Site Blog

A Letter To Our Community

For a while now, it has been well-known in the Egg Cave community that many of the site's oldest creatures are virtually unobtainable due to their low supply and consequently unaffordable prices. Many of the site's oldest creatures are often the rarest and they're locked away on accounts that are now inactive or, if the account is still active, will never be traded or auctioned.

When we originally introduced the concept of "Cash Shop Monthlies" years ago, it was shortsighted of us to promise to retire these creatures forever. By promising to retire these creatures forever, Egg Cave is at risk of becoming more of a museum of shiny, unobtainable creatures rather than a living, breathing site that's fun and based on working hard for the creatures you love and want to collect.

The idea of rereleasing creatures has been frequently discussed over the last several years. In years past, it has been met with opposition due to fears that rereleasing creatures would lead to an inevitable collapse in values. While it is a basic economic principle that increased supply will slow the rate of an increase in value or cause it to drop, we do not believe that rereleases have to happen in a way that cause values to collapse. In fact, values cannot "collapse" when there was always a price floor of 500 CC to begin with. With rereleases, the floor will be even higher.

In recent months, players have begun discussing the idea of rereleases again but with more positivity and viewing the idea more favorably. We've been pleased to see this and want to engage with the community. That's why today we're announcing a 6-month trial run for rereleasing creatures on Egg Cave. Worried or wonder what "trial run" means? Please continue reading, as these rereleases will be governed by a lot of strict rules.

Increase Supply But Protect Values

Our main goal of rereleasing Cash Shop creatures is to increase their supply but implement strict rules that Team Egg Cave adheres to protect their values. Here's the rundown of what we're proposing and how rereleases would work:

• Protect value: Rereleased species have a beginning price at 1000 CC or higher depending on their Population Rank (a creature that's lower on the Population Rank sells for higher). They are never less than 1000 CC.
• Protect value: Cap on the number rereleased. A species population can only be doubled at most. For example, if there are 50 living creatures of a species that's going to be rereleased, a maximum of 100 could be rereleased and no more. Team Egg Cave may choose to set this lower to protect values. Once the limit is reached, the creature is "sold out" in the Cash Shop.
• Protect value: A species cannot be rereleased two years in a row
• Rereleases occur on a monthly timetable, just like monthlies
• Only 2-3 species can be rereleased per month
• A species can only be rereleased in and during the month that it was originally available (a November monthly could only ever be rereleased in the month of November, maintaining the concept of a monthly)
• Species selected for rereleases will be announced at least one month in advance

We are proposing a 6-month trial run for these rereleases from November 2020 to April 2021. During April 2021, we will gather feedback and vote as a community if you would like to see rereleases continue (as is or with changes) or be stopped altogether. If we do not have greater than 50% support from the community for creature rereleases, they will be terminated and halted.

Rerelease Schedule

November 2020

• Corlinn
• Scarrow
• Squinton

December 2020

• Adarna
• Bellato
• Kringus

January 2021 - April 2021: To be announced.

Does the rerelease occur on November 1?

The first rereleased creatures will go live on November 6.

What creatures do you hope to see in 2021?

What creatures do you want to see rereleased in 2021? Submit your favorite Cash Shop species in the comments below.

Other Ideas & Suggestions?

Let us know in the comments. We look forward to engaging with the community.