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What would you have changed about Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

SeanWheeler

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So that now that we're playing Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, there are probably some things you're disappointed in. But suppose you became an expert modder, a time traveler who went back in time to work with ILCA, or a reality-warping wish granting genie sorcerer, and you had the power to change the game into your ideal remakes of Diamond and Pearl, what would be different in your recreations? And remember, they have to still be set in Sinnoh. Don't change them to Unova for stuff more relevant to a Black and White remake thread. And don't change them to Legends Arceus either. And do not add things that would affect the age ratings of the game. It's got to be still rated E by the ESRB and your new powers will not make them overlook the sex, drugs, violence, profanity and offensive content. However, graphical updates, changes in Pokémon distribution and trainers, features that make these remakes closer to Platinum, connectivity to other Pokémon games, etc. are all fair game.

To start, I would change the Sinnoh Dex to something that expands beyond the Platinum Dex to include the seven legendaries that were still left out of the Platinum Dex, and have the total number as 251. Trainers would use their Platinum teams with a few changed to account for the extra forty Pokémon. I would bring back the Battle Frontier. And I would have a complete National Dex with all 898 Pokémon.

Now, what would you change about these games?
 
If it were my call, and I had the budget, I would remake specifically Platinum as a fully open world game. Same main story, modified gameplay. And I would include the national Dex (post game) up to Galar and Hisui. And I would include the events for all mythicals.

That being said, I am still enjoying the game a lot as it is.
 
Underground secret base decorations... please......

Also make the overworld models more expressive. More expressions would be appreciated, but more importantly I think the models right now don't gesture enough, if that makes sense. Every time they zoom in for a conversation I see up close how doll-like the models are, and the flat expression makes them feel lifeless.

It's kinda weird because the models in battle are actually better at this; the characters have their own gestures and reactions that reflect their personality. So the overworld models being so doll-like feels like a deliberate decision, and not a good one imo.
 
I'm loving Brilliant Diamond so far (I'm currently at the Canalave/Iron Island part), but as with all Pokemon games there are a few things I would have done differently. If I could go back in time and work with ILCA I would (assuming I had enough time and resources)...

  • Make TMs multi-use
  • Make the move relearner in Pastoria no longer require Heart Scales
  • Add a fully-explorable Distortion World to the postgame
  • Add the Battle Frontier (I never much liked it, but I'd bring it back for the people who do)
  • Make Darkrai, Shaymin and the Platinum outfit available without events
  • Make trade evolutions catchable in the Underground, like they were in Galar's Wild Area
  • Make all Pokemon from the Platinum Dex catchable in the Underground during the main story, rather than only most of them
  • Add an option to switch off the Exp Share, and/or adjust the level curve to accomodate the Exp Share (my team is overlevelled at the moment)
  • Make special battle backgrounds for the Cycling Road, the cities, and any other areas that lack them. Most of the backgrounds in this game are absolutely stunning, the best we've ever seen, but unfortunately a few battles (most notably the ones against your rival) still happen in blurry voids
  • Make it possible to take any Pokemon into Amity Square (the fact that they didn't do this was one of the biggest disappointments IMO)
  • Make new walking and running animations for some of the slower Pokemon, so that they can keep up with you. It gets a bit distracting when they teleport constantly
  • Ensure that the game is finished before the cartridges are manufactured, so that a day one patch isn't needed
  • And as @silurica mentioned, I'd include Secret Base decorations

This list probably makes it sound like I'm really critical Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl when actually, the opposite is true! I think they're really underrated. I could probably come up with a list this long for any game.
 
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To be honest, I'd make it more of a remaster+ than the shot-for-shot+ we've got.

  • The TMs can remain single use as in the current game, but they should be called TRs as per SwSh's standard.
  • Allow Eevee to evolve into Sylveon, and have the Unova and Kalos starters appear in the Grand Underground upon completing the original (493) full National Pokédex as a reward (excluding Mythicals).
  • Have the Pokédex be from Pt instead of DP.
  • Include the Global Trade Station and Wonder Trade/Surprise Trade for those seeking to complete their Pokédex without having to go through the mostly unreliable Global Room.
  • Instead of a Battle Tower, the end-game should have something akin to the Battle Chateau from XY. You get BP depending on the rank of the trainer you fought (eg: 1BP for lower grade trainers, 2BP for upper grade trainers and Gym Leaders, 3BP for the Elite Four and Barry, and 5BP for Cynthia), and you can only fight your rank and under. Experience is gained, and new Pokémon encountered will be registered to the Dex. Writs would cost BP instead of Pokecoins. It would be useful for a post-game level grinding as well as insuring getting BP is doable.
  • The Great Marsh should just allow normal battling and catching, like the Safari in ORAS.
  • There would be a GO Safari replacing the Pal Park (with Ramanas Park elsewhere), and like the one in LGPE, it would have direct connection to Pokémon GO. Only Generation IV Pokémon would be transferable from GO, but after defeating Cynthia, it can be any Pokémon between Generations I-IV as long as they're registered in the Pokédex as "caught", and you can only have up to 30 at a time. Catching them would be the the standard way, and if they faint, you must exit and reenter.
  • Feebas would be easier to find, and the option to evolve it by trade while holding the Prism Scale is retained. Alternately, have Milotic as a very rare encounter in the Grand Underground after obtaining the National Pokédex.
  • Allow Nosepass to evolve into Probopass by Thunder Stone.
 
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I forgot: make the game playable with one Joy con (as an alternative), as they did with Sw/Sh. It is a big deal for some of us who have wrist problems on the left hand.

On topic, I would swap the functionality of the Y and the + buttons. I use the global trade thingy far less than the multiple gadgets one, but I tend to press Y often instead for the latter for some reason. This layout feels a bit counter intuitive to me.

And, yes, I agree the GTS from X/Y should return and be the stardard for all newer Pokemon games.
 
I would change the following:
  • Expand the Sinnoh Pokédex beyond Platinum to include all the Sinnoh legendaries, Sylveon, and the two extra Regis introduced in Sword and Shield.
  • Cyrus would still merely summon the box legendary with the Red Chain... but only because he captured the opposite mascot prior to this summoning, thus explaining how he knows that Poké Balls will limit certain abilities of Pokémon. Furthermore, Cyrus's story expands into the post game with the Distortion World present.
  • I would add items from later generations like the Assult Vest and Eviolite, the latter of which would be given by Mindy after realizing her mistake with the Everstone Haunter trade.
  • Instead of going completely DP in regards to the main game teams, but also not wanting to completely convert to Platinum's teams (as there are aspects to DP's teams that I'm fine with), I would give the Gym Leaders and the E4 the teams I specified in this post from another thread.
  • Contests would be more like they were in DPPt instead of reduced to the rhythm mini game that BDSP ended up getting.
  • Decorations, capture the flag, and traps would be present in the Grand Underground. You can also use traps to weaken the overworld Pokémon for capture before battle.
  • The Battle Frontier, and the Battle Zone as a whole would be a little different than it was in both DP and Platinum.
    • The Battle Tower with Palmer and the Battle Factory with Thorton would be located in the Battle Park.
    • The Survival Area would now contain the Battle Arcade (renamed to the Battle Studio) and the Battle Castle,
      • The Battle Arcade is converted into the Battle Studio, going from a gambling theme to a quiz-show like setting due to the EU laws regarding depiction of gambling in video games. Think of Opal's questions from SwSh, only more detailed and geared towards obscure Pokémon trivia with effects other than stat modifications.
      • The Battle Castle would get an entirely new gimmick; instead of purchasing items with facility-specific currency, the focus would be on Inverse Battles instead. The excuse would be that it helps Caitlin gain control over her powers so that she can one day battle herself without losing control.
    • The Battle Hall is in the Resort Area, whose gimmick is changed to the Contest Battles seen in the Pokémon Anime. Also, you can only participate in these different contest battles if you have previously cleared the corresponding contest condition's Master Rank.
  • The Villa from Platinum would be present in the Resort Area.
  • The affection boost would be capped like it was in SwSh, requiring Poffins or EV reducing Berries to break it (but not following Pokémon).
 
Here are more of my changes:
  • Expand the Sinnoh Pokédex.
    • Use the Platinum Dex and expand it from there.
    • Add Sylveon and Mr. Ryme to the Pokédex with the Eevee and Mr. Mime families. That bumps up the other Pokémon's numbers and makes Giratina #212.
    • Make the Sinnoh Dex total 251. That would be 39 new Pokémon tacked on to the end after Giratina.
    • Make sure to include Heatran, Regigigas, Cresselia, Phione, Darkrai, Shaymin and Arceus.
    • The additional Pokémon can range from Pokémon that were only obtainable in Platinum's post-game or Pokémon from Unova, Kalos, Alola and Galar.
  • Expand the National Dex to include all the Pokémon from Unova to Galar.
    • After Legends Arceus is released, patch the new Hisuan Pokémon into the National Dex.
  • Pokémon availability
    • Obviously, a lot of Pokémon in the new Sinnoh Dex would be strategically placed in areas.
    • After beating Cynthia, you should just have some Legendaries left to see in the Sinnoh Dex. So there's a Legendary episode to do.
      • The events at Spear Pillar should happen more like Platinum, but you catch your box Legendary while Cyrus catches the opposite Legendary before Giratina sends you to the Distortion World.
        • And because of that, the final battle with Cyrus should include Palkia in Brilliant Diamond or Dialga in Shining Pearl.
      • The Hoenn Regis are obtainable in their Ruins opened up after you became the Champion. The Rock Peak Ruins is moved to Route 207 in what looks like an extra entrance to Mt. Coronet.
      • The Manaphy Egg is received from a Pokémon Ranger, and not as a Mystery Gift.
      • Shaymin can be found in Eterna Forest.
      • The mission to save Eldritch's son with a Lunar Wing starts after you beat Canalave Gym. And then in the Legendary Episode quest for the National Dex, you save the boy by catching Darkrai on Newmoon Island.
      • The Hall of Origin appears on Spear Pillar after you beat Cynthia so that you can catch Arceus.
      • The only Sinnoh Legendary you can't catch until the National Dex is Heatran, because his home in Stark Mountain is way out in the Battle Zone. Thankfully, Flint would have a Heatran.
    • The Poké Radar, in addition to finding the Poké Radar Pokémon from the original games also has a small chance of finding a Gens V-VIII Pokémon.
  • Change a few trainer's teams.
    • Most trainers should base their teams on Platinum, but a few should adjust to the additional Pokémon in the new Sinnoh Dex.
    • Trainers having Pokémon that you would have already encountered by that point should have the common Pokémon replaced with Pokémon added to the new Sinnoh Dex.
    • Trainers on the post-game routes can't have any Sinnoh Dex Pokémon.
    • No trainers can have Starters except for rivals.
      • A new rival will be introduced with the same starter as yours.
    • Gym Leaders and Elite Four members have their Platinum teams, but Gardenia's Turtwig is replaced with Oddish and Flint's Infernape is replaced with Heatran.
  • Improve on the graphics.
    • Lose the chibis and make everyone in the overworld full-scaled models of themselves.
    • In cutscenes where NPCs zigzag towards you, they instead would walk a straight diagonal path.
    • Improve on the battle animations.
      • Make contact moves have the Pokémon running at the enemy.
      • Punching, kicking, scratching, biting, and mouth blast attacks should all have the appropriate animations.
      • Give Pokémon emotional reactions to attacks.
      • Every move that blasts stuff out of the mouth has to actually come out of the mouth unless there's alternatives like Blastoise's cannons.
      • Status effects should have their own animations, like Sleep should have the Pokémon curled up on the ground.
  • Trainer customization
    • Your default look is a revamped version of Lucas or Dawn, but you can unlock the Classic clothes.
    • You can unlock the Platinum clothes without the Mystery Gift.
    • Instead of unified outfits, you can mix and match the different hats, shirts, jackets, pants, skirts, shoes, accessories, and bags.
    • More outfits are available, including the HeartGold/SoulSilver styled outfits.
    • The storage room for the Style Shop is replaced with a haircut salon.
  • Connectivity
    • The Direct Corner Trade Center would be back.
    • You appear as your Lucas/Dawn avatar and not as a Trainer Class.
    • You can trade or battle with Sword and Shield. But your Galarian buddy has to install an update that allows the compatibility and unlocks the National Dex in Galar, ending Dexit once and for all!
 
Overall I’m enjoying Brilliant Diamond but there’s definitely some little niggles I’d like changed. I don’t really mind the “faithful” remake approach but I think a little more of the “faithful but better” approach (like how they dealt with HMs) would have greatly improved the game.

My list of wishes in no particular order:

  • Improve character customisation - I realise the chibi overworld models might have made Sword/Shield level customisation impossible but come on at least let me chose which hat I want with each style
  • Include at least a few later gen Pokémon, particularly Galarian Pokémon- to me this is the one big thing that would have made this feel more like it’s part of the same generation as Sword/Shield. Part of me hopes that when Home connectivity gets added they might patch a few in but I really don’t think it’s very likely.
  • Amity Square should have allowed way more Pokémon, perhaps allowing all first evos or all Pokémon under a certain size - given all Pokémon can be following mons there’s no real excuse for keeping the original ones beyond wanting to stay too faithful to the originals.
  • HM app doesn’t always call the same Pokémon, instead calls any random Pokémon that could use those HMs in the original with a higher chance of it being one that is available wild in the route you’re on. I appreciate the Bidoof as HM slave reference but it would be nicer to see a wider range of mons while playing through.
  • The Underground should show shiny Pokémon in the overworld, I had the same gripe with Sword/Shield
  • Some better explanations of mechanics-biggest example I wasted a ton of pokeballs in the underground trying to catch a Pokémon that was 1 level above mine before googling the catch rate to find that swapping to another mon that was 3 levels higher would make it an easy catch. Also stuff like the diglett in the underground could do with an NPC to explain them. Admittedly some of this stuff might be in the Guidebook item but I haven’t looked and frankly it would make more sense to be better explained without the need to look for explanations
  • The Pokétch is mostly useless but could have easily been fixed by making it auto update when in shrunk mode. I didn’t like on the DS that apps like the egg checker needed a manual refresh but at least then it was an easy touch of the screen, on the Seitch it’s too much faff to be worthwhile and the item finder is too much hassle to bother with for the most part.
  • Remove shiny locks from the Mew and Jirachi gifts
  • Fix the damn shiny charm
  • Not have a shiny ✨ looking icon next to the color statues in the underground- this has lead to a lot of confusion about the function of the statues

There’s probably more little niggles bit those are the ones that have annoyed me the most.
 
Actually only a small amount of things:

Additional room for the underground base with the old decorations / return of traps

Multiple use TMs

Toggle Exp share (even though I don't mind it, I still think this should be an option)

Changing outfits everywhere

And now the two things that are the most important in my opinion:

Giving the partner pokemon the same physics like temporary partners (I can walk through Riley and he always stays close without being stuck, if he can do this, why can't my Pokemon?)

A "shortcut button" that imitates touching the middle part of the Poketch without the necessity to open the Poketch (the item radar is pretty much useless to me because it is so annoying to use that I just try to find hidden items on my own)
 
I would not let the Elite 4 members or Cynthia have access to their perfect teams regarding perfect EV/IV's/ perfect moves and abilities the first time you fight them. It's ridiculous how prepared they are, i've never had to grind this much in the other games.
 
I would not let the Elite 4 members or Cynthia have access to their perfect teams regarding perfect EV/IV's/ perfect moves and abilities the first time you fight them. It's ridiculous how prepared they are, i've never had to grind this much in the other games.
Yet some people complain the games would be to easy - I somehow managed to be under leveled when fighting Cynthia (despite exp share) and just won by luck after several tries because her Garchomp used swords dance instead of sweeping my Dialga so the roar of time OHKOed her.
 
Yet some people complain the games would be to easy - I somehow managed to be under leveled when fighting Cynthia (despite exp share) and just won by luck after several tries because her Garchomp used swords dance instead of sweeping my Dialga so the roar of time OHKOed her.
My little ranted about this is since i lost since most elite 4 members made me waste a lot of revives (Flint in particular made me lose several max revives and full restores:cautious:)
So when i got to Lucian i got badly beaten by his Alakazam after his Mr. Mime took out Monferno.
Now i'm deadbroke in terms of money and i'm grinding for levels and x battle items
But the recommended trainers outside the pokemon mansion don't recover quickly enough with vs. seeker. Even the underground has very few items you can sell for money.
 
My little ranted about this is since i lost since most elite 4 members made me waste a lot of revives (Flint in particular made me lose several max revives and full restores:cautious:)
So when i got to Lucian i got badly beaten by his Alakazam after his Mr. Mime took out Monferno.
Now i'm deadbroke in terms of money and i'm grinding for levels and x battle items
But the recommended trainers outside the pokemon mansion don't recover quickly enough with vs. seeker. Even the underground has very few items you can sell for money.
Yeah, money is kind of problematic until certain requirements are met. I haven't bought a single outfit yet because I'm saving money as hard as possible. I could technically dupe nuggets but they're not bringing enough money in relation to the effort.
 
Adjust the wild Pokémon encounter function. It feels like I’m triggering a random battle every 3 steps.
 
Adjust the wild Pokémon encounter function. It feels like I’m triggering a random battle every 3 steps.
That's an interesting statement, I actually told my wife recently how glad I am that you can walk through cave areas without repel and still don't get attacked over and over again (but that might be because I don't run in those areas)
 
I personally would have remade it to be visually more like LGPE. At the minimum I’d want to see Pokémon roaming out in the wild like they do in the underground.

I appreciate this so much more now after going back to the wild encounters in the grass, I find it so annoying now lol
 
I'd like to have movement feel a bit smoother. It feels like everything has hitboxes much bigger than they would seem, and it feels like I keep bumping into stuff that isn't there. The bike in particular is annoying, since it feels like there's always a delay in my inputs. It takes a while before I actually start moving, and turning feels clunky.
 
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