SwSh Dynamax: Thoughts, Feelings, or Concerns

[Esserise]

So to you, perhaps the plot and lore they attach to Mega Evolution is just fluff, but some people take fluff very seriously. Some don't of course, hence the name fluff.

But nonetheless, just because you find fluff unimportant, doesn't mean the perspective that it is important is invalid.

You can take the lore seriously - lord knows I love the stories of these games - but I think the evidence we have on-hand indicates that the producers don't in particular, or at least, they don't have any interest in adhering to a rigidly-defined Pokémon "universe." So if you are going to take the story seriously (which, again, I am very much that sort of person), it is worth being aware that you are doing that in spite of the fundamental composition of the games as standalone, marketable products with no special interest in maintaining an ongoing continuity.

Like, if you are taking the lore of Mega Evolution seriously, then you already have to sort out the contradictions that exist between its background as detailed in and its background as detailed in ORAS. Which you can certainly do, but that's a task that one chooses to take upon oneself even after the creators have demonstrated that they didn't consider it to be a worthwhile issue on their end. You should know what you're getting into.

For example, suppose there was an X and Y remake. As (perhaps) you would have it, it's not essential in theory in preserve Mega Evolutions in the game, but others would say it's essential. Maybe it doesn't matter, but it's at least a coherent perspective that it's important, don't you think?

That's kind of oversimplifying what I said. I said that these sorts of features are more like tools - they all have a time and a place to be used. In some circumstances, it is appropriate to include them. An XY remake would surely be one such instance for Mega Evolution, because that would be a remake of the games that first introduced Mega Evolution. Leaving it out in that instance would indeed be an odd decision. Mega Evolution was also convenient for the purposes of LGPE, though not in a way that called for any of its lore to be referenced. But as for a different game that has no relation to XY and is trying out something different, however, that might not be the best time to bring it out of the toolbox. Sure, you could bang on that screw with a hammer, but it would be more efficient to just use a drill.

If someone wants to say that Mega Evolution is an essential part of the game and should be included in SS because otherwise the effort spent developing its backstory in the previous games seems pointless, then, um, okay, but I don't see how that squares with how they have treated it thus far, as something that can either be rewritten wholesale to fit the setting of a remake, or just casually tossed in with no references to its origins. Is it the sheer fact that it did have that writing put into it initially and is now "part of the universe"? Again, one is free to make that argument, but I think Game Freak have shown us countless times that they will put effort into something for one game and then leave it out of subsequent games where they don't feel it fits in, with no worries over how that will affect the "universe."

 

[Lunala]

Again, one is free to make that argument, but I think Game Freak have shown us countless times that they will put effort into something for one game and then leave it out of subsequent games where they don't feel it fits in, with no worries over how that will affect the "universe."

Here I will quote myself since what I said might have been lost since it was the last post on the page:

Something we already knew, yet is irrelevant on the question of if that's how it should be. Deriving ought from is a fallacy.

Whether Mega Evolution lore should be retained in purely a matter of taste. For matters of taste, its coherence establishes its acceptability.

If it were incorrect, it should be capable of being demonstrated wrong with empirically supported reasoning. But it can't be, because matters of taste simply don't work that way. They can't be true or false.

That Gamefreak will do things exactly how they will do them is certainly true, but also irrelevant. It's merely a matter of taste and so believing Mega Evolution should be in the game can't be wrong.

Matters of fact and matters of taste remain distinct.

 

[Esserise]

Matters of fact and matters of taste remain distinct.

Sure. But we can still discuss relative matters of taste, which is what I was trying to do. "Why does x user think that it's an essential feature? Here's why I personally don't..."

 

[SerenaToAlola]

Each new game is it's own thing, people. The 3DS games solidified this fact. They could very easily not include megas in an XY remake.

Something being in an old game does not mean it should or will be in the next. Each game is a new universe in the Pokémon multiverse that has its own rules. If you want to talk about fluff being important, that's the most important fluff there is for any Pokémon game.

I suppose that is a very convincing argument for not including half of the existing pokemon in sword shield then.

 

[blitzle stan]

I suppose that is a very convincing argument for not including half of the existing pokemon in sword shield then.

Haha I mean... Like it or not, it kind of is. The thought crossed my mind when I was writing that post, but I didn't want to be the one to bring up Dexit here. It's already ravaged the speculation thread for the past week.

 

[Blockhead Pippi]

with no worries over how that will affect the "universe."

I don't think Game Freak would see that as a problem since they have more or less embraced the Alternate Universes thing that's been here since XY / ORAS. If Game is missing Feature A, it is because it exists in Universe B.

Have I mentioned yet that I really hate the Alternate Universes thing?

 

[Esserise]

Have I mentioned yet that I really hate the Alternate Universes thing?

To be fair, something like Pokémon really can't not be a multiverse. It was always baked into the concept; the only difference is now they've actually used it as a plot point for a few things.

 

[Blockhead Pippi]

To be fair, something like Pokémon really can't not be a multiverse. It was always baked into the concept

Back when FRLG and HGSS came out, we basically just accepted the story changes to be retcons. That happens all the time with other games.

The Alternate Universes were a neat concept when it was first introduced in ORAS. But now it's taken over almost every aspect of the series and made things a lot more complicated than they need be. Not to mention that they're used to excuse the removal of things.

 

[Dieter]

Back when FRLG and HGSS came out, we basically just accepted the story changes to be retcons. That happens all the time with other games.

The Alternate Universes were a neat concept when it was first introduced in ORAS. But now it's taken over almost every aspect of the series and made things a lot more complicated than they need be. Not to mention that they're used to excuse the removal of things.

Alternate universes are already explicitly mentioned in BW. And even RS alludes to them

 

[Esserise]

Back when FRLG and HGSS came out, we basically just accepted the story changes to be retcons. That happens all the time with other games.

Even if you do think of FRLG and HGSS as retcons, you're still implying a multiverse by not referring specifically to one of the two versions. The very fact that there are two suggests a parallel reality. And within that, you have a player-driven sequence of events with an incalculable number of permutations due to the RNG nature of everything in the games. It's a Hugh Everett wet dream.

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

Not to mention that they're used to excuse the removal of things.

This is what I can't stand about Alternate Universes; an excuse to camouflage imcompetence...

 

[Kallyle]

Thanks to @PkmnTrainerV, we now know that Pokémon powered up by the Dynamax phenomenon will explode when defeated.


Anyone have an idea of what the heck Dynamaxing actually does to our Pokémon? It’s clear that the “natural energy” excuse given at E3 is false; there’s definitely something sinister about this mechanic.

 

[blitzle stan]

They really did choose the most sinister color palette for the energy as well. Lol

 

[Kallyle]

They really did choose the most sinister color palette for the energy as well. Lol

I know right?! Everything from how obsessed everyone in Galar is with Dynamaxing to the wild Dynamax Pokémon affected by numerous underground fountains in the wild area to the explosions and safety hazards of Max Moves reeks of this power being at least somewhat malicious in nature. The humans and Pokémon of Galar are playing with powers they were never meant to use.

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

The execution of Dynamax is so over the top: the Pokémon become Godzillas for whatever reason (I hope it's a mechanic created by humans and not something a Pokémon is naturally capable of because otherwise I'll lose faith in the franchise), they explode dramatically after being defeated in Dynamaxed state and when Dynamaxed an atmosphere so ominous even Giratina couldn't create occurs...

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

It doesn’t do any favours to my opinion that Dynamax is really, really artificial and I'm not a huge fan of artificial looking pwoerups explained as "it’s natural energy!".

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

If Pokémon would be able to do it naturally, then I won't look at those creatures the same way again...

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

The existence of max raid spots at least confirms some natural justification.

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

At this point I can only hope that those over the top looking Max Raid spots are artificially created...

Actually that could be considered Pokémon cruelty as - if those spots are artificial - it probably makes Wild Pokémon want to voluntarily battle...

 

[Esserise]

Dynamax is really just this but set to 'W' for "Wumbo":

Actually that could be considered Pokémon cruelty as - if those spots are artificial - it probably makes Wild Pokémon want to voluntarily battle...

I mean, if we're talking ethics, then I'm pretty sure we're meant to assume that wild Pokémon want to battle anyway because otherwise your character is literally going around and terrorizing/enslaving innocent creatures who wanted nothing to do with you. If wild battles are voluntary, then you can infer that the Pokémon are testing you in order to see if they find you deserving of their power.