Pokémon feels like they are starting to optimize how much they print and how sets are being built as well as pull rates…
Some sets are clearly bigger/smaller than they should be, other sets have no business having horrendous pull rates (Prismatic Evolutions / Evolving Skies / Fusion Strike) and modern packs feel like Japanese RPG style Gachapon where you either get the card you want or it’s bulk.
How do you feel about the direction Pokémon is going, are you satisfied or do you wish Pokémon would go in a different directions
It feels like recently there’s been a shift from set collectibility to chase collectibility. Prismatic is the extreme example with the reverse variants and high number of SIRs at very low pull rates. I don’t see how anyone other than the wealthiest of collectors will ever be able to build a master set of it, and I don’t think that’s a positive long term.
I’m not a fan of god packs or ultra high rarity chase cards like the recent MURs. A lot of people that pull them end up selling the hits rather than adding them to their collection due to the monetary value, which feels like a shame to me.
Some standard sets like Journey Together though strike a healthy balance, and the art continues to be fantastic so I have a very positive outlook. I think once demand falls or supply rises Pokémon card collecting will be in a really positive and enjoyable place for the foreseeable future.
Bring early BW lineless texture back for SR Pokémon ex
Commit more cards to the set theme - around 15% so far this era is a good start and leaves room for improvement
Don’t be afraid to explore lesser known Pokémon
AR/SAR/MUR is the most that can be done with chase cards without devolving to tactics that don’t improve the game or broader interest (i.e. serialised), so commit more to world building
Reduce the lottery-fication of everything
Design products that more people want to open, not to hoard sealed
Love the way Pokemon is handling it, but not a fan of how people take matters into their own hands to capitalize on the greed from the joy the hobby brings.
Pokemon definitely still needs to print more. There are small signs that things are improving. But I think they could still double the amount they are printing.
That being said. I do have to give TPC props with the modern cosmos border promos. These slap.
I have no plans to collect these first Mega sets but I still give thumbs up to Pokemon for what they’ve done with Phantasmal Flames etc.
When I think about all the favourite sets so far roughly 100 cards per set seems like the sweet spot, makes you appreciate things like Aquapolis/Skyridge even more because they were positive exception back in the days.
I think artistically, the TCG is the best it’s ever been. Great variety of card art and the new formats serve the art well. I’ll echo DeekBoy’s suggestion of more small sets with a tight theme, like Shining Legends or Dragon Majesty.
Modern Pokémon has for sure some annoying things that we would love to be better, like bad pull rates, too large sets, 3D arts on the basic Ex’s and V cards (I think 2D arts would be so much better), and basic full art cards that just feel boring.
That said, to me, most of the artworks are looking absolutely crazy, and the addition of SAR’s and AR’s is definitively something incredible. We are unable to collect everything, which can be frustrating sometimes, but the cards have never been as beautiful as they are now, and there are often several new artists bringing crazy artworks.
The Pokeball Masterball stuff needs to be gone like yesterday.
Especially since they are treating them like SIR, that is ridiculous. Pulling a masterball card does not equal the same as a IR or SIR not even close.
Sets are huge now i mastered 151 and CZ and that was tough enough.
JT or DR were the newest sets i have thought of mastering. Im not touching any of the mega so far aside from picking up singles.
I wanted to master Paldea Evo but that didn’t happen.
1 Sets need to shrink in size.
2 Masterball PokeBall need to go
3 Pull rates need to increase for SIR.
Although for the most part JP is cheaper than English, the commodification of English has really made the top JP chases completely unaffordable as well. And perhaps unlike English, where TCGPlayer sort of helps centralize market prices and sellers, from the outside, JP doesn’t have the same so the prices just keep going up.
I also dislike how grading has taken over more than ever sucking up the supply of raw cards.
For English no. I enjoy the artwork but I can’t remember the last time I opened a modern English pack and felt it was worth it. In general it feels like an all or nothing proposal. You either pull a super cool card (with abysmal chances) or you’re left with basically nothing.
English sets are also way too difficult/expensive to complete. As an example Brilliant Stars got me into modern Pokemon and I wanted to complete the set the old fashioned way. I opened at least two cases and didn’t come close to completing it. Of course, the cards I didn’t pull are the most desirable ones. As much as I like the art It’s nearly impossible for me to justify ripping packs.
Next step is the Shiny variant of the 1/2000 pack chase card.
they can start with like a humble 1/100 and later down the line for mascot Pokémon make it 1/1000.
