Main Series or Spinoff?

[RileyXY1]

I don't know if it means anything to anyone else, but the 2019 VGC rulesets mention Z-Moves, Mega Stones, and Primals which indicates that USUM will still be the primary games used for that format. I haven't heard any announcements of LGPE being used. Obviously, GF considers the games as main series, but perhaps the conversation should be about whether the games are core or sub series. I think this announcement indicates sub series.

This is because LGPE really aren't suitable for competitive play, because they have no abilities, held items, etc.

 

[_Dog]

I don't know if it means anything to anyone else, but the 2019 VGC rulesets mention Z-Moves, Mega Stones, and Primals which indicates that USUM will still be the primary games used for that format. I haven't heard any announcements of LGPE being used. Obviously, GF considers the games as main series, but perhaps the conversation should be about whether the games are core or sub series. I think this announcement indicates sub series.

Since when was the VGC more of an authority than Game Freak themselves?

 

[PartTimePokemonMaster]

Since when was the VGC more of an authority than Game Freak themselves?

What I was trying to argue was that LGPE is not a spinoff, but a sub-series. My rationale was that the officially hosted Pokemon World Championships were going to continue to use Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon for the VGC 2019 instead of the new LGPE. That is in spite of LGPE having PvP battling.

 

[RileyXY1]

What I was trying to argue was that LGPE is not a spinoff, but a sub-series. My rationale was that the officially hosted Pokemon World Championships were going to continue to use Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon for the VGC 2019 instead of the new LGPE. That is in spite of LGPE having PvP battling.

As I mentioned earlier, this is because LGPE aren't suitable for competitive battling.

 

[Greninjaman]

As I mentioned earlier, this is because LGPE aren't suitable for competitive battling.

No abilities, no held items. Yeah. These games are not made for competitive play. More casual play. Not sure why People are worried about it becoming casual.

 

[RileyXY1]

No abilities, no held items. Yeah. These games are not made for competitive play. More casual play. Not sure why People are worried about it becoming casual.

Because this might be the trend for the future of the franchise.

 

[Greninjaman]

Because this might be the trend for the future of the franchise.

BUT, they did say that the next set of games will be more along the lines what we have seen from the past main games. PErhaps these games are the start of a new sub main series.

 

[Hidden Mew]

When did they confirm that the games wouldn't have abilities or held items? I've heard that floating around for awhile, but I don't recall reading that on Serebii or any other reliable source.

 

[BigBadButterfree]

When did they confirm that the games wouldn't have abilities or held items? I've heard that floating around for awhile, but I don't recall reading that on Serebii or any other reliable source.

The held items thing is assumed from some people saying as such from playing the demo, but more reliably because in the video with megas, Charizard gives the option of choosing from X or Y. While that could just be a rework of its own mega, it's more likely that the items just need to be in your bag.

As for abilities, that was shown in the video that showcases mega Kangaskahn. It's attack only hits once, whereas Parental Bond would make any attack say "hit 2 time(s)"

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

When did they confirm that the games wouldn't have abilities or held items? I've heard that floating around for awhile, but I don't recall reading that on Serebii or any other reliable source.

The held items thing is assumed from some people saying as such from playing the demo, but more reliably because in the video with megas, Charizard gives the option of choosing from X or Y. While that could just be a rework of its own mega, it's more likely that the items just need to be in your bag.

And there was no option to give items in the screenshot we saw.

As for abilities, that was shown in the video that showcases mega Kangaskahn. It's attack only hits once, whereas Parental Bond would make any attack say "hit 2 time(s)"

Not to mention Mega Charizard Y's drought also did not trigger Sunlight.

 

[Hidden Mew]

The held items thing is assumed from some people saying as such from playing the demo, but more reliably because in the video with megas, Charizard gives the option of choosing from X or Y. While that could just be a rework of its own mega, it's more likely that the items just need to be in your bag.

Making that assumption from playing the demo is pretty weird considering that it isn't the finished product, but the video with Mega Pokemon makes a bit more sense. I thought it was strange how they had you choose between X or Y, but I thought that they were just going for something different with it or how Mega Evolution would be handled in the games.

As for abilities, that was shown in the video that showcases mega Kangaskahn. It's attack only hits once, whereas Parental Bond would make any attack say "hit 2 time(s)"

That makes more sense than the items considering that they did showcase Mega Pokemon in a couple of promos, but at the same time, it still feels like a big conclusion to jump to. Those trailers were just there to prove that Mega Pokemon would be featured in the games. Plus, it would be really strange to bother to include Mega Evolution within the main storyline if they don't want to include their different abilities and held items. I assume that Mega Evolution would be available within the storyline since we're too early in the pre-release season for the games for them to already talking about the post-storyline content.

Maybe I just need them to flat out say that held items and abilities aren't in the games to really believe it. Not that I would want that to happen. I know that they are trying to make the Let's Go games different to attract Pokemon Go players, but I don't think that going back to the mechanics of the first generation games would be the best way to do that or even necessary. If the Let's Go games are supposed to give Pokemon Go players a taste of what a main series game can be, then not including some staples of the main series' mechanics like abilities and held items wouldn't really help. It would possibly make the transition from playing Let's Go to either the eighth generation game or one of the other generations more jarring than it would need to be.

 

[BigBadButterfree]

Making that assumption from playing the demo is pretty weird considering that it isn't the finished product, but the video with Mega Pokemon makes a bit more sense. I thought it was strange how they had you choose between X or Y, but I thought that they were just going for something different with it or how Mega Evolution would be handled in the games.



That makes more sense than the items considering that they did showcase Mega Pokemon in a couple of promos, but at the same time, it still feels like a big conclusion to jump to. Those trailers were just there to prove that Mega Pokemon would be featured in the games. Plus, it would be really strange to bother to include Mega Evolution within the main storyline if they don't want to include their different abilities and held items. I assume that Mega Evolution would be available within the storyline since we're too early in the pre-release season for the games for them to already talking about the post-storyline content.

Maybe I just need them to flat out say that held items and abilities aren't in the games to really believe it. Not that I would want that to happen. I know that they are trying to make the Let's Go games different to attract Pokemon Go players, but I don't think that going back to the mechanics of the first generation games would be the best way to do that or even necessary. If the Let's Go games are supposed to give Pokemon Go players a taste of what a main series game can be, then not including some staples of the main series' mechanics like abilities and held items wouldn't really help. It would possibly make the transition from playing Let's Go to either the eighth generation game or one of the other generations more jarring than it would need to be.

I understand, that's a big conclusion to come to from just a few prerelease videos. I would say this: is it still possible these games will have items and abilities? Yes. But I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

 

[RileyXY1]

I understand, that's a big conclusion to come to from just a few prerelease videos. I would say this: is it still possible these games will have items and abilities? Yes. But I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

They outright showed Mega Kangaskhan hitting only once (it normally hits twice thanks to its ability).

 

[Cresselia92]

A prerelease screenshot for XY showed a Gardevoir using Fairy Wind while a screenshot for ORAS showed a Blaziken used Ice Punch. And yet, neither Pokémon have those attacks.

Prerelease stuff is often subject to changes, so I wouldn’t rule out Abilities yet. After all, those videos and screenshots are still unfinished material, so there could still be the possibility that Abilities simply haven’t been implemented in those videos or something like this.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

A prerelease screenshot for XY showed a Gardevoir using Fairy Wind while a screenshot for ORAS showed a Blaziken used Ice Punch. And yet, neither Pokémon have those attacks.

This is a bit different, though. Nothing was actively removed from previous games in those screenshots-they just showed things that might be added in the next games. But here, we have footage that shows something being removed from the game rather than being added to it.

It's also worth mentioning that the official site makes no mention of Abilities when talking about the changes the Megas experience, when the XY site did.

Prerelease stuff is often subject to changes, so I wouldn’t rule out Abilities yet. After all, those videos and screenshots are still unfinished material, so there could still be the possibility that Abilities simply haven’t been implemented in those videos or something like this.

It'd be really strange to start on implementing Mega Evolutions, which affect a few Pokemon, before implementing Abilities, which affect all Pokemon, especially considering how Abilities are typically tied to Megas. Besides, shouldn't the code for Abilities be easy to implement, since they had it in previous games? Previous moves have been put in just fine.

 

[PartTimePokemonMaster]

This is a bit different, though. Nothing was actively removed from previous games in those screenshots-they just showed things that might be added in the next games. But here, we have footage that shows something being removed from the game rather than being added to it.

It's also worth mentioning that the official site makes no mention of Abilities when talking about the changes the Megas experience, when the XY site did.

It'd be really strange to start on implementing Mega Evolutions, which affect a few Pokemon, before implementing Abilities, which affect all Pokemon, especially considering how Abilities are typically tied to Megas. Besides, shouldn't the code for Abilities be easy to implement, since they had it in previous games? Previous moves have been put in just fine.

If I had to pick a side, I think that GF has removed abilities and held items. I'd imagine that the developers at GF thought it would be a good idea since abilities and held items didn't exist in Generation I, and they don't exist in GO. I think that is flawed rationale on GF's end though since neither did Dark, Steel, or Fairy types, Regional Variants, or Mega Evolutions.

 

[BigBadButterfree]

They outright showed Mega Kangaskhan hitting only once (it normally hits twice thanks to its ability).

I know that, I'm the one that brought it up ^^

I'm just saying, while not likely, it IS possible that abilities and such COULD make it into the final game. But I think fans that are hoping and wishing for that will end up disappointed if they don't conced to the fact that it's more than likely removed.

 

[Hidden Mew]

If I had to pick a side, I think that GF has removed abilities and held items. I'd imagine that the developers at GF thought it would be a good idea since abilities and held items didn't exist in Generation I, and they don't exist in GO. I think that is flawed rationale on GF's end though since neither did Dark, Steel, or Fairy types, Regional Variants, or Mega Evolutions.

I think that's one of the reasons why I have a hard time believing that they would remove held items and abilities. They're already going to have types of Pokemon, Regional Variants and Mega Pokemon that weren't in the first generation games. Plus, it wouldn't really give people an idea of how a main series game works if they take out main staples of the gameplay like abilities and held items. Sure, we don't have regular Pokemon catching either, but the Pokemon Go catching mechanic is more of a gimmick to make the games stand out, attract Pokemon Go fans and make the Go connections more apparent. I'm not sure what advantages there would be to removing held items and abilities by comparison.

 

[RileyXY1]

I think that's one of the reasons why I have a hard time believing that they would remove held items and abilities. They're already going to have types of Pokemon, Regional Variants and Mega Pokemon that weren't in the first generation games. Plus, it wouldn't really give people an idea of how a main series game works if they take out main staples of the gameplay like abilities and held items. Sure, we don't have regular Pokemon catching either, but the Pokemon Go catching mechanic is more of a gimmick to make the games stand out, attract Pokemon Go fans and make the Go connections more apparent. I'm not sure what advantages there would be to removing held items and abilities by comparison.

Aside from making gameplay more simplified for casual players, nothing.

 

[Icy Wind]

Plus, it wouldn't really give people an idea of how a main series game works if they take out main staples of the gameplay like abilities and held items.

You mean main series staples like battling wild Pokemon and breeding that they already confirmed to be gone? Yeah, of course they won’t remove them! /s

Seriously though, what is hard to believe about the removal of held items and abilities in these games? It’s just continuing LGPE’s simplification philosophy.