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SwSh Changes/Additions you would make in an update to SwSh

This has probably been said and I'm too lazy/sick to go through all the posts, but updating the ally AI in Max Raid Battles to become more competent. Seriously, when a Magikarp with a Focus Sash is considered one of the more desirable allies speaks volumes about how poor the AI is in Max Raid Battles. Meanwhile, the enemy AI is considerably smarter, which makes actually winning 4-5 Star Max Raid Battles solo very difficult. Not to mention the enemy frequently gets AoE attacks that it doesn't actually have once you catch it, or at least has a counter to everything when battling it, increasing the unfairness of it. So, I would like to see a patch smarten up the ally AI so that they're not dead weight (I'm lookin' at YOU, Wobbuffet!) and can actually get the job done, so you don't need to force yourself to use the online feature just to stand a better chance at getting the bigger baddies (especially those who are online player-phobic... like me). If they could do that, and maybe dial back the enemy AI's smarts (and actually give them the moves that they actually HAVE when caught) would make higher Max Raid Battles easier to do.
 
A change I would make is an update to the Pokémon raid pool. I discovered today that Torkoal is both a common raid boss (red beam) and a rare raid boss (purple beam), at the same den. That seems like wasted potential right there.
 
It's not a total waste - the rare pool is more likely to have better IVs, egg moves and hidden abilities so it makes sense for some duplication.
 
It's not a total waste - the rare pool is more likely to have better IVs, egg moves and hidden abilities so it makes sense for some duplication.
The IVs seem to be based on the amount of stars the Pokémon has. A rare 5 star Torkoal won’t really have much better chance at getting more IVs than a common 5 star Torkoal. How much more of a chance does a rare 5 star Pokémon have over a common 5 star Pokémon to get it’s Hidden Ability?
 
Sorry, I haven't looked through all the stats so I probably misread what was posted elsewhere.
 
So story change: literally just make it so that Galar is going to experience an imminent energy crisis so that Rose's plan makes a bit more sense. Does he still need to act during the championship? Probably not, but that can't be helped.

The problem I see with that approach is it makes Rose into a kind of Cassandra. The one man aware of the world's imminent doom while everyone else plays football and thinks he's worrying too much. There's not really any conflict there, unless you want everyone *not* on Rose's side to look like an ignorant spud, and frankly, putting the billionaire mogul in the altruistic position of the guy who's focused on what needs to be done to save the planet while the common people drool over televised sports strikes me as an even worse look than the somewhat concerning one that the current story projects.

If Rose seems unreasonable because his projected crisis is so far away, that's the point - like most Pokémon antagonists, he's supposed to have something of a fair observation in the big picture, but his means of doing something about that problem stretch into the extreme. Worrying about how to provide energy to sustain future generations isn't a bad thing, but why is he in such a hurry to do it? The fact that he doesn't *have* to do something right this very second about a problem that's a thousand years away is part of what makes it an extreme.

And that's why I think the real problem is more that his motive isn't sufficiently articulated. If we had a reason for why he feels he *must* do this right now, then it would make more sense. Personally, I think there's something to the idea that it's all a big vanity project in his eyes - he is very clearly a showman, who loves spectacle and having all eyes on him. He loves giving speeches to big crowds, even supplanting the professor in the customary role of providing the "Welcome to the world of Pokémon" spiel. He implemented Dynamax into the League tradition to put on a more thrilling display for the people. Even though he supposedly feels compelled to deal with issues as soon as possible and travels in a token "disguise" to avoid recognition, he'll let himself get caught up in a crowd if they spot him, posing for photos and signing autographs, with Oleana being the one who has to get him back on task. Speaking of Oleana, she even tells us that the whole reason she puts us through the cat-and-mouse game with the key to Rose Tower is because Rose is fond of such "menial games," when she could have just, like... not said anything at all and kept the key to herself.

And I mean, look at some of his dialogue:

"But I must provide the Galar region with limitless energy to ensure everlasting prosperity. It is my purpose, my duty, my destiny!"

"One for the history books... You still don't understand, young Champion. We... No, I am going to change the course of history!"


And then there's his battle music, with the choir seemingly saying "Go Rose, save everyone!" None of this is the kind of thing you get from a dude who wants to improve the world for entirely selfless reasons. Rose is well-meaning, but there's something in it for him. And if we take that reading, I think it makes more sense as to why he would disrupt the Championship match - it's the most watched event all year. There could be no bigger audience for his most grand gesture. Which I think also synchronizes nicely with the themes of the post-game story with Sordward and Shielbert - that all focuses on the idea of rewriting history, and about people guarding their legacy. Sordward and Shielbert take issue with you trying to take away the fame and celebrity they enjoy from being descendants of Galar's purported saviors. In Rose's case, sure, everyone adores him nowadays. But does he want to be remembered as someone who did well to improve Galar in his time, only for it to wither and fail over the centuries as energy became more sparse? Or does he want to be remembered for generations as the man who singlehandedly built Galar into a lasting metropolis, and may have taken a big risk in resuscitating Eternatus, but in doing so ensured security and abundance for Galar for generations to come? In fact, that might also explain why he's interested in exploiting the Darkest Day specifically, despite the danger it poses and the presence of other energy sources - yeah, Dynamax energy is full of potential, but the black storm itself is also a proven legendmaker, having provided the foundation for Galar's cultural identity for the last several thousand years. Furthermore, if he's aware that it runs the risk of Dynamaxing many Pokémon at once, then it also reinforces his desire to research Dynamax and introduce it into the League - this time around, there will be lots of Trainers who are capable of standing up to Dynamaxed Pokémon, having received plenty of practice through the Gym Challenge.

That's all stuff that I don't see any reason why they couldn't have communicated in Sword & Shield, and it feel like it would iron out a lot of the more contrived aspects.
 
I think another update I’d make to SwSh is to make it easier to get around the Wild Area. I was grinding for watts yesterday and it was rather tedious going around to every raid because they were scattered across the entire map. Let me fly to every section of the Wild Area rather than just four! Even better, let me warp to every active raid so that way I don’t have to bike halfway across the map.
 
This may be a nitpick and not a really big issue (I think most of the glaring issues that need improvement have been perfectly described in this thread already), but I was pretty disappointed by not actually being able to ride the train. What was even the point of it apart from two identical cutscenes? It ended up being nothing more than a more impractical Flying Taxi, as you need to go to a station to use it and not even every town has a station.

I would improve this by actually being able to go on the train and walk through the carriages. Interact with the travelers aboard and battle Trainers. You could even have different people and scenarios aboard depending on what stations you travel between. Both the S.S. Aqua and the S.S. Tidal had this in their respective games.

Another cool thing would be to be able to peek out the window and see more of Galar outside what you already see on routes (although I'm aware a lot of development work would have to go into this).
 
Make spikemuth more than a straight line with no buildings. I don't know how we went from po town, a villain controlled city with a cool aesthic and some exploration to spikemuth with literally nothing but the gym challange.

Oh and also around gym 5 they gave up on anything cool for the challange except fight 3 trainers in a row. I would keep it for the fairy gym since the quiz questions were cool enough but spikemuth and hammerlocke need an actual puzzle to solve.

Oh and if for no other character voice acting for piers song that was awkward.
 
I don't know how we went from po town [with] some exploration

Ehh... I don't like Spikemuth, but other than the Shady House which is clearly superior to Piers's bland open court, I don't think Po Town is that much better in terms of gameplay. Everything leading up to the Shady House feels to me almost exactly the same as Spikemuth, especially if you include Outer Spikemuth in that equation: a blockade, a sneaky side entrance, then a Skull grunt/Marnie battle, then a Pokémon Center - and from there, basically just a straight line peppered with some more grunt battles and cardboard houses.
 
Ehh... I don't like Spikemuth, but other than the Shady House which is clearly superior to Piers's bland open court, I don't think Po Town is that much better in terms of gameplay. Everything leading up to the Shady House feels to me almost exactly the same as Spikemuth, especially if you include Outer Spikemuth in that equation: a blockade, a sneaky side entrance, then a Skull grunt/Marnie battle, then a Pokémon Center - and from there, basically just a straight line peppered with some more grunt battles and cardboard houses.

You're correct, but because Po Town had more room to roam it felt more fleshed out and I think that's the issue that needs to be addressed.
 
You're correct, but because Po Town had more room to roam it felt more fleshed out and I think that's the issue that needs to be addressed.

I mean, empty space is still empty space. I don't think that's the real issue. Certainly I'd rather they actually flesh these towns out rather than widening them a bit just to create the illusion that they did. Both Po Town and Spikemuth are clearly places with history, so let us see and explore some of that. Who previously inhabited Po Town, and why did they leave? What's with the giant wall? What were Spikemuth's big attractions in its heyday and how far have they fallen to ruin? All we see are some typical storefronts. (Why's there not a Spikemuth-exclusive hair stylist who can give your character some punk/alternative hairstyles that were maybe once a big trend?)
 
Make it so that you can grow your own berries. The way it is now with the whole "Shake this tree and hope that you get the berries that you're looking for! Also pray that a pokemon doesn't fall from the tree and steal the berries you shook loose!" thing is just frustrating.
 
So third versions are now Expansion passes...
1. Post game island?
2. Possible regionals slowpoke.
3. Gigantamax Kanto and Galar Starters!
4. New Characters
5. What looks like new forms for the Regis?
6. Edgylegendary birds
 
So third versions are now Expansion passes...
1. Post game island?
2. Possible regionals slowpoke.
3. Gigantamax Kanto and Galar Starters!
4. New Characters
5. What looks like new forms for the Regis?
6. Edgylegendary birds
Actually those Regis look new, they have different eye patterns. I'm gonna guess that since the first three are stone, ice, and metal ages, these new two will represent the dark ages and technology age.
 
Actually those Regis look new, they have different eye patterns. I'm gonna guess that since the first three are stone, ice, and metal ages, these new two will represent the dark ages and technology age.
I guess... The designs seemed weird. Serebii lists the new legendary birds as Galarian forms... is that verified? I find that somehow hard to believe. They appear noticeably more "edgy".
 
Aggggh will the official site update today!?!? I NEED it!!!!
 
Please note: The thread is from 3 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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