The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have announced significant improvements to the game's trading system, which has been a source of frustration for players since its launch. These changes, while promising, will take time to implement.
In a recent post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the upcoming changes:
Removal of Trade Tokens
- Trade tokens will be completely phased out. Players will no longer need to sacrifice cards to acquire the currency needed for trading.
- Shinedust will become the new trading currency for cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity. Shinedust is earned automatically when you open a booster pack and receive a card already registered in your Card Dex.
- The amount of shinedust available will be increased since it's also used for obtaining flairs. This should enable more frequent trading.
- Existing trade tokens will be converted to shinedust when they are removed from the game.
- No changes will be made to the trading of one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards.
Additional Updates in Development
- A new feature will allow players to share cards they're interested in trading for directly within the game's trading function.
The current trade token system has been widely criticized. Players needed to "vaporize" multiple high-value cards just to acquire enough tokens for a single trade, which was discouraging and inefficient. The new shinedust system is much more user-friendly, as shinedust is already earned through duplicate cards and can be accumulated through various in-game activities.
While it's crucial for TCG Pocket to maintain some trading cost to prevent system abuse, the trade token system was overly restrictive. The new approach with shinedust should make trading more accessible and enjoyable.
Another significant enhancement is the ability to share desired trade cards. Currently, players can list cards for trade but have no way to communicate their desired trades within the game, leading to ineffective trading with strangers. This new feature will facilitate clearer and more targeted trading offers.
The community has responded positively to these proposed changes, though there's a notable downside: players have already lost many rare cards to the old system, and those losses cannot be undone. Additionally, the implementation of these changes won't occur until the fall, leaving players to endure the current system for months. This delay may cause trading activity to decline further as players await the new system.
In the meantime, players are advised to save their shinedust to prepare for the upcoming trading overhaul.
