always my friend.
I agree. Many people can be consumed by games and other addictions - chasing money too. For me, I have been able to find a pretty decent balance over the years in this area :)
Yeah, I'm glad you can respond.
I am thankfully not that lost yet that I can't respond.
Yeah,,, how is it there.
Is the virus in your place still severe.
hmm, i am barely making it to diamond, and i have no chance there. maybe there is more to get by renting than to play for daily quest. intriguing, i need to calculate this one for september, to see where I stand. maybe i stop playing it too.
The fun aspect has to also be considered, and once the new packs are out, the chances of decent reward cards increases again.
So, I am lucky not to have started to play Splinterlands? :)
Hmmmm - depends what you are willing to invest or lose :D
This is the first post that I’m seeing in which it is said something not that bright about this game. I was considering starting playing this game. But your post will make me think about it and re-consider things. Thank you for the good content! I upvoted you! Wish you all the best!
Umm - okay . but just in case you misunderstood - I will play again in a couple weeks. The post is about finding some ways to invest some more :)
Yes, sir, I’ve understood you perfectly! Thank you! :)
You’ll be back..Just kidding. Play2earn is such a work in progress. I still think a time token to reward for time played should be considered. Gameplay can become such a time consuming endeavor. Believe me I know first hand.
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Yeah, a couple weeks and it will be back to "normal" (only been six weeks so not really normal). I have been enjoying playing a bit in the evenings :)
If this gets picked up and some publicity, it will boom.
That's why I don't play these games. They are designed to encourage you to hand over your money. The only ones you'll hear defending them are those who "Do OK" or are pretty successful with it.
Yeah, I am not sure how it is all going to pan out, but it is interesting to be a part of.
I find myself in a similar situation (although I got in even later and with less money). I don't really feel like I can spare the time right now but maybe next season things will be different
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It is good to learn how the game works and how people play it - it is good research for the future :)
I had no idea the effort a 'decent content' took until I started trying to create better articles. It's getting a bit easier, but certainly have a lot more appreciation for those who produce worthwhile content on a regular basis
It really does take some effort and while I was pretty fast at it (considering the length), since the stroke I have been pushed back to beginner level and I am suffering. In my head I can still do, but my body says no when I try.
Isn't bad to listen to your body... There's still lots to gain from your stake If it does keep growing
I am still playing, I also made it to Diamond III, and also suffer to win battles, but I will keep on playing. I am currently only renting out my double cards, but the thought crossed my mind to rent out all my cards. This could actually give a better income than playing!! (I see now after the end of season the rental values dropped quite a bit, causing some cards not to be rented out and I had to adjust prices.)
This is what I was doing too until now. It offset the rentals I took myself.
Start of the season, people need different cards and at different levels.
Lol, I rent splinterlands cards, play a few games, and use the profits to buy packs in other games.
The cost of cards is way too much to enter for me, but the game is fun.
Usually, I play it while reading something on the other tab, or doing some non essential task.
I think the competitveness is way too high in gold and diamond ranks. I beat most of the people in lower ranks bronze and silver😅
I intend to keep it that way. Making more money but losing more is not fun😄
I have been able to watch more TV - Yay! Two time wasting activities combined! :D
Yeah - I am not in it for the DEC. I have to play far too many games to advance, so my collection rate is rubbish.
Splinterlands is definitely pretty time consuming. It takes up a large part of my time over the past several years that I have been playing it. It is probably one of my best investments right now though. Lucky for me most of my cards were gained via playing and I haven't put that much cash into the game.
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You must be prtty happy having played a game for the value you get back now :)
Heck yeah, it is unbelievable! Some days I just lok at the account value in peak monsters and think "I should get out now".... But I just can't do it. Especially with lands right around the corner.
I don't think you will be losing anything by stopping now . Your post shows that you didn't just get back what you spent but also have some profits attached to it.
Yeah - I have some decent profits on it - those who got in earlier are laughing.
I think your analysis is right and we also sometimes lose sight of the overall picture. Splinterlands did a great job in building a P2E sustainable model and a good community.
But as the space grew tremendously in terms of revenues, we are seeing more gaming competition and we might very soon see some « professional game editors » coming into the picture.
In any case, it was a good investment 👏when looking at your profits !
what do you mean by game editors?
I mean Ubisoft / Electronic arts / Activision. When these huge corporations see the money they can make despite decentralizing games, they will rush in. And their games are let’s face it, better. Gods Unchained is the only AAA (meaning high quality) blockchain game at the moment.
Ubisoft did work with Axie / Sorare and Splinterlands for the past 18 months. I did not get if they got an equity investment in these companies as they partnered.
Wow it is amazing to be in Daimond league.. I am new to Splinterlands and have a long way to go!
I might not get there again!
I made it to Silver for the first time and then got slaughtered. I'm spending too much time playing but now that you cant buy potions with credits I think I will naturally start to play less. I am wondering how chaos will affect the value of old cards.
I have no idea about the value changes, but I suspect that it will affect them early on - until more players come in to demand.
Splinterland and writing contents ,both are hard to manage because in 24hrs, there has some other full time job which need to be priotised but the game is so lucrative and addictive so i stop writing and use the time for playing.
I wold like to do both - but I also have 2 full-time jobs! ;D
I opened up an account years ago but had no idea how to play. Wish I committed more time because it is easy.
Yes you're right about new packs and cards coming which is what I'm waiting for.
How did you buy packs if you don't mind me asking? Mine always show none left.
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I never even logged in. I had a promo pack from SF3 somewhere - can't find it :D
I was buying DICE cards before they sold out on the platform. Was going to just buy and hold to sell - but ended up opening and playing. They are expensive on HE now. New packs are coming.
Have you jumped into MuTerra? I bought a $20 pack and scored a few rear and even a gold card on the opening. Although my gold is only common but we will see how it goes.
Never heard of it. Is it a Hive game?
Yup, it's just launching. They did a Hive pack launch and soon a wax launch they have a discord https://discord.gg/TeRsRSTY
If you want to win at a game play Jenga with me.
#G-dogalwaysloses
Tremors must run in the family :D
Probably. Or I'm just really bad at Jenga.
Hope to see you back again pretty soon ! Seems like you are already invested quite vastly into this game, might as well roll the dice and see if things comes out well after CL is released. You never know how much DEC or SPS will shoot upwards (hopefully!). Good luck in whatever choice you made, mot important is to ENJOY YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST !
Yeah, I am definitely not out, just collecting a bit for a bit, and concentrating on other things :)
See you soon!
This is very impressive. I’m taking my splinterlands journey one step at a time as am focusing all my time on creating content on hive
Yep - I completely understand this. I did the same for years - which is ironically, why I didn't start playing SL far earlier! :D
There is always the option to bot your account, if you would rather not play :) That's what I do, as I actually got bored of the game after a while. Plus like you observed, it is kind of a timesuck, and it takes away from the time I can do other things, like write and climb mountains.
Meh, I am not a fan of bots. I barely have used autovoting in all the years. :D
It's certainly not for everyone. I don't use autovoting unless I'm gonna be away for a long time. But I like bots when it comes to games like SL.
I was playing Splinterlands earlier and I was pretty good, I enjoyed playing it and it was fun. I had invested some money to it and had a OK deck.
If I remember right, I usually reached Diamond. I even made it to Champion III. Then Splinterlands updated the game requiring certain value/amount/level/whatever of the deck for every league level. I was capped at low-silver because of my deck. I had been able to play on goddamn diamond and champion level and now was stuck on silver. I sold pretty much all my cards after that.
Yeah, I think that would have sucked, especially feeling like the investment was wasted. Looking back, it was probably a good call as a differentiator for Leagues - but I agree, if you have the skill, the cards shouldn't matter that much. But - it would also suck to get pushed into leagues to play against people with full decks and the skill to use them.
Good choice to leave Splinterlands, as it is more favorable for you to write in hive, because it helps you recover from the stroke. Worst choice would be to stop sleeping altogether, definitely quitting Splinterlands is the best.
It is a short-term quit, but it does give me a little space to write more. I enjoy both - I like writing a lot though.
I cannot relate because I keep playing in my Bronze III league :) up and down, up and down :)
Will you buy a few packs of Chaos Legion once available?
Maybe :)
As you said - this game is good at making people buy things :P
I haven't even made it to Diamond yet so congratz. I have also noticed the difficulty jump so I stopped caring so much about fights and just focus on my daily quests. My ranked win ratio dropped from like 2 wins and 1 lost to like 1 win and 1 lost recently...
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Is it on Hive?
I tossed a few hundred at it months ago. Played a month or two, then kind of forgot about it. Picked it back up early July. I remember talking to the main developer at dygycon (spelling) which is a splinterlands hosted VR event.
Really cool peeps. Unfortunately at the moment renting seems to be the most profitable. I hit 13000 dec in a chest recently which was sweet. Also have pulled a legendary reward or two. But at the moment, rentals and SPS airdrop are most of my profit. I enjoy doing my dailies though and some days play extra for fun. I am very excited for the new packs. Been saving money for these.
Hey @tarazkp , may I boldly ask for a favour. I too joined Splinterlands pretty late, and am stuck at Silver 1 after heavy renting. Unlike you, I do not have any the cash outlay to put in any form of investments except for the Spellbook. If you happen to have any extra cards that might not be of use currently, may I request for a short delegation. I will definitely put them to good use, and return to you with gratitude when you need them back. Thank you for even reading, having a hard time too..
I hear you on taking a hiatus from the game. I’ve taken several over years that’s for sure. I’m stacking a bunch of SPS for the presale and launch of chaos legion but in an albeit different way. I’m keeping a bunch of it liquid! When the presale gets officially launched there will be people going nuts chomping at the bit trying to get as much SPS as they can. I’m hoping the price of it on hive engine goes insane and I can sell a few hundred or few thousand depending on how long it takes for the announcement to come out.
That will give me some good liquidity, besides the 600 hive I have waiting, to get in as much as I can to the presale and when it actually launches. That being said though, as they say “the best laid plans…” it might not work out at all. We will see!
Overall it’s proving to be a pretty awesome investment and I’m glad that it’s paying off for you in your time of need! Hopefully you can get to feeling better and get your business back up and rolling!
I am amazed at how well you did in such a short time. Well played, even if it wasn't the intended outcome. (or was it?) I guess to get ahead in any way you can is the best outcome. I honestly don't have the time, especially last year, but, even now, time is not my own and it would have to be that or Hive.
I stuck with Hive because I really enjoy it here and it truly is one of those All that fun and money too moments.
I am envious of anyone who can keep up with it all and have a job and family, but, I cannot and I know when I am beat. :))
I am happy to learn you are renting out some cards and have found other ways to make it keep working for you!
good read bro. i also came late to the party. but I've long accepted that I am neither going to be in champion or successful in making money here lol. just having fun. followed you and looking forward (expecting! lol) to more good reads.
You son of a😂 dammn you did well
I played it for awhile but just don't have the time. I prefer posting and doing research for those interactions.
nothing comes fast, easy or cheap.