Official Pre-Pokémon Sword & Pokémon Shield Speculation & Leaks thread

[Poke Dragon]

What about changing the level evolution stages of starter Pokemon?

I always felt that the mid-30 stage was a bit too low for a third evolution considering there's another 70 levels they can reach. But then at the same time, it depends on how they distribute EXP in the game. I guess it kinda already works with the amount of trainers they add in the games.

But to be honest I actually like Salamance's evolution level distribution: level 30 and then level 50. Why not reach the final stage at the half point of 100

Starters aren't supposed to take longer to evolve without the Everstone, plus if you really want those moves, you always have the option to cancel their evolutions.

 

[sj01blue]

Starters aren't supposed to take longer to evolve without the Everstone, plus if you really want those moves, you always have the option to cancel their evolutions.

Yeah but like I said they would miss out on moves that the next evolution stages contain. And also does the anime deal with evolutions in the same way? I don't watch it so I'm not sure. Is it level based and quick like the games?

 

[RileyXY1]

Yeah but like I said they would miss out on moves that the next evolution stages contain. And also does the anime deal with evolutions in the same way? I don't watch it so I'm not sure. Is it level based and quick like the games?

Evolutions in the anime happen whenever the writers want a Pokemon to evolve.

 

[techitisJ]

I think I prefer the starters evolution levels being where they are now. Yes, you do end up spending a little less time with the first stage evolution this way, but there are some people who like getting to that final stage evolution faster and you can easily cancel evolution with the B button till you're ready to evolve your Pokemon, or if you have an everstone you can put the Everstone on it.

 

[multiingbe]

Spoiler

^^ The very abstract and uncertain images as posted earlier in the thread this morning

I reviewed the first image and finally figured out the word that is written, which was confusing due to the characters being backwards and skewed a bit; it says satellite.

 

[sj01blue]

I think I prefer the starters evolution levels being where they are now. Yes, you do end up spending a little less time with the first stage evolution this way, but there are some people who like getting to that final stage evolution faster and you can easily cancel evolution with the B button till you're ready to evolve your Pokemon, or if you have an everstone you can put the Everstone on it.

I guess that's fair. It's a shame that in the games there is a bit of a disadvantage when you do this, but at least there is an Eviolite available to help. =)

 

[Esserise]

Honestly, as long as they move away from the mobile mindset of cutting content and making games intentionally short because "people don't have time to play" then that in itself is already enough benefit. We don't really need anything radical, just someone who wants to make a game that isn't meant to be rushed through and tossed aside at warp speed. The extra content that would come of that might not be to everyone's tastes, but better to try than to not try at all.

But see, to me, what you've done here is just describe more-or-less what we've already been getting. I don't think the main campaigns of XY-LGPE have been significantly shorter than previous games, and they use by and large the same plot structure every time (literally the same as an older game in the case of ORAS), so I'm not convinced that there's anything being done to the fundamental structure to make the games shorter. I think the "mobile mindset" applies in regards to things like the new Exp. Share and, I dunno, the free Latias - if you're someone like my zoomer of a spouse who likes the Pokémon games but has a lot else she'd rather being doing, then being able to blitz through Pokémon X indiscriminately with the Exp. Share on is pretty convenient. I don't like to play that way myself, so I leave it off and I ignore the handouts, and my runs through the game end up feeling pretty typical for what I expect, if slightly more streamlined.

As far as extra content goes, XY might have been on the barren side, but then there's plenty else to do aside from the main quest in ORAS. Some people don't like it because it's not the Battle Frontier, but there are still an array of options. Why is that not considered them "trying"?

(Personally, I think there are good arguments both for and against the Frontier's inclusion, though I want to note that I think the Battle Agency in USUM feels suspiciously like an attempted concession to people who liked the Factory, and when you think about it, USUM is only two facilities short of a Frontier anyway, and has a minigame with a prize to aim for, and a fluffy timesink feature, and another minigame that integrates Legendary/Shiny hunting, and you've had the Totem Stickers throughout the game, and all those little side-story events to find - most of this stuff isn't even particularly to my taste, as someone who likes having a lot of extra content. Facilities that use Battle Tower mechanics are maaaaad boring to me, wormholes/surfing/photos are fun but lack the collectable aspect that I liked about Musicals, and Global Missions aren't a goddamn patch on their glorious B2W2 predecessor. Nevertheless, I'd say it's clear what these features are intended to provide, and for whom.)

Or look at LGPE - it's perfectly possible for the people who "don't have time to play" to just casually go through it and call it a day once they beat Bluetwo. If you want to keep playing after that point, then you've got options - even after you've gone through the Gym Leader rematches, there are 150 Master Trainers waiting to be dealt with, and to do that, you have to complete the Pokédex, which also nets you the Shiny Charm, and Shiny hunting is more doable than ever in LGPE for people who enjoy that. That stuff is not in there for the sake of the people who have "too much else to do," and indeed, it "may not be to everyone's tastes," but it is an effort to provide an extended chunk of post-game content.

There's also the difficulty criticism, for instance. People complained about how easy the Gen 6 games were. Guess what Game Freak did? Tried to make the next games more challenging, by having Totem battles rely more on tactical strategies that would encourage players to problem-solve. Once again, options exist for people who want to bypass this and get on with other things (Cha the Hawlucha makes a mockery of several of the game's hurdles), but you don't have to indulge those if you would rather sit down with the game and be challenged. And yet it still seems like people are saying the games are too easy? I think formal difficulty settings are a fine idea, but frankly, would that even really placate people? Granted, on some level, difficulty is always relative to the individual, so there really truly is no pleasing everyone in this regard, but it's not like they aren't taking steps and trying things out.

 

[Scruffyjay]

Spoiler

^^ The very abstract and uncertain images as posted earlier in the thread this morning

I reviewed the first image and finally figured out the word that is written, which was confusing due to the characters being backwards and skewed a bit; it says satellite.

I love that thing. I want to be its friend.

 

[prog rocker]

Spoiler

^^ The very abstract and uncertain images as posted earlier in the thread this morning

I reviewed the first image and finally figured out the word that is written, which was confusing due to the characters being backwards and skewed a bit; it says satellite.

I don't think that sounds like a Pokémon title at all.

 

[multiingbe]

I don't think that sounds like a Pokémon title at all.

Yes, it seems either very fanmade or maybe somehow from an entirely different Pokemon era. There could have been some other game blueprints from Gen 3 and Gen 4 that had concept art made.

 

[TexasBugTrainer]

I don't think that sounds like a Pokémon title at all.

Sure it does. Pokemon Cable and Pokemon Satellite. Cable version costs twice as much and only includes two Pokemon out of a couple hundred that you'll ever really use. Satellite version doesn't work when it's cloudy.

I do like the creepy look of the creature, but I don't know that I think it looks Pokemon related.

 

[Player Jables]

Sure it does. Pokemon Cable and Pokemon Satellite. Cable version costs twice as much and only includes two Pokemon out of a couple hundred that you'll ever really use. Satellite version doesn't work when it's cloudy.

I do like the creepy look of the creature, but I don't know that I think it looks Pokemon related.

The top image says Pokemon in Japanese

 

[TexasBugTrainer]

The top image says Pokemon in Japanese

Sure, but my point is that I can take a fuzzy picture of bigfoot off google images and put a Pokémon logo on it; doesn't mean the image has anything to do with Pokémon. The art style just looks like it belongs in a different game to me.

 

[nickdt]

TBH, it would be good if they stretch the starter evolution levels somewhat. For example, instead of lvl 16 or 18, make it lvl 22. Then lvl 40 - 44 for the middle stage to evolve into the final stage.

 

[PinkIceFox]

That image feels like a Lucario had a close encounter with the Flatwoods monster to me. xD

 

[prog rocker]

Maybe it's because I have done this every time, but I like how it has always been. Just because I don't spend a lot of time with the first stage of my starter doesn't mean that I'm not spending a lot of time with it, specially since I always keep it through the story.

 

[RileyXY1]

Maybe it's because I have done this every time, but I like how it has always been. Just because I don't spend a lot of time with the first stage of my starter doesn't mean that I'm not spending a lot of time with it, specially since I always keep it through the story.

Yeah. They don't need to force players to spend a lot of time with the first stage of their starter.

 

[Cute Charm]

Spoiler

^^ The very abstract and uncertain images as posted earlier in the thread this morning

I reviewed the first image and finally figured out the word that is written, which was confusing due to the characters being backwards and skewed a bit; it says satellite.

The logo looks like the picture used for the legendary raid medal in Go:

Spoiler

the second picture is widely available, and the third image looks like it's from an indie game pasted over a loading screen from Go.

 

[Freak-Pokemon]

I really hope the Kingdom: Red/Green leak is false. I will throw up if i get kanto shoved into my face again

 

[Gengarzilla]

No, I'd rather not want the starter's final evolution to be pushed anywhere past their current range. Comparisons between their final forms are how I decide between the three little ones since those forms are what you'll eventually get (unless you hold them back forever because said final stage "looks ugly", as if design really matters).

The basic and middle stages are, for me personally, little more than test demos for some hip new game and I'm sure it would tick me off to wait longer for the real deal. I didn't pick Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil, Mudkip, Turtwig, Oshawott, Chespin, and Popplio; I picked Venusaur, Typhlosion, Swampert, Torterra, Samurott, Chesnaught, and Primarina.