Should natures, or the stat-change concept, get a overhaul?

[dragonite24]

Competively speaking, natures are a great addition to the series. It allows people to customize their pokemon's stat to fit their purpose much better.

However, ingame, I have many gripes with this system. It's annoying that you need to get a bit lucky to have a nature that doesn't get in a pokemon's way. Caught a Abra? Oh, wait, it's adamant, and as a result, it isn't nearly as useful as a normal abra would be.
For normal pokemon, this can be a little annoying, but you always are able to overcome it with enough patience. However, playing soulsilver, both my lugia and raikou got natures that nerfed their best stats in favor of much less imporant ones. Once you save, this is permanent. Synchronize helps, but even then, it's a 50 % percent chance on a pokemon that could take a good while to capture.

For getting a competive pokemon, you either need a everstone, or it's heavily luck based. Even with a everstone it takes some setup.

The idea is good. But the random execution of it annoys me to no end.
Is there any possiblity of the system being less random, or the concept being transferred to something non-random?

 

[Joshawott]

All my runners on HeartGold were neutral. FML.

I'd like it if they made some natures more common for certain Pokémon, such as Lonely Nature for Cubone and Naughty for Mankey/Primeape and Rash for Mewtwo. Not game-breaking as in desired natures, but it matches the personalities portrayed in the anime and games. Also, they'd INCREASE a desired stat, but decrease one that is least desirable, so it can still have the skill aspect to it.

 

[Mijzelffan]

I just think they should create an item that'll pass over abilities when breeding. Say you have a perfect nature/IV pokémon, but it's the wrong nature, that just sucks.

 

[Falconwing]

1. The creators won't be changing the game just because of a fan-based metagame.
2. If they overhaul natures and stats, say goodbye to backwards compatibility, just like with RS.

 

[Soulweaver]

I see the system getting an overhaul, but not in Gen V. Maybe some time in the future.

 

[Hell Master]

Fuck no. Never. The current system is quite great.

But I quite like Ryu Shoji's common-nature idea.

 

[Venator]

No, not until we get a new system. I'd be happy with new natures when we get that new system though.

 

[dman_dustin]

2. If they overhaul natures and stats, say goodbye to backwards compatibility, just like with RS.

Is that actually accurate anymore?

What I mean is, couldn't they (the programmers) create a specific set of data for 1-4 gen Pokemon that actually allows it to be traded to the 4th gen games but then also create a specific set of data for just the 5th or later gen games?

Oh keep in mind the 4th gen data would be "locked" in the 5th gen games, only being "unlocked" when trading to a 4th gen games. So for example in the 5th gen Ghastly has "Geiger Counter" ability, however there's secret "locked" data for a levitate ghastly so it's compatible with the 4th gen games

Or if it can't be done, which would mean the extra 5th gen data would mess up the 4th gen games (even ignoring the possibility that it could be deleted in the process of trading; meaning that before the trade (after confirmation), the data of the Pokemon is being rewritten )....or it would just be too complicated.

But ignoring that is it technically possible?

 

[Ekard]

2. If they overhaul natures and stats, say goodbye to backwards compatibility, just like with RS.

That's not true at all.
The reason for the removal of compatibility was because they changed the coding, not editing the system.

Also, we have that, to a less drastic degree. Many Pokemon got 'Move' and 'Nature' updates entering Gen IV, so while reverse compatibility in a going back sense went out the window, we were still able to bring things forward.



Anyway. I think the way they have natures now is really tedious, but to be honest, I'm not sure what could be done that wouldn't take away from end of the spectrum. If anything, I think it should be more elaborate. Not sure how, but a lot of people I know that 'play casually' don't like the Natures, while it is a staple in the Competitive world. I think, if they did a bit more with Natures flavour wise, it wouldn't be such an annoyance.

In short, the technical aspect should be left alone, but adding something like they did when they added traits would be neat.

 

[Falconwing]

Is that actually accurate anymore?

What I mean is, couldn't they (the programmers) create a specific set of data for 1-4 gen Pokemon that actually allows it to be traded to the 4th gen games but then also create a specific set of data for just the 5th or later gen games?

Oh keep in mind the 4th gen data would be "locked" in the 5th gen games, only being "unlocked" when trading to a 4th gen games. So for example in the 5th gen Ghastly has "Geiger Counter" ability, however there's secret "locked" data for a levitate ghastly so it's compatible with the 4th gen games

Or if it can't be done, which would mean the extra 5th gen data would mess up the 4th gen games (even ignoring the possibility that it could be deleted in the process of trading; meaning that before the trade (after confirmation), the data of the Pokemon is being rewritten )....or it would just be too complicated.

But ignoring that is it technically possible?

If they went about it carefully, I suppose they could make them compatible. However, that would require about twice the coding needed and the current precedent is that upon changing up stats, IV's, natures, and whatnot we lose compatibility.

I for one am fine with that though.

 

[The Outrage]

However, ingame

Let me stop you there and finish your sentence.

"However, ingame natures don't really make a difference"

 

[Falconwing]

Let me stop you there and finish your sentence.

"However, ingame natures don't really make a difference"

If you are breeding to create a certain pokemon for the metagame, yeah, they do.

 

[The Outrage]

If you are breeding to create a certain pokemon for the metagame, yeah, they do.

I said ingame, as in "ingame battles" not competitive play.

 

[Falconwing]

I said ingame, as in "ingame battles" not competitive play.

Oh, got it. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Aladar]

1. The creators won't be changing the game just because of a fan-based metagame.
2. If they overhaul natures and stats, say goodbye to backwards compatibility, just like with RS.

This. Plus, we don't need more confusion and stuff. It's bad enough to match up basic stats and natures and stuff as it is. And I don't want to be forced to learn the new ones. xD