My authentic plan was to do that solely in wrestling jokes, however the writing time was coming as much as a Ric Aptitude 1980’s title protection.
We’re into the standard dry interval between the announcement of a brand new Pokemon recreation and the reveal of precise new details about it, nevertheless it’s left me with plenty of time to stew over issues since our fast evaluation got here out. As somebody whose Pokemon playstyle is basically centered on Pokedex completion, I absolutely settle for that what I need out of Scarlet and Violet goes to be completely different than what the aggressive gamers need. (That’s a world I’ve largely prevented since Blissey, Skarmory, and non-Selfdestruct Snorlax ruined the nascent aggressive battling scene of the Recreation Boy Colour video games.) However I don’t suppose my hopes are unrealistic, so let’s break them down.
1) Make all the Pokemon who aren’t accessible on the Swap accessible in vanilla Scarlet/Violet.
Because it seems, it is a smaller listing than you’d suppose. Between Sword and Protect, its Growth Cross, Sensible Diamond / Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus there’s only 27 families of regular Pokemon that aren’t accessible on Swap in some vogue. Though a few of them have the dreaded X-Pac Warmth (poor Simisear, literally the least popular Pokemon in existence) there’s additionally some fairly standard traces and a frickin’ Smash Bros character who aren’t accessible except you utilize the 3DS to carry them in. And if Pokemon is designed to herald new gamers each time, that’s going to be loads tougher for a beginner to “catch ‘em all” in the event that they don’t have a hand-me-down 3DS someplace. One of many lacking traces—Flabebe’s—was within the OG trailer, so there’s hope.
And earlier than Pokemon Go is introduced up as a risk for acquiring among the lacking, various these are regionally restricted; I can solely get the water monkey of the basic monkey trio as a result of I dwell in North America. As properly, they solely added Alola-region Pokemon in February and are nonetheless lacking many of the authentic Pokemon from that period. The one ones which were added as of press time that aren’t accessible on Swap are the Yungoos line, the Pikipek line, and Oricorio. And the aim of this request is to make every thing accessible on one platform.
Having extra “Legendary” (occasion) Pokemon accessible as a part of the story would even be good. Save bonuses and Legends: Arceus did OK with this as we’re solely lacking Celebi (tied to the Digital Console launch of Pokemon Crystal) and Deoxys (a postgame occasion in Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, a virtually eight-year-old recreation that’s quickly to be off digital markets and is already getting out of hand for bodily copies) of the primary 493. However that also leaves 9 Mythicals that haven’t come out since restricted 3DS occasions. Possibly there’s an opportunity right here? In truth… this can tie properly into the subsequent one.
2) Maintain the brand new “Legendary” rely low if not zero
This isn’t prone to occur, admittedly. Despite the fact that Sword and Protect began out properly by solely having a trio, each Pokemon launched within the DLC is taken into account legendary. In truth, the legendary rely by technology in comparison with the variety of Pokemon launched:
- Pink/Blue/Yellow – 4/150 (2.66%)+1 legendary
- Gold/Silver/Crystal – 5/99 (5.05%)+1 legendary
- Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald – 8/133 (6.06%)+2 mythicals
- Diamond/Pearl/Platinum – 9/102 (8.82%)+5 mythicals
- Black/White – 9/152 (5.92%)+4 mythicals
- X/Y – 3/69 (4.34%)+3 mythicals
- Extremely Solar/Moon+Let’s Go – 20/83 (22.7%)+5 mythicals
- Sword/Protect – 3/80 in base recreation, 7 in DLC (11.36%)+1 legendary
- Legends Arceus – 1/7 (14.28%)
A complete of 69 “legendary” Pokemon, or the full non-mythical rely of Pokemon X and Y. (Good.) Fortunately, that one in Legends: Arceus offers them an out to theoretically simply use the now 4 genies because the plot drivers for this technology. It in all probability received’t occur—there are motion pictures to be made and the anime wants some large arcs—however who’s to say no matter area Scarlet and Violet takes place in doesn’t have a regional variant of an present group or some older Legendary Pokemon if we actually should go down that street?
3) Both don’t have a battle gimmick like Dynamax in any respect, or make it postgame solely.
Mega Evolution, Z-Strikes, and Dynamax/Gigantamax have been cute for a time, however almost a decade of gimmickry made the straightforward throwback fight of Sensible Diamond and Shining Pearl truly type of refreshing. Ideally, we don’t must cope with one other gimmick factor, however the “raid” idea from Sword and Protect was standard and Arceus is aware of Go received’t cease shoving raids down the playerbase’s throats. They’re a easy technique to make post-launch content material as properly.
Fortunately, there’s precedent for holding gimmickry out of the story within the Pokemon collection or at the very least limiting it. Pokemon Black 2 / White 2 added the idea of “Hidden Grottoes,” a proto-raid den that could possibly be run into for uncommon Pokemon or objects; it was launched across the time of the fourth badge and was principally solely obligatory within the postgame for Pokedex completion. Solar and Moon additionally stored the Mega Evolution gimmick from the unique 3DS technology, however all the objects wanted for triggering it have been solely unlocked after profitable the title for the primary time.
So if one thing precipitated within the postgame causes a bunch of dens to spawn within the setting for straightforward multiplayer play, that’d be wonderful. Or in the event that they adopted the “Agile Model / Sturdy Model” idea from Legends: Arceus, however tailored it to a turn-based format in a means that it’s always accessible. I can see it being solely utilized to damaging strikes, and both lowering injury to provide the assault elevated precedence (on the order of Excessive Pace) or taking a transfer precedence hit with a purpose to tack on further injury.
That is in all probability probably the most egocentric want of mine: I’d actually like for my roommate to get again into the collection, and he’s cited the “gimmicks” as a purpose he hasn’t actually loved a Pokemon recreation because the Black / White video games. (He’s skipped each Swap Pokemon recreation solely.)
4) Do a greater job of spreading out when Pokemon grow to be accessible
That is particularly a Sword and Protect criticism, however they frontloaded that recreation to an absurd diploma. It’s potential to get almost 75% of the Pokedex within the base Sword and Protect previous to the primary health club, and there’s doubtlessly greater than 520 Pokemon accessible if the DLC is current, together with roughly 30 Legendary Pokemon. Most of that is because of the presence of the Wild Space, and particularly the raid dens; though Sword and Protect prolonged the previous badge obedience cap to forestall catching something over the cap, the Pokemon within the raid dens would coincidentally come at or close to your stage cap. (The remainder of that is the truth that the Dynamax Adventures of the Crown Tundra might be achieved as quickly because the DLC unlocks, with the one roadblock being a combat you possibly can lose with out affecting the plot.) I perceive that they needed to make sure varieties that have been beforehand uncommon—particularly, the Ice sort—extra broadly accessible, however most of what I utilized in my first couple of playthroughs was pulled off the routes as I simply needed to get out of the Wild Space.
One of many few issues we find out about Scarlet / Violet is that they’re going to be “open world” Pokemon video games, with no matter meaning. I’m in all probability the one sicko like this, however I need roadblocks in large numbers. More than likely, the world shall be laid out equally to what the Isle of Armor or Crown Tundra was. In that occasion, give me somewhat style of a bunch of areas with a few Pokemon accessible previous to badge (or badge substitute) 1, and let it develop a bit extra as the sport progresses. A very good portion of the Isle of Armor was blocked off till water journey turned an possibility pre-badge 7; this was cool. However I’m additionally on document as saying my favourite elements of Sword and Protect have been routes 1 to eight till the hail kicked in.
The typical Pokemon recreation post-DS has had someplace between a half and three quarters of all Pokemon in it. That may put Scarlet / Violet at between 500 and 750 Pokemon roughly. In the event that they’re evenly divided between no matter recreation milestones can be found, pre-credits, and the postgame, that’s fairer than having a dump like pre-badge 1 in Sword/Protect or (to a lesser extent) pre-badge 2 in Pokemon X and Y.
5) Retcon among the stupider evolutionary strategies nonetheless standing
Inkay (flip the system the wrong way up upon putting the blow that results in the level-up) and Galarian Yamask (lose 49 HP, then drive beneath a random arch within the Wild Space of Sword and Protect) are what I’m particularly aiming at right here. They eliminated plenty of location-relevant evolutions in Sword and Protect: Eevee turned appropriate with the Leaf Stone after 23 years. However the truth that you possibly can’t evolve Inkay docked is type of dumb, and who’s to say the subsequent system may have system-level gyro? Would possibly as properly rip the bandage now. And I needed to lookup Galarian Yamask’s evolution on three completely different web sites when making an attempt to do it as a result of I couldn’t imagine it. In what universe does it make sense?
Assuming the Hisuian originals of Legends: Arceus come via time – which hey, we have already seen Hisuian Zoroak – they might additionally need to patch up Stantler, Qwilfish, and Basculin’s evolutions. The final one—lose well being from recoil strikes?—is very in want of a repair. I think the primary two of that group will get modified to “stage up with (trademark transfer)” if the Sturdy/Agile system is disregarded anyway.
Have some hopes for Scarlet and Violet you need to get out? Or do you need to have me dedicated? Both means, tell us under and we are able to snicker collectively when actually none of this occurs in the course of the vacation season.