In today's post, we will look at Custom Sets in splinterlands. On paper, it sounds great - more flexibility in deck management and better rental optimization. But is this solving a real problem, or is it just another feature in search of an audience?
The Good With Custom Sets
Let us start with the positives. The process of setting up a Custom Set is intuitive. Within minutes, I was able to create and list a 14-card Untamed set for 1 DEC per day. Everything worked as expected. Interestingly though on PeakMonsters, the listing showed 14 DEC per day instead of 1 DEC. I do not know if it is a bug or not, but it may be worth looking out for.
The Problem With Custom Sets
Who is actually looking to rent pre-made custom decks? Rentals in splinterlands have been in decline since the 2021 Crypto NFT bull run, where renting out cards was a real income source. Back then, rental volume was high, and players were willing to pay premium rates for all types of cards and decks. Fast forward to today, and the entire splinterlands rental market barely touches $500 per day. The supply completely outweighs the demand. Therefore, I question the need for Custom Set Rentals when the market is struggling. It feels like putting lipstick on a pig.
I definitely see the target base being more targeted towards newer players as more experienced/competitive players will have their own strategies and cards they prefer to play. So, let us assume custom sets make sense for new players:
- Understand what they need, and I would question most new players will not know what they need.
- Knowing where to find these sets.
- Having the relevant currency to rent these sets.
As you can see, I am struggling to produce reasons for who the actual target audience for Custom Sets. If existing players do not need them and new players not knowing how/where to find them, then I am struggling to see how this feature may gain traction.
Make Rentals a New Player Onboarding Tool (Solution)
I personally feel that one major issue for any new player joining splinterlands is choice paralysis. Therefore, not knowing what to rent or where to start. If the splinterlands team wants to make Custom Set Rentals a success, then the team should take ownership of onboarding-focused rentals. Set rentals should be used as part of the onboarding process.
Looking at other successful TCGs, MTG Arena, lets players use curated decks to start playing right away. Something similar in splinterlands -- where new players could as part of the purchase of the spellbook be directed to rent a curated balanced deck for a nominal fee would be far more useful than expecting new players to browse through custom made sets.
Now I know mobile game monetization programmes are the worst, but taking a chapter out of them and how players progress through the different levels and gain experience is something to take out of it. Imagine a system where new players start with a free rental deck, but as they progress, they unlock better rental decks. This progression would:
- Teach new players deck-building fundamentals in a fun way with progression.
- Encourage participating in the market and driving demand to it.
- Give new players bite-sized chunks to learn the game without feeling overwhelmed.
My Hope for Rentals
My only hope for rental revival is the upcoming Survival Mode. From what I have read, this new game mode will require a good-sized collection. If this mode is successful, we could see rental demand spike as players seek to have cards to compete in the mode. However, without an influx of new players, the rental economy is unlikely to get any boost. Simple economics still stands: more players = more demand = better rental activity.
Concluding Thoughts
To be blunt, Custom Set Rentals is well implemented but is it the feature that we need? The rental market is in decline, and I am not sure if there is a clear target audience for these pre-made sets. That said, if splinterlands shifts its focus toward using rentals as an onboarding tool, this feature could find a real purpose. Otherwise, it is another feature that has been added to an already bloated game. If splinterlands marketing push and new game modes do succeed in bringing in new players, maybe rentals will see a revival.
What do you think? Will you be using the Custom Set Rentals?
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