In that same vein, I AM glad both the turn timer and match timer do exist. Can you imagine how boring it would be to play some of the 200+ turn games I see sometimes on simulators on cartridge?
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Unpopular opinions
- Thread starter antemortem
- Start date
Pokémon just doesn't work as a competitive game due to the obscene amount of luck involved - who wins a game can be decided purely on a Focus Blast hitting or missing, the likelihood of which has nothing to do with the player's actual skill. Or what about the random chance of Paralysis kicking in and disabling you? Or Scald's chance to burn? Or Hurricane's chance to confuse? Despite being on Smogon for a while now I can safely say that the competitive side of things is honestly an extremely tryhard attempt where, again, there's just too much RNG involved for me to honestly think of it as anywhere near competitive.
The management of luck is an important part of skill. Maybe? I dunno, that just sounds like something wise.
Here's something, though. Pokemon is incredibly dependent on factors beyond the player's control: crits, status effects, misses, speed ties, even something as trivial as a low (or high) damage roll. The any-given-Sunday nature of this game is both the most enjoyable and most infuriating aspect of it--come on, you can't tell me you haven't been on the good end of a Scald burn or Play Rough miss. But despite the inherently chaotic nature of any game involving the rolling of dice, there's still several large communities that can metagame the hell out of it and even attempt to balance it. And hey, at the end of the day, we can still have a lot of fun with it. It's just a game--a game at which we attempt to be the very best like no one ever was, but a game nonetheless.
I'm not saying it's not enjoyable; it's not up to me or anyone to tell someone else what's fun and what isn't. But there's a very important split between something being fun and something being a competitive game. Super Smash Brothers, for instance, is considered a competitive game - but it needs to have certain factors removed before it can be considered so. All items have to be turned off and many stages have elements that would contradict a competitive scene. Are these non-enjoyable elements that should never have been in the game? ... well, that's up for you to decide; but many would agree that they complement the sort of game Smash is and is what factors into enjoying it in a certain way. But they simply don't work on a competitive level due to the high amount of RNG and penetration of player skill involved. Even if you were to try and impose competitive rules and movesets upon an item-filled match on the Pac-Land stage, it just wouldn't work as a competitive game. It... wouldn't necessarily be casual play as such, maybe; unless I've got the definition of casual wrong??? But no-one would take it seriously on a competitive level if items couldn't be turned off and there were no good stages along the lines of Battlefield, Final Destination/Omega Stages, Smashville, Yoshi's Island etc.
tl;dr - yeah pokemon's fun but that doesn't mean it's competitive no matter how much you try to balance it
I know that a lot of you are probably going to frown on me for saying this, but I don't think that Pikachu alone can represent the franchise. I don't think that Pikachu perfectly conveys the franchise, nor represents most of the fans who are older, and haven't stuck with what started out for kids, but has grown into something much more.
I guess I'm just tired of my dad thinking that I'm playing a game that is for little kids, because it is much more than that now! I think that other Pokémon should equally be used a sort of mascot, such as the fiery Charizard, the aggressive, hits-like-a-truck Tyranitar, or Salamence, the creepy but funny and hits-like-a-metaphysical-truck Gengar, the physically bulky Steelix (a cool, perhaps underrated Pokémon, that and I couldn't think of any other physically defensive Pokémon that I like at the moment), or the specially bulky Goodra (oh why, oh why did you have to go?!). One of the main reasons that Pokémon has continued to do so well is because of the competitive side of it.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I won't blame anyone for saying that perhaps I just find Pikachu to be too cute or childish for my tastes, at least as THE mainline Pokémon.
I guess I'm just tired of my dad thinking that I'm playing a game that is for little kids, because it is much more than that now! I think that other Pokémon should equally be used a sort of mascot, such as the fiery Charizard, the aggressive, hits-like-a-truck Tyranitar, or Salamence, the creepy but funny and hits-like-a-metaphysical-truck Gengar, the physically bulky Steelix (a cool, perhaps underrated Pokémon, that and I couldn't think of any other physically defensive Pokémon that I like at the moment), or the specially bulky Goodra (oh why, oh why did you have to go?!). One of the main reasons that Pokémon has continued to do so well is because of the competitive side of it.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way, but I won't blame anyone for saying that perhaps I just find Pikachu to be too cute or childish for my tastes, at least as THE mainline Pokémon.
Well if we're going with unpopular opinions; I would actually rather Charizard be the mascot - it's a starter, it represents evolution and growth, it's popular among the fanbase... it practically is the secondary mascot at this point but it does the job so much better than Pikachu. My problem is that Pikachu - accentuated by the anime - seems to sort of... go against the theme of personal growth and evolution the series has. There's so many times in the series Pikachu wants to stay Pikachu, because... uhm... it doesn't want to get stronger THAT way??? Meanwhile every 8-year-old isn't giving a shit about the idea of not evolving their Pidgey so it just makes little sense and misrepresents the franchise - and arguably putting across a bad moral - to the point it being the mascot is such a weird idea.
While I prefer some aspects of older Brendan overall I'm okay with his appearance. He does look more like what an athletic person looks today with the tighter skin clothes. Also my problem with ORAS May isn't that she's thin, but they cutesy her up. Changing the way he wears her bandanna so that it looks like a bow, her shirt collar sort of has an upside down heart, and it just feels less "I'm going on a journey" to "I'm hopping down to the mall". Heck, if she was wearing something similar to Brendan I would get a more feeling of getting ready for an adventure.
And before anyone says it I'm not against cutesy characters. Dawn, Rosa, and Serena are cutesy and I have no problem with that because they were designed that way. But May wasn't yet they tried changing her to be one. It's the same reason why I have a problem with ORAS Shelly, she went from looking like someone to take as a serious commander to a flirtatious femme fatale (by appearance of course, in the game, though they do note her attractiveness, she was a former scientist and the one to realize Archie's plan is going to backfire). Have ORAS May and
Shelly been new characters I'd be fine with them, but they're not, they're redesigned characters and I don't feel this new twist added anything while also taking away something they're original design tried conveying.
And before anyone says it I'm not against cutesy characters. Dawn, Rosa, and Serena are cutesy and I have no problem with that because they were designed that way. But May wasn't yet they tried changing her to be one. It's the same reason why I have a problem with ORAS Shelly, she went from looking like someone to take as a serious commander to a flirtatious femme fatale (by appearance of course, in the game, though they do note her attractiveness, she was a former scientist and the one to realize Archie's plan is going to backfire). Have ORAS May and
Shelly been new characters I'd be fine with them, but they're not, they're redesigned characters and I don't feel this new twist added anything while also taking away something they're original design tried conveying.
Once again I'm conflicted. While I do agree just having a stock art of the Legendary is boring, I think that problem isn't with the idea but the design. Have the Legendary doing something dynamic instead of it staring at me. Like if the covers of Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire has Primal Groudon and Kyogre doing something like this:
It would look much more interesting as I'm not only seeing the powerful Legendary but also seeing it in action. Primal Kyogre jumping out of the water with a wave behind it as it shoots out pulses of water; Groudon standing in fiery lava with its hands up and open as pillars of magma veined rock shoots up around it.
Another thing is that the area surrounding the Legendary is just a flat background when they could use it to further accentuate the Legendary.
And while it is a bit mocking for them to act the Legendary was a big surprise, they can subvert that by having the Legendary showing off its power in its intro cutscene. That ways it's not the Legendary you're surprised of since throughout the game you've been told about but rather its the sheer power its giving off.
It would look much more interesting as I'm not only seeing the powerful Legendary but also seeing it in action. Primal Kyogre jumping out of the water with a wave behind it as it shoots out pulses of water; Groudon standing in fiery lava with its hands up and open as pillars of magma veined rock shoots up around it.
Another thing is that the area surrounding the Legendary is just a flat background when they could use it to further accentuate the Legendary.
And while it is a bit mocking for them to act the Legendary was a big surprise, they can subvert that by having the Legendary showing off its power in its intro cutscene. That ways it's not the Legendary you're surprised of since throughout the game you've been told about but rather its the sheer power its giving off.
I have to say, dialganet, opinion one is indeed an unpopular opinion. While I don't mind a snow route, I hated the getting stuck in the snow mechanic. Though I did find it funny when in Platinum when you met Maylene walking up to Snowpoint and later you see her in the Pokemon Center having developed a cold (WHAT?! You got a cold by walking through the snow bare foot and with no coat? You're lucky you didn't get frostbite you dumb@$$).
You just need to spend some time in the various Battle Facilities to know that. Even the basic one (Battle Tower/Battle Subway/Battle Maison) requires some luck even if you tried haxxing it yourself.
I have a feeling the game wasn't made for serious competition, like a Street Fighter or League of Legends. While there is "competitive balance", its more on the scale the idea that anyone can win. You don't have to be the fastest button masher or come up with a combination that'll work every time you do it, you and your opponent's are relying on a vague strategy and hoping the dice roll in your favor. Anyone can win, be it a professional player or a kid (who just learned how to IV train).
And the oddest thing about it is that I kind of like it like that. If anything it assures me and my opponent are on the same level of skill. It also breeds a sort of creativity as players will be constantly finding new strategies (maybe even hoping to find the "magic bullet", the strategy that makes someone undefeatable). Sure it'll probably never become a professional e-sport, but at the same its something anyone can get into. And hey, while a Street Fighter or League of Legend player who loses may feel they've personally failed, a Pokemon player can take comfort in knowing that today luck just wasn't on their side but there's always next time. In other words we really should take Pokemon battling as something casual instead of serious business.
I have a feeling the game wasn't made for serious competition, like a Street Fighter or League of Legends. While there is "competitive balance", its more on the scale the idea that anyone can win. You don't have to be the fastest button masher or come up with a combination that'll work every time you do it, you and your opponent's are relying on a vague strategy and hoping the dice roll in your favor. Anyone can win, be it a professional player or a kid (who just learned how to IV train).
And the oddest thing about it is that I kind of like it like that. If anything it assures me and my opponent are on the same level of skill. It also breeds a sort of creativity as players will be constantly finding new strategies (maybe even hoping to find the "magic bullet", the strategy that makes someone undefeatable). Sure it'll probably never become a professional e-sport, but at the same its something anyone can get into. And hey, while a Street Fighter or League of Legend player who loses may feel they've personally failed, a Pokemon player can take comfort in knowing that today luck just wasn't on their side but there's always next time. In other words we really should take Pokemon battling as something casual instead of serious business.
The thing about Pokemon is that there can't be just one mascot. Pokemon are cute, tough, beautiful, ugly, intriguing, dopey, and everything inbetween. We have Pokemon based on animals (mammals, reptiles, birds, bugs, plants), mythology, objects, and concepts. The reason Pikachu is the mascot is pretty much because it was considered "neutral". Yellow usually not associated with either boys and girls, everyone knows what a mouse is yet it looks different enough from a real one to tell its a unique creature, its Electric-type shows off its an unnatural creature than what we're used to in the normal world, and though cute its not "girly" cute.
If you want to see some diversity look up the Japanese Pokemon Center Store's logo. It always shows three Pokemon and, while one is Pikachu, generally they try diversifying the other 2. Infact a Mega Pokemon Center was opened up recently and its mascots are Pikachu and Mega Charizard Y:
Heck, the games usually show off the powerful Legendaries as their version mascots with no Pikachu in sight.
Pikachu is the face because there has to be one, it's chosen out of necessity and its neutral overall appeal to both boys and girls.
If you want to see some diversity look up the Japanese Pokemon Center Store's logo. It always shows three Pokemon and, while one is Pikachu, generally they try diversifying the other 2. Infact a Mega Pokemon Center was opened up recently and its mascots are Pikachu and Mega Charizard Y:
Heck, the games usually show off the powerful Legendaries as their version mascots with no Pikachu in sight.
Pikachu is the face because there has to be one, it's chosen out of necessity and its neutral overall appeal to both boys and girls.
I like Pokemon Rumble World more than the main games :( am I a bad person?
I like the entire Rumble series with the exception of the Wii U game (maybe not more than the main games but definitely competing with it). It's a beat-em-up game and that definitely has merits over the RPGs and junk we typically see in the different Pokemon games
TrainerSplash
Alolan Form
Yes I agree with May being too cutesy, I have nothing else to say here.
Pokemon Center Mascots usually have Pikachu and at least one Starter Pokemon, the other is either something popular/well known from the current generation or matches the area.
To be honest, I can see why people hate Pikachu, but I don't think there should be any hate for Pikachu. "I'm sick of seeing his face everywhere" yeah okay, that's fine, but don't complain about it, it's the mascot it has a reason to be everywhere. Honestly, if people give so much hate to Pikachu the same should be done to Charizard, but I think I'm one of the few people that "dislikes" Charizard, but only for personal reason and all other ways I like him and find him as a cool Pokemon. Pikachu was also chosen as the mascot Pokemon due the the high popularity of the anime, Clefairy was supposed to be Ash's Pokemon but Pikachu was chosen instead for the Pewter Gym arch to make sense, if that never happen then Pokemon probably would not have gotten a huge reputation as it does now and would probably be seen as more of a cutsey and more girly game (not sure how I would feel about that as half the Pokemon I like are more feminine). If there wasn't an anime I'm pretty sure we would be seeing Rhydons, Mews or the three Kanto starters everywhere as the mascot. Charizard is already considered a second mascot like I said earlier. I don't understand the hate for Pikachu and love for Charizard, I really don't, Mewtwo seems to be a third mascot, I think these are shown by the fact they were given two mega evolutions. I would like seeing Pokemon trying to have smaller mascots overall instead of just the Pokemon Center stores having them. It seems like in the Diamond and Pearl saga that Piplup was close to being one of those mascots... cause of the anime again. But I may just be speaking out of my bias as I love the shit of Piplup being my fave Pokemon. We've had generational mascots such as Lucario (which still seems like one of the most popular Pokemon to date who isn't from generation one) and I think Blaziken was one. The starters usually advertise softly, and I kinda like them being the mascots as least for the current saga and/or generation, I don't think some of them get enough love unless they are memes (looking at you Mudkip).
Pokemon Center Mascots usually have Pikachu and at least one Starter Pokemon, the other is either something popular/well known from the current generation or matches the area.
To be honest, I can see why people hate Pikachu, but I don't think there should be any hate for Pikachu. "I'm sick of seeing his face everywhere" yeah okay, that's fine, but don't complain about it, it's the mascot it has a reason to be everywhere. Honestly, if people give so much hate to Pikachu the same should be done to Charizard, but I think I'm one of the few people that "dislikes" Charizard, but only for personal reason and all other ways I like him and find him as a cool Pokemon. Pikachu was also chosen as the mascot Pokemon due the the high popularity of the anime, Clefairy was supposed to be Ash's Pokemon but Pikachu was chosen instead for the Pewter Gym arch to make sense, if that never happen then Pokemon probably would not have gotten a huge reputation as it does now and would probably be seen as more of a cutsey and more girly game (not sure how I would feel about that as half the Pokemon I like are more feminine). If there wasn't an anime I'm pretty sure we would be seeing Rhydons, Mews or the three Kanto starters everywhere as the mascot. Charizard is already considered a second mascot like I said earlier. I don't understand the hate for Pikachu and love for Charizard, I really don't, Mewtwo seems to be a third mascot, I think these are shown by the fact they were given two mega evolutions. I would like seeing Pokemon trying to have smaller mascots overall instead of just the Pokemon Center stores having them. It seems like in the Diamond and Pearl saga that Piplup was close to being one of those mascots... cause of the anime again. But I may just be speaking out of my bias as I love the shit of Piplup being my fave Pokemon. We've had generational mascots such as Lucario (which still seems like one of the most popular Pokemon to date who isn't from generation one) and I think Blaziken was one. The starters usually advertise softly, and I kinda like them being the mascots as least for the current saga and/or generation, I don't think some of them get enough love unless they are memes (looking at you Mudkip).
It depends what you mean by "competitive". Even for games where there is by design zero luck (chess being perhaps the most obvious example), there is no game in which the most skilful player wins 100% of the time. I also feel that luck management is a skill and that the better player will do better over enough games.
Pokemon could have a "no hax" mode - and indeed several times Smogonites have tried to design such a metagame. Maybe there's a reason that it's never caught on - hax actually serves a valuable function (heresy, I know, but hear me out) by allowing newcomers to occasionally beat more hardened pros. Just like a hardened gambler, it's the first big win that gets you hooked...
By the way, I only play "for fun" mode in Super Smash Bros, so you can take my observations on the nature of competition with a pinch of salt ;)
I think i'm the only one who loves the design of Zygarde 10%, or as I call it Zog. I think it's both adorable and amazing...
I have no strong feelings either way about it just yet because we know so little. It's clear they wanted to make Zygarde alien enough that it shifts between all these different forms as it becomes more powerful.
Okay, I've got one. I miss the old Item Storage box on the PC.
The bag's infinite carrying capacity is definitely nice. Here's the thing, though: I find my bag full of items that I do intend to use in the postgame, but are nothing but clutter during the run through the region. I don't want to have to scroll through Plates, type-enhancing items, weather rocks, and Mega Stones and evolutionary items for mons I'm not using just so I can spray a Repel. Having a space where these items could still be available, but not cluttering the bag, is something I never truly appreciated until now.
The bag's infinite carrying capacity is definitely nice. Here's the thing, though: I find my bag full of items that I do intend to use in the postgame, but are nothing but clutter during the run through the region. I don't want to have to scroll through Plates, type-enhancing items, weather rocks, and Mega Stones and evolutionary items for mons I'm not using just so I can spray a Repel. Having a space where these items could still be available, but not cluttering the bag, is something I never truly appreciated until now.
See, this is why I was kind of mad to see that they did away with the Free Space pouch from BW. That was so useful, it let me put my favorite things in there all next to each other (Moomoo Milk, Revive, Lum Berries, Leppa Berries, Repel) and the rest of my bag essentially turned into a spice cabinet that I never had to reach into.
I love Zydog. I also like Zygod (Perfect), and it makes me happy that the Yggdrasil schtick is more prevalent outside of the sillouette.
You aren't. I really like the design and it is a very cool 'mon.
I thought people are only annoyed about the idea of having an "inferiour" form for Zygard rather than the designs because Zygard is not really one of the most viable Pokémon right now. I mean who does not like dogs (besides me but even I don't think the design of Dogard is bad)?
I want to wait until we have some more information about the forms before I can say that I like or dislike them.
I want to wait until we have some more information about the forms before I can say that I like or dislike them.
I'm also sad they got rid of the Free Space spot in the bag, though I also think they should add more section to the bag anyway. They try to be "realistic" where you place things in the bag but considering how many items we carry, some being rather big, it never really made sense to begin with. I always thought they used the same technology the Pokeballs use to store Pokemon for the backpacks to store items (so in that case the backpack is more of a server).
Don't know if this is an unpopular opinion but my favourite games of gen 3 were Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness. People complain that all pokemon games are the same but with these games Nintendo tried something different. I loved the Shadow Pokemon concept and this game was all about the story since there were no gyms. The reason I think Pokemon games have gotten better with each gen is that they focus more on the beating Team Galactic/Plasma/Flare etc than collecting the badges. This might just be because XD: Gale of Darkness and Colo were my first Pokemon games and I'm nostalgic but I really feel like they are underappreciated games.
Ah, so I'm not the only one who likes their Pokemon games with a bit more story? It's just a shame how rushed it all was in XY. And even I, bright-eyed as I was running through a game on cartridge for the first time in years, could see that. Thing is, the DS games are always going to be first and foremost about getting badges and beating the Champion. That's just how the main series rolls, and while we may be dissatisfied with the formulaic approach, two things to remember:
- We're not the primary intended demographic for the main series.
- IT PRINTS MONEY!!! (In 3D!)
It's only a game. I should really just relax. Or, to put in in more Pokemonesque terms, "The power of science is staggering!"
Between the quick-select registered menu from BW and the quick-select slots in XY, I like the latter better. BW had a method of avoiding the bag in part by opening up the ability to register as many key items as you want, but there wasn't much need for it unless you just had to flip between your bike and the town map as much as possible, since you couldn't really do any fishing in Unova until postgame, and there weren't many other key items that would see regular use. I think the focus they added to multiple quick-select items by giving you four slots in XY was a brilliant idea.
No, you can add plenty of story to the games, infact having to collect badges allows greater control to the writer for writing a story since it makes the game linear thus easier to assign when the player would activate an event flag. BW is an example of that, sure you collected the badges but that's almost a side note compared to the Team Plasma plot.
XY Quick Select is much easier, like a flick of a switch. :P Only time I ever found myself not having enough is in ORAS where they gave you the 2 bikes and the Eon Flute. But in XY I had the bike, Dowsing Machine, Super Rod, and Poke Radar and that's pretty much all you needed.
But that in itself makes the whole badge thing feel really unnecessary, just put in because the games have always had badges before. Especially considering in BW HMs are essentially optional and so the former mechanism of "can't swim to the island until you have the right badge" (which in itself has little in-universe justification) doesn't apply.