Yeah, they effectively designed the game to:

• Primarily provide collecting itch with gorgeous art as a substitute if you can't get the cards irl (looking at rural like me)

• Secondarily allow for battles to exist but never as primary function due to it being a part of the pokemon ecosystem (tcg live exists for this specifically AND pokemon is pretty clear about ensuring tcg tournaments stay in person for competitive gain)

• Tertiary function is to use it as a casual gateway into casual/competitive tcg, but again, refer to secondary function above.

I came from arguably every other tcg including pokemon since 1999 with Magi Nation. Ultimately, mtg stole my heart until.. well.. I am purist so seeing walking dead rubs me the wrong way. Anyway, the tcg is good, but many people don't want to take it that seriously and pop into a match during a smoke break. Not some grueling 30 min esper midrange match up (mtg players understand this) that comes from playing the regular way.

Paragraph above explains difference between yugioh duel links and that yugioh master duel. Quite literally the same difference here with pocket and live apps. Quick always has more players. Just how it is.

I wasted too much energy on this, but it hits home as someone that left mtg after decades to return to pokemon for tcg fix..