Episode 142: An Azircon Conversation
Episode 142: An Azircon Conversation
The People's Guild: A Splinterlands Podcast
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Welcome back to The People's Guild.
This week, we sat down with @azircon to dig into the state of Splinterlands — from land and UX to innovation, content strategy, and community alignment.
As always, nothing was off the table. Let’s get into it.
Enjoy the show!
Splinterlands Innovation and Event Challenges
The episode focused on discussing the current state and future of Splinterlands, a digital card game. Azircon and the hosts, Bjangles and FatJimmy, engaged in a conversation about the game's lack of innovation and excitement. They questioned whether Matt, the game's designer, plays the game enough to understand player concerns. Azircon suggested that while Matt's involvement in the game is not a strict requirement, his focus should be on innovation rather than gameplay.
Streamlining Land Development Flowchart
The team discussed the results of a UX poll where 71% of participants identified as "gamer" rather than "grinder," "idle," or "ROI" players—though only 70 people participated. They agreed that the current flowchart for land development, which spans multiple years, needs to be revised as it's too extensive for one developer to complete in a reasonable timeframe. Azircon emphasized the importance of setting up for success rather than failure, suggesting that the flowchart should be simplified and delivered in manageable chunks, potentially within a year, rather than maintaining an unrealistic long-term vision.
In-Game Resource Economics Discussion
The discussion focused on the economics of in-game resources and the need to maintain excitement around new offerings. Azircon explained the financial implications of land purchases and resource usage, while FatJimmy and Bjangles debated the value and utility of wagon repair kits. The conversation concluded with Azircon suggesting the development of new, exciting items or spells that could modify gameplay and increase player engagement, rather than relying on resource-gating mechanisms.
Two-Committee Gaming Decision Framework
The team discussed implementing a two-committee approach to improve decision-making and execution speed, with Azircon proposing a Technical Committee Meeting (TCM) involving 10 hardcore gamers to generate ideas, followed by a Management Committee Meeting (MCM) to translate those ideas into actionable solutions. They agreed this approach, which is common in the business world, would help address their current slow progress. The discussion then shifted to a specific issue regarding rating inflation in Survival mode, caused by weak liquidity bots from XBOT and Archmage companies, which was leading to unfair wins for certain players.
Splinterlands Survival Mode Debate
The group discussed the survival mode in Splinterlands, with Azircon and Bjangles agreeing that the current iteration is not sustainable and should not pass if put to a vote. They questioned the need for a new game mode when only a small percentage of players could reasonably participate. Azircon suggested that instead of creating a new mode, they could simply allow players to stake their cards and allocate a reward pool, which would not cost anything. Both Azircon and Bjangles expressed doubt that the current game mode would receive support from key figures like Vugtis and Tofu, as they believe these stakeholders prioritize the game's long-term health.
Development Priorities and Community Alignment
The team discussed concerns about the pace of development and decision-making, particularly regarding guild features that have been pending for years despite known benefits for player engagement. They criticized recent UX updates that were implemented without clear community demand, with Azircon specifically noting that the ranked battle page should not have been changed. The discussion highlighted a need for better alignment between development priorities and community needs, with Bjangles suggesting that Matt needs to either re-engage more directly with the community or delegate decision-making responsibilities to trusted community members.
Content Strategy and Team Support
The team discussed the need for fresh content and improvements in retention strategies, with Bjangles expressing concerns about the end of the season feeling abrupt and highlighting the importance of engaging new players. FatJimmy and Azircon emphasized the necessity of speaking up about delays and supporting Dave, who is working to implement changes in the business culture. They also mentioned upcoming features like conflicts and Basic Mode, with FatJimmy suggesting a playful approach to marketing these updates. Azircon** encouraged the community to assist Dave by offering support and feedback.
Lilhoggr Release Strategy Discussion
The team discussed the upcoming release of Zyrx, aka Lilhoggr, with Azircon expressing satisfaction with the card's stats despite its high mana requirement. They agreed that more high-mana matches were needed to showcase new cards effectively, and Bjangles suggested aiming for an average mana cap of 35–45 during the first two months after release. The group also addressed the need to improve practice mode by allowing players to choose their own rule sets, and FatJimmy acknowledged his lack of recent activity on Hive, promising to post more content and transfer relevant Discord discussions to Hive.
Hive Platform Community Insights
The group discussed the Hive platform and its community, Praetoria, where FatJimmy was introduced to the community and learned he needed to subscribe. Azircon encouraged regular posting on Hive, mentioning that rants are welcome in the Rant community, and highlighted that Hive offers rewards for content creation. Bjangles shared insights about Praetoria, noting its high-quality content and the 5% donation system that supports the community. They also discussed the DAO's substantial investment in HBD, earning approximately $2,000 in monthly rewards.
Hive Blockchain Engagement Strategies
The episode finished with a focus on Hive blockchain engagement and content creation strategies. Azircon shared advice on successful Hive behavior, emphasizing the importance of writing for oneself rather than seeking immediate financial returns, and recommended ignoring Splinterlands-related content. Bjangles and FatJimmy discussed plans for an upcoming live stream focused on Hive, covering topics like community engagement and successful account behavior. The group also briefly touched on an upcoming town hall meeting where foundation-related updates are expected to be announced.
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.
Join us in our Splinterlands journey by creating your own battle mage!
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.
Join us in our Splinterlands journey by creating your own battle mage!
Thanks for sharing! - @azircon
Great show, guys—even the rant! I love that you're willing to be critical and think out loud about the ideas and proposed solutions. That’s one of the main reasons I keep tuning in.
I’m sure the team is listening, and I can’t wait for the day you sit down with Matt and/or Dave to dive into some of these topics together.
I have to say, the past few months have been packed with new releases, and I really appreciate the updates. While not every UX change or Survival Mode tweak hits perfectly for me, it’s clear that Land is evolving in exciting ways.
That said, it's important to remember that smaller players are still working on completing their soulbound decks. Not everyone has a huge stack of Glint saved up and ready for the next rewards phase. It’s a real challenge for the team to balance the needs of large investors—who can finish everything in a month or two—against those of smaller players still grinding through that 18+ month timeline.
I agree on the SB cards and the smaller players.
Thank you for the compliment.
Really appreciate this, Beaker!
You're spot on re: the challenge of balancing investor-level pacing with the slower, grindier experience that most players are living through day to day. And you're absolutely right that the past few months have brought a ton of progress... land, conflicts, tutorial, new modes — all good things
That said, part of why we keep showing up and sounding off is because we care. We want all of this to land well, to make sense and to serve the long-term vision of the game — not just for the folks at the top, but for everyone still climbing
And yeah, sitting down with Matt or Dave to talk through some of this on-air would be amazing — beginning to mentally work through what that could look like and fingers crossed we can make that happen soon
Thanks again for tuning in — and for keeping the conversation honest and constructive
Cheers hombre!
Definitely with you on this. I can hear the “frustration,” but honestly, most of it just comes from a place of caring deeply about the game and wanting to see it thrive. It’s clear the passion is real, and that’s what makes these conversations valuable.
We all want Splinterlands to succeed—not just for the big players at the top, but for everyone still grinding, learning, and growing their way up. So keep showing up, keep speaking out. That kind of honest, thoughtful feedback is what helps move the game forward.
Appreciate you, Beaker.
It is most certainly from a place of genuine care.
Thank you for being here for it alongside us, amigo!
Oooh nice one, I like hearing the man talk!
Yooo dude! Great seein ya still tunin in :)
Hope ya enjoyed the episode, Nozem!
Always nice hearing my gulidmate on the episode.
Some early reax:
I still have fun looking at my Glint/SPS/Land/Tournament returns every season. I'm still collecting a GF soulbound set, so using Glint to open a few more GFL guarantees each season is great suspense. The game hasn't lost any luster to me and things are only going to get better once we have the monthly cadence of new legendaries added to Modern and Wild metagames.
You’re right: there’s still a ton of joy to be found in the game if you know where to look for it. And yeah, once that monthly cadence of new legendaries kicks in, both formats are going to feel way more dynamic and alive again.
That said, I'm certain a few additional rulesets and clever gameplay mechanics couldn't hurt either ;)
Glad you're still feeling the spark — it's important to get as well-rounded and well-informed a perspective on all of this as we can
Cheers amigo!