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 updates are designed to enhance the trading experience, although their implementation will take some time.
In a recent post on the Pokémon community forums, the developers outlined the following changes:
Removal of Trade Tokens
- Trade Tokens Eliminated: The current trade token system, which required players to sacrifice cards to acquire the necessary currency for trading, will be completely removed.
- Introduction of Shinedust: Trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust instead. This currency is already in the game and is earned automatically when players open booster packs and obtain cards already registered in their Card Dex.
- Shinedust for Flair and Trading: Since shinedust is also used for obtaining flair, the developers are considering increasing the amount of shinedust available to ensure players have enough for trading.
- Conversion of Existing Tokens: Current trade tokens will be converted to shinedust once the update is implemented.
- No Changes for Lower Rarity Cards: The trading method for one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards will remain unchanged.
Additional Updates in Development
- Enhanced Trading Functionality: A new feature will allow players to share cards they are interested in trading for via the in-game trading system.
The trade token system has been widely criticized for being cumbersome and expensive. Players needed to "vaporize" multiple cards to accumulate enough tokens for a single trade, which discouraged many from using the system. The switch to shinedust promises to be more user-friendly, as it is earned passively and already familiar to players.
The introduction of shinedust as a trading currency is expected to facilitate more trades, especially since many players already have a surplus of this resource. However, the developers are aware of the need to prevent abuse of the trading system, which is why a cost remains necessary to ensure thoughtful trading.
Another significant improvement is the ability to share desired trade cards, which will help players make more informed and reasonable trade offers. Currently, the lack of communication tools within the game makes trading with strangers difficult, but this new feature should encourage more active trading.
The Pokémon TCG Pocket community has responded positively to these proposed changes, although there is disappointment over the cards already lost to the trade token system. The conversion of existing tokens to shinedust offers some compensation, but cannot replace the lost cards.
The major drawback is the timeline for these updates. The developers have indicated that these changes will not be implemented until the fall of this year, which could lead to a halt in trading activities as players await the new system. This delay means that several more expansions might be released before the trading aspect of the game sees significant improvement.
In the meantime, players are encouraged to save their shinedust in anticipation of the upcoming changes.
