I hope it's because they are very slow at playing the game. I don't know why it's not available at the start...
-
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.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Release 19th Nov 2021
- Thread starter DHR-107
- Start date
I hope it's because they are very slow at playing the game. I don't know why it's not available at the start...
Remember they think it will take 10 hours to reach solaceon and a few to reach jubilife!
So yes they basically did turn the underground into what is effectively Wild Area:
-wide open space
-available early in the game (albeit, later than SWSH)
-full of pretty much every pokemon available
-online hub where you can meet other trainers also online
-definitely-not-watts to be traded for definitely-not-TRs
Interesting decision to get rid of "proper" secret bases. It never occured to me that the secret bases are just to set up your statues.
-wide open space
-available early in the game (albeit, later than SWSH)
-full of pretty much every pokemon available
-online hub where you can meet other trainers also online
-definitely-not-watts to be traded for definitely-not-TRs
Interesting decision to get rid of "proper" secret bases. It never occured to me that the secret bases are just to set up your statues.
I'd say that's a fair assumption to the amount of time it takes to get to Hearthome for the first time, aka where Bebe is.
Well..that is just sad to see. The bases were fun.
I assume by "A few hours" they probably more mean around Eterna, since that's when yo uget access to the Underground which here is definitely meant to be akin to the wild area and thus a spot of the game where your options significantly increase.
The bases were fun ... in Hoenn. The Sinnoh version was a badly executed imitation. Making a little space for yourself in a corner of the region was totally awesome. Digging a hole in a random wall, completely identical to the thousands of other random walls in a tunnel system completely isolated from the rest of the region? Not so much. I don't think I will miss Secret Bases in BDSP, and if I do, I will miss the ORAS version, not the DP one.
I remember having a massive number of spheres that I never used, so I can sort of see that making TMs easy to get.
But still, no traps and less stuff in the bases? The Grand Underground was the only thing to do that wasn't in the original... They really are putting the bare minimum into actual gameplay.
They included a staircase and added an NPC to tell you that the staircase is irrelevant now.
Remember that every time you see something half-arsed in the game.
But still, no traps and less stuff in the bases? The Grand Underground was the only thing to do that wasn't in the original... They really are putting the bare minimum into actual gameplay.
They included a staircase and added an NPC to tell you that the staircase is irrelevant now.
Remember that every time you see something half-arsed in the game.
Not sure if there's anything interesting/new here, but thanks to Dengeki Online, we have a map of the underground.
Not sure if there's anything interesting/new here, but thanks to Dengeki Online, we have a map of the underground.
This is probably an overstatement but why do I get the feeling people will be spending more time underground than above the surface in this game...
They probably thought it was a funny nod.
I want to be mad "blank" were cut but in all honesty it's a feature I'd probably use for 15 minutes once then never again. Same with "blank".
Fan complaints throughout the ages summarized in one sentence.
Last edited:
Probably because the underground is where you'll go for finishing pokedex and farming ""TMs"", and thus will indeed be where anyone that isnt just going through the story will spend most of the time.
We've had this on the official website since they showed off the undergroundNot sure if there's anything interesting/new here, but thanks to Dengeki Online, we have a map of the underground.
Personally, I'm not really seeing the "TMs were a mistake" here
you say that reusale TMs mean that you can blow past the game, but honestly, that's kinda what happens anyways in vanilla pokemon games.
They were always pretty easy even without the TMs. I for one see it as just simple QoL changes and not really anything too serious difficulty wise, because, like i said, pokemon is pretty easy.
Not to derail the conversation here, but as a co-writer for the in-game tier list, BW1 Ghetsis's Hydreigon is not actually that difficult once you realize certain things.
Any pure Fighting type takes no SE damage from its moves. Conkeldurr and Sawk are examples. Even Scrafty can live a Focus Blast to my memory if properly leveled, even if it is Fighting / Dark and gets hit super-effectively.
Any Psychic can ironically take two hits from the thing, set up Light Screen or Thunder Wave it, then send in your killer.
I hate to call Whimsicott good, but priority Stun Spore / Cotton Spore / Tailwind can help you outspeed.
Sturdy Gigalith / Carracosta / Crustle + Toxic can get it range of an attack (Full Restores suck though).
Just stuff off the top of my head. His Bouffalant is just as if not more scary. Cofagrigus is pure setup fodder too. Belly Drum Darmanitan does it. Excadrill sets up. heck I have swept Ghetsis with Audino.
BW1 Ghetsis is definitely hard but not Evice / Cynthia hard, and that's what I like about him.
None of them are hard.
You cannot possibly lose any fight, no matter in what Pokémon game is, at equal level than the NPC. It's utterly impossible. Nor when you had 12 years, not now with competitive knowledge.
The thing is, Hydreigon, or Ghetsis himself will not stop any player who knows about Pokémon unless you are seriously underleveled and also underprepared (which means being several levels below and with a totally random team). Same goes for Cynthia. I've been playing Pokémon since I was 5. I am now 28 and I don't remember any instance, not one, in which I've lost to a random NPC after I was like, idk, 14 or 15 yo. This means all the way from DPPl to Sword and Shield.
What I'm trying to say with this is that there's a lot of ppl out there who doesnt participate in forums nor is heavely involved with Pokémon, and for those ppl NPCs like Ghetsis or Cynthia could be a real problem. They don't know what you are talking about 2HKO, toxic stall based on damage ranges, tail wind support (or any boosting support to begin with), speed control in the form of prankster stun spore, fast taunt, or just using a SD Excadrill in sand/Moxie Krookodile and rampage with everything the game has to offer in terms of story-related NPCs.
And I'm pretty sure when CTNC or someone else talk about this battles being difficult they are contemplating a general view of the Pokémon fanbase as a whole, not using themselves or the inner, more dedicated Pokémon circle whose community hangs around here and other net places.
Uh, Lenora with only 3 reliable options and Intimidate for your physical attackers and two evolved Pokémon when the only one that would reasonably be evolved is starter, Herdier, and Tranquil say hi. I think she’s harder than Elesa who you can fairly easily Work Up past Emolga with any decent sweeper (Zebstrika usually requires backup).
Lenora, while she derps a lot, I would say she’s still difficult if you don’t get Roggenrola or Throh / Sawk. Most unevolved stuff can’t take a Herdier Take Down very well, or Watchog’s status even with those Chesto Berries, Confuse Ray can still be a pain. Or she can just Leer you.
Platinum, Emerald, and USUM I think are legitimately difficult games overall, even for veterans.
No, they are not.
I had to check who Lenora is since i play in another language. I dont know if you didnt get my point or if you are talking about some kind of locke, but ive no memories of no NPC since IV Gen, they are all filler.
I replay the games because i love them but when i actually want to put effort and thought into what im doing i play some hackrom or fanmade of those gens.
And Emerald? I just finished Emerald like... 3 times in the last 3 months one of them being a run with all gold symbols partially published here? And i cant even comprehend what can made you black out on a normal run in the vanilla game.
ive friends who started playing Pokémon again in 7th gen and they all finished the games with no memories of anything being remarcable in terms of difficulty.
I just can emphatize with what you say. My own life experience differs completely.
I wouldn't call them "legitimately difficult", though, but more like "non-trivial", as they can make you think a bit if you are not carrying a hard counter (which is difficult to not get with so many species around). But that's it.
Well keeping this relevant to this thread, in the older Sinnoh games you would not have been at equal level to Cynthia unless you seriously grinded. At which point all bets on difficulty are off the table.
If you didn't grind, you'd be about eight or so levels below Cynthia in Platinum which, combined with the game's superior AI, would present quite a formidable challenge. Throw in Set mode and no healing items in battle and suddenly you absolutely had yourself a challenging fight. Even if you threw together a "random" team of strong mons, I still don't think you would be able to defeat her. You would actually have to PLAN a team and strategize in order to beat her.
I absolutely think there are challenging fights in the series even for veterans like myself if you exclude "cheese" tactics like Switch mode, etc. Challenging fights might be something of a relic of the past in the main series of games these days, but they absolutely existed, even for veterans, in games like Platinum and HGSS once upon a time.
No matter how long you have been playing Pokémon, I don’t understand how anyone couldn’t call Cipher Head Evice from Pokémon Colosseum difficult.
https://m.bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Evice
95% of the time you will be underleveled playing this game normally. You have access to 80% garbage while Evice has more or less a BL / Gen 3 OU team. I’ve heard multiple casual playthroughs call Evice out for how cheap it is, from chuggaaconroy’s LP to somecallmejohnny’s review.
https://m.bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Evice
95% of the time you will be underleveled playing this game normally. You have access to 80% garbage while Evice has more or less a BL / Gen 3 OU team. I’ve heard multiple casual playthroughs call Evice out for how cheap it is, from chuggaaconroy’s LP to somecallmejohnny’s review.
Yeah pretty much. I recently played through the Renegade Platinum rom hack and even with upgraded levels, movesets, and 6 Pokémon probably 90% of boss battles were just using intimidate spam and switching to something with a setup move and 6-0ing. Sometimes you just sweep with a type advantage alone. Unless the opponent is ludicrously overleveled or you handicap yourself somehow single player Pokemon games are always going to be easy. Sure Cynthia kicked my ass when I was in high school and didn't know what natures did but now any of even the most basic foresight should be enough to run her and the entire game into the ground.
If anyone wants a real Pokemon challenge play a good Rom hack that has level restrictions or lol just play Showdown.
Last edited: