Episode 131: A NateAguila Conversation

Episode 131: A NateAguila Conversation

The People's Guild: A Splinterlands Podcast

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Welcome back to the People's Guild! In this episode, we welcome back our buddy @nateaguila for a long-overdue deep dive into the upcoming Conclave Arcana set. From complex new abilities & racial synergies to branding, artwork, and worldbuilding—we cover a lot of ground.

We also chat about campaign mode, IP development, black foils, passion projects & the ever-evolving Splinterlands experience.

Always a treat to talk vision, creativity & community with Nate at the mic.

Enjoy the show!

Conclave Arcana Testing and Development
Bjangles welcomes Nate back to the People's Guild podcast after a long absence. They discuss recent developments in Splinterlands, including the upcoming Conclave Arcana set. The discussion focuses on the ongoing testing of Conclave Arcana, a new addition to Splinterlands. Bjangles praises the depth and strategy of the new aspects, particularly the racial synergy feature. Nate acknowledges the testers' contributions and their impact on improving the game. The conversation then shifts to the development process, including the challenges of implementing racial traits and the importance of artwork in conveying these traits. The team's collaborative efforts in world-building and lore creation are highlighted, with FatJimmy emphasizing the vital role of lore in the game's depth and uniqueness.

Splinterlands' Branding Evolution and Artwork
Nate discusses the evolution of Splinterlands' branding and artwork over the past seven years. He emphasizes the strategic approach taken in refining the game's style, considering competitors, industry trends, and player demographics. Nate highlights the importance of maintaining uniqueness in the game's visual identity, especially when compared to other Web3 games. He also describes his increasing creative freedom over time, with Matt now trusting the creative team to make decisions independently. The conversation concludes with praise for the artwork's evolution and its ability to convey information about card races without relying on icons.

Integrating IP for Emotional Connection
Nate discussed the importance of integrating IP into the game, emphasizing the need for a cohesive blend of stats, abilities, and artwork. He expressed excitement about the potential for players to emotionally connect with characters and collect cards due to IP. Nate also highlighted the challenges of balancing gameplay mechanics and the need for creative freedom. He shared his optimism about the future of the game, particularly with the new leadership's focus on IP, and the potential for players to have a soulful experience.

Creative Prioritization and Passion Projects
Nate explains the process for determining creative priorities at Splinterlands. Major decisions are made by Matt, the CEO, often after team discussions and community feedback. Recently, Dave and Blaze introduced a new foil type as a priority. For day-to-day operations, Nate works with the creative coordinator to manage projects based on deadlines and resources. Nate encourages team members to work on passion projects when they feel burned out, as these often lead to innovative ideas. He cites an example of the UI designer creating something that will be introduced in the presale. Nate emphasizes that while not all ideas are immediately implemented, they are rarely completely rejected, fostering a positive creative environment.

Splinterlands Black Foil Card Development
Nate discusses the development of the new black foil cards in Splinterlands. He emphasizes that the creative team aimed to make them unique and distinctive, fitting the game's lore of battle mages using enchanted cards. The team is considering special animations and effects for when these cards are revealed or played on the battlefield. Nate also mentions other planned visual improvements, such as arena transition animations, to enhance the player experience. FatJimmy suggests adding crowd reaction sounds to battles, which Nate agrees is a good idea. The conversation then shifts to a discussion about potentially implementing difficulty levels in PvP modes to address player concerns, an idea that Nate finds intriguing and potentially viable.

Difficulty Levels and Bot Ownership
NateAguila, FatJimmy, and Bjangles discussed the concept of difficulty levels in their game. They agreed that the difficulty levels should be based on the number of variables at play, with higher levels having more variables. They also discussed the idea of treating bot owners as contractors providing a service, which would change the perception of bots in the game. FatJimmy suggested that the game should be designed to attract a large number of players, even if they are not at the highest level. They also discussed the idea of allowing players to choose their difficulty level, which would provide a more personalized experience. The team also discussed the concept of survival mode, with Bjangles sharing his experience of playing the mode and the rewards it offers. They ended the conversation with a discussion on the cooldown period for cards in the game.

Splinterlands Campaign Mode and New Features
The discussion focuses on upcoming features for the game Splinterlands, particularly the new Campaign Mode. Nate explains that Campaign Mode will serve as an immersive tutorial and onboarding experience for new players. It will include animated cutscenes, voice acting, and a storyline that introduces players to the game mechanics while rewarding them with foundation cards. The goal is to create a more engaging and soulful experience that helps with player retention. Nate also mentions plans for customizable avatars, reputation systems, and faction affiliations in the future. The conversation touches on the development of two new card sets - Conclave Arcana and Foundations - and the challenges of creating so much content with limited resources. Nate expresses excitement about some of the new death-element cards in the upcoming set.

Earthquake and Splinterlands Discussion
The episode discusses an earthquake that occurred during the recording, with Bjangles experiencing it in Taiwan. Bjangles also reveals it's his 40th birthday. The conversation then shifts to Splinterlands, with Nate expressing excitement about upcoming developments and the changing sentiment in the community. The participants discuss the potential for SPS tokens to increase in value and share their optimism about the game's future growth and expansion.

Welcome to the People's Guild

We love hearing the stories that make this community special.

Whether you're a seasoned vet or just getting started, if you've got insights, feedback, epic battles, or just want to say hey, don’t hesitate to reach out.

You can find us at 📬 [email protected] or Twitter.

Let’s keep the conversation going.

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Join us in our Splinterlands journey by creating your own battle mage!

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