[Feedback] Genetic Apex SP Emblem Event 1

BornABrawler

I wanted to add to the ongoing discussion, as I think a lot of people share the sentiment that this is not a "fun" event. I will attempt to critique in a reasonable way and explain why certain parts of this event don't fit the game - at least in my opinion.

1. Early Player Collections: In my eyes to truly compete in this event, you must have a deck that is considered to be powerful and consistent. However, new players do not start with powerful ex Pokemon (Mewtwo ex, Pikachu ex, etc.) and will have a hard time keeping up. This is not to say a match is unwinnable in these circumstances, but just like with any card game you must adopt powerful cards to have a more assured victory. With this in mind, I expect new players will find even more frustration in the game mode than already active players due to the gap in collection.
   
2. Duration Too Short: I think that only permitting a week for this event is a huge oversight that could easily have been fixed. The one thing I have given Pocket huge credit for is that it feels like it respects the player's time in many aspects, but especially for daily missions and event missions. The goal of this event does not match this thought process at all. To share a personal story, I was not been able to participate in this event till the weekend because work has been busy and stressful. And knowing that I am on a time crunch to complete the event when the amount of effort is theoretical only adds to my disdain. I want to make this clear though: extending the duration of the event is only a bandage and does not remedy the core issue.
   
3. The Fun/Frustration Ratio: Trying to put myself in the shoes of the developers, I can see how a challenge like this should feel fun and rewarding. A player who accomplishes a difficult challenge should rightfully feel the satisfaction and receive a comparable reward. And while I have no complaint with the event missions, I also think this ignores the frustrations a player has to overcome to reach the goal. Card games are baked in with random chance, from the cards in your starting hand to the powerful coin flipping cards (Misty, Moltres ex, Kangaskhan, etc.). Random chances are naturally frustrating to lose against, especially when solid play can be overcome by a 50/50 chance. (Side note: this is not a judgment of Pocket's gameplay or philosophy, as I think random chance does introduce wrinkles that would make a TCG without it feel plain/simplistic) If a mechanic that is part of the game's identity is making players frustrated or mad, I think this is something that cannot be ignored - even for a limited time event. This does not take into consideration matchmaking, where you can feel defeated just by having a weakness disadvantage. I don't want to make this section too bloated, so my summary is that multiple random elements that can prolong the journey does not add value or fun for the player.

MY SUGGESTIONS: Along with my critiques I think it is reasonable to also provide methods that could make the event less frustrating.

• The first change incorporates checkpoints and I will explain this idea. Say you start out the event and all you need is one win to make your first checkpoint. Then the next checkpoint is two consecutive wins away. The checkpoint after is three consecutive wins away, and the series proceeds as demonstrated. This does two important things - 1) It creates a sense of progression that the player can tangibly see and feel success in, and 2) If a player loses a game, they are starting from their most recent checkpoint. If it were my decision I would not progress past a three win streak, and deciding when to award the emblems is another factor. Nonetheless, I think this would alleviate some frustration via the two points I mentioned earlier.
  
• The second change is simple and that's to extend the duration. Limited events are hard to pin down because you don't want them to feel so easy that the victory is empty or so hard that it feels unachievable. But in all cases I feel the root of the issue is time, and this can be measured by what the player commits compared to the amount of time they have to reach the goal. If I were making this event, I would make it a month long, or at minimum two weeks. Giving the player more freedom on when to participate and commit their time is only a good thing.

MY EXPERIENCE: Before my final thoughts, I want to be fair and discuss my experience with this event. I was fortunate enough to complete it in five games total using my Greninja/Articuno ex deck. However, on my fifth game I matched into Pikachu ex and I was immediately on edge. I did manage to win this game but I cannot deny how "tryhard" I felt when playing the match. It was only stressful.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I have really enjoyed my time with Pokemon TCG Pocket, and overall I think it is generous to the player in many areas. But I cannot sit idly when something so polarizing could potentially hurt the game in the long run. My criticisms and suggestions are meant in good faith to promote the future of the game. I think the suggestions (checkpoints and longer duration) should be used in conjunction to grant the player freedom and a feeling of accomplishment.

Mod_Bee

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and suggestions for ways to improve the player experience, @BornABrawler. We appreciate the ideas and we'll share them with the team.