Marvel Snap’s Ben Brode on why you can’t trade cards

Tense battles. You will find many superheroes, as well as villains. Holographic cards which practically make you want to go Ooooooh!And Ahhhh!And shiiiiny. For the most parts, Marvel Snap has it all, except for one thing: You can’t trade cards with other players.

This makes some sense. Marvel Snap, developed by Second Dinner and out now for mobile devices and computers, became 2022’s most-hailed card battler thanks in no small part to how impeccably balanced it is. You can’t pay your way to a significant competitive edge. Everyone unlocks new cards at a randomized cadence, with higher-leveled cards restricted to tiered “pools” that you advance through as you level up. It feels almost effortless. fair, even when you’re getting demolished. This equilibrium could be destabilized by a card-trading market. But it was something else, and this happened sooner in Marvel Snap’s development, was on the table.

“Trading would be rad! We actually had dreams about doing some kind of trading system once upon a time,” said Ben Brode, chief development officer at Second Dinner, to Polygon via email. “As we developed more of our systems, however, it started to get a bit more complex.” (Brode’s previous card-collecting game, the similarly zeitgeist-dominating Hearthstone, didn’t feature a trading system, either.)

Complexity is due in large part to Marvel Snap’s variant system, which allows players to have multiple copies of the same character, each one in a different art style. The rotation was redesigned by Second Dinner last month to include winter-themed variations. This proved to be a problem for many players. SnapThere are many who hate the low drop rate. This is where a trading system would be very useful. Who wouldn’t wanna swap Captain America for a copy of Abomination in a tiny Santa hat?!

Variants can be obtained through both standard play as well as because Marvel SnapIt is free to play and requires you to spend IRL money. Your account can be used in multiverse fashion. Marvel SnapCard collections could soon include multiple versions of the same card character. Functionally, they all have the same function. The only difference is that they look slightly different.

Image: The Second Dinner/Marvel

As you play your cards, you’ll be able to level them up through a series of rarity ranks. Cards do not have visual effects. Rare cards will have a three-dimensional look, while legendary ones will be adorned with a logo. These cosmetic adjustments were made when Second Dinner was first considering implementing a trading program. Brode revealed that variants were at the heart of trading. Here’s the full list:

• You cannot trade away “base” cards, only cosmetically enhanced cards like variants, foils, that sort of thing.
• One trade per day is allowed.
• A card cannot be traded more than once it is traded. (Brode calls this “soulbound.”)
• The UI element that lets you know who and when your traded cards were purchased would also be included with traded cards.
• Only one card can be exchanged for another.
• A mismatch in the card rarity can result. Marvel SnapYou would receive some type of alert announcing the disparity.

But Marvel Snap’s Infinity Split mechanic fundamentally changes the calculus of implementing a trading system. Infinity Split allows you to create copies of cards once they have been fully leveled. You can then start levelling them up from the baseline rarity ranks. You can make copies of your card once it reaches its maximum level. Other copy.

“We basically gave everyone a photocopier to make their own copies as many times as they wanted, which breaks the ‘trading’ market, because increasing supply is essentially free,” Brode said.

As with all things of this nature, there’s always the concern of third-party marketplaces popping up, but the planned soulbound feature would go a long way toward preventing them from proliferating in any meaningful way, lest Marvel SnapNFTs are making it the latest frontline in their war against them. Video games and NFTs are not known for their ability to mix. Square Enix and Ubisoft are two of the most storied companies. Axie Infinity debacle.)

Marvel Snapit is always changing. It just launched a brand new site, the Altar of Death, with a double edge. In the constant quest to balance, over-powered and underpowered cards can be adjusted regularly. In the next month’s Second Dinner, a new competitive mode will allow players to play against friends. However, those who are still waiting to be able to trade cards may have to hold off for a while.

“I love how trading systems create stories and encourage social interaction,” Brode said. “Hopefully we can figure something out someday, despite these enormous challenges.”