(Little) Things that annoy you in Pokémon

[R_N]

Gotta love that cherry picking.

Ironically though, that Gen 4 example is an excellent example of optimization without sacrificing good design. It's small, linear, compact and yet it still has quite a bit of stuff to do with different items in different paths, trainers all over the place and yet many of these trainers can be avoided by using the pathways to your advantage.

I
They named some routes from gen 4 they liked, I named some routes from after that I liked, and I'm comparing the two because I think the routes I liked are still pretty nice compared to the nice routes they like.

I'm not saying every route in the modern games is a masterpiece or anything (as I mentioned earlier, gen 7 in particular I found fairly unmemorable in the route department, i think they needed to experiment more with textures and such; they're just kind of "okay" outside of Ula Ula), just that they still have some nice, memorable routes. Likewise I'm not calling the gen 4 routes bad or lesser at all.

 

[Volt-Ikazuchi]

Just make the tutorial skippable

Ok, now I'm interested.

I
They named some routes from gen 4 they liked, I named some routes from after that I liked, and I'm comparing the two because I think the routes I liked are still pretty nice compared to the nice routes they like.

I'm not saying every route in the modern games is a masterpiece or anything (as I mentioned earlier, gen 7 in particular I found fairly unmemorable in the route department, i think they needed to experiment more with textures and such; they're just kind of "okay" outside of Ula Ula), just that they still have some nice, memorable routes. Likewise I'm not calling the gen 4 routes bad or lesser at all.

I was just pointing out the examples picked.

I'm pretty sure every Pokémon game has excellent routes/areas (even Gens 7 and 8 if you squeeze hard enough... maybe.)

I particularly think that Kalos route near Cyllage City is one of the best in the series and it should be the gold standard for the 3D games. So much depth, smart camera usage, interesting level design, really, there's a lot to like on that route.

And then you compare it to... say, the entirety of Memelele Island, and it dunks on it then walks over them afterward. That route was very linear, but that doesn't mean you gotta make it boring, y'know?

 

[Bakugames]

I dont know why but i prefer the linear routes... Probably because I dont actually enjoy most routes and wild stuff in pokemon and just want to skip to the cities and gyms asap. Linear routes are objectively worse design but i'd be a liar and a coward if i said I dont prefer them just so i dont have to look at them for more than 2 minutes

 

[girazard]

Even the TCG all but thinks Zeraora is Fighting/Lightning type.

 

[Volt-Ikazuchi]

I dont know why but i prefer the linear routes... Probably because I dont actually enjoy most routes and wild stuff in pokemon and just want to skip to the cities and gyms asap. Linear routes are objectively worse design but i'd be a liar and a coward if i said I dont prefer them just so i dont have to look at them for more than 2 minutes

Still waiting out on that "WTF" reaction button...

 

[Yung Dramps]

So mainline Pokemon's stubborn refusal to include true multiple savefiles is a well-worn topic, but how about their just as, if not more frustrating and backwards approach to deleting saves?

I get this franchise is designed with kids in mind, but seriously, can they really not be trusted around a simple "Delete Save" button? Do we really gotta go with an obscure combination of buttons that you literally have to go online to look up like it's a fucking cheat code or something? Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, all these franchises also targeted at kids do it in a straightforward manner, so what's up with Pokemon?

What makes it even more confounding is that I see nobody ever talk about how this sucks so much ass. Does no one care? Is this a more common and accepted thing than I'm giving it credit for?

 

[Celever]

So mainline Pokemon's stubborn refusal to include true multiple savefiles is a well-worn topic, but how about their just as, if not more frustrating and backwards approach to deleting saves?

I get this franchise is designed with kids in mind, but seriously, can they really not be trusted around a simple "Delete Save" button? Do we really gotta go with an obscure combination of buttons that you literally have to go online to look up like it's a fucking cheat code or something? Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, all these franchises also targeted at kids do it in a straightforward manner, so what's up with Pokemon?

What makes it even more confounding is that I see nobody ever talk about how this sucks so much ass. Does no one care? Is this a more common and accepted thing than I'm giving it credit for?

Meh, I don't think it's that bad. It's a much better system than other games, namely the load/save options in the menu with similarly presented icons. There have been many times where I've tried to save after getting tired of playing, was slightly absent-minded, and lost my progress completely by loading my previous save in the slot instead of saving over it.

It's kinda fun having to go into the manual to find out the button combination of the week, too. Gives the manuals some kind of purpose at least.

Maybe they just keep the feature around so the manual designers are more appreciated. Without it, no one would ever open them.

 

[Kurona]

I think also, for multiple reasons; you're less likely to want to delete a Pokémon file -- so it just doesn't come up much.

 

[R_N]

So mainline Pokemon's stubborn refusal to include true multiple savefiles is a well-worn topic, but how about their just as, if not more frustrating and backwards approach to deleting saves?

I get this franchise is designed with kids in mind, but seriously, can they really not be trusted around a simple "Delete Save" button? Do we really gotta go with an obscure combination of buttons that you literally have to go online to look up like it's a fucking cheat code or something? Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, all these franchises also targeted at kids do it in a straightforward manner, so what's up with Pokemon?

What makes it even more confounding is that I see nobody ever talk about how this sucks so much ass. Does no one care? Is this a more common and accepted thing than I'm giving it credit for?

As someone who lost like 4 save files when they were younger to various people the answer is a resounding no, they can't be trusted. & i imagine a lot of people agree and thus don't really care, as opposed to the idea of having multiple save files (which comes up Forever)




It is kind of funny how with the switch multiple save files are finally here, though. Like yeah its by profile but this is, baffingly, something a number of switch titles do for some reason. Like Paper Mario Origami King is entirely through profiles. Weird right?

 

[Worldie]

It is kind of funny how with the switch multiple save files are finally here, though. Like yeah its by profile but this is, baffingly, something a number of switch titles do for some reason. Like Paper Mario Origami King is entirely through profiles. Weird right?

I also think that's not a "intended feature" either.
As in, they designed those games with a single save file in mind, the fact that you can have "multiple" by switching profiles likely isn't intentional as those are meant to "represent different users", it's just a non-bad side effect of the profile system.

...I don't really understand games with single save files either though. Unless their expectation for their playerbase really is "they'll play it once, finish it then put it down"
I *soooorta* understand it for Pokemon, from purely a perspective to """incentivize trading""" but they aren't the only games that do it.

Single save file is one of those scenarios where I ask myself "do the devs even play videogames?"

 

[Kurona]

I think a big part of it is also to incentivise buying both versions :p

 

[Siggu]

I think also, for multiple reasons; you're less likely to want to delete a Pokémon file -- so it just doesn't come up much.

I can say about this that I've only deleted a Pokémon savegame twice in my whole life.

And both were by complete accident by mishandling some glitch items in the VC version of Pokémon Red.

I know that some people like to try out different combinations for playthroughs but I've always had the feeling it's a minority in the playerbase.

 

[Volt-Ikazuchi]

Now it's more unlikely than ever that multiple saves will happen because they have an incentive to not do it.

If you wanna start over, odds are you want to save some mons. Guess where you'd be able to save them?

Retirement Home.

 

[Kurona]

Now it's more unlikely than ever that multiple saves will happen because they have an incentive to not do it.

If you wanna start over, odds are you want to save some mons. Guess where you'd be able to save them?

Retirement Home.

The irony of that is, HOME actually has built-in functionality to let you switch between Switch profiles easier. It... surprised me a lot when I first got it when not doing it is something that would be very characteristically in line with all the things they annoyingly don't do.
So this is strangely the one part that's actually fine.

 

[Bakugames]

This is more of a question than a complain, but is there anything you could do with multiple save files that could go agaisnt some of the philosophies that pokemon set up? All I can think about is catching multiple legendaries in one game and bypassing choice based events, where with only one savefile you have to lose all your progress/send it all to bank to do so

 

[Volt-Ikazuchi]

This is more of a question than a complain, but is there anything you could do with multiple save files that could go agaisnt some of the philosophies that pokemon set up? All I can think about is catching multiple legendaries in one game and bypassing choice based events, where with only one savefile you have to lose all your progress/send it all to bank to do so

Considering these are some of the most ham-fisted ways of incentivizing trading... Yeah, kind of a big deal.

 

[Bakugames]

Considering these are some of the most ham-fisted ways of incentivizing trading... Yeah, kind of a big deal.

Thinking about it, it also makes the big choice of a starter kinda trivial, since you can just pick another one in other savefile. I do think that a cool feature would be unlocking new savefiles as you finish the game, but thats more on wishing stuff since i also think keeping trade stuff is boring

 

[Siggu]

To be fair, there have been significant improvements in terms of trade exclusivity this generation.

The only Pokémon you absolutely cannot get without trading are the other version cover legendary, the Urshifu form, the new Regi (and technically Regigigas), and the horse you didn't pick. Everything else can be obtained without needing another player in some way or form.

 

[Antihaxxer]

Or you can just do another file and you get the other Urshifu / Regi / Horse and you're happy ! That's what I've done !

 

[R_N]

I also think that's not a "intended feature" either.
As in, they designed those games with a single save file in mind, the fact that you can have "multiple" by switching profiles likely isn't intentional as those are meant to "represent different users", it's just a non-bad side effect of the profile system.

...I don't really understand games with single save files either though. Unless their expectation for their playerbase really is "they'll play it once, finish it then put it down"
I *soooorta* understand it for Pokemon, from purely a perspective to """incentivize trading""" but they aren't the only games that do it.

Single save file is one of those scenarios where I ask myself "do the devs even play videogames?"

Yeah its probably just happenstance for Pokemon but for some games it does seem to be. Going back to Origami King for a second, when you're at the title scren it literally makes you pick between the profiles and shows a little snapshot of their current progress. Pretty sure every prior Paper Mario had multiple save files so its a little huh???

Or you can just do another file and you get the other Urshifu / Regi / Horse and you're happy ! That's what I've done !

It is really shocking how easy this made things and that Home was....even easier! I thought FOR SURE you would need some special other account but no, its as easy as swapping profiles in the app itself, access the full suite of features and everything.




side note the profile thing kiiiind of does make me wonder if it was a reasoning behind putting the wolf at the end of the post game. And hell Eternatus has to wait a long, long time too, you get him in the penultimate battle of the game. & you can't even capture the regi until the end of the game (due to level caps) and Calyrex/the horse requires you become champion even if you sneak your way through at the start. Kubfu is the only one of the legends you can get "normally".
one of those "ok, you can do this, but if you want to abuse it you really got to work for it"


I mean probably not, they just thought it'd be an interesting capstone to the game (for the wolves, eternatus) or are in content meant for post-release and post-game, but when you're quasi-speedrunning a game for a handful of pokemon the conspiracy boards go up nevertheless

 

[Volt-Ikazuchi]

To be fair, there have been significant improvements in terms of trade exclusivity this generation.

The only Pokémon you absolutely cannot get without trading are the other version cover legendary, the Urshifu form, the new Regi (and technically Regigigas), and the horse you didn't pick. Everything else can be obtained without needing another player in some way or form.

I'm pretty sure there are still a bunch of version-exclusive mons and while there are some of them in the wild, trade evos are still kind of a problem.

 

[Siggu]

I'm pretty sure there are still a bunch of version-exclusive mons and while there are some of them in the wild, trade evos are still kind of a problem.

Well, I never said they are perfect, but between raids, static encounters, Egg Move transferring, Mints, and easier access to Bottle Caps, that's much less of a problem... but still a problem nonetheless (right, Applin?)

 

[Bakugames]

Do people enjoy game exclusives and choice stuff? Im pretty much on "every pokemon should be obtainable in a single copy field" which is why i find trade stuff annoying, but I know some people do think it has merit, and even like it which i dont understand much

 

[Nokocchi]

Do people enjoy game exclusives and choice stuff? Im pretty much on "every pokemon should be obtainable in a single copy field" which is why i find trade stuff annoying, but I know some people do think it has merit, and even like it which i dont understand much

Would you have preferred the original 1990 Capsule Monsters pitch? It would all be one version, but there would be very rare creatures that had a small chance of being found at the bottom floors of massive dungeons called Mirage Monsters. In the pitch it said you were lucky to even get one per playthrough, and they would by the primary purpose for trading, which would be to get all of the Mirage Monsters registered into the game. This was before the concept of PvP battling was thought up, too, so the primary purpose of game link cable compatibility was trading mirage monster with eachother(reminder that breeding didn't exist even in the Gen 1 concepts). The concept wasn't entirely scrapped, or at least the name. Mythical Pokemon are called Illusory Pokemon in Japan(also a reminder that this term existed in Japan even in Gen I, unlike the localizations which advertised Mythicals as being Legendary Pokemon until partway through Gen IV)

 

[Bakugames]

Would you have preferred the original 1990 Capsule Monsters pitch? It would all be one version, but there would be very rare creatures that had a small chance of being found at the bottom floors of massive dungeons called Mirage Monsters. In the pitch it said you were lucky to even get one per playthrough, and they would by the primary purpose for trading, which would be to get all of the Mirage Monsters registered into the game. This was before the concept of PvP battling was thought up, too, so the primary purpose of game link cable compatibility was trading mirage monster with eachother(reminder that breeding didn't exist even in the Gen 1 concepts). The concept wasn't entirely scrapped, or at least the name. Mythical Pokemon are called Illusory Pokemon in Japan(also a reminder that this term existed in Japan even in Gen I, unlike the localizations which advertised Mythicals as being Legendary Pokemon until partway through Gen IV)

Honestly, I would! I think it'd still make for a good trading experience for kids, as they'd find a rare dude and trade it for another rare dude, as a low find chance is basically a mythical for them haha.

Now, to be fair, one of the main reasons pokemon did succeed was the social activities of trading and battling, however, with most trading taking place in stuff like home, gts and stuff, where its basically anonymous with no social interaction, theres not as much reasoning to keep the things that focus on trades (exclusive pokemon, two versions) anymore imo. GO has pretty much taken that part of the franchise.