Topic: Pokemon Sword & Shield

@redd214 Oh agreed of course. For me, the bigger issue is that if they cap all games at under 400, it means we'll never get the Gen IV or V remakes I've long-awaited. Either that or they won't include all the Pokemon from Gen IV and V, which would be disappointing.

Aaaanyways, in better news, I just found out you can change the nature of Pokemon with mints, so that's another set of good news on the 'making raising pokemon more painless' section. Don't get me wrong, I love random IVs and natures for the main game itself, makes it all the more replayable, it's the post-game that's painful because of them. Not that... there will probably ever be a post-game ever again but whatever.

@link3710 There are only 210 Pokemon in the Sinnoh dex in Platinum (which includes all the evolutions that weren't in the DP dex). The Unova dex contains 155 or 300 Pokemon, depending on the version (BW or B2W2).

I got my two copies pre-downloaded

@Snaplocket I mean, here's the thing. You don't have to use them during the normal game even if they are available, they're completely optional. It's not like something like taking away the ability to turn off EXP Share where it's limited, or the gigantifying thing where it's in your face, it's just adding an additional option that can be ignored.

@Octane That's true for the regional dex, but a lot of Pokemon were obtainable outside of that. If you only look at fully unobtainable in DPPt Pokemon, there's only 42 of them (the 27 previous gen starters, 4 previous gen mythicals, and 11 previous gen legendaries). That's 493 - 42. or 451. So they'd have to gut a lot of previously available Pokemon to get that down to SS levels.

Gen V is the same but even worse, with basically the same thing (all Pokemon other than legendaries, mythicals and starters, though a few were Dream World exclusive like Ekans). Not doing the math there but I'd put it at around 570 Pokemon available naturally.

And also part of what made ORAS/HGSS/FRLG special was seeing what newer gen Pokemon were integrated into the game, which wouldn't happen there. Plus throw in that I'd want to see Sylveon available in DPPt for example and... yeah.

@link3710 That's all post-game anyway. And some of those ways were quite convoluted iirc. They can just leave them out without affecting the game a lot.

From a critical standpoint, there is the argument that this is a $60 game in 2019 with unimpressive graphics on a home console that can run Botw, odyssey, and astral chain, and cut so much content available in the 40 dollar games to the point where even gen 4, back in 2006 for $30, has more content and appeal.

This is what hurts, because even if you never got into a pokemon game before, it feels like this is bait for your first pokemon game, and a slap to the face to veterans that grew up knowing what's now missing. Sure, its not meant to be taken seriously and graphics don't mean anything, it just when GF declares they cut half of the primary focus of pokemon: "gotta catch them all", for the promise of "better animations, and graphics" and then don't deliver, there's a reason to be upset, and if your favorites were apart of the cull thats just salt in the wound.

That being said I'm probably still going to pick up sword, mostly because some of the new designs and leaked stats look fun to use.

The game did improve a lot of things too.. the ability to change natures, use PC boxes anywhere, escape rope is a key item now which is very convienant, gen 7 bottle caps help a lot, adding egg moves to pre-existing mons help for shinies you caught previously, the only things they didn't cover that we're aware of is hidden abilities, hidden powers, and the new g-max mechanic (which sucks cause only specially marked pokemon can g-max, can't just breed them for shinies). Just sucks that over half the roster is missing, including half of my favorites otherwise i'd gladly spend $60 and stretch to call it one of the better games of the series.

@Snaplocket What mechanics are you talking about? Having interesting post-game content?

@Octane Not all of them were convoluted. While dropping GBA insert Pokemon, Swarms, and Dream World Pokemon isn't a big deal, there was a huge chunk of them available normally in all the various post-game areas to make them worth exploring. BW in particular would be gutted considering how much post-game content would have to be filled with stuff you've already seen. And for B2W2, like, what would be the point of Skyarrow Bridge, Nacrene City, Pinwheel Forest, Striaton City, Nuvema Town, the P2 Lab, Twist Mountain, or especially unlocking the Nature Preserve in a B2W2 remake all being filled with Pokemon you've already seen rather than ones you haven't encountered yet? After the E4, there's still another half a game's worth of areas to explore. Plus you have entire areas and plotlines dedicated to Pokemon not in the regional dex, like the Strange House being dedicated to unlocking Cresselia.

That's a whole boatload of cut content in what would supposedly be improvements. I wasn't happy about them canning any remake of the Battle Frontier (and presumably B(2)W(2)'s counterpart of PWT, White Tree, Black City and Battle Subway) from now on, but then to throw out all the remaining post-game content since it's always tied to non-regional Pokemon? There's no point even making the remakes at that point.

@Araquanid Shame its not up to your expectations, I'm sure we will get our money's worth though. I remember similar grumblings about the Lets Go games, 100s of hours later I dont think my kiddos had too many gripes about it. All we know is Lets Go forward so we dont have 20 years of baggage weighing down our expectations. Hope you get the game you're looking for in the future

Unrelated but I would love a Pokemon game that takes place like 100s of years in the past. I just think it would be cool.

@link3710 I think you can reasonably assume that, if they remade a game, they would make it so every Pokemon originally in that game would be obtainable. I seriously doubt that exactly 400 is going to be the set number eternally.

I guess I still plan to buy Shield. I guess I will make a female, because it will have more customization. And I will enjoy the game as it is.
Just don't like that exp will be shared and cannot be turned off, so EV training at beginning will be much more harder for me. And I bit sad that my favorite Pokémon line, Mareep line, didn't make it into game.
But everything else I like it with the game. So I hope everyone who will buy the game will be able to enjoy it.

@Gravitron : I've always wanted to see what Ancient Magikarp looks like (as many Pokédex entries over the years have alluded to it being much stronger in the past).

@SViper I always pick the girl because I'm a long haired man and they havent had an option for long hair in any game for the male characters. The closest thing was the corn rows from SuMo

@Gravitron roger that. My reason this time why I will pick a Female is that I dress female clothes in real life, so we never had any feminine clothes in Pokémon for Males. But nice to see that there is others with real life reasons why they pick opposite gender then they are in real life.

@Heavyarms55 I agree that they wouldn't do it. But while Gen IV will probably be allowed to shine (430 or so Pokemon should be fine), Gen V has too many Pokemon and content for them to want to remake it. A proper Gen V remake would put the modern games to shame, so it'll never happen.

@link3710 I don't think that's remotely accurate or fair. Unless you have an early copy of the game and know a lot more than even what's been leaked.

@Heavyarms55 I'm just going based off of GameFreak's statements over the last few years. They want no more post-game, they want to cut back the number of Pokemon way below BW levels, and they have no interest in appealing to the hardcore crowd. Gen V is the absolute antithesis of what they want Pokemon to be about now, and to bring it back would only distract from what they want people to think about Pokemon.

@SViper ya that makes sense, the girls get the cooler stuff anyways. Also props on Ampharos he's one of my favorites.

@Snaplocket If they add long hair for the Male I'll probably switch but I just don't see it happening. Even though one of the most popular characters in the entire anime is a long haired man(James)

@link3710 I'm not really sure where you are getting that impression. It seems very clear from their recent changes that they want to make competitive play much more accessible. Further I got the impression that with BW they learned that quantity over quality isn't the way to go. So many Pokemon in BW were basically just made to replace older Pokemon in the same role. Patrat was a Rattata, for example.

Actually thinking about it, I guess I can kinda see where you get that impression, but that's not what I took away from it.

I like that they made getting competitive pokemon easier. Because many people were just lazy and got their teams by hacking and not by hard work.