Modified too time-consuming?

[Ness]

There's not much that can be done about it, but I just wanted to complain and see if anyone felt like I did.

Back in the base-gym days, we had time limits of 20 minutes for games, eventually extended to 30. Games were much quicker. Then, more and more Poké-Powers that could be used from the bench appeared, things like Cosmic Power, Telepass, etc. And now, cards like Poké Turn result in even longer matches on average.

There's two problems with this:
#1 Tournaments are forced to extend time limits to 40 minutes/game which IMHO is the bare minimum that would be acceptable, causing tournaments to run late. (We had City Championships in Georgia go past midnight. Cities!)
#2 Playtesting becomes quite tedious when one game can easily go an hour.

Anyone else find playtesting more tedious nowadays? I almost wish EX's would come back to speed up the game.

[Prime]

I hear you about playtesting. I go to league and get like 3 games in before it's over.

[Jziffra]

I'm with you on the play testing bit, it is nice to do something other than playtesting, that or just to be able to check a possible different deck.

I also agree with the tournament times, I would like to have some free time either before or after to hang out with some of my none Pokemon playing friends.

[niimou]

Really? I usually can get in 6 games in the time limit.

[MrMeches]

Ness, IMHO 40 minutes helps with some of the issues, but I do miss 30 minute games. Play testing has also become more difficult due ot the wide varieties of decks that can be played. I feel this is the Healthiest Format we have had for a long time. There are no single DOMINATE decks so it makes deck construction more tedious as you mention. Dana L and I have discussed how now you can construct a deck for the Meta, but what is actually the Meta?? Dragons are everywhere (Chomp C, Flygon, Sally) and then you have to watch for Luxray SP in almost any deck (Thanks Stevie! :)) Once you feel you have the SP situaiton under control with your deck, now let's toss in Setup decks that run Spiritomb to slow things down. SO SPecial Energy gets a boosted jolt in the form of Cyclone and Warp NRG.... WOW... what do you have to do to win?? Gengar!! What wait, Feinting Spell... Jeez.... now what...Uxie with Expert Belt has to be in the deck so maybe SPread.. Oh Looky here... Queen just popped up Round 2!

SO I agree, Judging is also more difficult IMHO for those that are inexperienced due to all the interactions of things! So we find ourselves with a Healthy environment and multiples of decks being played.... it seems Pokemon has become any given Saturday!!

40 minutes is a long time for matches, but due to intricacy of decks, it is needed. I miss 30 minutes, but feel those days are gone until a DOMINATE DECK shows itself.

Fish

[Ness]

Nats 2010: 16 Swiss Rounds of Sudden Death

problem solved!

[MrMeches]

Originally Posted by Ness

Nats 2010: 16 Swiss Rounds of Sudden Death

problem solved!

Even then Gengar messes it up!!

[TheGeneral]

T2 Jet shoot FTW lol!

[prodigal_fanboy]

Originally Posted by TheGeneral

T2 Jet shoot FTW lol!

LV Max is no longer a nub card what?

[TheGeneral]

Originally Posted by prodigal_fanboy

LV Max is no longer a nub card what?

Well, level max turns it into a potential T1 Jet Shoot FTW

[Ness]

Originally Posted by MrMeches

Even then Gengar messes it up!!

Errata Fainting Spell to only work if the coin lands on its side.

[prodigal_fanboy]

Originally Posted by TheGeneral

Well, level max turns it into a potential T1 Jet Shoot FTW

Everyone would run Gastly donk.
If you go first, pitch dark. If you go second, explode with trainers.

[Naki Feralkin]

Originally Posted by Ness

Errata Fainting Spell to only work if the coin lands on its side.

What about dice?17

[crazycarl91]

Originally Posted by Ness

Nats 2010: 16 Swiss Rounds of Sudden Death

problem solved!

well then ill play electrode

[SLOW DECK]

Ness,

Time issues are being caused by every turn search powers. Claydol's, Garnievor's, and Pidgeot's all cause the games to drag on extremely long. Even when someone work's through an SP Cyrus chain, the searches are long.

Jujutsu playing style also elongates games, Ness you and your posse aren't gun slingers in the style of loading the gun's and start shooting analogy. The more high level the game, the more the players are trying to think three moves ahead. Play defensive, and not to take chances.

I remember a few year's ago in the EX era, where everyone was playing LBS, the games were fast because OHKO of EX's. I was playing Lunasol, my games always went long because I made it difficult to take 6 prizes against me, played lot's of disruption cards and played the game like Jujutsu, (IE lot's of disruption). I played my son's LBS deck once, and I was the first one done each round, win or lose, because you get set up, and attack straight forward. IE A Gunslinger deck.

[bullados]

This topic is why I think this is the healthiest format since DX-on. Not because of the complaint present in this topic (which I agree with, and LOVE). More because there have been complaints both that the game is too fast, and now that the game is too slow. And it looks like there are equal partners on both sides of the table. This tells me that the length of games is balanced, and that the format is handling both the speed and the length of games quite well.

Games that set up fast and last a long time with the potential for comebacks? Sounds like a return to old times to me!

[DarthPika]

^I still think we need something like scramble in the format... Upper is decent, but is SO limited in use. I've seen some comebacks, but nothing like the epic ones we used to have when scramble was in the format. That card really forced you to THINK.

[Varna]

Originally Posted by SLOW DECK

Garnievor's

Why do I see this misspelled literally everywhere on this forum? How hard is it to spell "Gardevoir"? Why is there an n in there?! That isn't even anywhere near "d" on the keyboard...!

Anyway, with that out of my system...

I enjoy the long games to an extent. In a tournament, a long game is satisfying, though taxing if it's towards the end of the day. In testing, it's completely obnoxious. At league, it's pretty much always fun, unless you're trying to get a bunch of points in one day. However, no matter how enjoyable a long game can be, I'd definitely like a return to quicker games (though not T1 quick =|) if only for the sake of tournament time. Games being decided on time (or rather, HOW they are decided) is probably my biggest issue with this TCG.

Originally Posted by Ness

Errata Fainting Spell to only work if the coin lands on its side.

I'm sure you'd end up nailing a lot more that way then you did in GA. Harsh luck, man.

[SteveP]

Echoing bullados and DarthPika. Too slow -- too fast. Who's right? Both are. And, cards like Scramble, POW, and Rocket's Admin were great comeback cards. Upper Energy is nice, but nowhere near as good as those other 3 comeback cards.

[Victory Bell]

It does take too long. But what could be done? The format cant switch back to 30 minutes as easily as it can go foward. It would make it harder to play in a fair enviorment with the cards we have. Under 30 mins, Gengarswitch would not even be viable. Gengarswitch and SP mirror would be even harsher to loose on time then and winning would even more depend on starts.

[Twosips]

I agree a the games are a little long and I am personally guilty of playing a bit on the slower side. My mind doesnt work as quick as some of the younger players.

One thought to speed up play testing though is to play test with 4 prizes in stead of six. This might not work with slower decks that take longer to set up and can come back from being down 2 prizes before it gets going but aside from that. Testing a game with 4 prizes should give you a sense of how your deck matches up against your opponents archetype and should be enough for you to judge the the consistency of the deck.

[Jaeger]

I really hear you on the second, average playtesting game is 20-30 mins

[DarthPika]

Just looking a head at the new sets, but I do think we can expect quicker games...

[Yoshi-]

Scramble would be a savior for this format <3
No matter how complex it seems to be in the end the faster deck wins. And a deck like SP can just trade OHKOs with the big guys easily which just makes a ton of decks unplayable. But I agree that with scramble and the GHSS trainers this could be a GREAT format.

I judged my first tournament today and seriosly, Gliscor has to be the most boring deck ever. It was ramparding here today and won seniors, I had to judge that game but I could actually hardly pay attention since its so dull and dumb :/
Nothing happens and once the lock is in place nothing breaks it and you just have to sit through it :/

[ryanvergel]

people should play warp energy or play smart =(