After the PTCGL login screen broke on me, I decided to move away from that pile of trash that all online Standard players were force to migrate. I like some things it has, the crafting system and how good the structure of the Battle Pass is. But also has things that I don’t like, rewards are too low for the amount of time you spend, the game is very power hungry, bug fixes take FOREVER to come out and the Expanded format does not include any sets before Sun and Moon.
While I would not be able to play current Standard until Twinleaf releases or TCG One adds the newer cards (we all know that current Standard is not the focus of the site). I doesn’t mean that I will stop playing the Pokémon TCG. I first started with the Theme Decks format in PTCGO and I played the GB games. It was with PTCGL that I finally played competitive Standard (lucky to avoid the VMAX and Lugia VSTAR madness, I really don’t like 3 prizes and super op decks)
I enjoy the slower pace of the older format. It’s not about One Hit KOs or really hard math. Turns don’t take forever like in the Lost Box match ups. Status conditions are not gimmicks, they are actually usefull. While there are more coin flips, it makes the games more fun and with more risks. No amount of flashy effects with take that away. That’s why we are all here…
As for what the title says, I will write down my experiences learning these formats in different topics. In a few days I will write about the Base and Rocket-on formats. In the mean time, why don’t you write down your own experience discovering this game?