I Can't Figure Out Why I Love TCGs But Never Play Digital Versions For Longer Than A Month

I'm beginning to think that maybe I'm a bit weird. Ok, wait, let me clarify. I know I'm weird, but when it comes to a specific genre of online games, I'm wondering if I am in the minority. I play a ton of the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game (FFTCG). If you didn't know they had one, you aren't alone. All of its players lament how "not publicized" the title seems to be by Square Enix and Hobby Japan.

I won't go into a ton of particulars and try to "sell" you on the game specifically, but I will say that if you've grown a bit bored of Magic: The Gathering (MtG), you may want to search the game out. MtG players are literally only minutes away from learning how to play as the similarities abound, but FFTCG does address some of the long-standing holes in MtG's gameplay. That, and the cardstock is the best around, hands down. No, you don't have to be a Final Fantasy nut and play all the games, either. Scope it out.

While that is the primary competitive TCG/CCG I play and stream weekly at the moment, I dabble in just about every other TCG out there. I served my time as a MtG player, did a stint in the old Force of Will library, shuffled up some Argent Saga cards, and I still own starter decks of the old 24 Trading Card Game based on the Keifer Sutherland show. (Jason Winter was highly involved in the creation of this one, and many others.)

That says nothing about other past games like Star Wars, Star Trek, or The Lord of the Rings. In short, I love trading card games.

However, I almost always hate every single digital card game, and that's where I start to wonder if I'm a bit crazy.

How can I not enjoy having access to decks, players, and matches around the clock? How can I not enjoy the ability to build and test a deck without having to comb through a physical collection or go buy cards I'm missing to build it? This doesn't make a damn bit of sense to me.

When it comes to media, I am a physical goods baby. I love boxes, collector's sets, and actually holding the thing I paid for, so I get that angle. I'd rather hold the cards than see them digitally. Sure, I get that, most people probably would. I get that I would have more fun playing at a table with a friend than online with a rando. I also get that. However, I will literally go out of my way to avoid online play if I can.

But I love TCGS!

I will literally check out every single one we've ever covered here on MMOBomb as they release, but I never stay with any of them for long. It's easy, I get to mess with mechanics sometimes that would never work in the real world, and it's (usually) far cheaper in many cases. However, it's not for me.

Hearthstone is the one that fascinates me the most. The game literally couldn't function on a table, is easier to pick up than many, and has (for the most part) a fairly quick round length. You would think this was made specifically for me, but I haven't played in years. Now, I know SOME of the online TCGs I've left have turned me away due to the monetization methods employed, but I'm setting that aspect aside and speaking generally.

FFTCG doesn't have an official online version and many fans shout from the rooftops for one, including myself on this very site. When we play online, we usually do it through unofficial services like OCTGN or UnTap. Yes, I do play there, but I'll avoid it whenever I can. If Square Enix released an official digital version, I don't actually know how much I would personally play it. I want them to make one, but I'd likely be a super casual player at best...and I have no clear idea why.

I have sat at my computer some nights and longed for a game of FFTCG on a day when we don't have locals in my area playing. I see others on OCTGN, and I still decide not to play.

If it was because the service was bad or something, I'd understand, but it isn't. That also says nothing about the many games that are literally online only. Marvel SNAP? Neat game, played for a month. Legends of Runeterra? Some interesting ideas, again, less than a month.

I've tried to figure out why I'm just not wired for them digitally but can't wait to play them physically, but I keep coming up with, "hey, you just don't usually like them." Which seems really weird to me.

I can't be the only one sitting in this weird position, right?