April Community Update discussion thread

[TPCi_Mathis]

Check out the April community update here and let us know what you think!

 

[TBurrows9730]

Ok thanks for the update.

 

So we are getting the first V2 in May.

 

But we are losing Player vs. Player, in the current and V2 when and until?

 

From my reading of this we it looks like Player vs. Player will be out for several months.

 

That was my primary reason for being here so this will be painful. I hope that things go smoothly and you can get that backup quickly.

 

A weekly tease would make it a little less painful.

 

Thanks for the update.

 

 

 

[shayminluvr]

thanks 4 the update professor

 

[SuperAza619]

although it is sad to hear that we wont be able to access ptcgo but also happy because it helps me focus on exams more, also when are you disabling the multiplayer content?

 

[matthew69]

 

Check out the April community update here and let us know what you think!

 

 

Yeah thanks for the updates, I am prob gonna quit TCGO until V2 soon, as I am sure most other people are gonna do. Looking forward to V2, but shame about no DE coming out though.

 

[Delphii]

Well, that's a bit disappointing (for both the multiplayer and the DE boosters). Hopefully it isn't dragged out any longer than the end of summer... and I hope V2 makes up for all that time lost. =/

 

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[aura_master8]

I'M GOING TO GO INSANE WITHOUT TCGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TCGO really means alot to me and I'm very upset that I won't be able to play for a long time...................... Will the forums still be around?

 

[aura_master8]

Sorry for the double post but I forgot to ask, how much longer do we have to play?

 

[bastins]

Would you be able to elaborate a little more on the removal of multiplayer?

 

I fully understand the logic behind discontinuing development on the current version, but I'm not sure I understand why it needs to be taken offline completely. You guys can't work on the new version independently of what's running online?

 

If I'm interpreting this all correctly, it sounds like it's being taken offline simply for the sake of taking it offline. And based on past experience, I don't see that going well at all. Like TBurrows said, it's going to be a painful period of time, and I think people will react accordingly. Most will simply leave and forget about the game, while the few that stick around will quickly descend the forum into chaos to stay occupied.

 

[DragonDance92]

Thanks for the update. I really like that you guys are letting us players know what's going on behind the scenes.

 

My opinions on this

 

I like that you are focusing 100 % on the new version.

 

I dislike that you are removing the multiplayer feature until the new version is out. Without multiplayer a ton of players will have nothing to do on here. Including me. I think you're gonna lose some players by doing this. Personally though, I don't really mind, because the current state of the game is so bad that I don't enjoy playing it. I still think the better move would have been to keep the multiplayer up and running, but I'm sure you have your reasons for closing it.

 

Finally, a question. When the new version is released, will we be able to battle people in our friend list? I really feel that function is something you guys should have implemented a long time ago.

 

[quarterturn]

Thanks for the update! It's always nice when we can hear from you guys what's going on behind the scenes.

 

Like everyone else, I am curious when and for how long we will not have multiplayer. I may just lose my mind without it, but I am definitely looking forward to V2. The new Trainer Challenge should be nice, too.

 

Also, when the new version is released, will our collections be reset into pack codes again?

 

Thanks for all the work you guys are doing, and most of all, for keeping us updated. Sometimes we feel in the dark about the work you're doing.

 

[Dida86]

bad bada bad move!

 

no multyplayer and DE aviabile on late summer? and no good news to compensate? lol you can't be seroius!

 

the marketing team what is thinking of this move? from now to late summer who will be here?

 

and sorry to say that, but the "promises" maked in the past were all broken and late summer is another "promise".

 

Ps sorry for the bad grammar, english is not my native language

 

[K2theAblaM]

What will become of our current unused codes? Will they still be valid when Multiplayer comes back online?

 

[spiritbomb102]

what about gems?

 

[TPCi_Mathis]

I'm seeing some good questions so far. Keep them coming!

 

We'll pull together a list of these questions on Monday morning, sit down with the team to get some answers, and then try to post them by end of day Friday. Please keep in mind that there are some things we can't/won't talk about yet, so don't expect every question to get an answer this time around.

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Prof_Mathis

 

[barrowafcfootys]

have you got a set date for the chat room bug as it really needs fixing also some people have being experiancing a trading fix they offer and create it but it then says that it hasnt work they then try again but it still does work so these issues need answers

 

[Toubabo_Koomi]

Very Excited. Can't wait!

 

[GR0]

I have to agree with others on the question "why close down online?". If the reason appears to be simply to stop the bug complaints / stop people from wondering why Dark Explorers isn't usable yet: shutting down online will only make things worse. Many people complain because they're on the edge of leaving, and by shutting down online, even just temporarily, the decision is easily made. And the remaining complainers will only complain worse, if even silently, and unhappy customers are not positive for business.

 

 

 

Well, I'm not fond on how things are run, but depending on what the new Trainer Challenge gets, perhaps that satisfies me, as unlike many others I care more for the single-player game which has been too limited so far. What are some new functions? Unlocking the AI's decks so you can do mirror matches or use their decks vs other AI? Using your Online decks (I suppose with a requirement like having to have completed the cup first)?

 

 

 

And also, I see the pic is from Online, am I right? Judging by the pic, I suppose we get Theme Deck Duels in which you can only select a Theme Deck to duel the other?

 

[K3RUPT]

It's good to hear that there is progress being made but the wait doesn't seem to be worth it. We have to wait til late summer to open DE packs? :/ I think there should be something in place where you can sort of "pre-order" your dark explorers packs and you'll get 1.5 that amount you ordered in return for when we will be able to open them. Or for every pack you redeem in the shop you will get 0.25-0.5 credit towards a dark explorers booster in the future. I don't think I'll stick around if there is no real incentive to keep playing or buying packs for codes. I don't want to play AI all day.

 

 

 

[NinjaDethStrike]

Wow…

 

Where to start. First of all, thanks for the update. It’s nice to see that version 2.0 actually exists and is making progress, even if it’s slow. I’m very curious about the new trainer challenge. Will there be more opponents? Will we be able to get more cards than the basic color decks? Will there be anything more substantial than just the bracket grind we have now (something similar to the GBC game with npcs to actually interact with and the ability to make our own decks.) I know we probably won’t be given too many free cards, but it would be nice to at least have access to a decent selection in the many months we’re going to be waiting for PvP.

 

Speaking of PvP…what!? Why….what!? You’re taking it downs for months? I don’t understand this move at all. Even if you’re completely abandoning trying to fix all the problems, no PvP for months seems like a terrible idea. The answer to all the players who have stuck it out through the bugs and glitches is to….take the game away from them completely? As others have posted, this seems like a devastating move. You are going to lose many players. Some of us still remember that version 2.0 was scheduled to be released early 2012, and now we’re looking at an undisclosed “summer” release with no solid information and nothing to do but, presumably, play with the bad basic color decks for months on end. Without a solid release date, people are just going to assume it will be continually pushed back like it has up until this point. If you guys are really serious about doing this, I think deserve at least weekly progress reports and more forthcoming from the staff. One vague update a month and no honest communication is a guaranteed way to make sure you drive the mature player base away. Not adding DEX is also unfortunate, since each set only has a limited time to shine before the next one. At this rate it looks like by the time DEX is released, it will already be outdated. I would love to see some kind of incentive for returning players once this thing is actually working again, and I don’t mean some useless tokens we can’t spend on anything. Players who have stuck it out through all of this deserve some kind of reward for their loyalty. I suggest just releasing DEX for free for a limited amount of time after PTCGO’s return, but I highly doubt Pokemon would want to lose the money.

 

All in all I am extremely disappointed in this news, as I am in the state of the situation in general. Someone dropped the ball big time, and this seems like a great opportunity to grow the game squandered. Pokemon deserves better than this.

 

 

 

[imobvmafia]

So what's happening to the cards I spent a lot of money putting into the game through codes? As far as I can tell, the game is going down indefinitely with no indication of whether there will even be a multiplayer. And if there's no multiplayer, why bother handing out codes in boosters at all?

 

 

 

I'm really annoyed that this came entirely out of the blue. Yes, the old program was bugged and glitched to the point where rebuilding the system doesn't seem like a bad idea, but to take down the old one while you make a new one? At least leave the old one up, even if you don't implement DEX. Which you should implement anyway.

 

 

 

For an official program this is a shambles. Sporadic updates, Little to no customer support and now an indefinite hiatus of complete nothing, with no way of knowing what the scenario will be once it's all over. This is disgraceful, pokemon. More disgraceful than all those pointless DS Spin-off games. Even more pointless than pokedex 3D in the 3DS. As a frustrated but for some reason loyal supporter of the franchise, at least let us keep the old model while you make a new one.

 

 

 

~imobvmafia

 

[KooperKoushiro]

I agree with the sentiment of shock at multiplayer being taken down. For the sake of making questions easier to respond to:

 

• Why is it necessary to disable Multiplayer entirely? Maintenance issues? Server constraints? Flooded with tickets about gameplay bugs? No further updates I understand as that clearly consumes the developer's time.
  
• Will the Trainer Challenge v2 come up at the same time the Multiplayer modes are disabled? If one mode has to go, I would hope a new one could take its place, rather than only having our current Single Player modes.
  
• Since Unity allows for deployment on various platforms, will we see a (optional?) downloadable client for v2? This has been requested since early in the game's life due to the lag the present browser-based game can have, so I hope this has been taken into consideration for v2's development.
  

Less of a question than a thought, but...since Unity-developed games may be deployed on the Nintendo Wii, it would be interesting to see a WiiWare client for accessing TCGO. (Though by the time Beta is over, the Wii U will undoubtedly be released.)

 

Another thought on keeping people from simply leaving the site for at least a few months: As NinjaDethStrike suggested, implement some form of player rewards for playing the Trainer Challenge v2. To encourage people to buy the Dark Explorers theme decks (which, if I understand correctly, may be used in the TC v2), permit players who purchase one of the new decks and use it to be eligible for some free Dark Explorers packs when the set at large is released. Since the set has unfortunately gotten the short end of the stick due to these circumstances, it may help sales a bit.

 

A universal rewards program for anyone who plays up until the release of the new TCGO mode would be nice as well, but if I recall the previous rewards came as a result of a closed, not open, beta. Hence why I suggest limiting rewards to players who purchase the theme decks, to simulate that limited pool of players earning free packs.

 

Thank you for the update. Any honest news is good to hear, even if it's disappointing.

 

-Kooper, who will have to turn to unofficial simulators to play against other online for the time being.

 

[pokemonbrandon]

Ok, what is going to happen to everyone's boosters and credits? Or even all our decks and cards we have aquired on this version? Are they going to be carried over? Are we losing them all and getting credited the amount of codes redeemed? I would like answers for this as it will decide if I ever come back again. As mentioned numerous times above, broken promises. You guys sit and get fat off a junk system and make promises that have yet to be kept...almost feels like you guys couldn't give a care (put nicely to not get booted).

 

 

 

Answers would be nice, If it is going to be down for some time I will take measures to atleast make some of my lose back off this disaster. Sitting on alot of codes that were bought and payed for is crazy if they can't be used.

 

 

 

Very very frustrated player.....

 

[manmanorad]

 

 

 

Very very frustrated player.....

 

 

 

 

You forgot the part "Extremely disappointed". This is the first game ever i have this kind of joke. Game online without online element. Lol.

 

[Umbreon492]

Alright, well I'm quite mad.

 

One of the only reasons I play Pokemon TCGO is to build decks, play, and fight other users. This is just very... annoying. While I can play VS. AI the decks there aren't challenging even on Very Hard mode. Plus, they get stale after a while. Why can't you just leave PvP up and still focus on the other stuff? Can you not just leave it up and ignore it?

 

Plus, I understand not allowing us to get Dark Explorers packs as that might just cause more bugs, but not allowing them until SUMMER? Well, so much for testing DEX Decks. I could play in real life, but honestly, seeing the same people at my League week after week gets boring sometimes. Plus, the decks I play online I don't have in real life, so I have to make do with a modified Explosive Edge for now in real life, and for a while.

 

At least I can use the theme decks in Trainer Challenge. Speaking of, will I be able to change the playmat color? I quite like the interface of it, by the way!

 

While I do support the staff (Hardly anyone does, but they need SOME support, right?), the decision to turn off Multiplayer is just kind of stupid in my mind. Sorry if this came off as harsh, I don't mean to. But really, just saying it's being disabled and not saying when is... odd.

 

Don't get this wrong, though, I still love the TCGO through all the bugs and errors. I doubt I'll ever quit it even with this maitenance!