""What is snipe guard?""
Snipe guard is where if a person bids in the last minute before the auction ends, the person is required to hold their bid for ""x"" amount of time which is specified by the host of the auction. If someone else bids during the additional ""x"" amount of time, that person is then required to hold that bid for ""x"" amount of time.
What's the point of snipe guard?
Well, it's essentially made to prevent people from ""sniping"" auction. This is where someone stalks an auction and bids last minute or close to last minute so no one has time to bid higher before the auction ends. Thus, the person would win the auction without having to continually bidding. Many people lose profit because of this, because the person who snipped the auction had bought the item for the lowest price possible
Please note that it is possible for the host to state that in the last 5, 10, 20, 30, etc minutes, the snipe guard will be in effect
Examples:
Snipe Guard: 30 minutes
End date: 12:00 PM GT (Game Time)
Person A: 100 mushrooms (Posted at 11:58AM)
^ In this case, snipe guard would not be in effect because the person did not post in the last minute before the auction ends. The host also did not specify that the snipe guard was in effect for longer than the last minute of the auction, thus, it can be assumed that the snipe guard will only be in effect at the last minute
Person B: 100 mushrooms (Posted at 11:59AM)
^ In this case however, snipe guard will be in effect because they posted the minute before the auction ends. They will be forced to hold their bid for another 30 minutes even after the auction ends
Example 2:
Snipe Guard (Last 30 Minutes): 30 Minutes
End Date: 12PM GT
When someone says ""Last 'x' minutes"" that indicates that the snipe guard will be in effect during the last ""x"" minutes of the auction
Person A: 100 mushrooms (Posted 11:29AM)
^ Snipe guard is NOT in effect as the post was not in the 30 minute period
Person B: 100 Mushrooms (Posted 11:30AM)
^ Snipe guard is in effect, they will have to hold their bid for another 30 minutes because it is in the last 30 minutes of the auction
Example of Snipe Guard in Effect:
Snipe Guard: 30 mins
End date: 12:00PM GT
Person A: 100 mushrooms (11:59AM)
(Auction has ended but snipe guard is in effect, so people can bid within 30 mins of the last bid even if the auction has ended)
Person B: 150 mushrooms (12:29PM)
^ Notice how this is exactly 30 minutes after the previous bid. This bid is allowed since snipe guard lasts for 30 whole minutes in this auction
Person A: 200 mushrooms (12:50PM)
^ Person B's bid has been outbid by another person within those 30 minutes. Now Person A has to keep their bid for a whole 30 minutes without having someone bid higher
And the cycle continues!