SwSh Dynamax: Thoughts, Feelings, or Concerns

[El_]

Neutral. Really, I'm just not for how it's being used. Pokemon gigantism is something that would be so much better if utilized in the now open world (wild area) where there would be certain unique encounters or chances of running into really big Pokemon. It could have been utilized like a new shiny encounter.

Right now, it's just bigger Pokemon battles. Some Pokemon also look pretty silly being as big as a Macy's Day parade balloon.

 

[prog rocker]

Neutral. I don't see myself using this, but I also don't dislike it. It's just meh for me.

 

[SeanWheeler]

Couldn't it have just been a battle effect for moves like Growth or Minimize or any new kind of size-shifting moves?

 

[Sakuraa]

It's epic and terrifying at the same time. I'm glad that it's like Z-Moves in that all Pokemon can take advantage of it. It's also nice that it ends after 3 turns and doesn't last the entire battle like Megas.

Personally, I think this is a nice kind of power up to add. And of course, young kids are sure to love it. I totally get why that went with this.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Something funny recently came to mind. Imagine a Dynamaxed Magikarp using Max Splash (or whatever it would be called). Considering that they turned Z-Splash into something actually useful (and funny), a Kaiju-style Magikarp using Max Splash that would actually be useful would be pretty funny. Or it could, you know, just flop on top of its opponents and just flatten them by splashing around pathetically.

 

[El_]

That leaker also said another feature they referred to as Gigantamaxing which actually does change the appearance of the Pokemon along with enlarging them. Assuming they're correct about this too, I wonder why wouldn't Game Freak just simply have that (as opposed to Dynamax) as the main gimmick? Is it bc only certain Pokemon would have access to it?

Like @Silktree said on the prior page, they likely are revealing this now and saving the more drastic change mechanic for later. Question the point of an elongated Meowth... but I'm not the game designer. Maybe it's a callback to something like Old School Fat Pikachu would be.

 

[Daenerys]

Pokemon getting bigger during some battles just kind of annoys me because it seems really underwhelming compared to Mega Evolution. Aesthetic wise, it's a downgrade from some of the previous gimmicks imo.

 

[Silktree]

If Gigantamaxing is real, then I'll probably view it as the equivalent of exclusive Z-moves. In other words: favoritism for a limited number of critters. It does make sense not to reveal it alongside the main feature.

But then I question the logic of forms being limited to an effect that only lasts three turns. Not too different from Megas, but still. Maybe if they don't get boosted moves, they could be around for longer.

 

[godiego]

That leaker also said another feature they referred to as Gigantamaxing which actually does change the appearance of the Pokemon along with enlarging them. Assuming they're correct about this too, I wonder why wouldn't Game Freak just simply have that (as opposed to Dynamax) as the main gimmick? Is it bc only certain Pokemon would have access to it?

this is probably one of those where we'll have to wait and see what the 'lore' and gameplay mechanics behind the two are. after all, Primal Reversion happened.

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Well since this is kind of a non-event, hopefully there's new megas!

 

[Silktree]

Well since this is kind of a non-event, hopefully there's new megas!

It's as big an event as Z-moves, at the very least.

Cross-generational evolutions are more likely than Megas at this point.

 

[Almonds]

I'm neutral to it. It seems like a logical step forward after Totem Pokemon, and the fact that it's not limited to select few Mons like Mega Evo means you can make your favorite Mon go Kaiju-style. Though... it does bring concern about a certain Mega Mon going Kaiju... Mega Rayquaza, the beast that broke Smogon to bits. But, overall, it's okay. I don't think it's outstanding, but the fact that it's not selective to a small group of Mons, has a 3-turn limit, and there could be added bonuses to catching Dynamaxed Mons (like, say, they'll have their HA, perhaps), it's not the worst. Goofy, yes, but not terrible.

Since Pokemon had taken a lot of inspiration from the Godzilla series, it looks like they took a step into making them into actual Godzillas.

It would be nice if the pokemon boss raids allowed everyone to Dynamax their pokemon. One per team doesn't sound fair.

Though I would like to see someone dynamax a Magikarp just for laughs. Imagine a troll doing it up against a shiny dynamax battle.

 

[Kallyle]

I'm conflicted about this. On one hand: Kaiju Pokémon Battles! On the other hand, it seems like Game Freak is just going to keep introducing new mechanics instead of improving existing ones (Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves), which make you wonder why they even bother with them if they're just going to throw it away.

In addition, it doesn't seem as notable/marketable as the previous gimmicks on several grounds:

1. How is the Pokémon Company supposed to make merchandise of it since those sorts of things come in various sizes anyways?
2. The fact that all Dynamaxed Pokémon only become larger and have the the same red aura and clouds above it makes the mechanic seem like Game's Freak trying to cheese their way out of making new designs (regardless of whether or not it's actually the case).
3. Giant Pokémon, while something I've always wanted since the early days of the anime, really didn't need to be paired with a gimmick; they could have just existed.
4. This is mostly due to a lack of information, but what does Dynamaxing do that isn't already accomplished by Mega Evolution and Z-Moves?

I mean it looks cool, but what purpose does this new mechanic have that couldn't have been done via the mechanics introduced in the previous generations? Only time will tell.

One thing's for certain though: moves like Grass Knot and Low Kick will be getting a lot more use for now on!

 

[NealIRC]

My post is irrelevant but we need to put a voice for Nintendo that gimmicks in general suck. Especially this 1. However, I wonder if this is just similar to Totem pokemon, except here, all stats are raised a stage or 2?

 

[QuilavaRDSP]

While I don't think I have a concrete opinion on this mechanic yet, I will say that I already prefer it over Mega Evolution (though, to be fair, I despised that mechanic enough anyways). The only thing I fear that much here is whether they'll play the Gen I pandering card again somehow but so far I'm alright with the mechanic otherwise.

 

[prog rocker]

While I don't think I have a concrete opinion on this mechanic yet, I will say that I already prefer it over Mega Evolution (though, to be fair, I despised that mechanic enough anyways). The only thing I fear that much here is whether they'll play the Gen I pandering card again somehow but so far I'm alright with the mechanic otherwise.

This mechanic can be used by anyone apparently, so I don't think there will be pandering.

 

[Soki]

I despise the whole thing. There was nothing wrong with just having normal Pokémon battles in gyms, why do we have to fight big balloon mons now? Ugh it looks so stupid and it ruins the whole experience for me really.

I complained a lot about Mega Evolution back when it was introduced, but now I wish they'd just expanded on that instead. At least we got some cool new designs with them.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

I'm neutral to it. It seems like a logical step forward after Totem Pokemon, and the fact that it's not limited to select few Mons like Mega Evo means you can make your favorite Mon go Kaiju-style. Though... it does bring concern about a certain Mega Mon going Kaiju... Mega Rayquaza, the beast that broke Smogon to bits. But, overall, it's okay. I don't think it's outstanding, but the fact that it's not selective to a small group of Mons, has a 3-turn limit, and there could be added bonuses to catching Dynamaxed Mons (like, say, they'll have their HA, perhaps), it's not the worst. Goofy, yes, but not terrible.

Overall just kind of neutral to the idea. I like the idea of doing raids with others and battling Dynamax Pokemon, but I am not really sure how I feel about it in game. I think I would still prefer it if they took some time to expand more on their older mechanics, rather than making new ones every new gen.

I'll use it, and it doesn't turn my head away from the game, but I don't think I would prefer it.

These sum up my opinions perfectly on the matter, perhaps phrased better than I could!

Gigantamaxing

That’s the most awful name I’ve ever seen for a mechanic...

My only 'concern' is a Wailord vs Wailord where both Dynamax and the buddies too have Wailord and Alolan Exeggutor.

 

[Esserise]

I'm conflicted about this. On one hand: Kaiju Pokémon Battles! On the other hand, it seems like Game Freak is just going to keep introducing new mechanics instead of improving existing ones (Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves), which make you wonder why they even bother with them if they're just going to throw it away.

People keep saying this, but...

A. From a storytelling perspective, trying to transplant the actual lore of Mega Evolution into Hoenn came out kind of awkwardly because we ended up with two totally different origin stories for the mechanic (and let's not forget the shoehorned-ness of the Southern Island trip that introduces the player to it). I think it's somewhat telling that SM ignored the Hoenn stuff in its brief summary of Mega Evolution, and LGPE didn't even try to justify it and simply said "here this exists." When you design a bespoke new mechanic for a region, you don't really run into that issue, because all of the details are automatically contextualized around things specific to that region (even Primal Reversion, which exists solely for two Hoenn Pokémon, actually deals with a more Hoennian thematic concern like the power of nature instead of shrugging and going, "Um??? Meteors I guess!???"). But more than that, each of these mechanics are meant to illustrate something unique about the region's culture. In the real world, wherever you go, customs differ. Different cultures formulate their own methods for things, and modify existing ones to better suit their way of life. Given that Pokémon battling is the core of this series, the different mechanics are a way of showing that in the context of the Pokémon world - "How is Pokémon battling different in this region from this other one?" In Kalos, Mega Evolution reflects the social inequality of that region: Power is available only to a chosen few (several of whom are the "privileged elites," in a sense, as they clearly didn't need Megas in terms of viability but got them anyway because they were popular), partially due to scarcity of the necessary resources. In Alola, on the other hand, people are much more about working together and existing as one with Pokémon, and so you get Z-Moves, which allow a Trainer and Pokémon to speak with one voice, and all of this originates from the power of Necrozma, which Alola is filled with because people worked together to defeat it in the past. And now we have Dynamaxing, which we don't yet know the lore of, but we do know that Galarians treat Pokémon battling as much more of a spectator sport, which Dynamaxing does naturally cohere with; the immense size of the Pokémon is a huge visual appeal, and the slightly more complex technical side of it, in which you have to think about when to use it, gives audiences something to anticipate.

B. When people say they'd rather that GF "improved" the existing mechanics, what do they really mean? They can't modify them too overtly, because, well... then they're just creating a new mechanic. And yet they did make one technical-minded change to Mega Evolution in Gen 7 by adjusting how it calculates speed in relation to the turn order, but nobody mentions that. Furthermore, Z-Moves themselves are, in a way, an attempt to improve the balancing of Mega Evolution by creating an alternative option that is available to all Pokémon rather than just a handful. And besides that, I mean... just look at Dynamaxing. I think it is obviously trying to take the principles of both Z-Moves and Mega Evolution and to experiment with and refine them even further. Back during the XY period, Masuda talked about how he wanted players to think about when to activate Mega Evolution, hoping that they might save it for a critical moment in battle. But that didn't really pan out, because everyone just activates it on the first or second turn to get the most mileage out of it. Z-Moves were then designed in such a way that you could save them for later. And now we see them take that lesson to the drawing board, applying the logistics of both Z-Moves and Megas into one package.

How is the Pokémon Company supposed to make merchandise of it since those sorts of things come in various sizes anyways?

Same way they did with Z-Moves I guess, by selling bracelets. It's not like there won't be ~100 new designs to profit from anyway.

The fact that all Dynamaxed Pokémon only become larger and have the the same red aura and clouds above it makes the mechanic seem like Game's Freak trying to cheese their way out of making new designs (regardless of whether or not it's actually the case).

Game Freak: introduces dynamaxing which is just resizing, but creates a whole new roster of pokemon designs as well

Fans: it seems like you're trying to avoid making new designs!

This is mostly due to a lack of information, but what does Dynamaxing do that isn't already accomplished by Mega Evolution and Z-Moves?

At the very least, it lets Max Raid Battles be a thing, which is something that Mega Evolution and Z-Moves couldn't really do. "Wild Megas" would basically just be plain old Legendary Pokémon, and a wild Pokémon with a one-shot move is hardly dynamic. Dynamaxed Raid Pokémon have a lot more oomph and a lot more options available to them at a single time. There's also the teamwork element that's added by allowing only one of the four raiders to counter-Dynamax.

 

[Thundolo]

I hope that this new mechanic is like totem pokemon, only restricted in gyms and some specific areas (raids or building like battle royal). So it doesn't conflict with mega-evo or z-moves because you can't use it in normal pokemon battles.