My poor Gatr! ;(
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
Unpopular opinions
- Thread starter antemortem
- Start date
99% of Water-types in-game are white bread to begin with.
Seriously, sometimes I don't even remember which one I'm using. Most of them are slow, bulky mons running Surf for STAB/HM utility and Ice Beam for coverage.
I used this exact set in Pokemon White (picked Return as a fourth move) and had lots of fun. In White 2, I bred Ferrothorn to have Curse+Leech Seed+Power Whip+Gyro Ball and had even more fun. There is something extremely satisfying in looking at your opponent's helpless struggle as you suck life out of him while boosting.
Let us swim by ourselves already
just lock it behind a swimsuit on the same city as the 6th Gym
Do this for all HMs. You get a chainsaw instead of Cut, you get a big hammer instead of Rock Smash, and so on. It's cool, actually makes sense, and removes the need to either get an HM slave or waste a bunch of moveslots on garbage moves.
Gotta love how this 4koma comic is poking fun at Gen 4s HM hell
This is now canon and you cannot prove me wrong
I am sorry sir but as JRPG protagonist, the main charachter is phisically unable to learn how to swim
Rides were a good solution, but then I've seen people complaining that they didn't care about these mons because they weren't their mons. 
So we're probably getting HMs in some way again.
If we do, the absolute ideal solution imo would be having move deleters in every Pokécenter like SwSh (But give the reminder some cost lmao. Money works)
Besides that, a slight buff to the moves themselves would be important. Nothing too drastic tho. (Like Rock Smash having guaranteed defense drops.)
Portable PC also deals with the hassle either way.
Honestly, there are several ways this can play out, the question is whether or not we'll like the solution they pick. Definitely not as much of a problem as it was in Gen 4 tho.
So we're probably getting HMs in some way again.
If we do, the absolute ideal solution imo would be having move deleters in every Pokécenter like SwSh (But give the reminder some cost lmao. Money works)
Besides that, a slight buff to the moves themselves would be important. Nothing too drastic tho. (Like Rock Smash having guaranteed defense drops.)
Portable PC also deals with the hassle either way.
Honestly, there are several ways this can play out, the question is whether or not we'll like the solution they pick. Definitely not as much of a problem as it was in Gen 4 tho.
It doesn't help I already don't care about Water starters in general, then Feraligatr kinda just looks a little goofy to me. I can understand why someone would like Feraligatr or think it's cool though. It's definitely a Pokemon I could potentially grow to like in the future. Croconaw not so much
But I mean, my favorite water type is Dracovish, so is my opinion really valuable?
Last edited:
So can someone translate?
She yells out the move names, then says Sandshrew's name on the 3rd panel.
Iirc. There is an arrow pointing to it on the 4th. No idea what it says tho.
Crobat's design is shockingly kinda meh outside quad wings
The color is a sudden invert, and while Zubat and Golbat have their own creepy qualities to stand out (Zubat feet tendrils and blindness, Golbat's tongue and oversized jaw for a body), Crobat has none. Also it started the color eye trend that Gen 3 further capitalized that some people dislike. The mouth (especially for its Stadium model) also sucks
This all sucks cuz the Zubat line REALLY needed an evo, and Crobat performs decently. But the design is meh
The color is a sudden invert, and while Zubat and Golbat have their own creepy qualities to stand out (Zubat feet tendrils and blindness, Golbat's tongue and oversized jaw for a body), Crobat has none. Also it started the color eye trend that Gen 3 further capitalized that some people dislike. The mouth (especially for its Stadium model) also sucks
This all sucks cuz the Zubat line REALLY needed an evo, and Crobat performs decently. But the design is meh
This is probably better suited for the "little things that annoy me" thread, but my problem with Crobat is that it seems like a sloppy flier. My go-to Pokémon for Fly has to be a lot smoother at flying than how Crobat looks. Compare below to Staraptor who seems much more capable of the task.
That's kind of reasonable for bats, though. They're incredibly proficient fliers, but they really don't look like it. Their wings move a LOT to get anything done, and that means they get a lot done. Look up vids of hunting bats or bats flying through obstacle courses, they look like they're barely staying in the air while pulling Tony Hawk tricks.This is probably better suited for the "little things that annoy me" thread, but my problem with Crobat is that it seems like a sloppy flier. My go-to Pokémon for Fly has to be a lot smoother at flying than how Crobat looks. Compare below to Staraptor who seems much more capable of the task.
Note; Ducks have to fly at 40+ mph cuz their bodies are too fat to sustain themselves otherwise
Pigeons can fly 70-90mph horizontally, which is technically faster than Falcons flying without diving
Never underestimate squat or ungainly fliers!
But legit, Crobat should've emphasized on it's wing spikes and foot claws and fangs for design. It's only overrated cuz of its stats
Saving a lot of data is annoying, but the people who list it as one of gen 4's major problems are massively overreacting. It's not that bad, though I do obviously prefer faster saving.
It really boils down to one extra minute while you're saving.
No one really got pressed over it unless their battery was low, but like the infamous Wild Area trees, it's symbolic of the engine issues Gen 4 had.
First thing I'm doing in BDSP is saving and seeing how long it takes compared to the original tho.
Come to think of it... Do we even have a comparison between save times across all the main series games?
You know, I've been thinking about Mega Evolution as of late. I think it's the best of the super mode mechanics we've had so far, and if there was any of them I'd keep, it's Megas. It's the only one with substance behind it as it gives Pokemon new stat spreads, new abilities, and even new typings and it added a lot to many Pokemon and was fun in competitive battles.
But that's beside the point: one of the criticisms about its execution was how much it breaks in-game. You can liberally use it and the mons effectively trivialize the game once you Mega Evolve them.
Then I've been thinking...but I think there's one easy way they could fix Mega Evolution if they ever put it back in to control how OP it is in-game. Heck, it could've been done back in Gen 6 itself.
And the biggest way to regulate Mega Evolution imo...would be to connect it to Pokemon Amie.
It was right there from the start. Mega Evolutions are a cool mechanic, but I also really love Pokemon Amie. It's such a cute feature, and it's adorable to play with your Pokemon and forge a bond with them. Feed them, interact with them, vice versa. And in doing so, the game also has mechanics of affection and enjoyment, especially the former which emphasizes how much the Pokemon loves you. It helps really push the notion of making your Pokemon your friends, so much so that through little things like this you forge a stronger bond with the mon, and it shows in battle where they can do stuff like crit or heal poison or endure a hit because they love you. It's so neat.
And that would be the perfect way to regulate Mega Evolution as a mechanic. How? Because one of the key thins about Mega Evolution in lore is that they make it very clear that it can only be achieved through a strong bond between Trainer and Pokemon. That is one of the big things both the games and the anime have tried to push, and the SM dex entries even talk about how painful Mega Evolution can be for many mons. I believe the Gen 7 dex entries are meant to emphasize what would happen to a Pokemon if it Mega Evolves but lacks a strong bond with a Trainer, and so much so that if they don't, then they're in pain and will go wild, but with a strong bond they are in total control of that power. The XY anime even emphasized this with how Korrina's Lucario went wild and was very evidently in pain when Mega Evolved at first.
So I think a good way to regulate Mega Evolution's effectiveness in-game would be to really tie that into Pokemon Amie as a requirement for it to be fully effective in battle. To tie in to what would happen if a Pokemon Mega Evolves in the absence of a strong bond, make it so that if the mon doesn't have enough affection points from Amie, then it can Mega Evolve, but it would go berserk basically. Completely disobeying you and using moves at random, without you being able to command it. Not only using moves at random, but have a high chance to frequently hurt itself until it faints. Many SM/USUM dex entries even talk about how some Mega Evolved Pokemon can't even hear the commands of their own Trainer, or are in so much pain they act wildly. Make that happen in-game, basically! And maybe as Affection points go up through Amie, that happens less and less. And once you've achieved maximum affection with the mon, then you've mastered the ability to use Mega Evolution with the mon. If you have max Affection with the mon, then the mon even when Mega Evolved will then listen to you without fail, and you can fully utilize the mechanic.
Attaching Mega Evolution to Amie and its related derivatives would be an excellent way to not only regulate its effectiveness in-game, but it's incredibly beneficial for both features. It adds a layer of substance to the Mega Evolution mechanic, ties it into its canonical lore effectively, and also further incentivizes the use of the Pokemon Amie feature by encouraging players to use it as a means to master Mega Evolution and achieve the bond with the Pokemon and put in the work and effort they need to fully effectively utilize Mega Evolution. Sure, you have the Key Stone now, but that doesn't mean you've mastered the bond with your Pokemon just yet. So use Amie and work on developing the bond with your Pokemon and in doing so, your ability to control the mon when Mega Evolved strengthens with it.
I think this would be an excellent way to improve the Mega Evolution mechanic. Of course, I don't think the fools at Game Freak even realize this is a possible thing they could do, but if there's one way to improve Mega Evolution, this is almost certainly one that would work imo.
But that's beside the point: one of the criticisms about its execution was how much it breaks in-game. You can liberally use it and the mons effectively trivialize the game once you Mega Evolve them.
Then I've been thinking...but I think there's one easy way they could fix Mega Evolution if they ever put it back in to control how OP it is in-game. Heck, it could've been done back in Gen 6 itself.
And the biggest way to regulate Mega Evolution imo...would be to connect it to Pokemon Amie.
It was right there from the start. Mega Evolutions are a cool mechanic, but I also really love Pokemon Amie. It's such a cute feature, and it's adorable to play with your Pokemon and forge a bond with them. Feed them, interact with them, vice versa. And in doing so, the game also has mechanics of affection and enjoyment, especially the former which emphasizes how much the Pokemon loves you. It helps really push the notion of making your Pokemon your friends, so much so that through little things like this you forge a stronger bond with the mon, and it shows in battle where they can do stuff like crit or heal poison or endure a hit because they love you. It's so neat.
And that would be the perfect way to regulate Mega Evolution as a mechanic. How? Because one of the key thins about Mega Evolution in lore is that they make it very clear that it can only be achieved through a strong bond between Trainer and Pokemon. That is one of the big things both the games and the anime have tried to push, and the SM dex entries even talk about how painful Mega Evolution can be for many mons. I believe the Gen 7 dex entries are meant to emphasize what would happen to a Pokemon if it Mega Evolves but lacks a strong bond with a Trainer, and so much so that if they don't, then they're in pain and will go wild, but with a strong bond they are in total control of that power. The XY anime even emphasized this with how Korrina's Lucario went wild and was very evidently in pain when Mega Evolved at first.
So I think a good way to regulate Mega Evolution's effectiveness in-game would be to really tie that into Pokemon Amie as a requirement for it to be fully effective in battle. To tie in to what would happen if a Pokemon Mega Evolves in the absence of a strong bond, make it so that if the mon doesn't have enough affection points from Amie, then it can Mega Evolve, but it would go berserk basically. Completely disobeying you and using moves at random, without you being able to command it. Not only using moves at random, but have a high chance to frequently hurt itself until it faints. Many SM/USUM dex entries even talk about how some Mega Evolved Pokemon can't even hear the commands of their own Trainer, or are in so much pain they act wildly. Make that happen in-game, basically! And maybe as Affection points go up through Amie, that happens less and less. And once you've achieved maximum affection with the mon, then you've mastered the ability to use Mega Evolution with the mon. If you have max Affection with the mon, then the mon even when Mega Evolved will then listen to you without fail, and you can fully utilize the mechanic.
Attaching Mega Evolution to Amie and its related derivatives would be an excellent way to not only regulate its effectiveness in-game, but it's incredibly beneficial for both features. It adds a layer of substance to the Mega Evolution mechanic, ties it into its canonical lore effectively, and also further incentivizes the use of the Pokemon Amie feature by encouraging players to use it as a means to master Mega Evolution and achieve the bond with the Pokemon and put in the work and effort they need to fully effectively utilize Mega Evolution. Sure, you have the Key Stone now, but that doesn't mean you've mastered the bond with your Pokemon just yet. So use Amie and work on developing the bond with your Pokemon and in doing so, your ability to control the mon when Mega Evolved strengthens with it.
I think this would be an excellent way to improve the Mega Evolution mechanic. Of course, I don't think the fools at Game Freak even realize this is a possible thing they could do, but if there's one way to improve Mega Evolution, this is almost certainly one that would work imo.
I don't think that would have fixed anything.
It doesn't address the main criticism of Mega Evolutions is that is made some Pokemon so OP, usually ones which were already popular & powerful, that the meta became centralized around them leaving many other Megas behind.
Heck, limiting access to high Affection would only affect the main game (which is already easy enough to beat without Mega Evos). Players would just pick one or two Pokemon to be their designated Mega. In XY that would likely be the Kanto Starter with the other being the Lucario you're just given (a third would be the Blaziken Giveaway if you got that when it was active). In ORAS it would be the Hoenn Starter, Latios/Latias, and a third being the Shiny Beldum Giveaway. Even if they made it so you could get Mega Stones early on instead of late/post game, unless a player has a specific Mega they want to use, most players would stick to those... infact most did because of that.