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Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Breakneck Expansion Releases Are Stressing Me Out

Collectors who want to complete a master set are finding that it’s just too hard to keep up with the game.

Pokemon TCG Pocket’s next Alola-themed set is releasing on May 29. Extradimensional Crisis is a sister expansion to the recent Celestial Guardians set — and it’s introducing the wacky and weird Ultra Beasts to the game.

Every Pokemon from another dimension now has a special Ultra Beast tag displayed just under its health point total. And certain Pokemon abilities and Trainer cards from the new set will only work on cards with this tag. While there are always new cards that shake up the metagame, this expansion looks ike it will largely introduce cards that play well with others in the set.

Extradimensional Crisis is one of TCG Pocket’s smaller base set expansions. These companion sets are often released a month or so after a big expansion. Mythical Island released after the massive Genetic Apex launch set, and Triumphant Light was the supplement to Space-Time Showdown.

Normally, I’d love to rip into packs in order to hunt more than 100 new base set cards being added to the game. Buzzwole, Nihilego and Guzzlord are some of my favorite monsters from the seventh-gen Pokemon games and the art for their cards is gorgeous.

This time around, I’m just not able to get as excited about the new drop.

Pokemon TCG Pocket is releasing expansions too quickly for me

I’ve played Pokemon TCG Pocket every day since launch. With few exceptions, I’ve opened both of my free daily packs — even if I have to stay up past my usual bedtime to do so. Ripping these suckers open has become a part of my daily routine, and I’ve been largely content to do so (even when I pull five common base set dupes).

But these expansions are getting a little out of hand now. For most games, having too much content is a good problem to have, but struggling to keep up with a collectible game saps the fun. Extradimensional Crisis will be the seventh set released in the game over the course of eight months. Despite my diligence, I’ve only completed a single base set — Shining Revelry — and I’ve never completed a master set with all of the full art cards and shiny Pokemon.

To be clear, I don’t expect to be able to keep up with every expansion in the game. I don’t even want to collect all of the secret cards — I just want to put together the base sets. I’m a fully free-to-play TCG Pocket gamer, and developer DeNA Games needs to make money to keep the app running. New releases grease peoples’ palms and keep the money flowing.

Even still, these releases have been dropping at such breakneck speeds that I don’t feel like I can return to past sets to finish collecting the cards I’m missing. It’s disheartening to complete the majority of an expansion and then leave it behind with so many gaps.

This sentiment seems to be shared among at least some parts of the Pokemon TCG Pocket community. It’s probably not a great sign when a contingent of the top comments on the YouTube video of your next big reveal are asking you to stop revealing things.

«Crisis? [The only] crisis is the one I’m having with so few hourglasses,» said one commenter.

Another person put things more plainly: «Honestly, I’d prefer if they’d slow the rollout of the expansions a little bit. Let the sets take hold for a few months and then drop bigger, higher quality sets.»

The joking hides real frustration, as many free players haven’t been able to complete the game’s full base sets. I’m not asking for these releases to be spaced out too far apart, but a single month between expansions is starting to feel untenable. Double the downtime between sets and let people breathe — and maybe I’ll finally be able to finish up Genetic Apex.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for May 26, #715

Hints and answers for Connections for May 26, #715.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections puzzle has one of those purple categories that play with the letters of the words. It might be tricky. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Hotels have a lot of these.

Green group hint: Different and conflicting.

Blue group hint: Think Victoria’s Secret.

Purple group hint: Deal me in, but change a letter.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Items in a linen closet.

Green group: Diametric.

Blue group: Lingerie.

Purple group: Card games with first letter changed.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is items in a linen closet. The four answers are pillowcase, sheet, towel and washcloth.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is diametric. The four answers are counter, opposite, polar and reverse.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is lingerie. The four answers are garter, hose, slip and teddy.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is card games with first letter changed. The four answers are din, fridge, gummy and joker. (Gin, bridge, rummy and poker.)

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for May 26, #245

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 245, for May 26.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

I was thrilled to see one of my teams, the Twins, show up in today’s Connections: Sports Edition. That particular category is pretty easy for anyone who even idly follows major-league baseball. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Splish-splash.

Green group hint: Midwestern baseball.

Blue group hint: Big Green is another one.

Purple group hint:  B-ball is another one.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Aquatic sports.

Green group: AL Central teams.

Blue group: Ivy League team nicknames.

Purple group: Shortened names for sports.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is aquatic sports. The four answers are diving, surfing, swimming and water polo.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is AL Central teams. The four answers are Guardians, Royals, Twins and White Sox.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Ivy League team nicknames. The four answers are Big Red, Crimson, Quakers and Tigers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is shortened names for sports. The four answers are footy, hoops, LAX and XC.

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Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for May 26, #1437

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,437 for May 26.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle answer is a word with numerous meanings. One refers to bees, one to an annoying sound and another to a flying craft. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter D.

Wordle hint No. 4: Sound

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a continuous low hum.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a small flying device controlled from the ground.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is DRONE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, May 25,  No. 1436 was GRIFT.

Recent Wordle answers

May 21, No. 1432: ALARM

May 22, No. 1433: FOLIO

May 23, No. 1434: SHUCK

May 24, No. 1435: SUEDE

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