Okay, I've got some thoughts here... And it's pretty negative. So, sorry if you're hyped for this, but I'm gonna be a bit of a salt factory today.
While I'm going to preface that I do completely agree PTCGO needed an update, this is... The absolute worst possible way they could have done it, for me. I've been playing TCGO for the last seven years and this new client is effectively getting rid of
everything I played the game for.
The cards in your PTCGO collection will transfer over, to a degree. You’ll be limited to just 4 copies of most cards, 1 copy of cards like ACE SPECs, Prism Star cards, and individual pieces of Pokémon V-UNION. Cards released prior to Black & White will not be transferred.
This is the big one. The Legacy Format, hanging onto a thin lifeline by the small crowd of people who enjoyed the format, is now dead. My favorite format, the one format that I enjoyed playing anymore is dead. The time I spent investing in, learning, playing all these decks that I've come to love? Dead. Wasted. Gone. The lack of support for it for years on TCGO was already painful, but this is just... Really sad to see. That's already one reason for me to not bother with this.
And then you've got the "up to 4-of" clause of owning cards. While this is more of a me-problem, part of the fun of TCGO was building a collection of these cards, showing off what you've got, and collecting many copies of certain Pokemon. Guess all the time I spent collecting 400+ Hatterene V's as a meme was a waste. Fun! Again, that's a me problem, but...Collecting stuff was part of the fun on there for me.
It is not possible to trade with other players in PTCGL. Instead, you unlock cards in game and ‘extra’ copies of cards are converted into Credits, one of the game’s three currencies, that can be redeemed for single cards to add to your collection.
Very mixed on this. Converting extra copies of cards into some form of credit? Great idea- one that we've been suggesting be a thing for years. Being able to get single cards? Great for deck building!
While this is a great way to combat how hyperinflated the trading market can be on the game, trading was a huge part of what made TCGO fun for me. When the market was healthy, it was a great way to negotiate and interact with the community in the game. This just... Kind of kills that. With all the flaws of it though, I'm not sure how I feel about it 100%. But getting rid of trading also hurts the whole collection-building thing they're already killing off.
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Listen- I get it, what this is trying to do. And I'm fully aware most people just want a TCG battle simulator, that they're getting it, and that most people aren't going to be affected by the stuff that I'm let down by. I'm mainly just put down by the death of Legacy.
I don't really have much to say about the battle UI. I'm not a fan. I hope there's ways to turn the stupid wacky flashy visual effects off. It seems like it's way too barren on PC, while condensing things that don't need to be condensed on such. I understand mobile, but... Why is there so much dead, empty space on the PC match screen??
This whole thing doesn't feel like an upgrade to TCGO. It just feels like a side-grade, or a downgrade in many cases. Why is it that this company, anytime they do something, feels the need to go two steps back for any step forward they make?
And goodness, those awful, dead-eyed avatars...