Implementing Energy Cards in TCGP?

Over the past year, it has become evident that despite several important differences that still persist, TCGP as a mobile implementation of the Pokémon TCG is on track to achieving "feature parity" (in development terms) with the regular or physical TCG. First, Pokémon Tool cards were introduced, then Stadium cards followed later. It seems that almost every kind of card you can regularly find in the physical TCG have made it in... except the Energy cards. The question then lies on the possibility of implementing them; this post then serves to discuss that possibility as well as complications that are interrelated with that possibility.

It is important to make the reminder that Energy works differently in TCGP, and quite so at that. Here, Energy depends on the Energy Zone, and it generates specific ones tied to a deck and even some different ones if certain cards are played. Therefore, the possibility of making the implementation work seems to have to consider keeping this system included rather than leaving it out. Meanwhile, the deck building screen shows that potentially more cards could be included in a deck, up to 30 instead of the usual 20, which may indicate that these extra 10 cards could be used to accommodate Energy cards if they do appear.

As for how things might work out, it seems that the Energy cards could be loaded into the Energy Zone, and at the first opportunity players are able to attach Energy as would normally occur in a TCG match, an Energy card is drawn to be attached to a Pokémon. Supposing that a Pokémon is Knocked Out, an Energy card could also be brought back into play by a card that interacts with Energy in the discard pile; this is also in line with the fact that the game keeps track of discarded Energy after a KO in addition to cards.

Meanwhile, other complications would involve the kinds of Energy cards that could or would be included. Cards of the commonly used types would be a given, of course, but the possibility of having unique cards for them might not be out of the question. Then there are Special Energy cards, which in regular TCG exist to provide certain Energy in possibly larger amounts but under certain restrictions; implementing them in TCGP might require a bit of "finagling", yet it could be done, given the appearance of other special cards.

With the way that things are developing in TCGP, "feature parity" - even if not complete and/or thorough - with the regular TCG looks to be a set goal for it, albeit one that most players may not perceive. The next step for that might just be implementing Energy cards in some way, even if the possibility is either outlandish or superfluous (or both) by the state of the game. After that, TCGP might very well be considered a really good implementation. 

One year ago: Cosplay: Akiba Fest 2025

Two years ago: My Pokémon Communities on WhatsApp

Three years ago: The Scramble for King of the Hill

Four years ago: Classes and Classification of Pokémon

Five years ago: Battle Box for Pokémon Go?

Six years ago: Game Freak with Mario on the Side

Seven years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/8/2019

Eight years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 6/8/2018

Nine years ago: Poor Zygarde

TCGP: Getting into the Paradox (Over) Drive

Having (finally) explained what Paradox Pokémon are in a long overdue post, I am now more comfortable in writing up this post with its topic. As mentioned in that long overdue post, said class of Pokémon is to make an(other) appearance in the TCG realm, and that would be for the mobile implementation of TCGP. They become the focus of this month's new expansion, which is a Themed Booster Pack entitled "Paradox Drive" - aptly containing the keyword of the Pokémon class.

Being a Themed Booster Pack, it's a minor expansion with relatively fewer cards to offer. Yet it does have a good number of Pokémon from the mentioned class, which encompass both domains of Ancient and Future. It also has a number of other species from prior generations, some from the respective generation (including Koraidon and Miraidon), as well as Terapagos, the highlight species of Area Zero - here also being highlighted in Immersive form. They're to be found among the expansion's 74 numbered and 35 overnumbered cards, 109 in total.

Within the numbered section, 68 of them are Pokémon cards containing the species as described above. The remaining six are composed of 2 Pokémon Tool cards (also one of the "new terms" I mentioned in the previous post), 3 Supporter cards, and 1 Stadium card. The former two also have cards with Ancient and Future tags (one each), and the third has a representation of Area Zero itself. The overnumbered section has the usual full art and Shiny cards of some featured Pokémon to pique players' interests.

The content of this Themed Booster Pack is roughly comparable to Extradimensional Crisis, the one for the different class of Ultra Beasts from about one year ago, for which its 69 numbered cards have 2 Item cards, 2 Pokémon Tool cards, and 3 Supporter cards. Its 34 overnumbered cards are also of the usual sort with selected full art and Shiny cards to vary things up, bringing its total to 103 cards - again, not too shabby or dissimilar in amount and content. Both also deal with specific Pokémon classes, further establishing a comparative basis.

Now, as for the "overdrive" portion of this program as suggested by the title of this post, that may depend on the willingness of players to get all the cards (that they need) from this minor expansion or Themed Booster Pack. But with the presence of the Pokémon species from the class that is enigmatic in the scheme of things for Paldea and the ninth generation, there is also the sense that players may want to put a few things into "overdrive" and then drive the potentials of these Pokémon to a great extent.

One year ago: Ties or Draws in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: LINE App in a "Downturn"?

Three years ago: Silph Arena Factions S2 Postseason Metas

Four years ago: NADWPKMN - The Video Series: Episode #3 - The Games I Play

Five years ago: Mastering Balls of Hands and Feet

Six years ago: It's a-Mario Time

Seven years ago: Going Big in Galar

Eight years ago: Pokémon Archetypes

Nine years ago: New Paradigms

New Terms Involving Pokémon

Before I get into the main content of this post, I'd like to say that I had been planning to make this post for over four years, but I have never dealt with some of the elements that are to be mentioned in this post - at least, not in their actual first-hand implementation. For that, I will mention the reasons why and developments since then, after the respective elements are mentioned in parentheses (). Now, on with the actual post.

People in many fields of discipline will eventually grapple with new terms for elements that are introduced with increased knowledge or improved states of affairs in those fields. While not exactly a "field of discipline", Pokémon has a lot of things that are tantamount to that, and fans, players (Trainers), and so on have to grapple with new terms as well. Most recently (or in the most recent past), a few of these new terms have come to light for them - certainly, including me - so I thought I'd go over those new terms, three of them in fact.

The first of these new terms is "Paradox Pokémon". These are Pokémon species that look like some other Pokémon that are already known, but they're not that; they stand alone much like Legendary Pokémon or Ultra Beasts. They also come from the two times of "Ancient" (which represents the past) and "Future". Their English names are also natural words (for example, "Great Tusk" and "Iron Treads" respectively that look like Donphan superficially) rather than contrived words, and they lend themselves to the dynamics of the ninth generation.

(I still do not have the main series games of the ninth generation, which is what I was hoping to deal with before I actually cover this term. However, I did mention it briefly in an older post about "historical Pokémon", which was a necessity given the topic; the intent was still to make the first or at least formal mention in this post. Since then, as I've witnessed, they've also been present in the TCG - one way of which is to be explained soon - and there's even one example in Café Remix.)

Next comes the term of "Alpha Pokémon". Making themselves present in the Legends games, these Pokémon are of a bigger size than what is mostly expected, and they're also stronger in battle - which also becomes evident with their high IV values when taken out of those games. In those games, when present in the wild, their eyes (if they have them) are also glowing red, the nearly universal sign of something angry and fierce. At least, they can become a fierce part of one's collection as well.

(I also still do not have either of the existing Legends games, for which this term is evidently so associated with them. Yet a couple of years after the release of the first Legends game - Arceus - Pokémon Go hosted the first Go Wild Area, which featured Mighty Pokémon that essentially becomes the implementation of this concept in much the same way, pretty much minus the angry red eyes. Mighty Pokémon then stayed for the next one, and with Alpha Pokémon staying in Legends: Z-A as well, they're here to stay.)

Meanwhile, in the TCG realm, there is the new term of "Pokémon Tool". This term represents a sub-class of cards that can be attached (equipped) to Pokémon with useful effects for them. They used to be in the Item sub-class of Trainer cards before they were differentiated (in a way, expanded), and given what they do, it's not hard to see why - they can be defined, delimited, and regulated in this way. The differentiation has since occurred for cards in different sub-realms of the TCG, both past and present.

(I have no cards of this kind, at least ones that are in both English and physical form, yet I've seen them in action physically by way of my TCG fellows. More importantly, I've dealt with them electronically in some way, including in the most recent realm of TCGP, where they were introduced a little over a year ago. As with Paradox Pokémon above, that post was also waiting on this long overdue post for its first formal blurb, which was desperately necessary but now is more or less fulfilled for that.)

Fields of discipline and Pokémon have one thing in common (at the very least) in that both of them are in constant development. That process also means that new terms are very much possible for the realms of concern - and in the case of Pokémon as above, that has in fact happened. Grappling with the ones above in particular becomes - or has become, given their time presence - the concern of fans for the franchise, and doing so might just become the prompt for future (and great) developments that they can muster.

With that, this long overdue post has been written up and covered all the details that it is (was) intended to cover. Hopefully, future developments won't take so long to be covered as with these, and I would eventually be able to deal with them as intended.

One year ago: The Light and Shade of the Moon Islands

Two years ago: A Pokémon Performance Dream

Three years ago: Notes on Development Notes

Four years ago: Prankster Possibilities

Five years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/6/2021

Six years ago: Repetition for Reputation

Seven years ago: Be with You, Always with You

Eight years ago: (The Least) Local Ex-Raid, 6/6/2018

Nine years ago: Pokémon Direct, 6/6/2017

The Appeal of the "Sugimori Style"

Nowadays, Pokémon can be depicted in a variety of art styles, whether as dictated by the limitations of the games or media they're present on, or as applied by the artist(s) involved with the artistic creations. Yet one style that has persisted for the artistic depiction of Pokémon species is one with a certain recognition as well as appeal for its style. Predictably, that would be the "Sugimori style" as indicated by the title of this post, and the particulars of that style as well as its appeal are apt to be discussed.

Here, "Sugimori" refers to the one and only Ken Sugimori, who drew the color illustrations for Pokémon species in its early days, which were not only used in main series-related media but also the TCG. As a co-founder of Game Freak along with Satoshi Tajiri, that means he has substantial influence on the art for the series, then and now - as well as for some other games that the company developed. The influence remains with Ken Sugimori being an art director and among those who enjoy Pokémon.

The "Sugimori style" is noticeably characterized - at least in part - by its use of lines and colors, particularly the shading for the latter. In the early days, the shading might also have involved gradients, which can be seen in the art for Weedle and Pikachu, the latter at least to some effect. Later illustrations, especially for things other than Pokémon, tend to have sharper and more distinct lines and colorations, but their designs have distinct elements, like a standard appearance for people's faces and items.

With that, it becomes not surprising that fans appreciate and even want to emulate that art style. In Threads, someone posted illustrations that depict Pokémon species in their original sprite appearances but blending that with the "Sugimori style". Meanwhile, other enterprising fans are developing things unrelated to Pokémon but incorporating the "Sugimori style" into the art for the development. Many other avenues can be explored as well, and the art style can be incorporated into the resulting artwork.

Given the above, it can be said that the "Sugimori style" for art - as applied to Pokémon and conceivably beyond that - is a hallmark for the franchise yet can also stand alone as its own "thing". It's a "thing" that is quite influential for a good amount of the art for the franchise, whether early on for its start or later on as illustrator fans try to (re)work it in other ways into the franchise and even outside it. The appeal of the art style is thus established and becomes a wonder of itself as far as art styles go. 

One year ago: Quickies: Weather Institute Interests

Two years ago: Flying Pokémon Flags High

Three years ago: Come to Me, Hidden Gems

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022 (Global), Day 2

Five years ago: Venture Past Cliffs and Old Paths

Six years ago: The Pokémon Battlefields

Seven years ago: Holding Hands

Eight years ago: Raid Preferences

Nine years ago: Sympathy for Villains

Beta Testing Idea: Pokémon Go "Insider Program"?

Players (Trainers) of Pokémon Go - at least some of them - may have noticed, even recently, that some of the graphics or interfaces in the game are a little "wonky" or different among the players themselves. In part, that may be due to beta testing and the way the game frequently does it, which is to select certain players - perhaps in certain regions as well - to try out the new features before everyone else can deal with them. It's a fine approach, but if the game continues to be "wonky" as a result of that approach, then perhaps a new approach might be better suited, which becomes the point of this post to (try to) address and explain.

For that, the proposed idea or approach would be to have an "insider program" for beta testing of new features to be added to Pokémon Go. It would be similar to a certain program of the same name for a different kind of system, and it would be with a separate testing app, much like how Pokémon Unite has one to connect to a test server. In this case, though, the testing app would still connect to the global server to allow for normal gameplay to keep occurring, but there would be the added features for beta testing.

Some players could then as usual be marked to test certain new features for the game, at which point they would be invited to download the "insider" testing app with the new features and test them there. The features and their code would theoretically be safely sequestered there, and once they're stable, they can then be ported to the non-"insider" game. Since the approach is used by many games and apps, testers and non-testers alike may be able to afford main game stability by not having extraneous beta features on top.

Yet of course, this approach would pose some difficulties and challenges. Some players may be opposed to keeping a "second copy" of Pokémon Go on their device, but others (especially those with certain duplicity) might not mind and in fact welcome the approach. Meanwhile, on the developer side, there would be the extra task of maintaining separate builds for the main game and beta game, although if they're professional about it like for those other games and apps, they would take on the challenge to improve things in this way.

With all its glitches, Pokémon Go is still a great Pokémon game and fulfills the mission of truly manifesting real-world Pokémon. Still, many could stand to deal with those glitches less and enjoy gameplay more, especially if they concern beta testing with the current approach. The "insider" approach could be promising in this regard even with its implementation challenges, and that could be the key to make the game less "wonky".

One year ago: Pokémon Spin on Art

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2024: Chasing Brightness and Darkness

Three years ago: Cosplay: ChibiCon 2023

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022 (Global), Day 1

Five years ago: Quickies: Getting Acculturated with Pokémon

Six years ago: Legendaries and "Pseudo-Legendaries"

Seven years ago: A Noble Mission

Eight years ago: Keeping It Free... or Augmenting It

Nine years ago: Ball Redesign?

Forever, As It Will Be

'Cause I'm keeping you forever and for always

We will be together all of our days

Wanna wake up every morning to your sweet face

Always...

-- "Forever and For Always", Shania Twain

The title of this new Pokémon Go season is "Forever Forward". It is (or may shape up to be) a festively profound season specifically for the game itself and its anniversary, though like the previous season, general ties to the big Pokémon anniversary may still be at hand. Because of its "forever" nature, I thought I'd bring up this song, by an artist I occasionally mention on this blog, that also speak of the nature of some things being "forever". It becomes another musical inspiration for discussion, much like for "Hidden Gems" literally nearly three years prior.

By all accounts, the song quoted above is a love song; as can be discerned by its title, it deals with love that can become seemingly eternal, carried from childhood to adulthood and onwards to old age. In fact, the music video for the very song depicts just that: a boy and a girl who are attracted to each other grow older yet still maintain feelings for each other. It can be considered one of the most beautiful things in this world, and it may just happen in Pokémon settings too, whether in actual reality or the reality of that world.

So it is that some fans (including me) may think up of Ash from the old Pokémon anime as a figure of attraction - especially given the "floating timeline" characteristic - inwardly to the Pokémon that he's ever had and outwardly to the fans who admire him. In all cases, there may be the wish that the chorus of the song as the part quoted above is realized (inwardly) and could be realized (outwardly) for all the admiration and attraction that goes on involving him. The feelings and imagery are rather profound in this case.

Meanwhile, taking things back to a more general state of Pokémon affairs, this Pokémon Go season that occurs in the vein of a major Pokémon anniversary may suggest that Pokémon fans can have Pokémon with them for as long as they wish - even if not eternally, at least close to that - if the fans and supporters of this franchise wills it as such. That, combined with the spirit of eternally moving in the forward direction as suggested by the season title, makes for a state of affairs that is evocative of the feelings of the quoted song.

People will always have the desire of being with whatever it is they like, love, and/or appreciate for as long as possible - maybe even close to eternally if the fates can have such a will for them. The current Pokémon Go season and the major Pokémon anniversary is seemingly bringing out that impression for their fans, even if it may already be apparent through certain (character) aspects. With that, as Pokémon continues to color everyone's days onwards to the future, a persistent and seemingly eternal presence may just always be the case.

One year ago: TCGP: A Crisis of Extradimensional Proportions

Two years ago: You and Me, In Our Life Struggle

Three years ago: Rising Troubles, Falling Embers

Four years ago: The Forge of the Trainers

Five years ago: Nights of Raging Battles

Six years ago: Trainers of Might and Sorcery

Seven years ago: Local EX Raid (Time and Again), 6/3/2019

Eight years ago: Classical and New HP Heal Amounts

Nine years ago: 3DS Pokémon Themes

Cosplay: Kawaii Harmony Festival

Goh: Oh, something came up in the season transition, like last year.

Me: Very observant (see below). This one happened to be on Sunday, although...

Ash: This one was for two days, wasn't it? With Saturday?

Pikachu: Pi pika? ["Two days?"]

Me: Indeed it was. But only the second day (Sunday) was important for us.

Goh: OK, so... "Kawaii Harmony" - cute harmony - I sense a sound thing going on here.

Ash: Yeah! It was all about sound and music.

Goh: Kinda figured it out. Well, I think we all expected a singing competition, then.

Ash: Two of them!

Goh: Two??

Me: Let me explain. So, there was actually one for the so-called "rookie" (novice) competitors and another for the "idol" (expert) competitors. But anyone was free to sign up for either one or both - including Ash (for me, of course).

Goh: Did you... sign up for both? 

Ash: Yeah!

Pikachu: Pika! ["Double!"]

Goh: I hope you two had a good plan for that.

Me: Pokémon songs, of course. This time, it was "Hitoribocchi Ja Nai" for the Rookie competition and our staple "Mezase Pokémon Master" for the Idol one.

Goh: The first one's new for you. Makes sense to put it there.

Ash: And they're both from my adventures in the water city!

Me: Yeah, you know. So you get your Kanto and Johto outfit for that.

Goh: So... I have the schedule for both days, and... wow, yes, no character competitions. Looks like it was full of music acts and the singing competitions.

Me: Yup. Full on about the music.

Ash: It was different for sure!

Goh: And how'd you do with that different new song?

Ash: Um... It came out a little too high for me!

Pikachu: Pi pi pika...! ["So high...!"]

Me: Oh, huh. I thought it would have been just fine.

Ash: And... I messed up the second-to-last line - but I tried to make up for it...

Me: You know, a lot of the parts of this song sound similar to one another. Somehow I kept getting confused myself when I sing it.

Goh: Well, there you go. That must have been it.

Me: But, uh... this high thing needs a bit more investigation - and it could be troublesome.

Ash: Our usual song was fine, though! Well, almost fine. The judge gave a few expert pointers for us. Think you're up for the challenge?

Me: Well... That might be a difficult commitment, but I'll see what I can do. It's all the pro things that maybe you and I hardly think about.

Goh: Maybe you'd want to think about that some more. Well, after all that, I think something definitely happened.

Ash: Yeah! I got "Runner Up" for the Rookie competition but nothing for the Idol one. A friend of us did for that.

Pikachu: Pika pika chu! ["Very nice!"]

Goh: What do you know. That's pretty nice.

Me: Yeah... but then I'm told that everyone wins something for Rookie. So yeah, it was a given.

Goh: "Runner Up" is pretty good, even with that flub.

Me: Yeah, that. Again, I'll look into it.

Goh: Also, were there not any character festivals, conventions, or such?

Ash: Another friend told me there was one in the same faraway town... but it was more like a wedding reception with a dress code and all!

Goh: Huh. What about nearer ones?

Ash: There was one closer to our friend, but it was also just as far...

Me: I'm shaking my fist at that one. I wish I'd found out about it sooner, so we didn't have to commit to this one.

Pikachu: Chu... pika? ["Maybe... not?"]

Goh: Maybe fate wanted you two to win an award for singing, at least.

Ash: Maybe so!

Me: Even though singing may not be our strong suit (as it was said, it could be stronger), an award is pretty nice, especially with our Pokémon dealings. 

Goh: There you go. 

Ash: It works out for us - even musically. 

Me: That may just be a "cute harmony" in itself.

One year ago: Cosplay: Uchiwa no Michi + DakFest Photo Shoot

Two years ago: Never Too Late for Pokémon

Three years ago: Lost (Last) and Innocent in Silph Arena

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Fest 2022: A Marathon Incoming

Five years ago: Display Case Ideas for Pokémon Fans

Six years ago: Pokémon and Sign Language

Seven years ago: A Daily Pokémon Routine

Eight years ago: Missing Ranger

Nine years ago: 3DS Pokémon Badges