Very well put Pete. In the past I had issues understanding why cards were rotated out. Over time, I've come to understand what you've said regarding stagnant deck ideas. I know your organization usually goes under fire during change. People hate change, especially when they get comfortable or nestled in their niches. New things can cause uneasiness which causes frustration. Once the shock wears off, people will either adapt or leave. Bottom line: we knew the format was going to change, so we were surprised with a few extra sets that were monopolizing the _entire_ game. Long term, this will be a good decision, especially with the new cards being released.
One cannot deny that the game was very rote, boring, and stale over this entire season. It's been a couple decks all year long, and they've been mostly Delta based. (Mostly) Personally, that makes for a very discouraging environment to play in. It's no secret that I like to come up with my own ideas. And even when I played the metagame decks at Cities and States, I was constantly getting donked. Constantly. The game was bad. Those who enjoy competition and strategy will appreciate this maneuver in time. There's nothing fun about sitting there blistering your opponent with a God Hand or sitting behind a T2 fully set up MetaNite or Rai-Eggs. Personally, I love the games where you sit locked against your opponent each with 1 or 2 prizes left, and each and every card you play can hold huge impact on the game. There were less and less of those kind of games as the season progressed over the last year.
And yeah, Spinach, you're right. There was no hand disruption, but if they waited for Galatic's Bet, then we'd be forced to counter Holon by playing specific cards (Galatic's Bet). I am not sure just how much power would be lost exactly. Sure some would. But the early superfast setup still remains. The Holon Engine, at least the way I thought of it was the 4/4 Mentor/Transceiver that allowed for the 1st or 2nd turn three Basic lay down. Regardless if you had the ability to Delta Draw or not (which caused the hand to become huge). The setup was already happening. Also, Galatic's Bet is a far cry from Rocket's Admin.
I think this post is evidence that some of us take the game far too seriously sometimes. If this game is more about scholarships, winning, ego, et cetera, I would think you would need to evaluate not only your reasons for playing, but also your self esteem. It's taken me some time, but I've realized that this game is not nearly as important as we sometimes think of it. It's a hobby, a recreation, supposed to be an escape from our hectic lives. The reason I play now is for my friends, the people I've come to know is a great community and social network, as well as a couple afternoons/weekends a month of a little competition and self-challenge. What's sad is when you see kids in the 10- blistering other little guys that are trying to come up with decks of their favorite Pokemon or a cool combo they were excited about with carbon copies of archetypes from their older brothers/sisters. It's bad enough to see this monotony in older age groups, let the kids (who the game was designed for) enjoy it.
So again, I want to thank those at POP/PUI for this decision to effectively give the player base a fresh start. Sure there will be broken Pokemon. There are always amazing combos, but as I said in my earlier post, it's when the Trainers or the Mechanics of a game that get disrupted or taken advantage of, that the system collapses upon itself. These Diamond Pearl cards are great, the new mechanics (weakness, Fossils KOs, etc) really take some of the bad matchups and luck away, which is what needs to happen, in my opinion. Maybe I'm just an old dinosaur that believes in strategy rather than cheap wins at any cost, if so, my apologies and consider my words as the ramblings of a nostalgic player of yesteryear.
Finally, regarding comments I've received about coming back and why (off the boards). Well, I didn't ever directly quit. I've had personal problems and time management concerns. I'll be a senior in college this Fall. I'm a Pre-Med student involved in campus activities and Leukemia research. My free time has been dwindling anyways, and certainly prior to this decision as well as the release of the new Diamond/Pearl cards and rules, the current state of the game left me bored and discouraged. I don't envy any of you going to Nationals or Worlds. I've done a lot in my playing career, and really just want a game I can enjoy playing.
EDIT: I also thought of something else after the fact. I was looking back over the post and saw a lot of posts regarding how the game is screwed or messed up. And how certain cards shouldn't have been deleted. The game is NOT "messed up" it is new and different. That's an infinite difference based on perspective. And here is where I start to get irritated. It's when players get upset about losing cards they've abused for over a year. I'm not saying that because you used MetaNite or Rai-Eggs or BanDoom that you're a bad player (just unimaginative). Many of you really had no option because you could foresee no alternative. My problem is when I see pages of complaining versus comments/ideas of "I have to think now." There is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more skill involved in sitting down and thinking up your own deck versus copying something from an event that wins and just hobble along with that as your crutch. How much do you grow as a deckbuilder when you copy? What do you learn as a player from T2ing someone? These are the flaws from the current system. It's ridiculous to think of yourself as some distinguished player by copying a deck, and memorizing a set of rules or scenario setups. Now, I do respect players who do use archetypes and actually can adjust and make great moves, there's a difference. But it's players like Jake Burt and Jimmy Ballard who can make up their own decks and do VERY well with them that I respect more than anything.
There's a fine line between being a great thinker and player versus being a great copier and memorizer. Seriously, just start working and looking at the cards you have left and the cards coming up (as well as know other future cards are coming). Those of you that are complaining about being ripped off by the evil corporation should do your part as a wise consumer and have a more knowledgeable grasp of the products you are purchasing.
JMHO
~Jim
