Know the reason no one plays?

[Politoed666]

I do. It's because there's no place to play and no competition. If there was Organized Play for the TFG, then people would play.

I e-mailed PUSA several months ago asking if and when Organized Play for the TFG would be up and running, and they said they had plans for it. What happened? I mean, it's not that difficult to get some events up and running; just follow the same guidelines they use for TCG events! Heck, why not start off small and tack on some TFG tournaments as side events to main TCG tournaments, like States?

I mean, to me this just seems like a big screw you to all the people who actually bought the first series. And it hurts PUSA too. They wasted time and money developing the first set, and now no one will buy it 'cause everyone knows that there will be umpteen more problems in addition to the umpteen they've already had. The least they could do is make an official statement regarding what the heck is going on and when everything will be cleared up. And an estimate of when this POP for the TFG will be ready.

I think I'm starting to rant... discuss. How do you feel about the TFG these days?

[Maguschild]

I thought no one liked the TFG 'cuz the figures break on kids too easy ^^

[TheDoctor]

I do. It's because there's no place to play and no competition. If there was Organized Play for the TFG, then people would play.

I e-mailed PUSA several months ago asking if and when Organized Play for the TFG would be up and running, and they said they had plans for it. What happened? I mean, it's not that difficult to get some events up and running; just follow the same guidelines they use for TCG events! Heck, why not start off small and tack on some TFG tournaments as side events to main TCG tournaments, like States?

I mean, to me this just seems like a big screw you to all the people who actually bought the first series. And it hurts PUSA too. They wasted time and money developing the first set, and now no one will buy it 'cause everyone knows that there will be umpteen more problems in addition to the umpteen they've already had. The least they could do is make an official statement regarding what the heck is going on and when everything will be cleared up. And an estimate of when this POP for the TFG will be ready.

I think I'm starting to rant... discuss. How do you feel about the TFG these days?

I feel exactly the same way you do.

Only time will tell.

[gashmoigidy]

there are many problems... the truth is they do break very easily, they are somewhat hard to transport, tournaments would be hard because there are not many good figures, and that next set keeps getting delayed. I think they should just do a demo or something. Like at a battle road i think there was a chaotic demo just a couple guys with starter sets teaching the young kiddies how to play. I tried to do this at my local i brought enough figures for me and one other player and i tought a bunch of kids how to play. There were a lot of people who thought it was fun, but they thought the figures were too expensive, they were hard to find, and why would u buy them anyway, there are no tournys.

[yoyofsho16]

The problem with the game isn't how easily they break OR OP for it, it's just that the game doesn't require experience. A serious player could play a player with a starter kit and lose.

[Varna]

The problem with the game isn't how easily they break OR OP for it, it's just that the game doesn't require experience. A serious player could play a player with a starter kit and lose.

I disagree with that. There are very distinctly good and bad pieces, and there is quite a lot of thought involved with each move. Experience counts for a lot, and I happen to speak from it. It doesn't take more than one wrong move to lose you the game against a good player.

[Absoltrainer]

I played it at nats at the demo table they had. I spent the entire time pretending I was ash and paying no attention to the game at all. Then the person at the demo told me I had won.

I have no idea what I did or how I did it, but it only took like 10 min.

[homeofmew]

I also did the Demo at Nats Seemed like a lot of luck, also very little strategy.

[Pokemon Trainer Mikko]

Well, TFG does pretty well at the Leagues i'm involved with. We spent Friday making printed out playmats since the starters are non-existant here. We do have a bunch of 3 spinner boosters, but I have a hard time justifying buying doubles; despite that I share my TFG figures with other League players.

[Heatherdu]

There is OP for it at league. It is still popular with the kiddos at our league.

I think tournaments are a bigger issue. I think it would be much easier to 'cheat' with the figs than with the cards. I do not mean fake figs but more non-random spinning. With the TCG it is pretty obvious which attacks the active Pokemon can do and it is simply announced. With the TFG, the player spins in order to determine the attack. I can foresee so many arguments over whether a spin was legal or not. It would almost require a judge at each match and that just isn't feasible. That's just my perspective though from hearing my boys argue during some of their friendly battles. :)

[Muscovy Level X]

There is OP for it at league. It is still popular with the kiddos at our league.

I think tournaments are a bigger issue. I think it would be much easier to 'cheat' with the figs than with the cards. I do not mean fake figs but more non-random spinning. With the TCG it is pretty obvious which attacks the active Pokemon can do and it is simply announced. With the TFG, the player spins in order to determine the attack. I can foresee so many arguments over whether a spin was legal or not. It would almost require a judge at each match and that just isn't feasible. That's just my perspective though from hearing my boys argue during some of their friendly battles. :)
If they ever did anything like tournaments, I imagine that the best way to guarentee randomness is to make the players use special OP spinners, with corasponding values. But I guess they'd have to clarify sooo much with that.

[z-man]

IMO, the reasons nobody plays:

-No OP (big one)
-boring game
-repetative game
-expesive game
-boring and repetative game
-poor concept

[pinkertonfan]

IMO, the reasons nobody plays:

-No OP (big one)
-boring game
-repetative game
-expesive game
-boring and repetative game
-poor concept

This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lucario-Master]

well they said that they would have op events for this in october but that never happened and the new set is delyed so we wait till it comes out and then I think something will happen

[Politoed666]

I've seen a few people say it's based on lucksacking powerful attacks rather than building a decent strategy. I disagree.

There are a few ways in which strategy incorporates into the TFG. First off, players need to use good strategy to build their team in the first place, incorporating speedsters, goal-guarders, and big-hitters into their team in good proportions. Then, when actually playing, the player needs to decide which Pokémon to send in what directions, and where to move once the opponent begins their turn. Shall I attack his Pokémon or run away? Shall I make a run for the goal or play defensive?

There's a lot more to the TFG than meets the eye.

[koolkidkaz]

playability = horrible: play Pokemon TCG, its cheaper, there is infinite more variety, and you cant carry 2'000 TFG figures around like you would cards.

Collectability = alright: they look sorta cool sitting on a shelf, and you can say you have every different kind ever made(if you do)

overall, pokemon TCG is much more rewarding, less expensive, and muuch more established than the TFG.

-Kaz

[Politoed666]

playability = horrible: play Pokemon TCG, its cheaper, there is infinite more variety, and you cant carry 2'000 TFG figures around like you would cards.

Collectability = alright: they look sorta cool sitting on a shelf, and you can say you have every different kind ever made(if you do)

overall, pokemon TCG is much more rewarding, less expensive, and muuch more established than the TFG.

-Kaz

In the end, the TFG is actually not more expensive because you only need a team of... 6, is it? Pokémon figures to play. In a TCG deck, you need a 60 card deck, and at least two of those cards are likely Claydol... which run around 15-20 U.S. dollars each. Whereas with the TFG, you can most likely pick up all the figures you need to play online for about the price of just those two Claydol.

Now, I'm not putting down the TCG. I personally enjoy the TCG more than the TFG, but I still feel that false information such as "the tfg is moar expensive" needs to be rectified.

[ShadowCard]

There are a few ways in which strategy incorporates into the TFG. First off, players need to use good strategy to build their team in the first place, incorporating speedsters, goal-guarders, and big-hitters into their team in good proportions. Then, when actually playing, the player needs to decide which Pokémon to send in what directions, and where to move once the opponent begins their turn. Shall I attack his Pokémon or run away? Shall I make a run for the goal or play defensive?
bolded for emphasis: This is really not so true. The playmat is incredibly basic. The only real choice is: do I send the figure left or right? You could go into the middle but there's only so many places to go from there. The playmat needs more options to it. The only aggressive play happens in the first 3 turns when you rush for the opponent's goal, at which point the opponent sends a figure to counter (because they lose if they don't) and if the counter works, you will lose because you have nothing to protect you and if the counter fails the opponent loses because they have nothing to protect them.

I once spent 10 minutes with the same figures going back and forth between the bench, the arena, and the pokemon center, before one of us finally make any kind of advancement. It is too easy to get into a position where nothing develops from the game because there's no other influences on the game because of the limited trainer cards you can use and because you can only move one figure a turn.

In the end, the TFG is actually not more expensive because you only need a team of... 6, is it? Pokémon figures to play. In a TCG deck, you need a 60 card deck, and at least two of those cards are likely Claydol... which run around 15-20 U.S. dollars each. Whereas with the TFG, you can most likely pick up all the figures you need to play online for about the price of just those two Claydol.

Now, I'm not putting down the TCG. I personally enjoy the TCG more than the TFG, but I still feel that false information such as "the tfg is moar expensive" needs to be rectified.
That is not true. It only appears that way because the TFG is not played. If it were more popular, such staples, like Claydol for the TCG, would emerge and cost just as much as a Claydol. A TFG's team is only cheaper compared to a deck of cards because no one plays it. It never got the chance to develop such staples.

For why we haven't heard anything new about the TFG, I'm guessing the economy has put the last nail in the coffin.

[sdp]

The game was fun and while expensive to collect it wasn't too expensive to have a set to play with.

Series 2 was never released right?


I think it was released at a wrong time and maybe not marketed enough. There were a lot of ads on saturday mornings when it first came out but it soon faded.


I kind of hope they are re-tooling how to do things and the game is not dead since I really liked it. Not to mention they were also the BEST Pokemon figures ever released IMO. They should have also been sold on the toy section at stores not the TCG...

I don't know such a wasted oportunity. Didn't the game fail in the test markets as well? I would think that this game could have been a success in japan though.

[ShadowCard]

Did it make it to Japan?

[EricDent]

They also barely sell this game anywhere. Heck I don't think the place that I play in league had any of the TFG.
They used to carry it at Target, but I have not seen it there in a couple of months.

[mikec103]

I do not think it is a bad concept, just bad excution. I am sure they were trying to keep it simple for the younger players, but they over did it, and older players get bored with it quickly.

I run a League, and while the kids can play the figure game as well to earn points, it has been only the junior division playing it. Most of the figures look great, even though they break easy. There should have been a lot more thought put into the playmat! Maybe even do it more "map-like". Possibly have the figures moving on maps that resemble the different regions like, Sinnoh or other places.

[Lion King]

I was talking to my PTO today.

The reason why groundbreakers is taking forever to come out is because of stores hitting the packaging.
Stores can only hold 3-4 packs of figures per hook, so they asked PUSA to change the packaging.
So that's what they are doing.

I would think PUSA is waiting for the new set to come-out before releasing any OP events or leagues.

[TheDarkTwins]

I do not think it is a bad concept, just bad excution. I am sure they were trying to keep it simple for the younger players, but they over did it, and older players get bored with it quickly.

I run a League, and while the kids can play the figure game as well to earn points, it has been only the junior division playing it. Most of the figures look great, even though they break easy. There should have been a lot more thought put into the playmat! Maybe even do it more "map-like". Possibly have the figures moving on maps that resemble the different regions like, Sinnoh or other places.

I think that if they did a rarity scheme, it may attract more older players.

Drew

[Pokeblob]

they had a rarity scheme here in the uk, but it was so unballanced (and boosters so costly) it didnt really work, to start with they sold boosters in solid colour packs in two's and still to this day i havent had a super rare other then the starter set ones (char n gatr were the starter sets and the other 4 were kyogre groudon ho-oh and lugia) and i must have bought over 40 boosters minimum (they ended up in sales at £2, retail price was £9)

ian e :)

[Narrishckeit]

I disagree with that. There are very distinctly good and bad pieces, and there is quite a lot of thought involved with each move. Experience counts for a lot, and I happen to speak from it. It doesn't take more than one wrong move to lose you the game against a good player.

Another reason why this game never picked up is because of the limited selection of figures available. If OP were to be established, any high-level tournaments would be flooded with players playing nearly the exact same team. Competetive place wouldn't be any fun.

[Phazon Elite]

I quite literally forgot there was a TFG until I saw this thread just now.

[orangematt]

Is Groundbreakers coming out?

I thought there were going to be figures in the newest wave of tins.

[Professor Elm]

I knew from the beginning this was a bound failure.

They should have looked at Dungeon Dice Monsters for Yu-Gi-Oh and seen how much of a failure that was. This is essentially the same idea.

[dark_pokemon]

i watched the demo on go-pokemon the game seems ok but very basic

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I knew from the beginning this was a bound failure.

They should have looked at Dungeon Dice Monsters for Yu-Gi-Oh and seen how much of a failure that was. This is essentially the same idea.

that was the worst collectable game of time it was horrible

[Jran Sakarra]

Shoot when this came out we had tournaments that could not wait with about 8 -10 players.

When the store ran out of figures we stopped playing.

I own so many and still play I could run a Demo and teach how to play it.

I still hear thye plan to release the next set soon.

I look forward to it since loved the game and it has some strategy to it.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

playability = horrible: play Pokemon TCG, its cheaper, there is infinite more variety, and you cant carry 2'000 TFG figures around like you would cards.

Collectability = alright: they look sorta cool sitting on a shelf, and you can say you have every different kind ever made(if you do)

overall, pokemon TCG is much more rewarding, less expensive, and muuch more established than the TFG.

-Kaz

What in the world cheaper?
It cost me more on cards to build my deck then the figures.

[toxictaipan]

Shoot when this came out we had tournaments that could not wait with about 8 -10 players.

When the store ran out of figures we stopped playing.

I own so many and still play I could run a Demo and teach how to play it.

I still hear thye plan to release the next set soon.

I look forward to it since loved the game and it has some strategy to it.

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What in the world cheaper?
It cost me more on cards to build my deck then the figures.
But you can also win back packs at tournaments....

[prodigal_fanboy]

My brothers wasted fifty dollars of accrued spending money on these at league. I say wasted because they've been collecting dust since they bought them, they break so easily it makes me furious to be asked to cart them around with our cards to league just to play with little kids.

Oh, and did I mention a lack of replayability?

[Archaic]

The very first thing the Australian players started doing with the figures when we got them, well before anyone else (in the actual market test) was to create custom play fields, with a lot more avenues for movement and attack. Why that feedback was never taken into consideration when they released the proper version of the game outside Australia, I have no idea.

I've got to agree that while there was a lot of avenue for strategy in the game, the limited number of figures and the lack of alternative playboards did mean that strategy could rapidly become homogenized. The best players quickly realized that eliminating the luck variable as much as possible with reliable good spins was a better option than trying to play with pure power. However, when you think about it, that's not really all that different to how TCG players eliminate the luck variable of "what card will I draw next" through draw cards, draw powers, etc. It's unfair to consider the TFG more luck based than the TCG under that light.

[Volmise]

My brothers wasted fifty dollars of accrued spending money on these at league. I say wasted because they've been collecting dust since they bought them, they break so easily it makes me furious to be asked to cart them around with our cards to league just to play with little kids.


Most of the figures wouldn't really break quite so easily as you think. It's mostly the ones that are held up on the thin pegs that you need to be careful with (Talking Ho-Oh and Spearow here.) Talking from experience since I managed to completely demolish a Ho-Oh by poking it, yet I dropped a Salemence and it stayed intact just fine.

[kyroid]

Most of the figures wouldn't really break quite so easily as you think. It's mostly the ones that are held up on the thin pegs that you need to be careful with (Talking Ho-Oh and Spearow here.) Talking from experience since I managed to completely demolish a Ho-Oh by poking it, yet I dropped a Salemence and it stayed intact just fine.

I know i bought a Ho Oh and i put it with my team. when i spun it ,it hit my other team and it fell off lol

[Ruiner]

One of the other problems I feel is that it doesn't hold up at all against other collectible minis games on the market such as Heroclix ( currently in limbo, potential sale of property up for grabs since Wizkids went under ) Star Wars Minis, and than World of Warcraft and Monsterpocalypse as well. All of these games are simple to play, but also have a great deal of depth, collectibility, and support. Well, not Heroclix anymore, but at the time it did. The TFG therefore had minimal chance to succeed outside of dedicated Pokemon fans, and the older, more competitive players would likely gravitate back to the TCG.

Having got into Mage Knight back in....2000ish? I remember always thinking how awesome a Pokemon minis game would be...I even went so far to toy with the idea of making dials for alot of the Pokemon using the Clix system, and it was alot of fun. Needless to say when I heard we'd be getting a Pokemon figure game I was extremely pumped. I saw the system for the game and was borderline crushed because the concept was so appealing and I feel that it had such potential and that the opportunity was truly blown. I'm just glad I didn't invest any money into the figures when they came out.

Also, in relation to the "high cost" of playing the TCG...compared to other TCGs, Pokemon is EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY cost friendly. My current "standard" ( equivalent of Modified, aka new cards only ) Magic deck runs roughly 500 dollars worth of cards. And many of those are not "universal" like Claydol, where if you invest in your decks engine you simply swap them from deck to deck. It isn't as friendly. Yu-Gi-Oh's prices are really high as well, as are World of Warcraft's.

Yes, you only need 6 figures if you want "a team" but that lacks variety, and is like claiming you only need to buy 60 cards. While technically true, that is barely playing the full experience of the game. Also, lets look at re-sale value. If I invest the roughly 100 dollars needed for a good Pokemon deck, most of the cards will be very easy to re-sell ( Claydol, Uxie, the supporters, any playable lvl x, etc ) where as the figures will eBay for 50 cents. If I'm out to have fun, I'd rather invest 100 dollars and get back 90 of it than invest 20-30 and get back 2. Plus have the potential to play in organized play and win cards/scholarships/trips. Just my opinions.