Shards & Crystals Update
On November 13, we sent out a survey asking your thoughts on Shards and Crystals to inform where we go next with this feature. We received 979 responses – a true testament to how involved our users are in this process; for that, we thank you!
In this blog, we will go over some data points from the survey and some updates to the feature, informed by your voices.
Here are a few data points from the survey:
Out of the 808 (82.5%) survey respondents who know about the feature:
- 560 have had shards
- 307 have had crystals
- 102 bought crystals from the marketplace
- 116 have used the pool party with others
- 197 have used the pool party for solo merge
Out of the 307 users who have had crystals:
- 227 have used their crystals to upgrade a pack
- 36 are saving it for a future pack
- 19 are planning to sell it in the marketplace
At the end of the survey, we asked if users would like to continue having this feature. 68.7% of respondents said yes, while 10.9% said no.
We also asked what respondents liked, disliked, and would like to change about the feature. Below, you'll find some insights into the answers, as well as the updates we have decided to make to the feature based on them.
Updates
Starting January 1, 2022, marketplace trading for shards/crystals will be disabled
Although 83.1% of respondents have said that they thought upgrading packs through crystals is fair, some users have voiced that being able to pay for shards and crystals favors those who can spend more money on them, making the feature (and the upgraded packs) pay-to-win.
Therefore, to remove the speculative aspect of shards & crystals, we are removing their ability to be bought and sold through the marketplace. Instead, shards will be acquired primarily through marketplace drops, and crystals can only be acquired through pool parties.
Starting January 1, 2022, the marketplace shard drop rate will be increased
After disabling trading, the shard supply will primarily be coming from random shard drops when buying moments in the marketplace and from pool parties.
A lot of respondents have said that one of their favorite parts of the feature is that it encourages marketplace transactions through shard drops. We hope that this change continues to encourage that, and that it rewards those that are most active on the site.
Improved Pool Party Experience
89.8% of respondents liked the pool party experience. Some have suggested improvements that you will see soon. Coming up, you will be able to:
- Set your pool parties to either private or public
- View public pool parties on the website
- Kick pool party participants [when you host]
New Pool Party Rewards
Most respondents mentioned the community and engagement aspect as their favorite part of pool parties, and we couldn't agree more. To reward social interactions and activity, we will change non-solo pool party rewards to the following:
- 1 participant gets the crystal
- 1 participant gets a random shard
- 1 participant gets the pool party badge (which can be used for presale)
Update 1/27/22: The New Pool Party Rewards will be implemented with the Improved Pool Party Experience, coming soon.
At Eternal, we strive to empower fandom with digital collectibles. Hopefully these updates to shards & crystals make your experience on Eternal even better, and don't forget – it's only possible thanks to your continued support and feedback!