The Pokémon TCG is a two-player battle where each player uses a 60-card deck to try and knock out their opponent's Pokémon. To win, a player must take all six of their prize cards, which are claimed by knocking out an opponent's Pokémon, or by eliminating all of the opponent's Pokémon or their deck. Why is this not peak TCG?
>>97061065Because everyone who buys pokemon cards is more focused on collecting cards with fancy art rather than actually playing the game.
The first pack of cards my cousin ever opened had a first edition Charizard in it. She gave it to a friend who spilled soda on it, then lost it. I never got any Charizards.
>>97061065>energy system is just MtG's lands but worse>prize cards are a shit mechanic>isn't even consistent with the vidya logic like a Water/Ground Pokemon being weak to Electric>incredible power creep>scalped out the ass to the point that kids can't even play the game any more>only 1 format so after 2 years your cards are now worthless>flipping coins is a consistent mechanic (less so on attacks nowadays but still on status effects and items) I am also still mad at the collapsing of Pokemon Trading Card Game Online. PTCG Live sucks and you can only play Standard and Pocket is a mediocre collecting binder with an even shitter version of the game to justify calling itself a game when people just want to crack packs and watch binder fill up.
My friend bought the Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic set, and we played a few games against each other, it being the first time either of us had played in 20 years.It's a dumb game. The first game ended with us establishing a locked state where neither of us could outpace the healing/stunning mechanics that we had inadvertently set up, and the game ended with me decking out first.The second and third were decided by who managed to draw into their legendary bird first and just deliver a lop-sided beatdown.It's dumb, but we had fun, though I kind of doubt it would be fun to play on more than a once-a-decade basis.
>>97061065If they made a one piece TCG-like game altered to include pokemon mechanics it would be so kino as of now, the pokemon TCG is one of the least popular games to play even though it sells the most because it simply is not a good game like the bones of it are not good
>>97061065I have only tried it through the old gameboy game. The overall rules were ok but most card abilities required coinflips which made the game mostly about luck. I also felt that once you had built your deck there was little decision making involved while playing it.I know the game has seen some huge powercreep but other than that I don't know which direction they have taken the mechanics. But given that 99.9% of people who buy pokemon cards have no intention of ever trying the game I would imagine the game did not improve.
>>97061251The legendary birds were ass cardsWhat the hell did you two do wrong?
>>97061065The design space just kind of sucks and it's a solitaire like game. The only interaction there is is a floodgate effect like pic rel or something that forces your opponent's benched pokemon up.
>>97061190Coin flips aren’t even much of a thing anymore since the focus is now placed on trying to set up an attacker that can deal enough damage to knock out enough mons to get all 6 prizes. >>97063964They focused more on gambling addicts when they decided to make it to where new players were on parity with established players. That’s why there’s so many alternate versions of cards. >>97065472The original kanto starter stage 2 evolutions were also ass. Haymaker dominated the format for a reason. Vggsmva
>>97069286True, but depending on the cards available to you, I can at least make decks that work with themApart from shoving Articuno in a Rain Dance, there is absolutely no reason to ever use the legendary birds
>>97061065Its momentum stemmed entirely from being attached to the one of the most profitable and popular media franchise of all time. The gameplay itself is terrible. Even Yu-Gi-Oh is better and that's saying something.
Pokemon card collecting has gotten so big that I'm not sure the historical comparisons hold anymore. It's not like stamps. It's not like comics. Etc. Will these things hold their value 50 years from now? That will be the true test.
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Pokemon TCG is a mixed bag for me because on one hand I like how there's next to no interaction because all these faggy card games where people spend more time playing on the opponents turn is aids but on the other hand TCGs need some sort of interaction. Its mainly just Yugioh and MTG have ruined everyone's tastes because those have too much interaction
>>97061065I actually used to play this game in its earlier days, and even did TCG League. In hindsight, it had some serious growing pains, but had real promise. I really liked playing the video game version of it for Game Boy Color.Since the reworking of the rules (which includes some very good decisions like limiting Supporters per turn for balance), the game has still gone through some pretty outrageous problems with power creep and chase rares. Too much of the game has bent around individual, extremely powerful cards.
>>97070199The problem with charizard is he demanded you commit to one Pokemon (him) and burn resources in exchange for prizes. Venusaur was flexible, but outside of scyther, it was a slow roll and most grass Pokemon were bad outside of scyther. Blastoise was the best of the 3, but even then you had better luck just using a haymaker build or trying a deck like potpourri where you rode on the back of basics to get all 6 prizes. >>97072479A lot of onlyfans whores have moved to Pokemon cards because it’s low effort and you can draw a parasocial audience that’ll paypig and fund your hobby where you can pull valuable cards and sell them off to retards.
>>97072479>those veinsJesus. Too big.
>>97061065Prize cards are a major design mistake.
>>97061065>Why is this not peak TCG?I don't like flipping coins.Very based OG set OP though, Pokemon is much better than Yugioh.
>>97074368I think a lot of the game is trying to move past coin flips, but there’s no way they can get past prizes.
Bringing back 3 prize pokes was an interesting choiceIm thinking about putting together a non-ex deck to trying to go under themIt also will work well against both charizard decks running aroundIm bot really a fan of the non-trainer draw we have right now, am I missing something
>>97074376I like prizes as a mechanic a lot, actually. They encourage not building around a single linchpin and they usually give you mechanics to interact with them if you really can't stand not knowing what's in the prized cards. They encourage taking early leads rather than durdling until your combo is assembled. Not a perfect system but lots to like about them.
>>97074403The entire meta is centered around linchpins, unfortunately. Box decks are way better because your chances of benching all of your necessary cards is very slim.
>>97074403>>97074414*prizing
>>97074414Agreed. And as with most games, entry level play is just a lot more fun than when you've metagamed the fun out of everything.
>>97074403The problem with Prize cards as a system is that the concept was already perfected by Duel Masters, where instead of drawing cards for getting an early lead and continuing to snowball, you need to knock out your opponent's shields and they add cards to their hand, adding more back-and forth to playing.Also, Pokemon is probably the worst game for this sort of mechanic due to how evolution works. 'Encourage not building around a single lynchpin' just translates to 'stuff your deck full of good basic pokemon and completely ignore evolution'.
>>97074658>was already perfected byYou're correct about the rest of it, but please note that the Pokemon TCG started a few yews before Duel Masters existed. It's not like Duel Masters beat Pokemon to the punch; they re-used a similar concept to better effect.Also, take note that the earliest "good" decks in Pokemon did include some that leaned on really good basic Pokemon (Haymaker), but there were other strong alternatives as well (like Rain Dance).
>>97074658>Also, Pokemon is probably the worst game for this sort of mechanic due to how evolution works. 'Encourage not building around a single lynchpin' just translates to 'stuff your deck full of good basic pokemon and completely ignore evolution'.I mean, that has been the meta at several points throughout the game's history. If you want to avoid potentially being cucked by prizes, you can just do big basics.
>>97061190>and Pocket is a mediocre collecting binder with an even shitter version of the gameWhats wrong with pocket?20 card decks and first to three points is a great way to introduce the core concepts of the game and deckbuilding.Sure it's a jpg collector but that's just any digital card game.
>>97065472The legendary birds Ho-oh, Lugia, and... Suicune.
>>97061106That's sad considering how shit the art is. Everything comes off as furry/scaley shit
>>97074360More for me The veins are a bonus
>>97076449A lot of the art is pretty good though.
>>97061065>Why is this not peak TCG?It was once but like everything it's turned to complete shit.>>97061190The parts I agree with the most are the power creep, scalping, and lack of proper formats. The flipping is annoying if you're a sweaty tryhard but it's just proof the game isn't meant to be taken seriously, it's a children's card game.Play the gameboy versions. They are peak digital TCG and extremely easy to emulate on a chinkheld.
>>97079524Are you going to post some relevant art or?
>>97079635It's a shame the sequel never got an official translation, though the fan patch is serviceable enough.Pokemon TCG for Game Boy was a favorite way to play games for me as a kid, and the music is better than it has any right to be. Playing this game so damn much made me better at the real card game, because it was a way for me to get exposure to building and playing against decks with tons of cards that I didn't freely have access to.
>>97079699There’s plenty of decent art.
