Will Work for Stubs
My stub balance is lower than usual but not for a lack of effort.
Can anyone spare a stub?
The ShowZone currently has a poll that asks players if it is harder to get stubs this year, and, not surprisingly, the answer is a resounding yes. As I write this post, over 85% of MLB the Show players have felt the stub pinch this season.
Now, there are a few reasons for this (in no order):
So many people know how to flip cards now that the market has tightened. The margins on live series cards are incredibly tight, and those on many live series golds and silvers are almost non-existent. You can still make stubs flipping but you need to quit your job and abandon your family to do so.
The elimination of the CAP in Diamond Dynasty reduced the demand for Diamond equipment, cutting off a typically lucrative stream for card flippers. The RTTS glitch earlier this year also killed the diamond equipment market, as the flood of players taking advantage all but eliminated demand.
The time between awards in the XP programs has limited players. Instead of a steady stream of packs – both standard packs, headliners, and special packs – it has slowed stub growth.
Speaking of packs … the inability to receive special packs during programs has dramatically inflated the prices of many cards. I’m not ready to dive into the pay-for-play debate quite yet (I will say that I’m growing tired of the constant whining in the community about this), but there are fewer opportunities to earn packs through gameplay and, thus, fewer opportunities to get stubs.
There is almost no reward for playing online games with many players lamenting the miniscule number of stubs given after playing a full game on Ranked.
Now, this week's roster update will spice things up. Savvy investors will receive an influx of stubs that could open flipping opportunities for at least a few days. At this point, investing may be the best way to boost your bank account (outside of going flawless in Battle Royale, which is a tall task for the vast majority of players, myself included).
In some ways, the lack of stubs and the price of players has made the game more interesting. Since not everyone can get the same cards, I’ve seen more variety in lineups and strategies, especially with the captain boosts. I will hold out on full judgment until after this week’s big content drop, but I also understand the fun of having a big bankroll and continually getting new cards to use.
My guess is that San Diego Studios will flood the market with easy-to-acquire packs as we reach the end of the first season to help people fill collections. If things continue, though, it will dry up the player base once again.
What do you think? How does your stub balance look?
And I Was Happy to Hit 700…
