Discussion of the Week - Week 1

Celever

i am town
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Hey everybody! Welcome to a little project called "discussion of the week". Every week I am going to post a relevant topic and it will be everyone's job to discuss the topic and submit their votes (each topic will have a clear aim). These topics could be anything from "best Fire-Type" to "best Pokéathlon event", you'll decide them. I'll just pick the nomination I like best each week.

Because I've hosted something like this before and it was on the verge of pc++, I'd like to set a few ground rules:
1) Clear comparisons must be in your post. Saying "generation 5 is the best generation graphically because the in-game battles have animations for the Pokémon, unlike generation 4" is the sort of thing I'm looking for as one sentence in a lengthier post.
2) Double posting means that I will not count your vote for that topic. Just click edit! :s
3) All other rules on Smogon apply, obviously. If any type of flaming goes on especially I will give the user a warning, and if the flaming continues I will disallow their participation in this thread. Everyone has an opinion guys!

To start us off, I'm going for a fairly wide but interesting topic: What uses the (3)DS' gimmicks the best?
Options (you may vote for 3 options this time around because it is such a wide topic. Let me know if I've forgotten any in your post!):
Touch Screen in battles
L=A mode
Pokétch
Chatter (microphone use)
Dongling
Pal Park
Online Trading
Pokéwalker
Menu without using the X button (out of battle HG/SS and X/Y)
C-Gear
Tag Battles on Battle Subway
PSS
3D in battles
 
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This is actually a really interesting topic. First, let me eliminate some that I definitely don't want to vote for. The L=A mode is useful for one-handed playing (I've never used it), but I know that I use the L button a lot to switch between PC boxes and the bottom-screen display. I wouldn't want to have the function of the L button replaced. Chatter is going to be a no, since not only is it only available to one Pokemon, it censors whatever you say to a generic static-y noise, meaning that it doesn't even take full advantage of the capabilities. I think the X button is more convenient than pressing a small touch-screen button to use the menu, since your finger is usually near the X button anyway. Tag Battle Subway battles with another person don't really appeal to me because of the grindy nature of the Battle Subway; beating 50 or so trainers doesn't sound like a fun group activity to me. Finally, the 3D feature of the 3DS isn't that great, since you have to hold it in a specific position and it gives you a headache after a while. The lag from the 3D in some battles doesn't help matters either.

Now, for one that I'm definitely voting for. The bottom-screen battle GUI is really convenient, because you can easily hit the big buttons with your thumb. Having to move the cursor around and select your move would be much more of a hassle. The touch screen in battles is something that you wouldn't notice until it's gone, but it makes things a lot better. Therefore, my first vote is for the Touch Screen in battles.

Now I have 6 options yet, which conveniently sort into two categories: bottom screen stuff in the overworld (Poketch, C-Gear, PSS) and external devices like a GBA cartridge (Dongling, Pal Park, Pokewalker). The C-Gear's only purpose to me is the Entralink and O-Powers: if you're not using those, there's no reason to keep it on. The Poketch is kind of interesting, but the method of switching between screens was annoying and to be honest a lot of it wasn't useful. The PSS combines a great main-screen display that shows you everyone else online with an easily accessible menu that has more detailed options. Its only downside is the notifications, which aren't that bad compared to its good qualities. My second vote, then, is for the PSS.

Now just for external devices. The Pokewalker was interesting, but I found a lot of it too luck-based and grindy, sort of like the Safari Zone. Dongling is a more convenient way of getting different Pokemon that supports having old games, but it pales in comparison to Pal Park. A way of transferring Pokemon from older generations has been a necessity for a while, and Pal Park was the most convenient free way of transferring Pokemon, since it only required one DS and the minigame wasn't really corny like Poke Transfer. My third vote is for Pal Park.

EDIT: Other things to consider adding to the list; they're all really minor though:
-Face recognition for Pokemon-Amie
-Gyroscopic controls for evolving Inkay -> Malamar
-Built-in 3DS pedometer changing O-Power recharge times
 
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This is a fun idea.

Touch Screen in battles

I started playing the actual games in 2009 when I got Platinum, so I am highly used to the touch screen. When I play games from Gen I or III (I don't actually own Gold, Silver, or Crystal), it feels so much slower. I also love just putting my DS on a table and simply tap the screen than holding it and manually go through everything. Also, it declutters the top screen, which is one of my favorite things about the DS and 3DS (Ocarina of Time 3D especially).

Menu without using the X button (out of battle HG/SS and X/Y)
This is one the same level as the Touch Screen in battles. It's just simpler and more efficient than having to press X for it to come up and it declutters the top screen. I was baffled that it was removed in Black and White but was thrilled when I realized that it had returned in X and Y and will remain in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

PSS (and the bottom screen for X and Y in general)
The PSS is almost perfect. It gives us the freedom that we've always needed. Being able to trade or battle no matter where we are in the game is so wonderful, especially combined with the Battle Box feature. Also, the Super Training and Pokémon-Amie is wonderful, too. I will admit, there are some problems with it. How easy it is to disconnect from the internet can be very annoying and that there still isn't an easier way to do random battles outside the limited Battle Spot. I would love if I could just input a simple rule set (even if the only way to ban Pokémon is to use Game Freak's official one) and then challenge anyone who matches that criteria who is also looking for a match. I do hate people who have "Let's Battle!" or "6V6 Battle!" as their message and still reject my challenge.

Honorable mentions:
Clock and Battery on Bottom Screen (Black, White, Black 2, White 2)
While Generation V did not let us use the menu without using the X button, it did have one feature that I wish was maintained in Gen VI: having a clock and power remaining icon on the bottom screen. This was so useful and I don't know why it didn't return. True, I can just press the Home Button to find out those pieces of information, but that takes time that could be saved with this one feature. I mean, Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS has the exact feature!

Weather displays on bottom screen:
That bottom screen really did help out Pokémon, didn't it? In Gens II-III, the only time you knew what the weather was at the end of a round. In Gen IV, you could see the effects on the top screen, which helped a lot. In Gen V, they added a little window on the bottom, which was just nice of them. But I have to say, I really like Gen VI's way by showing a representation of the weather on the touch screen. It's just a cute touch and I enjoy it.
 

EnGarde

Not Dead Yet
I say using the touch-screen in pokemon-amie. I know it's a gimmick, and that I'm not actually petting my pokemon....but it totally works on me. I maxed the hearts on all my in-game pokemon, and loved each of them to pieces, even though I know they were only bits of data. My in-game talonflame still sees major usage on my game, since it is my flame body/fly pokemon. ^_^
 
Touch screen in battle gets my vote because it makes the battle go much quicker. I can just tap a selection and even a move and not have to move the pointer thing over what I want.

Menu without the X button also gets a vote because it's so convenient. Yes, I can just hit X, but then I still have to move over to what I want. But I don't have to do that when the menu functions are all on the touch screen. (granted, X/Y's buttons are a little small...)

Finally, I'll vote for the PSS. GTS and Link Battle/Trade wherever you happen to be. Wonder Trade. O Powers. It's all so very handy to have, and I hope it carries on to the next generation. Sure, leveling up the important O Powers is a bit of a grind, but it's worthwhile. PSS isn't perfect, but it's several steps in the right direction.
I say using the touch-screen in pokemon-amie. I know it's a gimmick, and that I'm not actually petting my pokemon....but it totally works on me. I maxed the hearts on all my in-game pokemon, and loved each of them to pieces, even though I know they were only bits of data. My in-game talonflame still sees major usage on my game, since it is my flame body/fly pokemon. ^_^
Yeah, there's that for certain. It's an amusing gimmick, though the mini games get repetitive really quickly... but who wouldn't want to see Togekiss smile happily? Or Eevee bound about in a little circle? (seriously, they made sure to make it as enjoyable to play with as possible) Or whoever their favorite Pokemon is from petting them? (unless your favorite is like Slugma or Regice. Too hot/cold to pet) Just wish the face-recognition part actually worked consistently.
 
It's an amusing gimmick, though the mini games get repetitive really quickly...
Imagine playing the yarn game so many times to max out a full team of Magikarp (getting them as strong as possible for Elite Four run) that you are able to get scores over a thousand more than once. *eye twitch* I need to get that checked on.
 

cant say

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Woo some activity in OI that isn't ORAS related ^_^

Here's what I'm thinking (no particular order)...

Pal Park:

Was this the only feature on a DS game to utilise the GBA insert? Not if you include GBA insert swarms, but still afaik it's a Pokemon-exclusive feature. I thought this was a genius way of transferring your gen III 'mons up to gen IV with one device, and allowed you to ditch the GBA entirely if you were a heartless monster, I mean who doesn't still have theirs? wanted to. I don't really have much else to say, just that I like that they did it I suppose

Pokewalker:

In a world where kids spend too much time playing video games and not enough time outdoors, who else but Nintendo allows them to do both? I know I definitely went jogging more often than normal when I got this with my copy of Soul Silver. I read an article the other day about some College that did a study on all the top pedometers and the Pokewalker was the most accurate out of them all! If that isn't a gimmick at its best I don't know what is.

(Why don't they have a similar feature in XY that utilises the 3DS's built-in pedometer? Or at least the play coins you get from walking around?)

I wasn't going to vote for it because all 3DS games should be in 3D but 3D in battles gets my third vote (as well as 3D overworld). Going from 2D sprites to 3D models was always going to be a big step, and of course we've seen them in things like Stadium and Battle Revolution, but I really think GF nailed it for gen VI. The upgraded graphics in general has been such a huge success imo. The 3D models give life to all the pokemon, making them look modern, but the cell shading/black outline they all have keeps the retro feel. I don't think we'll ever get super detailed models with textures and all that, and I don't think they should because the more 'real' the models all look I think they will become less 'Pokemony' haha. Of course the models aren't the only things that make 3D battles fun, all the move animations are gorgeous, and the dynamic camera angles just add to the excitement (also the weather like Vader_the_White said, I love the water cascading down the bottom screen during rain).

Anyway that's all I can think of right now, I didn't really care for the other gimmicks listed (didn't even know about Chatter until like a year ago, never caught a Chatot. The rest I felt were just regular features of the game (PSS, C-Gear, Menu without X...))
 
Pal Park:

Was this the only feature on a DS game to utilise the GBA insert?
Actually, no, it wasn't. Not counting accessories like the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak (good for maybe three games?), a Japan-only TV tuner (would only work in Japan), or the Guitar Hero attachment, there were a few games that used the GBA slot. The only one I can name off the top of my head is some Shrek game. I know something would happen if you have both the GBA and DS versions of the game, but I can't for the life of me figure it out, mainly cause I don't own either version of the game and I've barely touched my DS Lite since I got my DSi (hinge cracked).

Wait, here's a list of DS games that do use the GBA slot!

Speaking of games seeing what Pokémon games you have in your DS, I do like how you can get the cover legendaries of Gen IV games in Dream Radar if you had the correct game card in your 3DS (Dialga if you have Diamond, Ho-Oh if you have HeartGold, etc.). It was a nice touch and makes it easy to get Multiscale Lugia and Regenerator Ho-Oh (good luck on getting correct nature and decent IVs, though).
 
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Celever

i am town
is a Community Contributor
Fantastic discussion so far guys! :)

Just a reminder that you can nominate topics for the next week in your posts. They can't be too extensive because there will only be a week in which to discuss them, but that is pretty much the only guideline. I have some topics in mind that I can use if we don't have any suggested, though.

I'll type up a post with my thoughts on the topic at the end of every week and post it at the same time I post the results of the vote.
 
Pal park was great since it allowed you to catch every pokemon in the game. The HG/SS version was the best since you could transfer as many pokes that you wanted in one sitting.

The pokewalker since it reminded me of the old tomagotchi's that we used to play with in the late 90's... except that unlike the tomogotchis your pokemon didn't require to be fed every three hours and make annoying beeping sounds when you didn't. Additionally the pokewalker promoted an active life style for children which is very important given the obsesity rate in developed countries and it was just plain fun to use! I mean who wouldn't want to sneak your favourite pokemon into school with you (and to the gym for easy points). I really hope that they bring it back for one of the future games.

3d in battles since it made battles more interesting.
 
I'd say that the three best (3)DS features are the 3D in battles, touch screen control, and menu without pushing x.

The 3D battles provide a nice touch to the game, as well as being able to turn it off if you don't want it.

Touch Screen control is also nice to use. It allows people to control the game in ways other than pushing buttons. Also, for those who hate it, you do not have to use the touch screen ever for any pokemon game iirc.

Access to the menu from the default screen is also convenient. If I am in the middle of something and want to, say, check the pokedex for what I have yet to catch or fly over to a different town, just pushing a button is more convenient than pressing x and then pushing a button.
 
I'd say the following are the best:

First is the PSS. A big step forward in interacting with others and using various features. You no longer had to go to the Global Terminal or a Pokemon Center to use the GTS, battling and trading with friends and strangers could now also be done at any point, wherever you might be in the game. O-Powers are like Pass Powers but a bit easier to use, they can't be used as many times in a row but were easier to obtain. New additions like Wonder Trade and Holo Caster are also welcome, while others like Game Sync stayed. This gets my first vote.

Next, I'll make one of my own if that is okay. While the topic has an alternative named Menu without using the X button (HG/SS + X&Y), I'd like to expand it to Touch Screen outside of battles. Or clarify if that's what it was supposed to be about in first place. Another great thing... as long as it is done correctly. Unlike most people, I wasn't a fan of the touch screen menus in HG/SS. I found it to be slow, inefficient and hard to navigate in a useful way. This coupled with how forced it was made it even worse. I liked it much better in 5th gen where it was less forced but much faster and easier to use. 6th gen was a somewhat mixed bag as it could now be accessed at any time from the touch screen while it still featured other things there as well, at the cost of the sorting option in the Bag menus being screwed compared to being practically perfect in 5th gen. Overall, I still like it, except for how it was in HG/SS. So it gets my second vote, if I'm even allowed to vote for it this way.

I'm a bit unsure about my final vote, but from the ones I have used and like the most, it has to be Touch Screen in battles. Doesn't change much in Single batles, but makes everything much easier to do in Double/Triple/Rotation battles. Also makes it easier to use items in battles, whether it is potions/other stuff to heal Pokemon or Poke Balls to catch new ones. The "last item used" is very helpful regarding this.

As for the others that I didn't vote for:
I have never used the Microphone, and I always play with the 3D turned off which means I don't know what 3D in battles is like, so I have no opinion on those two. The L=A mode was something I used in 3rd and 4th gen but stopped afterwards. I found it to be of most use in 3rd gen as it allowed me to play on my GBA SP with just one hand. The C-Gear was quite good and had a lot of potential if used correctly, something I sadly didn't do. It felt like a precursor to the PSS to me. The Pokétch was a great feature for its time, I preferred it over the PokeGear and the HG/SS touch screen, it would probably have been my 4th vote if that had been possible. Dongling and Pal Park were great ways to get new and old Pokemon in 4th gen but nothing special apart from that. I never used the Pokéwalker much but from what I did, I felt that it had potential but could have been done better. Finally, Tag Battles in Battle Subway (and Maison? I assume this is Multi Battles) were okay but the fact that you were forced to play with animations turned on (while using two systems locally) made everything super slow for me and I never did them more than I had to.
 
Time for me to give my opinion on a few of these.

The PSS. I have to say, I really like it, just because it's so convenient. In previous generations, if you wanted to battle, trade, etc., you had to go to a Pokemon Center, which was really annoying if, say, you were in the middle of Victory Road. O-powers, too; although the process you go through to get them is very... interesting, to say the least, they're the best friend of anyone who breeds and trains competitive mons. It makes a lot of sense that all of the game's multiplayer features are in one area. I do have a few bones to pick with it, though; namely, it constantly asks you to do a Wonder Trade, update your profile, etc. I really don't understand why Game Freak didn't add in an option to disable them. O-powers are a bit of a double-edged sword, as well, both from a flavour perspective and a gameplay perspective. XY is pathetically easy already; O-powers (especially the stat-boosting and healing ones) are just totally unnecessary. Furthermore, the idea of the character getting these random buffs from some higher power (aka the player) just doesn't fit right with me.

Touch Screen menus. These are also pretty awesome. They take advantage of the touch screen's niche over the normal screen, and in the process don't take up space in the top screen like previous gens did. In-battle, this makes for less clutter on the screen, allowing players to focus on what really matters: the Pokemon. Outside of battle, although it may be minor, having to press one less button to access the menu is always welcome. Since they don't add anything to the game from a gameplay perspective, it's possible to ignore them, which I think makes them even better. I can't really talk about its implementation in HGSS since I don't have many memories of it, but I will talk about XY. Specifically, the added ability to move around items, Pokemon, etc. in your team and bag without pressing any buttons. This is great in theory, but it was implemented poorly: you have to hold down the thing you want to move for about a second before the game recognizes that you want to move it, and if you move your stylus even a bit, it won't work. This is even more obvious in the bag, when you want to move an item but it scrolls instead.

The microphone. I do not like the microphone, personally; I don't think I've ever used it outside of those few Underground traps back in DPP, and its only real use is getting Chatot banned from Wifi because swearing. [sarcasm] I must commend GF for having such obvious 20/20 foresight when making the gimmick, though. [/sarcasm] To be clear, this is not one of my votes.

Dongling. Was this that feature in DPP where you could put a 3rd gen game into the GBA slot and run into different wild mons? Yeah, good luck doing that with a DSi or 3DS. 20/20 foresight once again, Game Freak!

3D Battles. If there's one positive thing to say about Battle Revolution, it's that the attack animations were absolutely beautiful. So what happened in XY? They're still pretty good; they just don't seem real. This could be a limitation of the 3DS compared to the Wii, but the attacks... just don't look that good. (Of course, there are exceptions such as Calm Mind.) I like how the Pokemon look cartoony, so they kept that aspect of non-realism from the sprites, but the poses of many Pokemon, especially flying ones, are sub-par. Salamence and Skarmory look like they're being suspended from the ceiling by invisible threads, while Excadrill just stands there and looks bored (compared to the "I'm gonna wreck your entire team" pose he had in Gen V.) Don't get me wrong; it's definitely a step forward from 2D battles; I just have a few bones to pick with them.

And finally, one that Celever didn't mention but is huge: Wi-fi compatibility. This predates the C-gear and the PSS, but it was my saviour when completing the National Dex. Since I know nobody else who is into Pokemon to the extent I was, if I wasn't able to connect to Wifi, I would never have been able to do it. In the same vein, I wouldn't have my lovely Porygon-Z, because I have nobody IRL to trade with to evolve it. True, there are some byproducts of it ("You can't enter that word!"), but I love the fact that the DS can connect to the internet.

So, my votes are for Touch screen menus, 3D battles, and Wi-fi compatibility Online Trading.
 
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I have a nomination for the next topic: best Stadium mini-game. That would be fun to discuss.

I found it to be of most use in 3rd gen as it allowed me to play on my GBA SP with just one hand.
This just reminded me of the good ol' days where I would play either Yu-Gi-Oh Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel or Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (GBC) one handed on my SP. Without a L=A feature. I was damn good at it.
 

Pikachu315111

Ranting & Raving!
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Hmm, there are some tough choices, but here's what I'm going for:

Online Trading: Slightly winning over PSS, online trading I think is the biggest gimmick as it has allowed that one accomplishment which in previous generation sounded easy but in fact might have been more difficult, especially if you didn't have friends: completing the Pokedex. Before online trading to complete the Regional Dex you needed to physically have/know someone with another handheld who had the games and chose the opposite version of you. Oh wait, that's not all, you may also needed to know a third person as there are 3 starters in the game. So once all that's done you traded between all of you but, though you added that Pokemon to the Pokedex, if its a Legendary you often needed to trade back (unless its you doing this by yourself, which in that case you at least bought another game or at most another handheld). And that's just the headache for completing the Regional Dex, in order to complete the National Dex you either needed multiple games expanding across multiple generation of handhelds or know someone who completed their Pokedex and is willing to breed a whole batch of Pokemon for you and also temporarily trade their Legendaries (though once again you needed to trade them back).
However online trading changed all that. Need a certain Pokemon? Just go to the Global Terminal, type in the name of the Pokemon you're looking for, and generally there should be one that has a reasonable offer. If not, no need to fear, you can just breed one of your rare Pokemon, put it up, ask for the Pokemon you're looking for, and you'll probably snag a trade that way. Honestly the hardest Pokemon to get are the ones who evolve via trading with an item, Pokemon like the starters and version exclusives are a breeze to get. As for Legendaries, those are still a bit of a pain to get, BUT if you've been trading up YOUR Legendaries from previous games then you probably have some "fodder" which you can potentially trade with. And for once you get to keep the Legendary you wanted to trade for, no trading back once registered in your Pokedex!

Poketch: Winning over Touch Screen in battles and Menu without using the X button, in my opinion the Poketch was the best gimmick that used one of the DS families main gimmicks: the bottom touch screen. Honestly all this as well as the C-Gear, PSS, Pokemon-Amie, and Super Training can be all wrapped up into just bottom screen usage as GameFreak made sure that the bottom screen was used and used well. However we can only pick one so I'm picking the Poketch. Why? Because the Poketch told you the time, had a map (that kept track of roaming Pokemon!), kept track of your Pokemon in the daycare (and showed if they had an egg), showed the general status of your party, tracked where all the berries you planted were, checks your Pokemon's friendship with you, had a Dowsing Machine, and many, MANY more side apps you probably didn't use as much but were still need to have! The Poketch was pretty much a PDA, you never really had to do as much running around as you did previously... and then after when they got rid of it and didn't replace it with anything as useful *sigh*.
But yeah, the Poketch was pretty much there to show off the bottom screen's capabilities and it succeeded. Were some of the apps useless? Sure, but they were still fun to have and in some case had some situational use (like the calculator in DP's Hearthome Gym). Were they annoying to sort through? A bit, especially in DP when there was no back button so if you skipped the app you wanted you needed to do another cycle through. But if I was given the choice of a PokeGear, PokeNav, Poketch, C-Gear, or the Holo Caster, I'd pick the Poketch (and probably see if it has an app to replicate the PokeGear, PokeNav, C-Gear, and Holo Caster). So in short, GameFreak, BRING BACK THE POKETCH! Or at least something like the Poketch!

3D in battles: Yeah, probably saw this coming if you noticed a theme with my post. Being the question was about the features that bet used the DS families gimmick I chose three features that hits all 3 of the main gimmicks: WiFi capabilities, touch screen, and now the 3DS's 3D. In Gen VI Pokemon finally fully transitioned to the 3D realm and overall it's been a pretty smooth transition (of course they had some previous experience via side games). All the models look great and they probably took the best course of action when it comes to the actual 3D that pops out at you. There's really no need to have 3D while walking around in the overworld because you're just walking around, the 3D is where it needs to be and people wanted it: battles! And you can tell the way the camera moves in battle that they too wanted to do their best showing off all the 3D, having it move all around the battlefield giving you all sorts of angle shots of your Pokemon and your opponent's.
However now that we've been shown Soaring and the Pokemon Contests are coming back, 3D in battles may have some competition coming the release of ORAS. ;)

So yeah, those are my 3 choices. :)
 

Codraroll

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I hope you're planning to post a separate thread for the next discussion? Activity is fine, and promoting it by posting good threads is encouraged, so I see no reason to keep it all in a single "discussion of the week" thread. Besides, if anybody want to further discuss a past issue, they can go to the relevant (although abandoned) thread.
 

Agonist

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Online compatibility: Obviously as a Wifi moderator, and just as someone who spends too much time in wifi for my own good, this is going to get my vote. It completely revolutionized Pokemon games by allowing people to trade, and battle around the world. The GTS and PSS, while sometimes being rather... inconvenient (want a Bidoof for Pokedex purposes? Better get a level 100 Arceus ready) are still more convenient that having to go out and buy every single version of Pokemon for Pokedex purposes, especially now that you can search for Pokemon you haven't seen.

The other thing I haven't seen mentioned at all is the improved move mechanics from Gen 4 on, so I guess:

Special/Physical move split: In Gen 3, you had many good Pokemon such as Gyarados or Gengar that just didn't have good STAB options. Sure, Gyarados had Waterfall, but it was coming off 60 SpA, and wasn't doing jack shit to anything worth hitting with it. Gengar has 130 SpA, but nope, Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are physical. Obviously, I could go on and on with this, but by making certain moves physical or special, now Gyarados has a Water type Attack it can use that comes off its much higher Atk. Gengar can now use Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb without doing a pitiful amount of damage now. Pokemon before that had good mixed offenses can often now attack from both spectrums, increasing their versatility.
 

Pikachu315111

Ranting & Raving!
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I hope you're planning to post a separate thread for the next discussion? Activity is fine, and promoting it by posting good threads is encouraged, so I see no reason to keep it all in a single "discussion of the week" thread. Besides, if anybody want to further discuss a past issue, they can go to the relevant (although abandoned) thread.
But if he did that wouldn't the OI board be overrun by "Discussion of the Week" boards, if not the 1st page but the 2nd page as old topics are pushed to the back?
 

Celever

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But if he did that wouldn't the OI board be overrun by "Discussion of the Week" boards, if not the 1st page but the 2nd page as old topics are pushed to the back?
Yeah, we discussed it and I'm going to ask the other moderators soon. I think it would count as thread spam, but Codraroll doesn't D:

Special/Physical move split: In Gen 3, you had many good Pokemon such as Gyarados or Gengar that just didn't have good STAB options. Sure, Gyarados had Waterfall, but it was coming off 60 SpA, and wasn't doing jack shit to anything worth hitting with it. Gengar has 130 SpA, but nope, Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are physical. Obviously, I could go on and on with this, but by making certain moves physical or special, now Gyarados has a Water type Attack it can use that comes off its much higher Atk. Gengar can now use Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb without doing a pitiful amount of damage now. Pokemon before that had good mixed offenses can often now attack from both spectrums, increasing their versatility.
This isn't using a special "gimmmick" that the system has to offer like the touch screen or internet access, so I'm not going to count this vote. Too off topic, sorry! :(
 

Codraroll

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But if he did that wouldn't the OI board be overrun by "Discussion of the Week" boards, if not the 1st page but the 2nd page as old topics are pushed to the back?
That assumes that nobody posts in or makes other threads. And if the tag "discussion of the week" is so problematic, it would be as simple as not including it. If Celever is capable of posting one discussion-worthy thread every week, creating activity and promoting discussion in OI, I see no reason not to let him.
 
I'm not going for anything interface-related as Pokemon is a twitch-free game and so the control scheme isn't really a make-or-break factor as regards gameplay experience goes. In any case by having a stripped-down combat system in comparison to many RPGs, and a sensibly organised inventory system, the boon to menu navigation isn't too great since there were never too many of them for it to get awkward anyway. The only things the touchscreen has done that couldn't have been done without it are little minigames like Pokemon Amie and Pokeathlon.

So I'll elect for the other big advance the DS gave us, online play. Specifically, the GTS as it was the first such system (come back DS & Wii WiFi!) Possibly helped lift Pokemon again after it had been a bit of a sleeping giant during the Hoenn era - people loved Pokemon in the nineties because they could play it alongside friends, but as Pokemania died away the appeal for those who stayed might have been a bit flattened, and catching 'em all (which IIRC was dropped as a slogan around that time) in particular became impossible unless you were a ten-year-old living in Japan. Since player interactivity was possibly the one thing which stood the series out fro traditional JRPGs, that ability to find people playing further afield was very timely. I'll also stick trading over battling as I do all my battling on Pokemon Showdown anyway ;)

I'd also like to chip in with polygonal graphics in XY as something that was long overdue by the time XY finally got round to it. Fifteen years on from watching the original Pokemon anime the games have finally caught up in spectacle with it, albeit still featuring creatures who patiently wait their turn while the opponent lines up their attack (oh how cross eight-year-old me was with the anime that Pokemon could dodge things in it!)

Actually, I've kind of run out of stuff now so I'd better mention something the touchscreen gave us. I'll plump for Pokealthlon as one of the most maddeningly addictive minigames I have come across in any video game.

So, in order of significance, online trading, polygonal graphics and touch-based minigames (but especially Pokeathlon!)
 
I find it really interesting to see how GF changes the bottom screen stuff throughout the generations. I found the Pokétch really useful in that it could do so many things and creative in that it had a lot of 'apps' for you to choose from, but a bit annoying to use. I wish it had icons for the different apps instead of each one taking up the entire screen. The C-Gear was a huge step forward in easy trading and battling with your friends (and it looked way cooler than the Pokétch), but it was pretty much useless unless you wanted to do online stuff. Gen VI tried to come up to a solution to these problems with the 3-screen Amie/Super Training/PSS, and I think it worked pretty well on the whole. It's easy to switch between screens with the L and R buttons, and the screens are pretty well organized. Here's what I think about each of them. Note that these aren't votes, they're just some comments.
1) PSS Screen
It's really useful in that it allows you to see if your friends or acquaintances are online, as well as giving you access to the menu buttons without having to press 'X.' Besides seeing icons of a bunch of people, you can also access a menu of various online actions to do. I found the menu buttons to be a little bit too small, so it would be nice if they were enlarged. Finally, I wish that some of the more important online features you can access via the menu (GTS, O-Powers) could be accessed by a single button on the main screen. To make room for this, perhaps the Passerby section could be reworked or removed. There aren't too many times you just want to see random people, so maybe it would be good to have a large screen of people be accessible by another button. However, the PSS is really well-designed, with only a few minor gripes.
2) Super Training Screen
This is a pretty well-designed screen for what it's meant to do. It helpfully displays icons for your entire team, which not only makes it easy to switch between Pokémon for Super Training but also lets you see what's in your party. It's not all that multifunctional, but that's why there are two other screens. Really, my only complaint is that it should allow us to see our Pokémon's EVs without having to use a Reset Bag, or maybe be able to change the view into a bar graph or something.
3) Pokémon-Amie Screen
Hands down the worst designed screen. Instead of the main page having anything to do with Pokémon-Amie, it instead has a weird 'house' area where little icons of your Pokémon and other Pokémon can visit. If you actually want to play with your Pokémon, you have to click on their tiny icon and then click 'Play.' If you want to play with a different Pokémon, you have to do pretty much the same thing (unlike in Super Training, where all the icons are visible). Even worse, the fact that the Pokémon rolls around crazily whenever you're on a bike (most of the time) detracts a lot from the Amie screen's aesthetic value.
 

Celever

i am town
is a Community Contributor
Hi guys, I'm sorry that this took so long to update, I had an incredibly busy week-end (and I decided to put updates at week-ends when I theoretically have more time). Please note that the next update will be Sunday as opposed to next Monday if everything goes to plan!

So, the results. I'm not going to include the 0 vote topics because clearly no one likes them, so...
1 vote:
Poketch
Polygonal Graphics


2 votes:
Touch Screen Based Minigames
Pokewalker (I thought this would score higher. Personally I'd put my vote in for it lol)


3 votes:
Pal Park (Again, I thought that it'd score higher)


4 votes:
PSS
3D in Battles
Online Trading


5 votes:
Menu Without the X Button


6 votes:
Touch Screen in Battles


It has to be said, 1st and 2nd place were very worthy of their titles. Since there were three topics with 4 votes and this was a 3-answer question, I have chosen my favourite of the three answers, and that answer is bolded above.

This was a very interesting week and I'm hoping for some more high quality discussion when I post the next topic soon. I'm going to ask some more moderators whether I should continue in this thread or make a new one each week, so look forward to a new thread/topic in probably a couple hours.
 

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