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Pokémon: Sword and Shield


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#1 klop422

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Posted 27 February 2019 - 01:08 PM

I'm sure there's discussion in Discord already, but I'm a traditional guy, so I'm making the topic for this (also I'm actually getting to make a topic for this).

Anyway, these were announced: https://youtu.be/oOPVBm0sA7Q

Thoughts?

#2 Koh

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Posted 27 February 2019 - 05:28 PM

Not a fan of the fact that it's like Let's Go, with the downsized mechanics and stuff, but.

 

LKVHjSz.png

 

Scorbunny = my toon rabbit Nix.  Fast speedy rabbit.  That name sucks though.  Scorbunny?  Why not Burny?

 

Also, the irony is that I just finished a new Nix picture today, and submitted it.

 

Spoiler

 

I've had Nix for some years now, lol. 

 

If I ever got one of the games, the choice is obvious for me~


Edited by Koh, 27 February 2019 - 05:43 PM.


#3 Haylee

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Posted 27 February 2019 - 06:49 PM

Oh how refreshing. A Pokemon announcement and I'm not seeing people trying to justify disliking it in other servers and stuff.

Game looks fantastic, starters are pretty good, not too big on the names of the games but what can you do.

Side note, this is the first Pokemon game since gen 3 where I like all 3 starters enough to where I'm unsure of which one to actually pick, so that's pretty damn cool.

#4 Orithan

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Posted 27 February 2019 - 07:37 PM

Oh hey, a new Pokemon game.
The starters all look adorable. I have concern that Scorbunny will evolve into a Fire/Fighting type, but I have enough faith in Gamefreak to believe they are not taking that route. That tape on its feet and face looks like it could easily be electric tape or something and its pokedex entry mentions how energetic it is. We could be expecting a Fire/Electric starter this time around.
 

Not a fan of the fact that it's like Let's Go, with the downsized mechanics and stuff, but.

Explain. We barely saw any of the combat and it is way too early to tell.



#5 Norzan

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Posted 27 February 2019 - 09:33 PM

A wild pokemon battle like the previous gens is shown in the trailer. Good, i was worried that the main series would use that crap from the Let's Go games,

 

Kind of indifferent to the starters though. But i do wonder if they are going back to the gyms or keep the trials, or use something new. I hope something new because i'm honestly sick and tired of gyms and trials should be an Alola thing.



#6 HylianGlaceon

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Posted 27 February 2019 - 10:41 PM

Not a fan of the fact that it's like Let's Go, with the downsized mechanics and stuff.

I didn't see anything from Let's Go. No motion controls mentioned and they showed a wild pokemon battle. We should be good.

 

But i do wonder if they are going back to the gyms or keep the trials, or use something new. I hope something new because i'm honestly sick and tired of gyms and trials should be an Alola thing.

They mentioned gyms in the trailer. I'm fine with gyms, just make them less laughably easy. I wouldn't mind some sort of shakeup to freshen the gym system still. Just no trials please.

 

The region looks neat and pretty decent in size, at least from the map shown. All we need is a decent story, a competent evil organization (Flare and Skull were too silly to take seriously) and another Eeveelution of course. Multiple Eeveelutions even. I'm not picky.

 

Not really big on any of the starters. If I would have to pick, I'd lean towards the water starter. I thought the grass starter was Chespin at first even



#7 Haylee

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 12:33 AM

So it was brought to my attention that the French name for Scorbunny is Flambino.


And it upsets me that we didn't get such a superior name in English translations.

#8 klop422

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 04:48 AM

So since I started the topic, I should probably give my opinions, huh?

So first things first, the names. They're a bit weird, but I can get behind it. That's probably the thing I most dislike :P

Starters on the other hand, I like. I don't love 'em, but I don't hate 'em. (Also Sobble is such an Ash Pokémon and if he doesn't get one in the series I will be disappointed). They look a bit generic for my tastes, but they're not bad.
I'll probably pick Sobble, cos I'm a water starter guy. And I prefer lizards to monkeys and bunnies. Monkeys just remind me of Gen 5's trio they kept shoving down your throat.

As for the Galar region, it looks great. I've seen YouTube comment discussions and Reddit discussions about how it's not Pokémon BotW, but honestly, the game looks pretty big. That scene with the lake in the trailer looks massive.
I don't know how open world it looks like it'll be - Pokémon has never been a series which mixes it up a lot, so suddenly having an open world game doesn't really make sense - but I do hope it's not too linear. Just at least give us a choice of gyms at some point.
The region does kind of look like it might be a straight line, but I hope that's not the case.
People are also saying it looks like an upside-down England. Don't hate the idea, but as a (kind-of) Scotsman, if there's no version of Scotland, I will probably be a little annoyed :/. Maybe as a post-game location?
(Also obligatory Grexit and Unova's independence jokes. Maybe the Scotland standin went and got their independence?)

Hoping to see some new evolutions for old Pokémon. The reason I love gen 4 so much (excluding bias for my starting region :P) is that it synthesised everything coming up to it. Then gen 5 (which I like a lot more than I used to) went and tried to reinvent the games, and they haven't gotten over the gimmicky new additions (look, I have nothing against mega evolutions or Z moves, but they start to feel tacked on at some point). Basically, since gen 5, they feel like they're all adding a bunch of new stuff rather than building on what's already there. So, sure, another Eeveelution, but also some other new evolutions. Qwilfish or something.
Also, glad to see Grubbin coming back - it always intrigued me, but I didn't use him (didn't want to lose my save, and I don't have Pokémon bank, so that's not a solution :P).
Also, glad to see Snorlax (well, Munchlax), who for some reason is one of my favourites. Hoping for my other favourites Mareep and Swablu as well, but we'll see. (We'll see if I pick Mareep or Grubbin; I'm not a big Bug guy.)

Anyway, I'm excited, and annoyed about this long drought of Pokémon we're about to have. Anime isn't continuing until probably the end of March as well. Maybe I'll finish off Emerald, or borrow (well, find first) my sister's 3ds and go through OmegaRuby.
Speaking of which, hoping for Gen 4 next year. As I have done since Sun and Moon were released.

 

EDIT: Something I forgot to mention; not sure I'm a fan of this remix/mashup of the Hall of Fame theme and the Main Pokemon theme. Just two completely different purposes being mashed into one. Which one will they use it for?

Or maybe it was just for the trailer.


Edited by klop422, 28 February 2019 - 05:40 AM.


#9 Norzan

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 08:43 AM

I'm really hoping this gen introduces something new like the previous two gens. Gen 5 did nothing, it felt like the franchise was in statis for three years. It didn't improved the gameplay, it didn't introduced new mechanics, and the battle styles that were introduced were so under utilized that Gen 7 removed them from the Battle Tower.

 

Mega Evolutions is easily one of the best things introduced in recent memory to the franchise. It gave new life to old pokemon and introduced a new mechanic that adds some strategy. Sure, it also made some pokemon like Rayquaza and Salamence broken, but eh, every generation introduced some broken pokemon.


Edited by Norzan, 28 February 2019 - 08:44 AM.


#10 Adem

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 11:00 AM

Y'all. I am pumped.

 

This generation looks like the type of Pokémon game I've been wanting for years. Since Colosseum on the GCN, I've been intrigued to see what a main series installment would look like in a 3D, more cinematic world. XY as well as Sun/Moon scratched the 3D itch, but I wanted more. This world looks vast and intriguing. The colors are beautiful, and I want to see more! The trailer far exceeded my expectations for the generation eight reveal.

 

I'll admit I don't really love the starter selection. Scorbunny annoys me and I feel like monkeys are overrepresented. But I like Sobble. He's cute and I can imagine his evolution chain will go from timid to badass.

 

I'm actually a little disappointed about the return to random encounters. I liked seeing Pokémon in the overworld because it made it feel more alive, but I understand sticking to the classic and I'm not too turned off by it.

 

Fingers crossed it doesn't hold your hand as much as Sun and Moon did, or at least gives you the option to opt out of extra help. As much as I loved SM, the beginning was super frustrating as a veteran player.



#11 klop422

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 11:13 AM

I'm really hoping this gen introduces something new like the previous two gens. Gen 5 did nothing, it felt like the franchise was in statis for three years. It didn't improved the gameplay, it didn't introduced new mechanics, and the battle styles that were introduced were so under utilized that Gen 7 removed them from the Battle Tower.

Mega Evolutions is easily one of the best things introduced in recent memory to the franchise. It gave new life to old pokemon and introduced a new mechanic that adds some strategy. Sure, it also made some pokemon like Rayquaza and Salamence broken, but eh, every generation introduced some broken pokemon.


I suppose that's where I disagree :P. I'm not that big into 'innovation'. Change, sure, including adding new mechanics (which I guess you could call innovation). But I prefer it when new mechanics are fit into the rest of the gameplay. For three generations we've been adding a bunch of extra stuff. Even though mega evolutions, Alolan forms, and Sylveon kind of build on existing things, they don't feel very connected to the old pokemon.
That's not to say I don't want new mechanics. But new Megas, new Z-crystals, new regular evolutions, please. Otherwise, as I say, it just feels tacked on.

RE handholdiness, I kind of hope next generation stops telling you what's super effective on pokemon you've seen before. Maybe ones you've caught, but this just felt patronising. We can learn type matchups, and we don't need to know the type of a pokemon before we catch it!

#12 Adem

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 12:30 PM

I mostly agree, but I actually found that particular feature helpful in cases of Pokémon like Granbull. It used to be Normal (weak to Fighting) and was changed to Fairy (Fighting has no effect). There were a few examples of these type adjustments.

 

I mostly am referring to being stuck in tutorials and pointless dialogue with NPCs. 

 

Also, I thought Alolan forms were a really interesting concept. I would love to see more variations of already existing Pokémon.



#13 kurt91

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 01:50 PM

I think that an interesting compromise on telling you too much information regarding opponent typing and weaknesses would be to adjust how the PokeDex works a little bit. Right now, you get the name and picture if you've seen it, and the full information set after catching it. How about slowing it down a little more. Let's say, a name and picture on seeing it, the description about it after catching it, and the details like typing and weaknesses after battling against it something like 10 times.

 

I know it sounds stupid, but hear me out. One of my favorite RPG series is the Neptunia Re;Birth games, and those can get insanely grind-heavy at times. What they do to reduce the repetition is give you a bunch of side-tasks to accomplish at the same time that you're grinding. You can take your typical item-collection and enemy-hunting missions (Kill 5 Dogoos and report back, for example), and in order to get the shop to stock items better than the ones at the very beginning of the game, you need to hunt and kill enemies to gather the synthesis materials to make the first one. To make it as easy as possible, you're given a PokeDex-like encyclopedia with information on every enemy you've seen, the number of possible item drops from it as well as what items it drops after you've gotten it to drop once, and not only what area it's located at but what conditions need to be set in order for it to appear. There's so much information available that it's not difficult to find what you're looking for, and once you've done that kind of stuff for a while (as well as finding keys hidden in these levels to unlock new side-levels with more different enemies), you've naturally reached the higher level you needed to progress in the main story.

 

Anyways, back to trying to apply this concept to Pokemon through the PokeDex, you're going to be collecting hundreds of these critters as you go, and most of the time, you'll have a dozen or so at most that you actually bother to level up and keep at a usable level. Giving the player a side-reason to hunt down and beat up wild Pokemon will make it a little easier to level up more of your crew because you're given a side-task to focus on. This can also be useful on a gameplay standpoint if you let the player pull out the PokeDex mid-battle like Ash does in the series. If you've gathered all of the necessary information earlier, and you find a Pokemon that you haven't seen in a while and have forgotten what it can do, you can either attack it and figure it out through trial and error, or pull out the PokeDex and check the information you've gathered from earlier. (Also, I want a version of EXP Share that I can give to a Pokemon and have it still work even when the Pokemon is in a Box. That would be useful instead of having to cut down the number of useful team members to level grind a weaker critter.)


Edited by kurt91, 28 February 2019 - 01:52 PM.

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#14 Norzan

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 02:04 PM

 Even though mega evolutions, Alolan forms, and Sylveon kind of build on existing things, they don't feel very connected to the old pokemon.

You can't get anymore connected to the old pokemon by going back to them and give them new things. And that's what Mega Evolutions and to a lesser extent Z-Crystals did. And Mega Evolutions were no different than regular evolutions.

 

And Gen 5 reinvented the games? Where? I say it again, Gen 5 did nothing. It didn't evolved the formula, added new mechanics or anything really. It felt like an expansion pack for Gen 4. Probably the only thing it introduced of note was tall grass. Introducing a new generation with no new mechanic or anything makes it feel even more that these games are too alike, which is a criticism that is thrown at this series constantly.

 

Too bad more Alolan forms can't be made because this pair of games doesn't happen in Alola. Or they could give it another name, maybe use the region's name the same way they did with Alola, and make more variants of old pokemon. Preferably from Gen 2 and onwards because Alolan forms only being based on Kanto mons was ridiculous and contrived.


Edited by Norzan, 28 February 2019 - 02:13 PM.


#15 Orithan

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Posted 28 February 2019 - 03:25 PM

Gen V introduced a lot of things to the series. Saying it didn't introduce much is a fallacy that is easily debunked by looking at what it actually introduced.

Out of battle, it introduced.

  • The Seasons cycle. Every month the game would change seasons; which changed the environment, affected pokemon spawns and sometimes the area layout. Much like what the Day/Night cycle introduced, except it also changed the areas a bit.
  • The addition of an online realm; the Dream World and the creation of Pokemon Global Link. While the former did not last past the closure of Wi-Fi, it was an interesting addition to the singleplayer experience and it is something that needs to happen more.
  • Time-sensitive features like White Forest and Black City. Wherever these were actually good or not were debatable, but they are there and was an interesting idea to explore.
  • The creation of the achievements system in B/W2. B/W2 introduced medals, which you acquire by performing certain tasks to act as an achievement system.
  • The Key system in B/W2. While it was poorly executed in B/W2, it is an interesting way to promote buying both games in a set.
  • And by extension, Challenge Mode. The game becomes a lot harder if you enable challenge mode, which is what a lot of veteran fans want. The problem with the way B/W2 executed it is actually getting the key - You have to complete Black 2 to unlock said key and if you wanted it on White 2 you must trade it over.
  • Pokemon World Tournament in B/W2. A place where you could fight all sorts of trainers from past games like gym leaders, the evil team leaders and the champions. This is a feature that is commonly requested to see return.

In battle, it also did a bunch of things

  • The Double Grass. Let you encounter double battles in the wild.
  • Hidden Abilities. These have greatly enhanced the viability of many pokemon, sometimes a bit much (Speed Boost on Blaziken is a mistake)
  • Triple and Rotation Battles. New battle formats that make sense and have lots of potential. However, those seem to have fallen out of favor because they were never really popular.
  • The Gems. These were the precursor to Z-Crystals. They were gone in Gen VI but they became the Z-Crystals in Gen VII
  • A bunch of gimmicky items for use in competitive formats like Red Card and Battery.

Edited by Orithan, 28 February 2019 - 03:30 PM.



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