A greeting, a story, and questions about YOU!

[ChocolateChipCookies]

I'm sitting at my economy gaming computer. My angry bird plushie is staring into space. I've got a walmart brand mountain dew. And I have a slight twitch in my left arm. But most importantly, I'm without a dad now, and will soon be moving closer to family in a much bigger city so me and my mother don't turn into introverts and go crazy.

I told my dad before he passed away about a week and half ago that I wouldn't let him down. I'd take care of my mom, save up my money, get my Nurse Practitioner Certification (still have 5 years left), and find a hobby other than sitting at my computer. A lot of this went unsaid, but was understood. And I have full intention of following through.

This post has to do with the last of those things I promised of course: the hobby. I'm moving out of state, so to avoid paying extra tuition I'll need to live in the state for a year without attending school, working at the biggest retailer in the world, and doing things in my spare time that get me to open up, have fun, and meet the beautiful people of Pittsburgh and hopefully beyond. All are doable. And so I'm dedicating my spare time to two things: starting a webcomic, and going back to playing the Pokemon TCG. The first game I ever got hooked on back in 1999, and something I've been looking into for the last 2 years.

On to the questions; none of which have to do with deck building or the like. I've read every sticky, newbie guide, and major article on every major TCG website over the last two days so I kind of already know what I'm looking for in terms of the basics of the game. My questions are about you guys, and the game as a whole. I've loved collecting and engaging in competitive environments so this game seems natural to me especially with the nostalgia running through my veins. But I have no experience with this community.

So my first question is what makes this community special? What is it about this game and these people that make you guys keep coming to the websites, going to tournaments and building decks? For those of you who respond to this question, get emotional. Love is a factor in anything you put as much time and money into as some of you have put into pokemon so let it out. I'm all about expression.

My second question has to do with expectations. What is expected of a player in order for him/her to progress? In starcraft it's mechanical skill with macro, which I was terrible at. So what are the skills and mechanics you need to learn as a player to go from being the new guy, to the guy the new guys are looking up to? And what is the best way of going about practicing these mechanics.

My last question is, who are YOU?! Yes, you! I'm a guy who likes to meet people more than collecting cards so tell me a little bit about yourself and what your life is like as a player and as a person. What are your successes? What are your goals? Do you have a pleasant chest to look at? (Don't be shy you fellas that go to the gym I'm talking to you too)

I think that covers how I wanted to start my steps into the community. Now, like I said, I'm a people person, so if you found this thread nice and want to help an old bro out in learning the game, or just enjoy tossing bullshit around, hit me up on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chocolatechipcookiez or on my skype id: chocolatechipcookiez. I would ask if you add me to bear in mind I'm a little old for this game so I'd rather not be talking to 12 year olds on skype and have a black van park outside my house. So do me a favor and leave communication on the forums if you're under 18.

With that, you are all beautiful people, I hope you have a lovely day, and thanks for reading.

And no, I'm not gay.

 

[DNA]

...should go in The Pokemon World, inb4 a mod moves it

So my first question is what makes this community special? What is it about this game and these people that make you guys keep coming to the websites, going to tournaments and building decks? For those of you who respond to this question, get emotional. Love is a factor in anything you put as much time and money into as some of you have put into pokemon so let it out. I'm all about expression.

It's mostly the people, really. I myself am primarily a judge and not a player, and I took this job not only for all the free packs I get as a result (it beats paying money for sure), but to hang out with all the wonderful people in the playerbase. I understand that not all playerbases are the same, but most of them are pretty congenial people and love to be friendly and welcoming to everyone, old and new players alike.

My second question has to do with expectations. What is expected of a player in order for him/her to progress? In starcraft it's mechanical skill with macro, which I was terrible at. So what are the skills and mechanics you need to learn as a player to go from being the new guy, to the guy the new guys are looking up to? And what is the best way of going about practicing these mechanics.

A willingness to keep adapting to format changes and not being afraid to fall flat on one's face. Also, money. With the catch cards being the high-HP hard-to-pull EX cards, many a deck will revolve around those. I'm not the kind of person who aims for top-cut or top-anything - I want people to remember me as a fun-loving guy who plays fun-loving decks that somehow work. (I look at card combo ideas that look fun or interesting, and I try to roll with it. I don't always like to go with existing ideas since I know how popular those tend to be - I like to make my deck-building unique.) In the end, what matters the most to me is that I can go home, win or lose, and say I had fun.

My last question is, who are YOU?! Yes, you! I'm a guy who likes to meet people more than collecting cards so tell me a little bit about yourself and what your life is like as a player and as a person. What are your successes? What are your goals? Do you have a pleasant chest to look at? (Don't be shy you fellas that go to the gym I'm talking to you too)

I'm DNA, a tourney judge, Gym Leader, and Pokemon Professor for over 3 years running now. I'm attracted to the game because it is a common bond between many people, plus I can use my knowledge of the game to get people more interested. My successes are pulling off some weirdly wonderful plays in some games, my goals are to think of fun deck ideas despite a potentially repressive format, and I've been told I look cute by some women but I don't believe that for a second.

By the way, welcome to the Beach!

 

[bacon]

You sound like a cool guy!

I'm not TCG savvy so I'll leave the technical side of the game to the pros here, but I can at least speak for the community. As far as competitive games go I'd say that Pokemon has a friendly player base and it's a good way to make friends, and I've met many a nice TCG player in my time. Unfortunately playing to win usually costs a bomb because as DNA said the high tier cards are usually the rarest!

As for myself, I'm more of a VG person. Outside of Pokemon I'm somewhat of an academic guy, studying in the fields of astrophysics and theoretical physics. My current / main goal in life is to understand consciousness and an issue in physics we call the measurement problem. I am also a tree hugger and animal lover, and I possess a magnificent chest.

Welcome!

 

[Athena]

Sorry to hear about your loss. <3

So my first question is what makes this community special? What is it about this game and these people that make you guys keep coming to the websites, going to tournaments and building decks? For those of you who respond to this question, get emotional. Love is a factor in anything you put as much time and money into as some of you have put into pokemon so let it out. I'm all about expression.

I like the Pokémon attracts people from all walks of life, whether it's the games or the TCG. Both genders, all ages, the poor and the rich. Some are geeks, and maybe most, but not all. Pokémon players are a very diverse group, but on the whole, I'd say they're generally pleasant people, at least on average and compared to other fandoms that I've been a part of. The only fandom that I personally think is nicer is MLP.

I also think that, for me personally, it's a nostalgia factor. I was in my last year of junior high when Pokémon came to the US. It was a much simpler time for me. I got into the games and the TCG (both playing and collecting), met people, had a lot of fun, but stopped sometime after the Team Rocket American release. Since then, in high school, college, and after, I've journeyed to hell and back, and returning to Pokémon (as I did around the release of Call of Legends) was synonymous with a return to simpler, happier times. Except now I can afford the cards and games on my own without having to bug relatives to buy them for me.

My second question has to do with expectations. What is expected of a player in order for him/her to progress? In starcraft it's mechanical skill with macro, which I was terrible at. So what are the skills and mechanics you need to learn as a player to go from being the new guy, to the guy the new guys are looking up to? And what is the best way of going about practicing these mechanics.

I think there are a few different aspects to being good in the TCG, some of them easier than others. Innate skill is something you either have or you don't, but if you don't, it's not the end of the world.

Learning and play-testing are very important, as is a willingness to take constructive criticism and make change. You have to learn the meta, because even if you don't want to play it, others will and that will be what you're up against. Play a lot of different decks and against a lot of different decks so you can learn how all the different combos work. And don't be too proud to ask others, including your opponents, for advice.

You also need to be willing to sink some money into the game. Some of the better cards are on the pricy side, and even making a budget deck will require an investment. But, you can be smart about it, too. Buy singles instead of packs when you're making a deck. Play-test online so you know the cards you want to buy for your deck(s) before you buy them. Trade cards you don't want or need to get the ones that you do.

My last question is, who are YOU?! Yes, you! I'm a guy who likes to meet people more than collecting cards so tell me a little bit about yourself and what your life is like as a player and as a person. What are your successes? What are your goals? Do you have a pleasant chest to look at? (Don't be shy you fellas that go to the gym I'm talking to you too)

Well, I happen to be a bit old for this game too, and I'd like to think I have a very pleasant chest.

I talked a bit about my history above. Started playing back in the day, took a break, and now I'm back to collecting again. Plan to start playing after I move so I can join a league and start following my own advice. I don't really have many goals aside from getting back into the community and participating in tournaments. My only real recent success is that I went 2-1 at the Next Destinies prerelease, and I would have one that third game too if I hadn't purposefully made a bad move to let the game go longer because I was sad at all the short game.

 

[CMP]

I'm deeply sorry to hear about your loss -- I can't even begin to imagine losing a parent. You do, however, seem to have a commendable attitude regarding the situation!

Pittsburgh, you say? I'm fairly close -- just across the border into Ohio!

As for your questions, I suppose nostalgia is part of the reason I'm still into the game. It was a blast when I was younger, and something that I can play and look back on simpler times. I suppose it's kind of an escape from the day-to-day stuff I have to do (work, mainly). Had I been the age I am now when Pokémon first came out, would I still have played it? To be honest, probably not. With the exceptions of very few games (Pokémon, in particular), I've grown out of video games completely since my 360 RR'd a few years ago (and card games man, many years before that).

Unfortunately, I can't speak too much about the TCG in its current state, including tips for new players such as yourself. I'd trust everything that's already been mentioned, as both DNA and Artemis are deeply knowledgeable about the game.

As for myself, well...not many of my friends know I still play, let alone that I'm a supermod on one of the largest Pokémon sites. I don't fit the stereotype most of the general public (unfortunately) seems to put Pokémon players. I'm a fraternity guy who has never had trouble with girls...and that's part of what I love about the game. Most of the people I know who do play the game don't fit into the aforementioned stereotype. It's such a diverse community!

As far as my involvement in Pokémon goes, I've been making fake cards for nearly 12-13 years. I'm currently working on a fake Neo-era set (Neo Redux) which has been a WIP for 2 years now, and I'm a little over halfway done. I've got ~450+ cards under my belt, with hundreds of others done not having to do with the set.

 

[Grumpigfarmer]

First off, You are a darngood writer. Your intro is so good! It makes the reader feel how you feel, And that's hard to do! I'm so sorry about your loss. I think what Artemis said about this place is spot on, Pokémon attracts people from all walks of life.As for myself, I'm a artist who loves pokemon and a bunch of stuff

 

[Matryoshka]

First off, sorry about your dad :\

As for the first question, I can't say enough about the community. When I first picked up the game, I had just gotten into my second year of home school. I quit regular school in the first place because I had a hard time fitting in. I was obsessed with Pokemon and other video games, and hated sports. So I had maybe 2 good friends the whole time I was there, and they both moved. I had one other friend, but we weren't that close. Maybe I had some friends in my extra classes, but I never felt like I had any solid friends. Since I was already into Pokemon, and had a small collection of cards, I decided to pick up the TCG. I built a Psychic deck and my mom drove me to a league about 30 minutes away.

I grabbed my deck in my Articuno deck box, and ran with my mom to the league. Turns out, the building was closed. Walking back into the car, I slowly gave in and cried. I felt like I'd never fit into Florida in general, and that I'd just have to deal with life being lonely. To cheer me up, my mom drove me ALL the way over to my favorite shop, which had lots of anime and video game stuff. Right next door, the same owners owned a card shop. Why not try my luck? I scanned the door, which was decorated with ads for card games. A small sticker decorated with the Sinnoh starters said in bubble letters: "Pokemon League Held Here!" I raced inside, asked when it was held, and realized that I'd be able to come next week and do what I felt I was meant to do.

I met some friends that supported my ambition. The league leader gave me any card that I wanted that they had in order to improve my deck. I got Nidoqueen, Energy Gain, and some other cards that were actually worth something. A regular helped me get into competitive play, and gave me some crucial tips such as "There's no such thing as stalling to get your attackers set up unless they have some sort of effect that prevents damage." At the time, I had 2 decks, my Psychic deck and my Dark deck. On a different website, I got help on my Dark deck and turned it into a viable deck. It focused on using Skuntank to Poison my Mightyena, allowing it to attack for free on the first turn. I played Special Darks to act as PlusPowers, and I could also use them with Honchkrow, which could also donk using Crobat G, Energy Gain, and Special Dark (50 HP basics). In my first two tournaments, I got two third places, winning against two Kingdras, Donphan, and a Charizard, all of which were good decks. I was proud, and slowly but surely I made my way into the community, making friends, and becoming a regular.

So the reason I love the community is because it's one of the only places I fit in.

In order to be a good, competitive player, just listen to the people you know are better than you. If you're not open, you're gonna be like that kid at my league that has more good cards than I do and builds crappy decks because he doesn't listen to my advice Most of the time, articles also contain key information.

Who am I? I'm probably the weird immature one who takes children's card games way too seriously, and is obsessed with Japan. I've done well in tournaments, as far as successes go. My goal is to get an invitation to worlds some day, and to visit Japan.