Since when is PTCGO So expensive???

[khit]

So I haven't played ptcgo much since plasma freeze came out and turned every expert player into a TDK player and I've been trying to get back into it as I was lucky enough to basically pull a virgen deck out of my box. (IRL) So I redeem my 50 ish codes and get...... Kyurem EX... thats it, no other ultra rares. Well that's okay, I'll just buy some more codes and trade for virizion and genesect! How much are they worth? 13 packs at the LEAST for non FA! assuming a value of 35 cents per pack thats almost 5 dollars JUST for a virtual card! Considering the fact that I'd need 4 virizions and 3 genesects (and that's if I have every single other card in the deck already) thats 35$ JUST for one deck that will be obsolete soon, ONLINE! I thought the point of online play was that it was almost free and an easy way to test decks that you couldn't afford or don't want to invest in without a lick of playtesting. (ptcgo's glitches are being a whole other issue) Well either way, I've been driven away from this program and stick to other FREE simulators. I already paid 200$ for the cards IRL, why would pay ANOTHER 50 just to practice? I'd like to see this change as this system just isn't gonna work for me. Maybe a ptcgo employee will read this, it seems like they peeked last fall and since then they've just been making the program worse.
Thanks for listening to my rant

 

[SMP88]

The price on code cards and the value of cards online have nothing to do with anything a Pokemon employee does. Cards are valued based on what people will buy/trade them for. People see that Virizion/Genesect will easily trade for 13+ codes so they're going to value it at 13+ codes. People are also buying code cards for 35+ cents, so people will sell them at that price.

 

[khit]

The price on code cards and the value of cards online have nothing to do with anything a Pokemon employee does. Cards are valued based on what people will buy/trade them for. People see that Virizion/Genesect will easily trade for 13+ codes so they're going to value it at 13+ codes. People are also buying code cards for 35+ cents, so people will sell them at that price.

I know that, which is why I posted here instead of the official forums, I just need to vent as I literally have no way to play online unless I want to play tin darkrais from last year, which was cool for like 6 months, but I'm bored of it. What I want is a way to redeem my thousands of coins for playable cards, not 5 card packs which over half the time don't come with a rare let alone ultra rares anyway
Edit: No way to play PTCGO. Obviously simulators are as awesome as ever. I suppose my whole issue is them trying to make me pay for a virtual card, after paying for the real thing. There is no other reliable way to get the EX's that are essential to top tier decks other than paying incredibly inflated prices. I've opened about 70 packs in the last month and I've pulled 2 EX's (Heatran and Kyurem... yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay)

 

[NoDice]

The price of booster packs IRL reflect the inclusion of code cards. Buying those code cards in turn helps support the game. Code cards are more than likely cheaper (at least NOW)than the planned in game store that will take credit cards and what not for booster packs. AND playing online is a GREAT DEAL cheaper than playing IRL!

Pokemon and any other card game is a pay to play hobby. You pay money, get cards and play, IRL and online. If you like the game, support it by buying booster packs or code cards, otherwise you will just have to deal with the more than generous rewards you get for playing as a "free player" that only redeemed a couple tins and thinks the online game is too expensive.