The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have finally shared detailed plans for significant enhancements to the game's much-criticized trading system, which has been a source of frustration for players since its launch. These proposed changes sound promising, but unfortunately, they won't be implemented for quite some time.

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, eliminating the need for players to sacrifice cards to acquire trading currency.
• Trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust.
• Shinedust will be automatically earned when you open a booster pack and obtain a card already registered in your Card Dex.
• Since shinedust is also used to obtain flair, the developers are considering increasing the amount provided, as it will now be used for trading as well.
• This change should enable players to trade more cards than before.
• Existing trade tokens will be converted to shinedust upon the removal of the item.
• Trading of one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards will remain unchanged.

Additional Updates in Development

• A new feature will allow players to share cards they're interested in trading for via the in-game trading function.

The most significant change is the elimination of trade tokens, which were previously essential for trading but cumbersome to obtain. Currently, to trade an ex Pokémon card, players must destroy five other ex cards to accumulate enough trade tokens, and the same goes for their trading partner. Despite some additional ways to earn bonus trade tokens being introduced, the system has remained largely unappealing.

The new system, which uses shinedust, appears to be a vast improvement. Shinedust is already in the game and used for purchasing "flairs" for cards—animations that enhance their appearance during matches. Players earn shinedust automatically from duplicate cards and can also acquire more through events and other means. Many players likely have a surplus of shinedust, and the developers are exploring ways to increase the amount to facilitate smoother trading.

It's worth noting that TCG Pocket needs some form of trading cost to prevent players from exploiting the system by creating multiple accounts, opening starter packs, and transferring all the rare cards to their main account. The current trade token system was simply too costly for most players to engage with effectively.

Another major update is the ability for players to share cards they're interested in trading. Currently, there's no way to communicate trade preferences within the game, making trading with strangers a guessing game. This new feature should encourage more active trading by allowing players to make informed offers.

The community has responded positively to these proposed changes, though there's a significant downside: players who have already destroyed rare cards to accumulate trade tokens won't be able to recover those cards. While existing trade tokens will convert to shinedust, the lost cards are irreplaceable.

Unfortunately, these changes won't be implemented until the fall of this year, according to the blog post. In the meantime, trading may come to a standstill, as players are unlikely to sacrifice rare cards under the current system when a better solution is on the horizon. Several more expansions are expected before the trading aspect of "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket" truly flourishes.

So, for now, hold onto that shinedust!

[ttpp]