Earlier today, Pokemon TCG Pocket officially introduced its long-awaited trading feature. However, instead of excitement, the update has left many players disappointed due to its restrictive structure.
How the Trading System Works
The new trading system is built around two key mechanics:
Trade Stamina
A newly introduced energy system that limits how many trades a player can make per day, similar to how Booster Pack and Wonder Pick energy function.
Trade Tokens
A special currency obtained by exchanging high-value cards or completing event missions.
Why Players Are Upset
The biggest point of contention is the Trade Token exchange rate, which many players find unreasonable. Only cards with a three-diamond rarity or higher can be exchanged for Trade Tokens, and the conversion rates are heavily skewed against F2P players.
Here’s a breakdown of the exchange rates:
| Card Rarity | Trade Tokens Needed | Trade Token Exchange Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Three-Diamond | 125 Trade Tokens | 20 Trade Tokens |
| Four-Diamond | 500 Trade Tokens | 125 Trade Tokens |
| One-Star | 400 Trade Tokens | 100 Trade Tokens |
Essentially, players must sacrifice a significant portion of their collection just to complete a single trade. This disproportionately impacts free-to-play users, who have fewer rare cards to trade, while pay-to-play players gain a significant advantage by having a larger collection to work with.
A Major Misstep for Pokemon TCG Pocket
Many in the community believe this is the game’s biggest mistake since launch. By making trading so restrictive and expensive, Pokemon TCG Pocket may have alienated a large portion of its player base—particularly those who don’t spend money on the game.
Unless adjustments are made, this update could leave a lasting stain on the game’s reputation. We’ll see how the release of the new expansion, Space-Time Smackdown changes player opinion.
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