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I don’t understand the rationale behind the pack codes

I started collecting within the past week, so I’m pretty unfamiliar with how the TCG works. When I started collecting cards, I thought the code that came with them would bring those cards to TCG live. This thought was reinforced when I bought decks like the Pokemon academy decks and Palkia V Star deck. I recently bought some packs and realized the booster packs do not give you the same cards on TCG live. I don’t understand the rationale behind this. Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to be able to bring your physical cards to the game, so you can try out your cards? I’m not really looking for an explanation; I just wondered if anyone else felt similarly.

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Comments

  • DoubleCure
    DoubleCure Member Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The code gives you the same set pack, but the actal cards are random indeed.

    The idea behind it I belive it's to add extra exciting not knowing what you will get, adds a bit of mystery to every opening in the online game, even tho the pack opening in TCG Live is boring and also has less cards lol (but in the old TCG Online app it was quite fun tbh... and we had all the cards not just half ).

    The fact that the packs have less cards then the physical it's what I don't understand (and in the beginning of TCG Live used to be even less cards).

  • TechHog
    TechHog Member Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Making the code match what's in the pack would take an astronomical amount of work and just cause more problems than it solves. It's not practical or profitable.

  • TechHog
    TechHog Member Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    It's not all that. There's just no other practical way of doing it.

  • BPZ92
    BPZ92 Member Posts: 4
    Name Dropper First Comment

    Would it be that much work though? The app on my phone does a darn good job of scanning cards with accuracy. I feel like it wouldn’t be that difficult to scan the cards going into a deck. I do get your point though. The whole point of it is to make as much money as possible with as little labor.

  • DoubleCure
    DoubleCure Member Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I think most people don't care that much about the fact that the cards don't match, at least I haven't notice significant complaining. And adding up that indeed it's not practical or profitable for them sure I understand... and tbh I think it's fine to also make the pack opening more interesting.

    But what many people get annoyed about is that they only gave us half the cards... then in later sets they increase it to 6 (because the amout of complaining maybe I guess).

    But still 5 or 6 cards in a pack... why not 10? they will say that the rarity it's better and the basic energy in the pack would be useless, but in reality if they are so woried about players getting better rarity... wouldn't it be better to get the extra credits of lower reality by make it 10 cards like the real life regular packs?

    At best they could remove the basic energy from the pack making it 9 cards and increase the rarity a little idk... but cut to only 5 cards it's too much even 6, mostly all those are garbage anyway and go into credits.

    The 10 cards complaining it's not because I care about credits... at this point I got more then I'll ever need, but would make the game closer to reality.

  • BPZ92
    BPZ92 Member Posts: 4
    Name Dropper First Comment

    I do understand your point about it being extra exciting. The unfortunate thing for me is that I bought a deck that has non-standard cards. I was hoping to play this deck on TCG Live, but the cards u replace those non-standard cards with might not be ones I own, so I kind of have to create two decks now. Eh, first-world problems, I guess.

  • TechHog
    TechHog Member Posts: 2,818 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    It's not just scanning. You have to build the entire production line with it in mind, and change the way the codes are generated so they can be generated on the line. It would be ridiculously more expensive because no such thing exists.

  • Bashship
    Bashship Member Posts: 5
    Name Dropper First Comment

    I think the fact that you could get 400 codes redeemed for a set and not have a master set is silly. Especially when everything past that gets converted to coins.

  • Bashship
    Bashship Member Posts: 5
    Name Dropper First Comment

    The worst parts in my opinion are:

    1st: When you reach 400 codes for a set, any future codes you redeem end up becoming coins. Which unless you are pursuing cosmetic items, are pretty useless. I'm at 50k+ with coins.

    2nd: When you hit 400 codes, you don't get a completed set. You still have to spend your crystals for any missing variants.

  • TheJeffers
    TheJeffers Member Posts: 1,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Random hypothetical: If TPC said they would modify their production lines so that they could figure out which cards went into an individual pack, and they could insert a matching code to guarantee identical contents, but packs would cost a dollar more, would you be in favour of it?

    Would you be willing to pay for this feature? Is it that important to you?