Part 4- The True Spirit of the Game


Before I start on my part, let me give credit where credit is due. Here is the actual Spirit of the Game


Now this is all well and good, in fact I feel this proposed Spirit is very much so right. However, I have one question:

Is The Pokemon TCG a Game with a Pokemon Theme, or a Pokemon Based Concept modeled into a Trading Card Game?

Let me explain what I mean. If the Pokemon TCG is a Game...

Part 3- Luck


In any game, there is a luck factor. In card games, especially, there is a luck factor. Most of the luck is based on the random outcomes a deck can yield with the top card.

With Pokemon, luck is in abundance.


In Pokemon, there's luck in what the arrangement of the deck is, luck in what prize cards are there, luck in what the first 7 cards are before a game, luck in what your opponent does, luck in coin flips...
...

Part 2- Margins of Card Prices


When you think "Trading Card Game", there are three parts.

Trading.
Card.
Game.

This blog is going to focus on that first word- Trading.


Let's be honest, outside of rogue players, how often do you actually complete a trade on a "I need this, you need that" basis?

Let me disect a booster of HS-Heartgold Soulsilver I opened recently:
...

I have a 5 part Blog going on here, so if you miss anything I'm about to see, look out for these 5 Parts:

Part 1- Lack of a Diverse Cardpool
Part 2- Margins of Card Prices
Part 3- Luck
Part 4- The True Spirit of the Game
Part 5- ME TOO


So, without further ado, here is...


Part 1- Lack of a Diverse Cardpool

Now before I get started, this isn't about diverse decks. It's about the cardpool. If you...

That's it- I'm all done.

After over a year of playing, frustration, and upsets, I am done collecting the Pokemon TCG.

This game was a breakaway- I had just finished college, had sold all of my Magic the Gathering cards, and was introduced to this game in December of 2010. It was a time where I was led to believe a Theme Deck could be fun (My first purchase and collection for a week was the Umbreon UD Theme deck) and the store that I had played showed a variety. My first...