Mochilub: The Splinterlands Journey thus Far

Hi Everyone! My name is Mochilub and you can call me mochi for short.
I am an avid gamer and I always keep an eye out for interesting games that involve great storylines, great gameplay, and great graphics (this one isn't high up on the list as there are a few gems that you'll find where the story and gameplay are top tier even if graphics aren't).

With this sort of criteria in mind, I've had a blast with a lot of different games across different genres like:

• RTS (Starcraft and Warcraft series)
• RPG (Diablo series and Pokemon series)
• Turn based strategy (XCOM series)
• MOBA (DOTA2)
• TCG (Magic the Gathering)

While I hold these games dear to my heart, life generally takes over and you have to gradually pick and choose what your favorites are because of your limited availability. Previously, games have also been considered as strictly for enjoyment only where you are expected to shell out some cash (like say, $60 for AAA games) and you basically play dozens, if not hundreds of hours and get maximum enjoyment out of it. The play to earn space revolutionized all that and that's where I stumbled upon Splinterlands.

Where It All Began
I started getting exposed to Splinterlands when it pretty much hit all time peaks in terms of DEC and card values. I got in at August 2021 and while that was pretty much part of the bull run, it also made it quite expensive to get your own deck so renting was the way to go. Those were extremely exciting times because as you can tell by my criteria, Splinterlands has its bases covered.

Great gameplay? ✅
Amazing storyline or lore? ✅
Cool graphics or art? ✅
The best kicker? PLAY TO EARN! ✅✅✅✅✅

Web3 games pretty much revolutionized gaming and if I were to pick one specific game to try play to earn, it would definitely be Splinterlands.

Challenges
While Splinterlands is an amazing game, it also comes with its own set of challenges. You have to do your fair share of research to mainly get started and it can be an extremely daunting task for someone who's never dipped their toes into the play to earn space before.

Roadblocks include:

• Understanding crypto in general
• Understanding and setting up your Hive account
• Understanding the different types of keys and permissions
• Getting fiat into your wallet
• Understanding tokens and tokenomics and converting from fiat to tokens and vice versa

A lot of this can easily overwhelm your average newbie and some people might think it's not worth the effort. This is where a lot of the awesome content creators like Dwayne @infidel1258 and @bulldog1205 have stepped up immensely by helping build the community with guides for navigating the Hive blockchain in general, as well as providing tutorials on SPL related content.

Continued Enjoyment
The game has changed significantly from when I started but what I really appreciate about SPL is that even after all this time, we continue to build upon changes, we continue to grow, and most of all, we continue to enjoy the game. It's never always smooth sailing but things like the town halls give clarity and visibility to the players and that's something I value from the team. At the heart of it all, if you don't enjoy Splinterlands, then this game isn't for you.

For me personally, I continue to, and always advocate for the long term vision of ACCUMULATING ASSETS. The game isn't going anywhere (a lot of people say otherwise in crypto and it's a fair point but this has more to do with your belief in the team and the game) so look more towards long term gains rather than short term. I still plan to one day become a whale, how far along that is, time will tell. I am currently building a gold level max CL deck which is coming along nicely but not fast enough!

Community
Community has always been key to the growth of the game and a lot of engagement has been done by the SPL team from FOMO February to Monster March as examples. Being exposed to these events, you'll get a better feel for interaction among members and you find some people who are keen to grow and help the community further. This is how I found Team Philippines. TeamPH is centered towards helping grow the Filipino community in Splinterlands to help get more players onboard as well as help them get their own assets in the game. Being a Filipino myself, this is something I can easily get behind. I've been in conversations with @mangomayhem and @leveluplifeph and want to contribute in my own way to help out fellow Filipinos and spread the love further for this amazing game. How that'll materialize will still be in the works but keep an eye out for it!

Image provided by @mangomayhem

Splinterlands has been, and continues to be amazing. What I find myself appreciating even more is not only the game but the community that drives it. If there is no solid community backing the game, we all wouldn't be here. This is a different aspect of the game that's not necessarily gameplay related but equally, if not even more important!

Let's all continue to grow together and continue helping one another. See you all in Praetoria!