Episode 119: A BreakingBenjamin Conversation
Episode 119: A BreakingBenjamin Conversation
The People's Guild: A Splinterlands Podcast
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Welcome back to the People's Guild. We welcome back our good buddy in this one @breakingbenjamin - the last man standing on Team Narrative over at Splinterlands.
We talk NPE, tutorials, Web3, marketing, Concalve Arcana, new abilities and much, much more! Holy smokes we cover a lot of fun ground with Joey here.
Enjoy the show!
Splinterlands' Engaging New Player Experience
Joey discusses the new player experience being developed for Splinterlands, which includes a video trailer, interactive tutorial chapters teaching gameplay mechanics, and an economic center section explaining crypto concepts. The tutorial aims to be engaging and rewarding, with potential rewards like glint or cosmetic items. It will offer different paths - a guided classroom experience or a more contextual, tooltip-based arena mode against bots. A new set of training cards with pop culture references is also being designed specifically for the tutorial. The goal is to provide a comprehensive onboarding process that eliminates the need to read the white paper for new players.
Simplified Splinterlands for New Players
Joey discusses DaveMcCoy's idea to create an entry-level, simplified version of Splinterlands to attract new players. The game would be free-to-play or use credits to obtain soulbound cards, allowing players to experience the game's fun without a significant investment. Joey hopes this approach could hook players before introducing the full game's complexity and monetization opportunities. He also mentions the team's consideration of retiring certain abilities to reduce saturation. Additionally, Joey shares his personal strategy of renting the entire Wild set towards the end of each season to earn rewards. The conversation touches on the recent hiring of Blaze Chaos for marketing and plans to coordinate major product releases with marketing pushes.
Conclave Arcana's Secret Agenda Revealed
The Conclave Arcana, led by Portia Neer, is a council of mages with their own agenda. While they orchestrated the rebellion against the Chaos Empire to weaken both sides, their true goal is to claim control over Praetoria for themselves. They are uncovering ancient relics across the expanding lands to further this ambition, taking advantage of the ongoing conflict between the rebellion and the Chaos Empire.
Conclave Arcana Set Expansion Plans
Joey discussed the development of a new set for their game, Conclave Arcana, which was initially planned as a mini set but has now expanded to a complete set due to cutbacks in the team. He mentioned that the set will incorporate elements from the lore of the game, including the secret of Pretoria, and will feature characters from different races and splinters. Joey also expressed his excitement about the potential for this set to add another level to gameplay and encourage players to learn more about the lore. The team is currently working on the set, with a target release date of late March to early April 2025.
Card Re-Use and UI Improvements
Joey discusses the possibility of reusing some basic but useful cards in future sets, rather than creating entirely new cards every time. He explains that while they generally avoid making identical copies of existing cards, they may introduce new versions of certain legendary characters with different stats to reflect changes in the lore. For example, Barashkukor could get a new card with altered abilities after betraying the Chaos Legion. Joey also mentions plans to create synergies for Elanor Bravefoot with a new race of cards in the upcoming Conclave Arcana set. Regarding conveying card taxonomy, Joey suggests using text labels on cards instead of icons, and potentially displaying race/splinter information on mouseover. The team is exploring UI/UX improvements to better highlight synergies and allow easier filtering of cards.
Splinterlands Mobile App and Promo
Joey and Hepthorn discuss the upcoming mobile app for Splinterlands, which is being developed by a dedicated developer. They express excitement about the potential for the mobile app to increase the game's visibility and accessibility, especially through app stores. Joey also shares his enthusiasm for the upcoming promo card Rick Loneman and hints that it will synergize with an existing Rebellion card in a unique way. Additionally, they speculate about the potential new elemental combinations that could be introduced in the Conclave Arcana set, building upon the existing elemental pairings.
Introducing Packs and Game Balance
In the meeting, the team discussed the idea of introducing different types of packs in the game, which was a suggestion from the community. Joey proposed the idea of creating an evergreen pack that players could level up without having to commit a lot of money. The team also discussed the upcoming rotation of the Chaos Legion set and the potential impact on the game's balance. They also discussed the possibility of introducing a new set, Rebellion, and the potential for increased sales. The team also discussed the potential reworking of the Snare card and the possibility of removing it from Tofu. Lastly, they discussed the origin of the card, Venka the Vile, and how it was named.
Guild Challenges and Future Improvements
In the meeting, Joey, Hepthorn, and Jangles discussed the challenges faced by their respective guilds, Plan B & Niflheim, in the game Splinterlands. They expressed frustration over the difficulty of recruiting new players and the inability to catch up with top-tier guilds due to the high cost of acquiring necessary cards. They also discussed the need for a guild rework and the importance of guilds in retaining players. The team also reminisced about their past experiences and shared their appreciation for the team's camaraderie and the game's potential. The conversation ended with the team looking forward to future developments and improvements in the game.
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Thanks for sharing! - @azircon
Awesome work by joey doing all the different voice acting and stuff. Having the tutorial to have everything that the players need including the tokenomics and crypto stuff would be really cool. Funny thing, I was just listening to a new song from the band Breaking Benjamin before this and got me wonder if this is where joey gets his username.
I read the lore - it could do with more weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! :)
The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game (TCG) is known for incorporating a wide variety of pop culture references from movies, television shows, books, video games, and other aspects of popular culture. Here are some notable pop culture references that appeared throughout the WoW TCG:
Leeroy Jenkins – A card named after the famous viral video where a player named Leeroy Jenkins charges into a dungeon fight with reckless abandon. The card captures his personality with abilities tied to his impulsiveness.
Dr. Boom – Inspired by Dr. Doom from Marvel Comics. Dr. Boom is a goblin who loves explosives, much like Dr. Doom's love for dangerous inventions.
Haris Pilton – A reference to Paris Hilton. Haris Pilton is a socialite NPC that sells overpriced bags in the game, mimicking Hilton's high-end lifestyle.
Linken – A character in the game named after The Legend of Zelda's Link. Linken has a quest chain that features several references to Zelda, including items like “Linken’s Sword of Mastery.”
The Ashbringer – While a core part of World of Warcraft lore, Ashbringer is often seen as a nod to epic swords in fantasy, akin to Excalibur in Arthurian legend.
Hemet Nesingwary – The big game hunter in WoW is a direct reference to author Ernest Hemingway, specifically his love for big-game hunting, seen in The Green Hills of Africa.
It Came From the Bog – A card that references classic monster movies like It Came From Outer Space. The creature depicted is a slimy horror from the swamp.
Ogri'la – This faction in The Burning Crusade expansion is a reference to Shangri-La, the mythical paradise in James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon.
The Brady Brothers – These NPCs in a questline are a clear reference to the Brady Bunch, featuring names and characteristics from the show.
Don Carlos – A character in the Old Hillsbrad instance, referencing Carlos Mencia, a comedian famous for his stand-up and sketch comedy in the mid-2000s.
Shoveltusk Steak – A reference to popular cooking competitions such as Iron Chef, and characters might yell catchphrases like “Do you have what it takes to be an Iron Chef?”
Thorium Brotherhood – A group of dwarven blacksmiths that could be seen as a reference to the Brotherhood of Steel from Fallout due to their technological focus.
Old Man Barlo – This fishing NPC references the old man from Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, giving out quests with a fishing theme.
Goblin Gambling – Involves NPCs and items that mimic casino activities and Las Vegas culture, including slot machines.
The Princess Bride – Several references are scattered throughout the game, including the phrase “As you wish,” and names similar to characters from the movie.
Griftah – A shady vendor in the Lower City of Shattrath, selling items with dubious uses, is a nod to characters from crime movies or shady dealers in pop culture.
These references enrich the WoW TCG by blending the Warcraft universe with real-world culture, adding an extra layer of humor and familiarity for players. The game’s creators had fun weaving in pop culture nods while still maintaining the feel of the Warcraft setting.
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Haris_Pilton
Hahaha.... Haris Pilton, you WoW bimbo!
I love the huuuuuge net cast here by the guys over at Blizzard - what an eclectic list!