Why don't they do this already? Give us in-game Doubles, damnit
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Unpopular opinions
- Thread starter antemortem
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I always took Gym leaders to be a part of helping newbies learn, and obviously sticking to type matchups is going to be a part of that. I also view the making of type-specialized teams to be interesting enough to keep doing. Doing it well generally requires more mons than Leaders in modern games get, however (I'd lean towards at least one that isn't helpless against each individual weakness the type has). I do think that there should be specialists in other areas like weather or Trick Room, likely in the E4.
On using on-theme mons of different typing, I think it requires more characterization than Leaders/E4 usually get to pull off well. it doesn't accomplish much to send out a rock-type when the player is much more likely to be using water or grass against ground than ice, and if you're not already famililar with everything's type, it could feel pretty cheap to go through everything telling you fire is good against bugs only to lose hard to flygon. As for what DP did, it can be very hard to notice between the hyper offence nature of most ingame teams and the fact that the leader may not have any reason to use their on-type coverage. From a more character-based standpoint, counterpicks become much easier to slot in. As an example, if we know that hypothetical Leader A has a preference for Dragons because of how directly friendship with them can translate to effectiveness in battle, then its entirely reasonable for them to have a Crobat to handle fairy-types.
On using on-theme mons of different typing, I think it requires more characterization than Leaders/E4 usually get to pull off well. it doesn't accomplish much to send out a rock-type when the player is much more likely to be using water or grass against ground than ice, and if you're not already famililar with everything's type, it could feel pretty cheap to go through everything telling you fire is good against bugs only to lose hard to flygon. As for what DP did, it can be very hard to notice between the hyper offence nature of most ingame teams and the fact that the leader may not have any reason to use their on-type coverage. From a more character-based standpoint, counterpicks become much easier to slot in. As an example, if we know that hypothetical Leader A has a preference for Dragons because of how directly friendship with them can translate to effectiveness in battle, then its entirely reasonable for them to have a Crobat to handle fairy-types.
Maybe instead of types, gyms can focus on a certain archetype, such as Rain, Sand, Stall, Hyper Offense etc. Not only would this teach types match ups, this would engage players in understanding more complex things about the types and game mechanics, like how certain abilities and moves can interact with weather while also focusing on that type. Let's use rain as an example: You have Pelipper and Politoed as Rain setters, with the former having Hurricane to take advantage of the rain and punish grass types. Then use have Swampert as a Swift Swim abuser that packs an electric immunity. Then you can have Jynx or Toxicroak to take advantage of rain using Dry Skin and serve as powerful set up sweepers. Finally, a Fire-weak Pokemon such as Ferrothorn to show how rain halves Fire moves. OFC, this is very competitively minded, so it might need some toning down some bit for casual players.
Norman's Gym in gen 3 did something similar to this with battles being normal type but having themes like defense accuracy offense speed and such and using each of these mechanics in battle
Norman reminds me of something gyms could do. We were talking earlier about gyms using a specific strategy, but what about designing a gym to be countered by a specific strategy? Going toe to toe with Slaking is a daunting task, but Protect completely shuts it down (unfortunately, you don't get the Protect TM until Lilycove). I've also heard of people resorting to Toxic stalling Ultra Necrozma, which is really cool.
Basically, instead of being able to plow through the game mindlessly clicking attacks, what if the game forced you to stop and consider your options?
To be fair though Aron and Pelliper both learn Protect by level up, and in RSE Norman tends to favor using Focus Punch, which hitting Slaking with any damaging move will shut down.
However, the player needs to still be able to overcome the gym's challenge. A careful balance of "simply spamming your best attack mindlessly won't get you far" with "do this one unusual thing that isn't communicated well at all this is what you must do, or you'll never get past".
Yung Dramps
awesome gaming
Despite the negative reception and complaints, I struggle to get frustrated about Charizard getting another form. People who hate Gmax Zard with a passion are asking the wrong question: Instead of asking "Why is Charizard getting another form?" They should be asking "Why is he Leon's ace?" Because c'mon, he's the champion's signature non-Galar native Pokemon, it was inevitable. Personally, I am actually willing to 100% give Game Freak the benefit of the doubt and say they chose Charizard just because they thought it'd be a fitting and cool pick for Leon somehow, no matter how naive that may seem to some of you. And if that really is the reasoning or something similar, I agree, they just really click together for me! Also, the form itself is just
On the subject of people getting antsy over Gen 1, genwunners are a bullshit strawman that don't exist in the community in large enough numbers to be considered a """problem""". If this was the case at one point, it was probably a decade ago when people still considered magikarp impact font memes top-tier comedy. If anything, Gen 5 fans have taken their place in every aspect, from brainlessly hating on future generations to demanding special treatment.
On the subject of people getting antsy over Gen 1, genwunners are a bullshit strawman that don't exist in the community in large enough numbers to be considered a """problem""". If this was the case at one point, it was probably a decade ago when people still considered magikarp impact font memes top-tier comedy. If anything, Gen 5 fans have taken their place in every aspect, from brainlessly hating on future generations to demanding special treatment.
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Agreed up until the last point, because I've basically never seen that. In fact basically any caricature of any particular-gen-fan I've never seen in any significant number
alright here we go
i think the turn-based combat system is one of the main things holding pokemon back as a game, and is a relic of the times when a more dynamic combat system was unfeasible.
the ideas behind pokemon combat are represented in the anime and in pokemon adventures. a constantly shifting real-time fight where pokemon use their unique abilities, their opponent's weaknesses, and the environment to their advantage. in the first few generations, it made sense to compress this down into a more simple battle system, but it's almost 2020 and we're still seeing the same exact thing, generation after generation. i feel like there's only so many interesting mechanics you can introduce in a turn-based system compared to a real-time thing, too.
there's also the issue of in-game being more about how best to use your own pokemon rather than how to counter opposing strategies. the ai never switches, ever. this is like playing fighting games against opponents that never move around-- they can try to mitigate this by giving them broken moves or mechanics, but this won't teach the player how to actually play the game. in my opinion, much of the beauty in competitive pokemon is based around how people use and respond to the switching mechanic. attempts to "make the player adapt" by forcing them to face plainly overpowered opponents, like ultra necrozma in usum, don't give them any actual applicable skills for competitive play.
i'm not saying the games even have to be that hard. but they shouldn't be trivial for anyone who knows how to use a select group of pokemon. they should make the player think without restricting their pool of options (ultra was a joke if you had cheese, required lots of grinding otherwise). adaptation shouldn't mean training up a different mon or using the toxic tm on the one mon you have that lives photon.
i think the turn-based combat system is one of the main things holding pokemon back as a game, and is a relic of the times when a more dynamic combat system was unfeasible.
the ideas behind pokemon combat are represented in the anime and in pokemon adventures. a constantly shifting real-time fight where pokemon use their unique abilities, their opponent's weaknesses, and the environment to their advantage. in the first few generations, it made sense to compress this down into a more simple battle system, but it's almost 2020 and we're still seeing the same exact thing, generation after generation. i feel like there's only so many interesting mechanics you can introduce in a turn-based system compared to a real-time thing, too.
there's also the issue of in-game being more about how best to use your own pokemon rather than how to counter opposing strategies. the ai never switches, ever. this is like playing fighting games against opponents that never move around-- they can try to mitigate this by giving them broken moves or mechanics, but this won't teach the player how to actually play the game. in my opinion, much of the beauty in competitive pokemon is based around how people use and respond to the switching mechanic. attempts to "make the player adapt" by forcing them to face plainly overpowered opponents, like ultra necrozma in usum, don't give them any actual applicable skills for competitive play.
i'm not saying the games even have to be that hard. but they shouldn't be trivial for anyone who knows how to use a select group of pokemon. they should make the player think without restricting their pool of options (ultra was a joke if you had cheese, required lots of grinding otherwise). adaptation shouldn't mean training up a different mon or using the toxic tm on the one mon you have that lives photon.
Yung Dramps
awesome gaming
Black and White 2's Pokemon World Tournament and the Alola games' Battle Tree contain the best executed and most fun important trainer rematches in the series.
Whenever you go in discussions about how to improve the postgames of mainline Pokemon titles, you always see gym leader rematches and their ilk in high demand. That's fine and all, but the issue with ordinary old rematches is that it can be overly skewed towards the player. By this point you got a fully decked out team and can often choose one mon to wipe out teams, which may or may not be weaker than yours by the time you unlock the rematches (see HGSS fighting dojo battles except for Blue). The Battle Tree special trainer battles and the PWT's gym leader fights, on the other hand, put you on equal footing: Same level, same number of Pokemon and your foes are EV trained. THIS is how it should be when fighting penultimate battles with trainers who've accompanied you throughout the adventure or even legends from past games. And both of these facilities have unique strengths: The PWT has a titanic roster of characters to fight consisting of nearly every gym leader and champion from gen 5 and prior, while the Battle Tree has more varied teams that can cover multiple types and make certain characters use Pokemon you wouldn't expect them to.
Whenever you go in discussions about how to improve the postgames of mainline Pokemon titles, you always see gym leader rematches and their ilk in high demand. That's fine and all, but the issue with ordinary old rematches is that it can be overly skewed towards the player. By this point you got a fully decked out team and can often choose one mon to wipe out teams, which may or may not be weaker than yours by the time you unlock the rematches (see HGSS fighting dojo battles except for Blue). The Battle Tree special trainer battles and the PWT's gym leader fights, on the other hand, put you on equal footing: Same level, same number of Pokemon and your foes are EV trained. THIS is how it should be when fighting penultimate battles with trainers who've accompanied you throughout the adventure or even legends from past games. And both of these facilities have unique strengths: The PWT has a titanic roster of characters to fight consisting of nearly every gym leader and champion from gen 5 and prior, while the Battle Tree has more varied teams that can cover multiple types and make certain characters use Pokemon you wouldn't expect them to.
I'm not sure about switching to real time battles, though I'm not entirely against it. I think a more "logical" way to change the turn based system without completely changing it is to incorporate a grid system similar Pokemon Conquest/Fire Emblem. Both games utilize terrains in a strategic ways: Flying Units can fly over land-less areas, while forests provide evasion. As for difficulty, that's GF's fault for wanting the game to be "easy" for children.
Something related though, I feel like its a huge waste that how limited abilities are. Each Pokemon is assigned one ability and they can never change it. Prior until Gen 6, a Pokemon couldn't swap between two of its abilities at all. Its really a shame because in most other RPGs, you could buy abilities via points and create fun skill sets and strategies that utilize skills and weapons. I think a reason why powercreep has become really bad recently is because the newer Pokemon seem to be designed around their abilities. Look at Tapu Koko its a fast electric type with Electric Terrain, which complements its offense. Raikou on the other hand, is also offensive Electric type that has pressure, a useless ability for offense. Instead, GF chose to solve powercreep by removing half of the Pokemon in existence, which has angered hard core fans. Almost Any Ability has shown how Pokemon can change viability with the right ability-look at Buzzwole. It really is a shame, because in SM abilities like Queen Majesty and Corrosion are great new abilities, but are only limited to some families, most of which can properly utilize it.
Its not that I don't agree with you, its just that I find the Battle Tree a poor man's PWT- The PWT featured every gym leader/elite 4 member, while the Battle Tree only has a select few.
EDIT: Sorry about the double post. I meant to put it in my previous post, but I published accidently.
MOD EDIT - posts merged
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Yep. This is an issue in Ubers aswell -- nearly all of the top viability Pokemon are legendaries released recently, and that's the case because for the most part they have started getting useful and synergistic abilities. That's not bad in and of itself, but it throws them out of whack in a meta where 680BST Pokemon were carried by their stat total and tended not to have much in the way of abilities that directly helped them. (Kyogre was the one exception, and it was a big reason why it was the King of Ubers for three and a half generations.)
Gen 6 was the real tipping point for this, with all four cover legends getting very powerful abilities that they were built around, and it's probably a bigger contributor to the Ubers power creep in that generation than Mega Evolution.
Yung Dramps
awesome gaming
The complaints about Game Freak not bringing back certain features are grossly overstated and oftentimes baffling to me
Consider this post a "response" to this image
All of this crap aside, we also tend to forget the things Game Freak does keep around and expand upon, and in my opinion the things they do choose are actually important stuff that anyone can get behind. Character customization keeps getting better and better, Pokemon-Amie has been present for a while now in increasingly improved forms, Regional Variants are back and expanded upon in Galar with non-Kanto gens being represented and cross-gen evolutions being fused with them, even Dynamaxing can be seen as a way to fix some of the flaws of and elaborate on Z-Moves like giving them the unpredictability the devs intended by not tying them to held items anymore.
Consider this post a "response" to this image
-National Dex: No comment
-Following Pokemon: Neat flavor addition I wish more games had but it certainly isn't something you beg and scream for nor something that should determine whether you buy a game or not
-Riding Pokemon: see above
-Dexnav: It isn't totally gone, in SWSH you can find mons with glowing auras that have good stats and egg moves and such
-PSS: We got better online features now so who cares
-Super Training: Unlimited vitamin usage is a thing now and Poke Pelago existed in Gen 7 and let you do other stuff while ur mons EV trained so who cares. Even in Gen 6 people just farmed off Horde Battles
-Soar: Kinda neat sub for flying i guess but it's a bit slower for normal flying and the mirage islands with the exceptions of legendary encounters weren't particularly exciting.
-Contests: ...I guess? Pokemon games have always had these little extra minigames whether they be cooking, performing, etc. that are specific to certain regions, don't see why Contests are so special
-Safari Zone: Ah yes my favorite throwing rocks at Pokemon and praying the special pokeballs work, riveting gameplay that everybody loves and has definitely not caused needless frustration and pages of horror stories at all
-Ball Seals: Did anybody ever use these things? ever?
-Battle Frontier: Yeah this should come back some day and the ORAS thing was a bit of a cocktease
-PWT: idk i feel like this would wear out its welcome and get really bloated if kept around for many gens, but it was cool i'll give it that
-Roaming Legendaries: Ok, who in their right mind wants roaming legends back. Aren't these universally despised?
-Difficulty settings: I'd like to see this again I guess if only because they were extremely poorly done in BW2
-Mega Evos: They'll come back someday almost for sure, they're too popular and marketable to be scrapped forever
-Z-Moves: These things suck lmao
-Secret Bases: It's been stated you can buy items like furniture for Pokemon Camp in SWSH so maybe they have a spiritual successor?
-Underground: totally interchangeable with Secret Bases
-Join Avenue: ...huh?
-WiFi Plaza: See PSS
-Friend Safari: Why do people want this boring RNG cesspool back?
-Pokestar Studios: Another region-specific minigame like Contests
-Mach/Acro Bikes: We got a bike that can serve the purpose of HMs now but ok
-O-Powers: Don't people hate these kinds of features that can allow you to cheese the game?
-Swarms: Ah yes, even more RNG retardation, I love it
-Horde Battles: These things were piss-easy and worthless sans EV training. Added zero substance to the game
-Sky Battles: Just open up a VS match and use only flying/levitating mons. Done.
-Seasons: See Following/Riding Pokemon
-PokeGear Rematches: Regular trainer rematches are lame af
-Mom's Bank: ??????????????
-Dream World: Only purpose this served was getting Hidden Abilities but now those are available in other ways that don't require fiddling around on an entirely separate website
-Auto-Run Toggle: ...yeah why hasn't this been brought back
-Second Region: Would be cool to see again but don't bother if it's as barebones as OG GSC Kanto
-Pokeathlon: Another region-specific minigame. God, why are people freaking obsessed with these things??
-Game Corner: Gambling controversy aside, STOP SHITTING YOUR PANTS OVER MINIGAMES AAAAAAAAA
-Battle Tent: Frontier prep, literally worthless if those aren't in
-Berry Blending: Cooking minigames are alive and well, even in Sword and Shield. Yung currydex
-Triple Battles: Considering they got two gens to shine and haven't been brought back for SWSH, it's safe to say they weren't nearly as well-liked as Singles or Doubles
-Inverse Battles: Could've been interesting I guess
-Mythical Events: I got a better idea. Let's end the concept of Mythicals for good and make them all normal legends ie ORAS Deoxys
-Trick House: why
-VS Seeker: See PokeGear. Even Gym Leader rematches don't need to be tied to some dumb device
-Rotation Battles: Nobody played these. No use in expending time to program a format nobody gives a fuck about even after two gens were given to let it shine
-Following Pokemon: Neat flavor addition I wish more games had but it certainly isn't something you beg and scream for nor something that should determine whether you buy a game or not
-Riding Pokemon: see above
-Dexnav: It isn't totally gone, in SWSH you can find mons with glowing auras that have good stats and egg moves and such
-PSS: We got better online features now so who cares
-Super Training: Unlimited vitamin usage is a thing now and Poke Pelago existed in Gen 7 and let you do other stuff while ur mons EV trained so who cares. Even in Gen 6 people just farmed off Horde Battles
-Soar: Kinda neat sub for flying i guess but it's a bit slower for normal flying and the mirage islands with the exceptions of legendary encounters weren't particularly exciting.
-Contests: ...I guess? Pokemon games have always had these little extra minigames whether they be cooking, performing, etc. that are specific to certain regions, don't see why Contests are so special
-Safari Zone: Ah yes my favorite throwing rocks at Pokemon and praying the special pokeballs work, riveting gameplay that everybody loves and has definitely not caused needless frustration and pages of horror stories at all
-Ball Seals: Did anybody ever use these things? ever?
-Battle Frontier: Yeah this should come back some day and the ORAS thing was a bit of a cocktease
-PWT: idk i feel like this would wear out its welcome and get really bloated if kept around for many gens, but it was cool i'll give it that
-Roaming Legendaries: Ok, who in their right mind wants roaming legends back. Aren't these universally despised?
-Difficulty settings: I'd like to see this again I guess if only because they were extremely poorly done in BW2
-Mega Evos: They'll come back someday almost for sure, they're too popular and marketable to be scrapped forever
-Z-Moves: These things suck lmao
-Secret Bases: It's been stated you can buy items like furniture for Pokemon Camp in SWSH so maybe they have a spiritual successor?
-Underground: totally interchangeable with Secret Bases
-Join Avenue: ...huh?
-WiFi Plaza: See PSS
-Friend Safari: Why do people want this boring RNG cesspool back?
-Pokestar Studios: Another region-specific minigame like Contests
-Mach/Acro Bikes: We got a bike that can serve the purpose of HMs now but ok
-O-Powers: Don't people hate these kinds of features that can allow you to cheese the game?
-Swarms: Ah yes, even more RNG retardation, I love it
-Horde Battles: These things were piss-easy and worthless sans EV training. Added zero substance to the game
-Sky Battles: Just open up a VS match and use only flying/levitating mons. Done.
-Seasons: See Following/Riding Pokemon
-PokeGear Rematches: Regular trainer rematches are lame af
-Mom's Bank: ??????????????
-Dream World: Only purpose this served was getting Hidden Abilities but now those are available in other ways that don't require fiddling around on an entirely separate website
-Auto-Run Toggle: ...yeah why hasn't this been brought back
-Second Region: Would be cool to see again but don't bother if it's as barebones as OG GSC Kanto
-Pokeathlon: Another region-specific minigame. God, why are people freaking obsessed with these things??
-Game Corner: Gambling controversy aside, STOP SHITTING YOUR PANTS OVER MINIGAMES AAAAAAAAA
-Battle Tent: Frontier prep, literally worthless if those aren't in
-Berry Blending: Cooking minigames are alive and well, even in Sword and Shield. Yung currydex
-Triple Battles: Considering they got two gens to shine and haven't been brought back for SWSH, it's safe to say they weren't nearly as well-liked as Singles or Doubles
-Inverse Battles: Could've been interesting I guess
-Mythical Events: I got a better idea. Let's end the concept of Mythicals for good and make them all normal legends ie ORAS Deoxys
-Trick House: why
-VS Seeker: See PokeGear. Even Gym Leader rematches don't need to be tied to some dumb device
-Rotation Battles: Nobody played these. No use in expending time to program a format nobody gives a fuck about even after two gens were given to let it shine
All of this crap aside, we also tend to forget the things Game Freak does keep around and expand upon, and in my opinion the things they do choose are actually important stuff that anyone can get behind. Character customization keeps getting better and better, Pokemon-Amie has been present for a while now in increasingly improved forms, Regional Variants are back and expanded upon in Galar with non-Kanto gens being represented and cross-gen evolutions being fused with them, even Dynamaxing can be seen as a way to fix some of the flaws of and elaborate on Z-Moves like giving them the unpredictability the devs intended by not tying them to held items anymore.
Difficulty settings definitely have the potential to be really cool. I've seen some people dismiss them by saying "adding a few extra levels just increases grinding, not difficulty", and while that is true, there is so much more that could be done with a challenge mode, and that already has been done to some degree in B2W2. Give trainers more Pokemon, more held items, and (most importantly) more competent movesets. And for easy mode, simplify the movesets and maybe take away a few Pokemon.
Oh yeah, and DON'T F***ING LOCK BOTH BEHIND BEATING THE GAME ON NORMAL.
I generally agree with your viewpoints, the only things I'd mostly disagree with are with Seasons and regular trainer rematches, since I think those genuinely bring a bit of more depth to the main campaign. Seasons in particular were a really cool feature, they changed the encounter rates for most areas (just like the Day/Night system did, which unfortunely is pretty much unexistent now too due to it being merely an aestetic change), and it even brought changes to their layout (with some ponds freezing, leaves covering holes in the ground, etc). They were pretty cool, and it's a shame they were only really used in Gen 5.
But besides that, yeah, it's unnecessary to bring a bunch of these features for every single new game.
I honestly sometimes think people expect too much from this series nowadays. Asking for the full national dex is fine since this has been a main feature of the series since the beginning, but asking for every single mini-game, every single aestetic feature, every single particular mechanic to be included in every single game in the series is just nuts. This franchise already has a massive ammount of content as it is, it's crazy to ask Game Freak to never ever remove any new feature (besides minor ones like the automatic running shoes), and still bring a fully complete, polished game with a long main campaign on top of that. I think it's neat how GF tries to make every game unique in a way, giving each one of them some sort of unique characteristic or mini-game that makes them stand out in the context of the franchise as a whole.
Imagine if people had these same standards for other series. Imagine making a list of that for, say, Mario Odyssey, complaining that the game doesn't have the multiple playable characters from 3D World, the planets from Galaxy, the FLUDD, the Hub World from 64, and every single power up from every main series game.
Not that I think Pokémon games can't be criticized, they're still very flawled in some particular areas, but I think people should primarily judge the games for their own features instead of just focusing on what they don't have.
Yeah totally agree. It’s not unreasonable to expect QoL improvements to become series staples, but I think it makes sense to leave some mechanics and mini-games in the generation they were introduced, both to give each region its own unique charm and to avoid bloat.
I feel like I get less upset by changes and omissions in new generations than some other people? I think it might be because, if a new game doesn’t deliver exactly what I like in a Pokémon game in a way that a previous game did, I’m happy just going back to that old game for that particular experience.
Of course, it makes sense to want each new entry to become your favourite game in the series, and people are allowed to be disappointed when a new game doesn’t deliver what they want! This is just how I approach things, and I think it makes me less stressed about new releases
I feel like I get less upset by changes and omissions in new generations than some other people? I think it might be because, if a new game doesn’t deliver exactly what I like in a Pokémon game in a way that a previous game did, I’m happy just going back to that old game for that particular experience.
Of course, it makes sense to want each new entry to become your favourite game in the series, and people are allowed to be disappointed when a new game doesn’t deliver what they want! This is just how I approach things, and I think it makes me less stressed about new releases
Personally I think this "cut feature image" shows a smaller batch of the cut features players would like back than the one Yung Dramps posted which lists a few more things that are either similar to another mechanic or something we'd rather not have returning. Thus it makes the list of cut features look bigger and like fans are demanding all these features to return when that isn't the case. Since Yung Dramps' list has more stuff to it respond to it, going back to the other image if I feel there's a point that can be made with it:
Retired Or Replaced Features:
Smartphones: As for the bottom quote, you know what GF, if you REALLY feel that Smartphones and Tablets are providing a wider experience than why not turn some of these older features into a Smartphone app we connect with the games? Contests, Secret Bases, The Underground/Join Avenue/WiFi Plaza, PokeStar Studios, DREAM WORLD, Pokeathlon, Game Corner, Poke Pelago, Battle Frontier, even Pokemon-Amie/Refresh/Camp. Any of these made into their own app would have millions of downloads and if GF make them updateable when a new gen comes out they can "keep them" as a staying feature (whether they update it at launch or later which they can advertise as a "coming soon feature" sort of thing).
National Dex: With Dexit this is really no longer an issue. And, once again, I'd like to state that I have no problem with Dexit, it was something I think was coming even if they could bring all the Pokemon over. If I had displayed any issue with Dexit was because of their reason to do it, I always thought a reason to do a Dexit was so they could really focus on the included Pokemon and make them the best they possibly could which would include stat updates (if not completely redoing their stats), entire movepool & level-up update, seeing if they could give them better Abilities or updating Abilities to make them better, possibly improving Signature Moves or making new Moves to fill gaps, etc.. However advertising it's for better graphics while showing low-res graphics (though I heard that's just for the Wild Area and everywhere else the game looks beautiful... though advertising is everything and they REALLY pushed the Wild Area so not that great of a first impression) and then having the Dynamax mechanic (which, if you think about it, would mean there's probably just as many Pokemon models in the game as there would have normally been) made the decision to do so feel hollow for THIS generation. Of course they could have updated every Pokemon included and not just advertised it (fat chance, though they at least did put in new mechanics that'll help making a competitive team more easier, though that's something they could have easily done without Dexit). So, overall, I don't think them no longer having a National Dex is that big a deal, though I would like them to reconsider not having patches that would add in more Pokemon.
Following Pokemon: I'm iffy on this one. I would like it but I can see it being problematic for some Pokemon. I'd be more willing to compromise on this one: reasonably sized Pokemon I think should be allowed but large Pokemon, sorry buds, but we're exploring places usually made for human sized creatures.
Riding Pokemon: Another I feel iffy about simply because on land I prefer using the Bike. Sure the Poke Rides gave us additional abilities depending on the Poke Ride and LGPE had some fun/amusing Pokemon you rode on, but I don't think it would be such a crime if they aren't brought back every generation. Only acceptation I would say would be for surfing, unless that generation made an alternative surfing method (like Galar using a Water Bike) I wouldn't mind if they gave you an option of what Pokemon you want to ride on to get across water.
DexNax/Habitat List: This should be in every game. It makes actually filling the dex feel more fulfilling if not easier as you're not just trying to fill out this blank spot in a massive list but actually listing all the Pokemon that live in this location. And since it's separated into smaller groupings you could provide rewards for completing them or have features that let's you catch a better/special/unique Pokemon in that location (better IVs, knows a special Move, has Hidden Ability, is Shiny, etc.).
Player Search System: I think this is a good example of what the general communication feature between players should be like. Gen VII's Festival Plaza felt too intrusive, requiring you to actually "leave" the game to enter this area to communicate with other players. Thankfully Gen VIII's Y-Comm looks to be taking notes from the Player Search System so I wouldn't say this is much of an issue (at least for this gen).
Super Training: Eh, Super Training was fun but felt like there were easier ways to EV train. Like during the main game, sure it's the best way to get your Pokemon to high/max EVs, but post game feel other options open up (like Vitamins) that makes Super Training feel less convenient. Poke Pelago and now Poke Jobs offering quick, easy, and working in the background to get EVs I feel is the way to go as you would still use those features even in the post game.
Soaring: Was fun and would like back if the context is there for it. I say maybe make it something for the remakes, giving us a new way to look at a region we thought we knew.
Contests: I always felt them removing Contests was a mistake. Out of all the "side features" (Contests, Pokeathlon, Musicals, & PokeStar Studios) I fee like Contests did the best showing Pokemon were more than just battling. And Contests had deep mechanics and strategy to it, if you really want those Master Ribbons you had to know what you're doing and specifically prepared your Pokemon to win. Pokeathlon, Musicals, and PokeStar Studios were fun distractions that gave you all that you wanted from it, but Contests I feel had the potential to be a strong mainstay especially if they worked on making ways to give it ease to access (it may even lead to innovations to the battling side of things).
Safari Zone/Friend Safari: Honestly, as long as they provide us interesting locations to catch Pokemon in, I don't mind if they don't have the Safari Zone if they don't feel it's needed. If they ever do a Safari Zone I would like it on the level as HGSS's Safari Zone where it's customizable. As for the Friend Safari, neat idea though I feel it's limited and made some player's Friend Safari better than others (and each one obsolete as soon as you caught the Pokemon you wanted). Think a better way of doing the Friend Safari, maybe even having it connect to the normal Safari Zone, would be for each player you have on a friend list randomly adds an additional Pokemon to the Safari Zone and changes each day. That way some players aren't better than another, they don't become obsolete after catching the Pokemon they provide (as it would be random), and you're not locked out from getting a certain Pokemon because you aren't friends with the right person and actively encourages to register as many players as you can.
Ball Seals: Now Pokemon is getting better as player customization but I think there's still more it can do. I can tell you all the things I would like to see done other games are doing when it comes to the player's appearance, however that's just for the player's avatar. What about the Pokemon? Now you can't dress the Pokemon up because that'll probably make the programmers have a nervous breakdown (so them bringing back Pokemon Musicals for the BW remakes should be a "fun time" in the GF offices). However Ball Seals I think is one way to let the players customize their Pokemon in various ways. I'd say let us even customize the Poke Ball itself by choosing its colors with us having to work within the pattern of the Poke Ball (also giving us a way to switch a Pokemon into a different Poke Ball would be nice too). GF has just made a major leap forward in letting us customize our Pokemon's battling traits, this would be an easy way of letting us customize a visual directly connected to the Pokemon.
Battle Frontier/Inverse Battles: I would love a Battle Frontier, or if we can't have that a separate Battle Revolution game (or an app as I suggested above). However I can also understand creating multiple different Battle Facilities for a part of the game which many players may not play doesn't sound that enticing. However that doesn't mean they should completely throw out all those interesting ways to change how battles work. Each game has a Battle Tower expy but the modes within it is always just the plain ol' Single, Doubles, and maybe another battling style that's an extension on the normal way of battling. Why not make special modes within the Battle Tower expy that is based on what would be a Battle Facility gimmick? A mode to do Inverse Battles, a mode to do Little Cup, a mode to do Rentals, and etc.. They could even use this as the design basis for the Battle Tower expy, making it a location which would have such a diverse array of styles like maybe a television studio, a giant castle, a massive underground dungeon, etc.. Another suggestion is connecting a Battle Facility with a location that would normally be in the game like the Trainer School or the unique battling location (White Treehollow, Black Tower, Battle Royale).
World Tournament: Eh, ambitious and, while it or an expy would be welcomed again, it is something where you DON'T want it every generation. Now certainly they can bring back popular trainers for cameos and have them battleable in locations like the Battle Tower expy. However for something where it brings ALL (well, MOST) of the important trainers from the previous gens together, that's something special that should be saved for special occasions. Gen V was a good time to do it as Pokemon had passed its 10th year anniversary and Gen V was the start of the games being based on locations outside of Japan so gave a sense of a bigger world that's all connected. I feel the next milestone for a World Tournament-like competition would be Gen X/10. One reason is because of Dexit, if GF is gonna keep to this Limited Dex idea I feel they need both this and Gen 9 to work out how they'll do it (how it'll affect other versions within that same generation, maybe allow patching in Pokemon) before they plan a big battle tourney where they'd bring back all these older NPCs who you'd want to see using their signature Pokemon thus those Pokemon would need to be part of the regional dex.
Roaming Legendaries:
... If they must bring back this mechanic at least make it like XY where it's more that you're tracking down the Pokemon until it goes back to its lair.
Difficulty Modes: B2W2 poorly implemented them (especially by locking them until you complete the game, WTF). But if from the Option menu you could choose to have battles with trainers be more easier or difficult I think that would be good. Now how many layers of difficulty and how it'll change the battles is another question and debate entirely, but for a start let's just at least have them.
Mega Evolution/Z-Moves/Dynamaxing: Yes, I'm including Dynamaxing pre-preemptively as they announced it wasn't lasting into Gen 9. My main concern are with preserving the designs. We have many Pokemon with "super forms", and it's my personal belief that if those Pokemon are in the game they should have access to that "super form". BUT, I don't think it should be just limited to the mechanic in which that super form debut in. No reason to re-invent the design of the wheel if the design is perfectly good. Heck, I'm not against re-adjusting the designs so they could fit into the new "equalizer" mechanic's aesthetic (though if aesthetic is drastically requiring you to change or make compromises to designs I ask if there isn't a problem with the aesthetic and shouldn't be changed or abandoned... like Pokemon growing huge, probably could have decreased the size grown or just not do it cause aside from SOME Gigantamax it's not that visually impressive).
Similar with Z-Moves and Max Moves, now that we got them do we really need to ever do a "super move" for each Type again? If you want a powerful looking super move re-use the Z-Moves (even if you don't call them Z-Moves), if you need an impressive looking move that does a useful effect re-use the Max Moves (even if you don't call them Max Moves). That way you can then focus on making more unique super moves.
Secret Bases/Join Avenue/Festival Plaza: I feel it was a missed opportunity having Secret Bases expies. While I liked the Secret Bases, I felt like they were TOO secret. Because if you're going to customize a room you're going to want other players to see it yet the requirement to have players see your Secret Bases always felt out of the way to do to be worth it. In Hoenn there was only a limited amount of Secret Bases that could be made and for some you had to go out of the way to get to. In Sinnoh they were part of the Underground meaning they all were just holes in the wall and only really existed if you played the flag catching game. I don't want them to just bring back Secret Bases, I want them to make Secret Bases expies where its easier to show off this personal space you made.
This is where Join Avenue and Festival Plaza come in. I feel like what they did with those is maybe what they should do with the Secret Bases. While you'll certainly have your own space to fill with furniture & decorations I also feel there should be things which benefits other players taking time to visit your personal space. Like one idea is that maybe have a town, maybe even your hometown, that you can help buildup, invite people to move to, and decorate (like in Animal Crossing, specifically New Leaf). Or maybe give us a space to actually make our own Gym and we can decide what it looks life, puzzle pieces to include, invite trainers to be in it, and have like a gift shop room which provides items and services for anyone visiting it. A lot of cool potential, maybe even some they can link into the game's theme.
WiFi Plaza: Eh, like having an amusement park place where you and other players can join up and play mini-games is a fun idea but I feel the above Secret Bases, Join Avenue, Festival Plaza has it beat. If they want players able to compete in mini-games wait for my comment on Game Corner.
PokeStar Studioes: I feel this is one of those mechanics they can put away for a bit and then bring back every once in a while, let the technology advance a bit as with movies the spectacle is the main attraction so the more you can do with the visuals the more interesting things you can do with the movies.
Mach/Acro Bikes: I thought we solved this problem in Gen IV? Combine them together, heck why did they separate them for ORAS? SwSh looks like it's going to take the idea of the bike even further so this point moot.
O-Powers/Roto Loto Power: Sure, having these passive power-ups are nice and gives you a neat thing to gift other players when you connect to them. Has it been confirmed the Y-Comm has a similar feature?
Swarms: Were certainly fun but not an absolute necessity, I think players liked chaining more anyway. I also personally preferred the Island Scan mechanic, maybe they could combine the two together.
Horde Battles: Neat idea but I felt it fell short and not worth improving. Rather they have Wild Double Battles and even SOS Battles.
Sky Battles: On paper sounded good... but I'm surprised it actually made it into the game once they saw how limited it was.
Seasons: Seasons not only add visual appeal but can be used to help make more Pokemon available in a certain area and also expand upon exploration. Obviously certain Pokemon would be adapted to certain seasons so depending on the season a Pokemon may be more available, less available, or not available (may also give earlier access to certain Types like Ice and Fire). As for exploration the different seasons can change the environment so that it both opens and closes pathways & entrances. Winter could have snow piles block places but also able to be climbed to access higher places otherwise cutoff; Summer could dry out smaller water sources/lower water levels making surfing less useful but revealing hidden paths/caves; Spring could have vines grow that prevent access to a pathway but can climb up; Autumn has bushes lose their leaves revealing paths between them but all the leaves block up water sources causing waterways to be unusable. And these are just some examples off the top of my head.
PokeGear: Every gen we get a new Tool so don't see why the PokeGear alone gets a lone shout out (personally I would have focused on the Poketch as it was far more versatile, or the improvements they did with the ORAS PokeNav). Y-Comm is our new Tool for SwSh so let's see what it does before lamenting the loss of other Tools. Though would be neat if they had a Tool which just combined all the features past Tools have done.
Mom's Bank: ... was that such a major feature? Honestly the only reason to have a Bank of any sort was if there was a background way to earn money and that money instead went into a Bank instead of instantly to you. But otherwise no need for it.
Dream World & Pokemon Global Link: Let's see what Pokemon HOME does first. I would like HOME to have taken pieces of the Dream World & Global Link, at the very least so we can do stuff with the Pokemon waiting inside it.
Auto-Run Toggle: Okay you're now just looking for reasons to complain. WE RUN BY DEFAULT NOW! Actually, no, since we're now using an analog stick we can also sneak and walk if we wanted to, though 99% of the time you're going full tilt to run.
Second Region: *LOUD GROAN* ... there was a very good reason why Johto let you visit Kanto: THERE WERE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER! We have yet had another pair of regions which were next to each other. Only way I can see us getting a dual region game again is if the game's story was that it took place in two regions that were next to each other so they'd both be new regions. However I don't think we'll ever see a new region that goes "surprise! You can now visit this old region!"; especially with the way the Pokemon games are now jumping all over the world.
Pokeathlon: Like PokeStar Studios above, this can be a feature they bring back once in a while. Let technology and visuals advance.
Game Corner (As We Know It): So this one is a complex issue. The Game Corner as we know it, essentially a casino with gambling games, is forever dead.
Game Corner (But As An Arcade): HOWEVER that doesn't mean they can't bring back the Game Corner as an arcade where you play mini-games. Maybe even let you use some of your money so that you can earn BP ("Bonus Points") from the mini-games you can use to buy prizes. However, with that said, it's not a vital feature, just something fun to see come back every now and again.
Battle Tent: Battle Tents only existed because the Battle Frontier was a new mechanic and they wanted to give players a taste of it before it actually became available. No that the Battle Frontier is a well known feature they no longer have a purpose thus don't need to come back.
Berry Growing & Blending: I added Berry growing because THAT'S the main mechanic we should be focusing on. Yes, let us grow Berries, even if we're only allowed to do so in one location.
As for Blending... well I do think Contests should come back so obviously Berries would be used to make the treat that raises Contest conditions, though doesn't need to be blending. Heck, blending was only in RSE, in Sinnoh it was simply making Poffins by mixing the batter and ORAS got rid of the mini-game altogether (making it work like the Apriblender did with Apricorns to increase the Pokeathlon stats). So if they did bring back Contests for a new region not only would it have a new kind of treat but will probably have a different way of making it that may not even involve a mini-game.
Triple Battles/Rotation Battles: I say we bring them back. I'm pretty sure the Switch can handle six Pokemon on screen at once. It'll also give the Battle Tower expy some more "basic" battle modes.
Mythical Events: Not only would I want that back, but I think all Legendaries in that game's dex should maybe have an additional side event or two. They're supposed to be super special Pokemon yet once you catch them they might as well be a com mon as far as the game is concerned. Having some side event stuff you can open up with them will make these Pokemon feel special. Would be nice lore and maybe world building.
Trick House/White Treehollow/Black Tower: I included the White Treehollow and Black Tower because honestly I feel those are the ones we should be wanting back. Sure, Trick House is fun and has a lot of potential, but it was a side distraction at best. White Treehollow and Black Tower on the other hand was a location you could can fast experience points and money while testing your battling and strategy skills. Of course they wouldn't come back as White Treehollow or Black Tower, they would come back as an expy location. This is also why I combined them with Trick House as I can see they could combine the two together. Even if they kept the location post game I think any game would benefit having a location like them.
Vs Seeker/PokeNav Trainer Eyes: While I wouldn't make it work like the Vs Seeker, rather it worked like the PokeNav's Trainer Eyes, yes. I would like to have rematches against trainers I previously fought, especially the more notable and important ones. The Gym Leader rematches in the Battle Maison in XY didn't feel fulfilling as they only used two or three Pokemon, and rematches with important trainers in Gen VII was a major pain as you had to figure out where they appeared (mainly Title Defense or Battle Tree) and some were version exclusive! I want rematches like the ones Platinum or HGSS, there's a place you can go where the Gym Leaders and other important NPCs gather and you can challenge them and they'll have an entire team of stronger Pokemon.
Retired Or Replaced Features:
Masuda's Quotes: For the two above the title I don't really have anything to say about them. GF not distinguishing between "experiments" and "features to keep" makes sense in a way as they don't know how fans would react to a certain feature, essentially they make a batch of features and throwing them out there to see what sticks. And while you can argue about all the liked features that were cut, they have indeed kept plenty of features too. However I feel one problem in this regard is that, when they decide to drop a features, it feels like a permanent decision (until they do a remake) and they don't really go back on the decision. Just like with them not doing a Fossil Pokemon or Eeveelution every generation, may not be a bad idea to give a certain feature a rest but then go back to it after a generation in the oven to do new ideas with (it may have also been an idea thought up "too early" and back when it wa introduced the technology just wasn't there to fully bring out its potential).
Smartphones: As for the bottom quote, you know what GF, if you REALLY feel that Smartphones and Tablets are providing a wider experience than why not turn some of these older features into a Smartphone app we connect with the games? Contests, Secret Bases, The Underground/Join Avenue/WiFi Plaza, PokeStar Studios, DREAM WORLD, Pokeathlon, Game Corner, Poke Pelago, Battle Frontier, even Pokemon-Amie/Refresh/Camp. Any of these made into their own app would have millions of downloads and if GF make them updateable when a new gen comes out they can "keep them" as a staying feature (whether they update it at launch or later which they can advertise as a "coming soon feature" sort of thing).
National Dex: With Dexit this is really no longer an issue. And, once again, I'd like to state that I have no problem with Dexit, it was something I think was coming even if they could bring all the Pokemon over. If I had displayed any issue with Dexit was because of their reason to do it, I always thought a reason to do a Dexit was so they could really focus on the included Pokemon and make them the best they possibly could which would include stat updates (if not completely redoing their stats), entire movepool & level-up update, seeing if they could give them better Abilities or updating Abilities to make them better, possibly improving Signature Moves or making new Moves to fill gaps, etc.. However advertising it's for better graphics while showing low-res graphics (though I heard that's just for the Wild Area and everywhere else the game looks beautiful... though advertising is everything and they REALLY pushed the Wild Area so not that great of a first impression) and then having the Dynamax mechanic (which, if you think about it, would mean there's probably just as many Pokemon models in the game as there would have normally been) made the decision to do so feel hollow for THIS generation. Of course they could have updated every Pokemon included and not just advertised it (fat chance, though they at least did put in new mechanics that'll help making a competitive team more easier, though that's something they could have easily done without Dexit). So, overall, I don't think them no longer having a National Dex is that big a deal, though I would like them to reconsider not having patches that would add in more Pokemon.
Following Pokemon: I'm iffy on this one. I would like it but I can see it being problematic for some Pokemon. I'd be more willing to compromise on this one: reasonably sized Pokemon I think should be allowed but large Pokemon, sorry buds, but we're exploring places usually made for human sized creatures.
Riding Pokemon: Another I feel iffy about simply because on land I prefer using the Bike. Sure the Poke Rides gave us additional abilities depending on the Poke Ride and LGPE had some fun/amusing Pokemon you rode on, but I don't think it would be such a crime if they aren't brought back every generation. Only acceptation I would say would be for surfing, unless that generation made an alternative surfing method (like Galar using a Water Bike) I wouldn't mind if they gave you an option of what Pokemon you want to ride on to get across water.
DexNax/Habitat List: This should be in every game. It makes actually filling the dex feel more fulfilling if not easier as you're not just trying to fill out this blank spot in a massive list but actually listing all the Pokemon that live in this location. And since it's separated into smaller groupings you could provide rewards for completing them or have features that let's you catch a better/special/unique Pokemon in that location (better IVs, knows a special Move, has Hidden Ability, is Shiny, etc.).
Player Search System: I think this is a good example of what the general communication feature between players should be like. Gen VII's Festival Plaza felt too intrusive, requiring you to actually "leave" the game to enter this area to communicate with other players. Thankfully Gen VIII's Y-Comm looks to be taking notes from the Player Search System so I wouldn't say this is much of an issue (at least for this gen).
Super Training: Eh, Super Training was fun but felt like there were easier ways to EV train. Like during the main game, sure it's the best way to get your Pokemon to high/max EVs, but post game feel other options open up (like Vitamins) that makes Super Training feel less convenient. Poke Pelago and now Poke Jobs offering quick, easy, and working in the background to get EVs I feel is the way to go as you would still use those features even in the post game.
Soaring: Was fun and would like back if the context is there for it. I say maybe make it something for the remakes, giving us a new way to look at a region we thought we knew.
Contests: I always felt them removing Contests was a mistake. Out of all the "side features" (Contests, Pokeathlon, Musicals, & PokeStar Studios) I fee like Contests did the best showing Pokemon were more than just battling. And Contests had deep mechanics and strategy to it, if you really want those Master Ribbons you had to know what you're doing and specifically prepared your Pokemon to win. Pokeathlon, Musicals, and PokeStar Studios were fun distractions that gave you all that you wanted from it, but Contests I feel had the potential to be a strong mainstay especially if they worked on making ways to give it ease to access (it may even lead to innovations to the battling side of things).
Safari Zone/Friend Safari: Honestly, as long as they provide us interesting locations to catch Pokemon in, I don't mind if they don't have the Safari Zone if they don't feel it's needed. If they ever do a Safari Zone I would like it on the level as HGSS's Safari Zone where it's customizable. As for the Friend Safari, neat idea though I feel it's limited and made some player's Friend Safari better than others (and each one obsolete as soon as you caught the Pokemon you wanted). Think a better way of doing the Friend Safari, maybe even having it connect to the normal Safari Zone, would be for each player you have on a friend list randomly adds an additional Pokemon to the Safari Zone and changes each day. That way some players aren't better than another, they don't become obsolete after catching the Pokemon they provide (as it would be random), and you're not locked out from getting a certain Pokemon because you aren't friends with the right person and actively encourages to register as many players as you can.
Ball Seals: Now Pokemon is getting better as player customization but I think there's still more it can do. I can tell you all the things I would like to see done other games are doing when it comes to the player's appearance, however that's just for the player's avatar. What about the Pokemon? Now you can't dress the Pokemon up because that'll probably make the programmers have a nervous breakdown (so them bringing back Pokemon Musicals for the BW remakes should be a "fun time" in the GF offices). However Ball Seals I think is one way to let the players customize their Pokemon in various ways. I'd say let us even customize the Poke Ball itself by choosing its colors with us having to work within the pattern of the Poke Ball (also giving us a way to switch a Pokemon into a different Poke Ball would be nice too). GF has just made a major leap forward in letting us customize our Pokemon's battling traits, this would be an easy way of letting us customize a visual directly connected to the Pokemon.
Battle Frontier/Inverse Battles: I would love a Battle Frontier, or if we can't have that a separate Battle Revolution game (or an app as I suggested above). However I can also understand creating multiple different Battle Facilities for a part of the game which many players may not play doesn't sound that enticing. However that doesn't mean they should completely throw out all those interesting ways to change how battles work. Each game has a Battle Tower expy but the modes within it is always just the plain ol' Single, Doubles, and maybe another battling style that's an extension on the normal way of battling. Why not make special modes within the Battle Tower expy that is based on what would be a Battle Facility gimmick? A mode to do Inverse Battles, a mode to do Little Cup, a mode to do Rentals, and etc.. They could even use this as the design basis for the Battle Tower expy, making it a location which would have such a diverse array of styles like maybe a television studio, a giant castle, a massive underground dungeon, etc.. Another suggestion is connecting a Battle Facility with a location that would normally be in the game like the Trainer School or the unique battling location (White Treehollow, Black Tower, Battle Royale).
World Tournament: Eh, ambitious and, while it or an expy would be welcomed again, it is something where you DON'T want it every generation. Now certainly they can bring back popular trainers for cameos and have them battleable in locations like the Battle Tower expy. However for something where it brings ALL (well, MOST) of the important trainers from the previous gens together, that's something special that should be saved for special occasions. Gen V was a good time to do it as Pokemon had passed its 10th year anniversary and Gen V was the start of the games being based on locations outside of Japan so gave a sense of a bigger world that's all connected. I feel the next milestone for a World Tournament-like competition would be Gen X/10. One reason is because of Dexit, if GF is gonna keep to this Limited Dex idea I feel they need both this and Gen 9 to work out how they'll do it (how it'll affect other versions within that same generation, maybe allow patching in Pokemon) before they plan a big battle tourney where they'd bring back all these older NPCs who you'd want to see using their signature Pokemon thus those Pokemon would need to be part of the regional dex.
Roaming Legendaries:
... If they must bring back this mechanic at least make it like XY where it's more that you're tracking down the Pokemon until it goes back to its lair.
Difficulty Modes: B2W2 poorly implemented them (especially by locking them until you complete the game, WTF). But if from the Option menu you could choose to have battles with trainers be more easier or difficult I think that would be good. Now how many layers of difficulty and how it'll change the battles is another question and debate entirely, but for a start let's just at least have them.
Mega Evolution/Z-Moves/Dynamaxing: Yes, I'm including Dynamaxing pre-preemptively as they announced it wasn't lasting into Gen 9. My main concern are with preserving the designs. We have many Pokemon with "super forms", and it's my personal belief that if those Pokemon are in the game they should have access to that "super form". BUT, I don't think it should be just limited to the mechanic in which that super form debut in. No reason to re-invent the design of the wheel if the design is perfectly good. Heck, I'm not against re-adjusting the designs so they could fit into the new "equalizer" mechanic's aesthetic (though if aesthetic is drastically requiring you to change or make compromises to designs I ask if there isn't a problem with the aesthetic and shouldn't be changed or abandoned... like Pokemon growing huge, probably could have decreased the size grown or just not do it cause aside from SOME Gigantamax it's not that visually impressive).
Similar with Z-Moves and Max Moves, now that we got them do we really need to ever do a "super move" for each Type again? If you want a powerful looking super move re-use the Z-Moves (even if you don't call them Z-Moves), if you need an impressive looking move that does a useful effect re-use the Max Moves (even if you don't call them Max Moves). That way you can then focus on making more unique super moves.
Secret Bases/Join Avenue/Festival Plaza: I feel it was a missed opportunity having Secret Bases expies. While I liked the Secret Bases, I felt like they were TOO secret. Because if you're going to customize a room you're going to want other players to see it yet the requirement to have players see your Secret Bases always felt out of the way to do to be worth it. In Hoenn there was only a limited amount of Secret Bases that could be made and for some you had to go out of the way to get to. In Sinnoh they were part of the Underground meaning they all were just holes in the wall and only really existed if you played the flag catching game. I don't want them to just bring back Secret Bases, I want them to make Secret Bases expies where its easier to show off this personal space you made.
This is where Join Avenue and Festival Plaza come in. I feel like what they did with those is maybe what they should do with the Secret Bases. While you'll certainly have your own space to fill with furniture & decorations I also feel there should be things which benefits other players taking time to visit your personal space. Like one idea is that maybe have a town, maybe even your hometown, that you can help buildup, invite people to move to, and decorate (like in Animal Crossing, specifically New Leaf). Or maybe give us a space to actually make our own Gym and we can decide what it looks life, puzzle pieces to include, invite trainers to be in it, and have like a gift shop room which provides items and services for anyone visiting it. A lot of cool potential, maybe even some they can link into the game's theme.
WiFi Plaza: Eh, like having an amusement park place where you and other players can join up and play mini-games is a fun idea but I feel the above Secret Bases, Join Avenue, Festival Plaza has it beat. If they want players able to compete in mini-games wait for my comment on Game Corner.
PokeStar Studioes: I feel this is one of those mechanics they can put away for a bit and then bring back every once in a while, let the technology advance a bit as with movies the spectacle is the main attraction so the more you can do with the visuals the more interesting things you can do with the movies.
Mach/Acro Bikes: I thought we solved this problem in Gen IV? Combine them together, heck why did they separate them for ORAS? SwSh looks like it's going to take the idea of the bike even further so this point moot.
O-Powers/Roto Loto Power: Sure, having these passive power-ups are nice and gives you a neat thing to gift other players when you connect to them. Has it been confirmed the Y-Comm has a similar feature?
Swarms: Were certainly fun but not an absolute necessity, I think players liked chaining more anyway. I also personally preferred the Island Scan mechanic, maybe they could combine the two together.
Horde Battles: Neat idea but I felt it fell short and not worth improving. Rather they have Wild Double Battles and even SOS Battles.
Sky Battles: On paper sounded good... but I'm surprised it actually made it into the game once they saw how limited it was.
Seasons: Seasons not only add visual appeal but can be used to help make more Pokemon available in a certain area and also expand upon exploration. Obviously certain Pokemon would be adapted to certain seasons so depending on the season a Pokemon may be more available, less available, or not available (may also give earlier access to certain Types like Ice and Fire). As for exploration the different seasons can change the environment so that it both opens and closes pathways & entrances. Winter could have snow piles block places but also able to be climbed to access higher places otherwise cutoff; Summer could dry out smaller water sources/lower water levels making surfing less useful but revealing hidden paths/caves; Spring could have vines grow that prevent access to a pathway but can climb up; Autumn has bushes lose their leaves revealing paths between them but all the leaves block up water sources causing waterways to be unusable. And these are just some examples off the top of my head.
PokeGear: Every gen we get a new Tool so don't see why the PokeGear alone gets a lone shout out (personally I would have focused on the Poketch as it was far more versatile, or the improvements they did with the ORAS PokeNav). Y-Comm is our new Tool for SwSh so let's see what it does before lamenting the loss of other Tools. Though would be neat if they had a Tool which just combined all the features past Tools have done.
Mom's Bank: ... was that such a major feature? Honestly the only reason to have a Bank of any sort was if there was a background way to earn money and that money instead went into a Bank instead of instantly to you. But otherwise no need for it.
Dream World & Pokemon Global Link: Let's see what Pokemon HOME does first. I would like HOME to have taken pieces of the Dream World & Global Link, at the very least so we can do stuff with the Pokemon waiting inside it.
Auto-Run Toggle: Okay you're now just looking for reasons to complain. WE RUN BY DEFAULT NOW! Actually, no, since we're now using an analog stick we can also sneak and walk if we wanted to, though 99% of the time you're going full tilt to run.
Second Region: *LOUD GROAN* ... there was a very good reason why Johto let you visit Kanto: THERE WERE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER! We have yet had another pair of regions which were next to each other. Only way I can see us getting a dual region game again is if the game's story was that it took place in two regions that were next to each other so they'd both be new regions. However I don't think we'll ever see a new region that goes "surprise! You can now visit this old region!"; especially with the way the Pokemon games are now jumping all over the world.
Pokeathlon: Like PokeStar Studios above, this can be a feature they bring back once in a while. Let technology and visuals advance.
Game Corner (As We Know It): So this one is a complex issue. The Game Corner as we know it, essentially a casino with gambling games, is forever dead.
Game Corner (But As An Arcade): HOWEVER that doesn't mean they can't bring back the Game Corner as an arcade where you play mini-games. Maybe even let you use some of your money so that you can earn BP ("Bonus Points") from the mini-games you can use to buy prizes. However, with that said, it's not a vital feature, just something fun to see come back every now and again.
Battle Tent: Battle Tents only existed because the Battle Frontier was a new mechanic and they wanted to give players a taste of it before it actually became available. No that the Battle Frontier is a well known feature they no longer have a purpose thus don't need to come back.
Berry Growing & Blending: I added Berry growing because THAT'S the main mechanic we should be focusing on. Yes, let us grow Berries, even if we're only allowed to do so in one location.
As for Blending... well I do think Contests should come back so obviously Berries would be used to make the treat that raises Contest conditions, though doesn't need to be blending. Heck, blending was only in RSE, in Sinnoh it was simply making Poffins by mixing the batter and ORAS got rid of the mini-game altogether (making it work like the Apriblender did with Apricorns to increase the Pokeathlon stats). So if they did bring back Contests for a new region not only would it have a new kind of treat but will probably have a different way of making it that may not even involve a mini-game.
Triple Battles/Rotation Battles: I say we bring them back. I'm pretty sure the Switch can handle six Pokemon on screen at once. It'll also give the Battle Tower expy some more "basic" battle modes.
Mythical Events: Not only would I want that back, but I think all Legendaries in that game's dex should maybe have an additional side event or two. They're supposed to be super special Pokemon yet once you catch them they might as well be a com mon as far as the game is concerned. Having some side event stuff you can open up with them will make these Pokemon feel special. Would be nice lore and maybe world building.
Trick House/White Treehollow/Black Tower: I included the White Treehollow and Black Tower because honestly I feel those are the ones we should be wanting back. Sure, Trick House is fun and has a lot of potential, but it was a side distraction at best. White Treehollow and Black Tower on the other hand was a location you could can fast experience points and money while testing your battling and strategy skills. Of course they wouldn't come back as White Treehollow or Black Tower, they would come back as an expy location. This is also why I combined them with Trick House as I can see they could combine the two together. Even if they kept the location post game I think any game would benefit having a location like them.
Vs Seeker/PokeNav Trainer Eyes: While I wouldn't make it work like the Vs Seeker, rather it worked like the PokeNav's Trainer Eyes, yes. I would like to have rematches against trainers I previously fought, especially the more notable and important ones. The Gym Leader rematches in the Battle Maison in XY didn't feel fulfilling as they only used two or three Pokemon, and rematches with important trainers in Gen VII was a major pain as you had to figure out where they appeared (mainly Title Defense or Battle Tree) and some were version exclusive! I want rematches like the ones Platinum or HGSS, there's a place you can go where the Gym Leaders and other important NPCs gather and you can challenge them and they'll have an entire team of stronger Pokemon.
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While this is admittedly a big concern that I hadn't considered before you mentioned it, I still really want it to happen. There's a good chance I would never experience it firsthand (the only mainline game I've played is Emerald, and starting fresh again after over a decade would probably be very jarring) but just living in a world where players can put funny hats on their Pokemon and send them into battle would be delightful.
I think the Battle Arena format from Emerald's Battle Frontier should also make a return, as that was the only Battle Frontier format that shook up the gameplay without relying on outside factors or being RNG bullsh*t (cough Battle Palace).
I think Pokémon's greatest strength is also one of its greatest weaknesses: The long-term appeal of the series is largely based on the accumulation of content and features. Every generation has had more options, more improvements, more Pokémon, moves, items, abilities... That feeling of "it's the same, but even more!" is one of the great sales drivers of Pokémon and why we all have multiple generations of games on our shelves. Every game feels worth buying because it builds something new on top of what we already have.
This has a backside, though: People will notice and get upset when something is missing. I remember disliking Diamond and Pearl for botching the Secret Base system, and was similarly bummed out when Gen V didn't have anything of the sort. The loss of the VS. Seeker felt like a big step backwards. The lack of Gym Leader rematches was puzzling: would it even have taken a day to implement it? I think I can say the same for almost all of the cut features (and oh, how I miss the dynamic music of Gen V!). That feeling of "why didn't they keep this?" has been a small damper on enjoyment whenever a new game has been released. A small disappointment that competes with the "it's the same, but more!" feeling.
So when something sufficiently big is cut between games, it can feel like there is a net loss overall. Or at least like the net gain isn't big enough to leave a good impression of the game. I think that's partly why XY isn't remembered very fondly, or why ORAS disappointed. Sure, there games had more content and delivered a pretty solid core Pokémon experience overall, but the loss of, say, a Battle Frontier or all of the little improvements from Emerald dragged down the overall impression.
And not to go into SwSh discussion, but ... you know. Gaining some, losing some, subconsciously basing your opinions of the game on the difference ... Let's just say it applies.
I'm pretty sure Game Freak has been trying to take the series from this cumulative state for quite some time now.
We've come from GSC having every Gen 1 feature back, with a bunch of new mechanics added on top of them, and even with the entire freaking region from the previous game returning (as flawled as the execution of those ideas were), to Gen 3 removing stuff like differences between day and night and having a regional dex without all previous Pokémon in favor of having a region with a much more distinct identity than Johto had, to pretty much every game after that removing features in favor of new ones, to we not even having all previous Pokémon in the game anymore.
It's clear that Game Freak quickly noticed that it's impossible to simply keep adding features without removing previous ones, the games would just be gradatively getting more and more difficult to develop. In virtue of that, they've been trying to be more like other game series, where each game has its own set of unique features and "playable characters" that simply get exchanged by brand new ones in every new instalment.
Now, if this "change of state" that the series has been getting in its history is a bad thing or not... I honestly think it differs from person to person.
The thing is, Pokémon is a very subjective franchise, everyone has their own preferences in terms of why they like the series. Some people like to complete the national dex, and those obviously wouldn't get very satisfied with the series' recent changes, others love contests and such, so they might like a specific set of games more than the rest, and others just like each game for their own specific features and aren't very affected by huge changes in the franchise. What I mean is, it's hard to determine the right direction for the series, it's very much impossible to please every single fan while simultaneosly making a game that's feasible to develop.
I don't anything legitimately justifies cutting out the data of all the Pokemon not in the game's regional Dex. Since Gen 1 (yeah, that Gen GF loves playing up), we've been able to at least transfer all available Mons in that Gen/game to the appropriate games. And now they cut one of the core principles of the franchise. It's fricking ridiculous. Disclaimer, I don't expect Gamefreak to allow all Pokemon up to that point to be caught in the games. I know that can be easily unreasonable, and was obviously never going to work as the Gens went on. But to not allow you to transfer any available Mon up to that point into the games...well...let's just say that's where I draw the line. It should be core feature in every game, but Gamefreak's laziness and incompetence caught up to them. I'm not even a big transfer person --- but that shouldn't matter when tons of other fans are affected by this dumb decision.
I know people get tired of my bitching, especially on the Discord, but I have to ask, when will this shit stop? How long will Gamefreak continue to skimp on giving us quality games? Of course, they don't owe this stuff to us, but then again, I don't have to give them my money for their lazy crap. Been very leery on the direction this franchise has been going since XY, and this Dexit nonsense broke my camel's back. And I know I'm not the only one. Anyways, I guess that's enough NaCl for now....
I know people get tired of my bitching, especially on the Discord, but I have to ask, when will this shit stop? How long will Gamefreak continue to skimp on giving us quality games? Of course, they don't owe this stuff to us, but then again, I don't have to give them my money for their lazy crap. Been very leery on the direction this franchise has been going since XY, and this Dexit nonsense broke my camel's back. And I know I'm not the only one. Anyways, I guess that's enough NaCl for now....
p0ip0le
it's a billion lions
i think it's time to post this again, which is kinda a good reason to start cutting mons
in the vein of actual unpopular opinions though
- oldgen legendaries should definitely be buffed
- conquest deserves a remake
- bring challenge mode BACK
- capsules were a cute feature and honestly i want them back to do dumb shit ingame
- the hat thing mentioned earlier? i love it
in the vein of actual unpopular opinions though
- oldgen legendaries should definitely be buffed
- conquest deserves a remake
- bring challenge mode BACK
- capsules were a cute feature and honestly i want them back to do dumb shit ingame
- the hat thing mentioned earlier? i love it
Who’s the author of the tumblr?