(Little) Things that annoy you in Pokémon

QuentinQuonce

formerly green_typhlosion
As you said, they made changes with the other Virtual Console versions, don't see why they can't do that here:
  • Box, Channel, & E-Reader functionality is out of the question.
  • By Trainer House I think you meant Backdoor House, correct? They could just program the E-Reader trainers into the game and have you battle a random one each day/each time you defeat the Elite Four, maybe as a bonus have them award you with a rare Berry for beating them.
  • Eon Ticket, as you said, they could have you talk with Norman maybe after capturing the one that's normally available as a callback to ORAS (yes, a callback to the remake of the game the Virtual Console is a port of).
  • Old Sea Map could be given to you by Mr. Briney.
  • Aurora Ticket could be given to you by Professor Cozmo.
  • Mystic Ticket could be given to you by Captain Stern.
Those would be new content, which I don't see them adding into the code. The GS Ball event was always in the Crystal game code, just unused - they basically just had to alter a line or two of the game's code to trigger it. There's no event for any of the Emerald items bar the Eon Ticket, they're just delivered by a man in the Pokecentre.

Though I guess they could tie it to Pokedex completion. Complete the Hoenn Dex, get the Auroraticket. Complete the National Dex, get the MysticTicket. Complete the Frontier and the National Dex, get the Old Sea Map.
 
they basically just had to alter a line or two of the game's code to trigger it.
In fact, they didn't even do that - my guess is that the old Game Boy (Color) code is in such an old and compressed format that they didn't want to risk changing it and causing avalanche effects. Instead, the emulator itself toggles the equivalent of a cheat code (save file modifier) behind the scenes to activate the event.
 
Those would be new content, which I don't see them adding into the code. The GS Ball event was always in the Crystal game code, just unused - they basically just had to alter a line or two of the game's code to trigger it. There's no event for any of the Emerald items bar the Eon Ticket, they're just delivered by a man in the Pokecentre.

Though I guess they could tie it to Pokedex completion. Complete the Hoenn Dex, get the Auroraticket. Complete the National Dex, get the MysticTicket. Complete the Frontier and the National Dex, get the Old Sea Map.
Don’t see the point of the Mystic Ticket to get Ho-oh and Lugia when you already have the National Dex for them.
 
Don’t see the point of the Mystic Ticket to get Ho-oh and Lugia when you already have the National Dex for them.
Trivia: In all of Gen III and even in DPPt, the Diploma does not require Ho-oh and Lugia because they're treated as event-exclusive (unobtainable in the main series at that point). Side series games don't count - the game basically treats Colo/XD the same way it does Channel and Ranch.
 
Trivia: In all of Gen III and even in DPPt, the Diploma does not require Ho-oh and Lugia because they're treated as event-exclusive (unobtainable in the main series at that point). Side series games don't count - the game basically treats Colo/XD the same way it does Channel and Ranch.
I legit did not know that. Though while we are on the topic of events, there’s one thing want thing about DP and Platinum that has always bothered me, and no it’s not the slowness, HMs or lack of type balance, since those are all problems universal in every Gen up to that point. My issue lies in the Dual-Slot Mode. This was a good concept in theory, but I feel they locked too much content behind it. Notably, lot of Pokémon like Vulpix and Sableye could only obtained via Dual Slot, but those later could caught in HGSS, so it’s not that big of a deal. With the exception of the Regi Trio and Regigas. In DP, you needed to transfer the Regis from Gen 3, and since I started with Pearl, I had no GBA games to transfer from. To this day, Regigias was the only Legendary I have never caught in the Sinnoh games. In Platinum, you can catch the Regi trio…. Only if you have an event Regigias that is no longer available. And since I missed that event back then, that meant no Regigias capture for me. And unlike the other missing Pokémon, you can’t obtain the Regi trio and Regigias in HGSS. This means that even today, if one wants to complete the National Dex in Gen 4 today, you either need a GBA game or a cheating Device because of a dumb design choice of locking a quartet of Pokémon behind events. As Chuggaconroy said in his Let’s Play of Platinum,

“ You are going to Toy’s R’ Us to get a Pokémon that is not special at anyway at level 100 just so you can catch the same Pokémon at Lv. 1”

This better not be an issue in BDSP. There’s no reason to leave Regis out now. My only question is that are they include Regidrago and Regieleki as part of the requirements.
 
I legit did not know that. Though while we are on the topic of events, there’s one thing want thing about DP and Platinum that has always bothered me, and no it’s not the slowness, HMs or lack of type balance, since those are all problems universal in every Gen up to that point. My issue lies in the Dual-Slot Mode. This was a good concept in theory, but I feel they locked too much content behind it. Notably, lot of Pokémon like Vulpix and Sableye could only obtained via Dual Slot, but those later could caught in HGSS, so it’s not that big of a deal. With the exception of the Regi Trio and Regigas. In DP, you needed to transfer the Regis from Gen 3, and since I started with Pearl, I had no GBA games to transfer from. To this day, Regigias was the only Legendary I have never caught in the Sinnoh games. In Platinum, you can catch the Regi trio…. Only if you have an event Regigias that is no longer available. And since I missed that event back then, that meant no Regigias capture for me. And unlike the other missing Pokémon, you can’t obtain the Regi trio and Regigias in HGSS. This means that even today, if one wants to complete the National Dex in Gen 4 today, you either need a GBA game or a cheating Device because of a dumb design choice of locking a quartet of Pokémon behind events. As Chuggaconroy said in his Let’s Play of Platinum,

“ You are going to Toy’s R’ Us to get a Pokémon that is not special at anyway at level 100 just so you can catch the same Pokémon at Lv. 1”

This better not be an issue in BDSP. There’s no reason to leave Regis out now. My only question is that are they include Regidrago and Regieleki as part of the requirements.
Dual slot mode was dumb, but I like Regigigas being an ordeal to encounter. It adds to its mystique. Though I suppose it would have been kinda neat to split the trio across HeartGold, SoulSilver, and Platinum, with the two in HGSS further split across Kanto and Johto.

EDIT: Actually, upon reflection, dual slot mode wasn't dumb. It's basically just an alternative to Pal Park.
 
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In fact, they didn't even do that - my guess is that the old Game Boy (Color) code is in such an old and compressed format that they didn't want to risk changing it and causing avalanche effects. Instead, the emulator itself toggles the equivalent of a cheat code (save file modifier) behind the scenes to activate the event.
They absolutely already had to alter the code in some fashion. Don't forget that all of the VC games added full wireless communication trading, so already we're working with that on a base line.
They also had to add a specific trigger for the event: beating the elite 4 for the first time, then going back to the Goldenrod Pokemon Center. iirc the english version never had this trigger to begin with even though the event was translated there was no hook to just...have someone give it to you?

Incidentally Yellow had to change the flags for the Pikachu Surfing minigame (must be your starter Pikachu, does not need to know Surf as opposed to the Stadium Surfing Pikachu) as well as insert an updated Jynx coloration. All the gen 1 games also had to edit the rapid flashing effects.


That said I do agree this was probably more harrowing than they'd like. Otherwise I imagine they'd have implemented some of the other aspects, especially in the Japanese version.

e: Or attempting to fix the apircorn balls...
 
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Pikachu315111

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That said I do agree this was probably more harrowing than they'd like. Otherwise I imagine they'd have implemented some of the other aspects, especially in the Japanese version.

e: Or attempting to fix the apircorn balls...
Wait, they didn't fix the Apricorn Balls?! Were they that afraid to touch the code or that obsessed with keeping the "nostalgia" feeling. :facepalm:
 
Wait, they didn't fix the Apricorn Balls?! Were they that afraid to touch the code or that obsessed with keeping the "nostalgia" feeling. :facepalm:
none of the glitches were fixed, to my recollection. That goes for just about every VC release, even ones that do add or change things. If a glitch IS fixed it's probably beause of an incidental aspect of emulation or hardware.


If I had to warrant a guess, I think that the VC titles were small budget and they primarily focused on the wireless integration and avoided trying to fix anything else for workload budget reasons. Would also explain why the "bonuses", if present, are often minimal but eye catch additions (the GS Ball event) or requirements by law (the tweaks to attack animations)
 

ScraftyIsTheBest

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One thing that peeves me the most about Diamond and Pearl (and I am so glad they did away with this in Platinum) is the fact that for whatever reason, the developers decided in DP that no normal NPC trainer should be allowed to have a Gym Leader/E4/Champion's ace Pokémon on their team. Like for example, there are many Trainers who use Shinx/Luxio, but none who use Luxray, because it's Volkner's signature Pokémon and they decided only he should have a Luxray. This is especially notable with Vs. Seeker rematches, where Trainers who level up their team never evolve their Luxio past a Luxio even when their teams reach the 50s and 60s level wise. Or in the case of Abomasnow, Candice's ace, where no NPC ever evolves their Snover even after Vs. Seeker rematches. Same with Roserade, Garchomp, Mismagius, Infernape, etc.

Seriously, I don't know what they were thinking with such a design approach. There is no reason that I head into the post-game after beating Cynthia and Vs. Seeker people and still see Trainers using unevolved Snovers, Roselias, Luxios, Monfernos, Misdreavus, Sneasel, etc. This is absolutely terrible game design, and it seems this is only the case because they decided that the signature/ace Pokémon of each Gym Leader/Elite Four/Champion should be exclusive only to that Trainer in their fully evolved form.

It's a good thing that Platinum opted not to do this and let Trainers fully evolve their Pokémon at the highest levels.
 
One thing that peeves me the most about Diamond and Pearl (and I am so glad they did away with this in Platinum) is the fact that for whatever reason, the developers decided in DP that no normal NPC trainer should be allowed to have a Gym Leader/E4/Champion's ace Pokémon on their team. Like for example, there are many Trainers who use Shinx/Luxio, but none who use Luxray, because it's Volkner's signature Pokémon and they decided only he should have a Luxray. This is especially notable with Vs. Seeker rematches, where Trainers who level up their team never evolve their Luxio past a Luxio even when their teams reach the 50s and 60s level wise. Or in the case of Abomasnow, Candice's ace, where no NPC ever evolves their Snover even after Vs. Seeker rematches. Same with Roserade, Garchomp, Mismagius, Infernape, etc.

Seriously, I don't know what they were thinking with such a design approach. There is no reason that I head into the post-game after beating Cynthia and Vs. Seeker people and still see Trainers using unevolved Snovers, Roselias, Luxios, Monfernos, Misdreavus, Sneasel, etc. This is absolutely terrible game design, and it seems this is only the case because they decided that the signature/ace Pokémon of each Gym Leader/Elite Four/Champion should be exclusive only to that Trainer in their fully evolved form.

It's a good thing that Platinum opted not to do this and let Trainers fully evolve their Pokémon at the highest levels.
I never noticed that before, that's a really fascinatingly dumb decision
 

Yung Dramps

awesome gaming
I mean, for as misguided as their likely reasoning was, at least proper explanations for this choice (wanting to make bosses more special, forcing you to fight them to see every Pokemon) can be deciphered relatively easily. Meanwhile unless an interview, design document or development journal leak emerges we're probably never gonna figure out what happened with the DP dex
 

QuentinQuonce

formerly green_typhlosion
One thing that peeves me the most about Diamond and Pearl (and I am so glad they did away with this in Platinum) is the fact that for whatever reason, the developers decided in DP that no normal NPC trainer should be allowed to have a Gym Leader/E4/Champion's ace Pokémon on their team. Like for example, there are many Trainers who use Shinx/Luxio, but none who use Luxray, because it's Volkner's signature Pokémon and they decided only he should have a Luxray. This is especially notable with Vs. Seeker rematches, where Trainers who level up their team never evolve their Luxio past a Luxio even when their teams reach the 50s and 60s level wise. Or in the case of Abomasnow, Candice's ace, where no NPC ever evolves their Snover even after Vs. Seeker rematches. Same with Roserade, Garchomp, Mismagius, Infernape, etc.

Seriously, I don't know what they were thinking with such a design approach. There is no reason that I head into the post-game after beating Cynthia and Vs. Seeker people and still see Trainers using unevolved Snovers, Roselias, Luxios, Monfernos, Misdreavus, Sneasel, etc. This is absolutely terrible game design, and it seems this is only the case because they decided that the signature/ace Pokémon of each Gym Leader/Elite Four/Champion should be exclusive only to that Trainer in their fully evolved form.

It's a good thing that Platinum opted not to do this and let Trainers fully evolve their Pokémon at the highest levels.
What's funny is that in Platinum a lot of the Gym Leaders/E4 swap their signature mons for ones which typically don't evolve by level, such as Froslass and Rhyperior. Which is pretty justified because Pokemon that evolve in a slightly complex way, such as trading with a specific held item, are ones that you wouldn't expect scrubby trainers to have (in the manga it's a plot point that only Giovanni was able to figure out that Rhydon could evolve further, for instance) but species which evolve by level are, in theory at least, the sort which any random idiot should be able to obtain eventually just by training them.
 

The Mind Electric

Calming if you look at it right.
Meanwhile unless an interview, design document or development journal leak emerges we're probably never gonna figure out what happened with the DP dex
Maybe it was all a genius ploy to get the people who bought D/P to also buy Platinum when that came out. Sell them a really shitty version of the game, then sell them the fixed version of the game for full price.
 
The only thing that comes to my head is the fact you "only" need to see the entire Sinnoh Pokédex, sans Manaphy, to get the National Pokédex, and this was some way to ensure you could not get all required Seen entries before the post-game (without trading, at least).

But at the same time I doubt that was the case.
 
If I had to warrant a guess
1. they, for some reason, wanted to go back to a kanto-styled 151 dex. I really don't think it's coincidental that the Sinnoh dex is 151, complete with one specific mythic
2. they wanted to ~surprise~ in the post game by having all these cross-gen evolutions & legendary Pokemon to discover

The problem with both of these having been discussed at length, but it feels like a sort of "goal" I can see aiming for, for whatever reason.
 
The funny thing is how Gen 3 was lauded for it's horrific ways to get NatDex, but then DP can't even do their Regional Dex properly, much less Nat
And the Crossevo handling was saaad
The gen 3 lauding wasn't about the way to get the national dex, though. Like the ways to actually obtain the dex was relatively simple:
-RS just trade a Pokemon from outside the Hoenn dex. Which makes sense, the pokemon just weren't available.
-Emerald just needs to beat the game
-FRLG needs to beat the game and have 60 pokemon caught. not that big an issue

DP's national dex does need you to see more Pokemon and beat the game, but if you fight most trainers the game's literally designed to get you to see evertyhing so it's jsut a matter of hunting down the dialga/palkia & manaphy books or a trainer yo umissed.


The problem people had with gen 3 was mostly relegated to FRLG: cross-gen evolutions were disabled entirely until you got the National Dex and you couldn't trade with the Hoenn games (or the Orre games, I believe) until getting it *and also* doing the whole post game quest.
For DP the issue was just when it first came out there was obviously lag time from people beating the game and pal parking and getting taht whole trade ecosystem set up, but there's no real limits on trading and evolving and what not.

The other "national dex" problem gen 3 had was getting the actual pokemon and completing the dex because of how split up they were. Which wasn't nearly as big a problem with DP since you could get all but the starters, legends and for some reason tangela/tangrowth & tropius. Still a pain, but less so: online trading alleviated the need to own the gen 3 games for pal-park purposes and chances are most of the people who cared about completing the dex had them anyway


also people can & do absolutely laud both for their issues.....?
 

Codraroll

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The problem people had with gen 3 was mostly relegated to FRLG: cross-gen evolutions were disabled entirely until you got the National Dex and you couldn't trade with the Hoenn games (or the Orre games, I believe) until getting it *and also* doing the whole post game quest.
Ah yes, I remember that last condition. It was so ... fun ... to finally unlock the Trade Center and establish connection with my sister's Sapphire cartridge, seeing the Pokémon we had lined up for trade ... only to get the message that we could trade between the two games, but only trade Kanto-native Pokémon for the time being.

Fun.
 
Ah yes, I remember that last condition. It was so ... fun ... to finally unlock the Trade Center and establish connection with my sister's Sapphire cartridge, seeing the Pokémon we had lined up for trade ... only to get the message that we could trade between the two games, but only trade Kanto-native Pokémon for the time being.

Fun.
Wait, what? I recall the steps being different:
  • Get the Pokedex: Can only trade Kanto-native Pokemon with FRLG
  • Get the National Dex: Can trade any Pokemon with FRLG
  • Put the Ruby and Sapphire into the machine: Can trade any Pokemon with RS/any Gen 3 game
Celio even says at the end that he's finally managed to "establish connections with the Hoenn region" or something along those lines. There shouldn't be a scenario where an FRLG game can trade with RS but only trade Kanto-native Pokemon.
 

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