Episode 84: A Viru5 Conversation

Episode 84: A Viru5 Conversation

Happy New Year, folks and welcome back to the People's Guild for our first episode of 2024. In this one we welcome back one of the great players of the Modern game and a master strategist in the battles on Praetoria, @viru5.

It had been far too long since TPG had indulged in a deep gameplay-focused conversation, so we thought there could be no better guest to do so with than Viru5 himself. We dive into the new metas, we talk potential future reward cards and look forward to and speculate upon the upcoming town hall.

A lot of fun in this one and we hope you'll enjoy it.

Until next time!

Card Game Strategies and Experiences

The meeting primarily revolved around discussions about a card game. The participants shared their experiences and strategies for playing the game, focusing on specific cards and characters. They deliberated on the potential of landing four poisons in the first round and the effectiveness of certain cards like Scattershot. They also discussed the impact of the 'Rebellion' feature and compared their performance on the leaderboard. The conversation shifted to the newly released set, Rebellion, where they highlighted the promo cards and the fun provided by certain abilities. They also touched on the importance of identifying 'meta' cards and discussed the potential of certain combinations of cards. Towards the end, they discussed various strategies and their favorite cards in the game.

Card Game Strategies and Updates

Hepthorn, Viru5, and others discussed their experiences and strategies with a card game, focusing on the growing popularity of Possibilus and the effectiveness of certain cards. They considered the potential of underutilized cards like Sunkai Harvester and the possibility of adjusting future cards. The conversation also focused on changes in the game, including the usefulness of Nomos as a weapons trainer and its diminished utility after updates. They also discussed the impact of high magic damage cards and immunity cards, such as Grimbardun Smith and Blackmoor Nymph. The conversation also touched on the growing use of Chaos Dragon and its potential to disrupt strategies.

Rule Set Changes in Team Game Discussed

The team discussed potential changes to the rule sets in their game. The idea of retiring the 'back to basics' rule set and implementing caps on abilities was well-received, with Viru5 and Hepthorn expressing interest. The impact on player motivation to advance to higher leagues was also considered. The team also discussed a system to reward players for advanced collections and the potential controversy of the 'back to basics' rule set. Another proposal to amend the rules for bronze and silver leagues was suggested, which would require players to adapt their strategies. The team agreed to further explore this proposal. Bjangles emphasized the importance of being the best in all leagues to succeed and suggested a shift from basic rules to new sets.

Online Game Strategy: 'Lookout' Card Discussion

Hepthorn shared his experience of advancing through the ranks in an online game, highlighting the different dynamics at each level. Viru5 showed interest in the impact of certain card abilities at lower levels. The team also discussed the use of the 'Lookout' card in their game strategy, discovering an unexpected behavior where it seemed to reduce damage before it was applied to characters. The team explored various uses for 'Lookout', such as protecting against ambushes or sneak attacks. Viru5 suggested that 'Lookout' might be triggering a bug and recommended other potential uses for the card. The team concluded that 'Lookout' could significantly affect the game's outcome and should be considered for use in certain situations.

Rewards Card Updates and Challenges

The team discussed the anticipation of new rewards cards in the game, with participants expressing their hopes for updates. Viru5 suggested waiting to introduce the new cards to keep things fresh, while Hepthorn shared their frustration with not being able to level up their rewards card. The conversation also touched on potential plans for unlocking the cards if a new set is announced. The group discussed the cost and impact of unlocking soul bound reward cards, with Viru5 proposing a starting point of paying twice the CP cost in vouchers, while acknowledging concerns about potential market disruptions. Another proposal was made to allow temporary unlocking of the cards through voucher swapping, but doubts about its feasibility and impact were raised. The ongoing issue with bot farms was also acknowledged as a challenge that needs to be addressed.

Reward Cards in Game: Impact and Strategies

Hepthorn, Viru5, and Bjangles discussed the issue of reward cards in their game, focusing on their impact on new players and the potential for market saturation. They acknowledged the significance of reward cards in gameplay, with concerns raised about frustration among players who couldn't acquire the new cards. The team discussed strategies to avoid this, such as releasing new rewards cards simultaneously with new sets, and slowly introducing new cards over time. Viru5 proposed that summoners should be cards that players need to acquire to play, rather than being freely available as rewards, to prevent market saturation. The discussion concluded with Bjangles asking what the team hopes for in the next reward card set.

Legendary Summoners and New Monsters Tactics Discussion

The team discussed the potential of legendary summoners and new monsters in the game, with a focus on the tactic of flanking. They speculated about the possibility of a legendary summoner providing the oppress ability and the introduction of dual element legendary summoners. The team also discussed the use of dual summoners and the potential for dual legendary summoners. They also touched upon the possibility of a life and death element. The team discussed the use of tactics in brawls and tournaments, suggesting extending the duration to allow for more thoughtful tactic selection. They also acknowledged the importance of this system for the upcoming implementation of items and spells in the game. The team concluded the discussion by reiterating their belief that Baakjira is the top legendary from Chaos Legion.

Game Performance and Proposal Implementation

The team discussed their recent performance in a game and potential changes in game rules. Viru5 shared their success with a merger that moved their guild to tier 4 and expressed frustration over the workload caused by implementing proposals. They highlighted the need for the team to provide an estimate of the man hours required to complete each proposal. The team also discussed separating from the DAO and treating them as an independent contractor to ensure true decentralization. They considered charging the DAO for implementing their development proposals and discussed the status of Soulkeep, a game under the Splinterlands ecosystem. They expressed concern over unfulfilled commitments and suggested prioritizing completing them, possibly by hiring an internal developer. However, no clear decision was made on these matters.

Town Hall: Battle Wagons, New Player Experience, and Land 2.0

The upcoming town hall and its focus on changes to the battle wagons, new player experiences, and the roadmap were discussed. Viru5 and Hepthorn raised concerns about potential whale domination and expressed interest in the timeline for implementing new features. There was also a discussion about the progress towards 'Land 2.0', with Viru5 suggesting it would be completed towards the end of 2024. The team also expressed their enjoyment playing the game with the new involvement of tactics, expressing excitement about accessing a wider range of cards at more reasonable prices.

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