SwSh Since we know that the levels scale in the DLC, how does this affect your team plans?

[Esserise]

I'm curious as to whether players want to go through more adventures with their existing team, or take advantage of this new leveling paradigm to start with a whole new team of fresh Lv5s or something, to experiment with different species. Or if you just want to see what you happen to catch on the Isle itself.

As for me, I've devised a new team based around the Inteleon that I started Sword with, but then retired in favor of Zacian so that I could focus on Max Raids. It seemed fitting since Inteleon is receiving a new G-Max form here, and based on that, I also decided to include the Venusaur that came as a gift from HOME as well as my Shiny Melmetal from Pokémon GO. And then I plan on using a different team based around Silvally for the Crown Tundra.

But I think I'll also try out a team of younglings on my Shield file. And once both packs are out, I'll likely start up an entirely new save to see what the game is like with all those additions in place from the start.

 

[Phosphene]

I’m currently not planning on buying the DLC, but if I were...

I think I would go with an entirely new team just to be able to use some new Pokémon. I think I’d breed a Pokémon to be my “starter” (or perhaps use one of the shiny Pokémon I have bred—maybe the shiny Turtonator I have) and then catch the rest of my team at the new region.

 

[Daren]

My old Pokémon are coming with me for the island getaway (if I pick it up; want to see early reviews to see if it's worth the money), though I haven't decided which yet--my team levels are very messy compared to when I play other Pokémon games so this is going to require a bit of care: I have three level 100s for Raid battles (they should probably stay at hime), my starter is around 70 and the rest are 50s to 60s.

And once both packs are out, I'll likely start up an entirely new save to see what the game is like with all those additions in place from the start.

This is something I'm looking forward to trying as well now that you can have multiple saves.

 

[Syrinaris]

When the DLC was first announced, I honestly thought that we'd be starting over fresh with just our Kubfu and then we'd go catch a whole new team of different pokes. I was pretty tilted when I found out last night that the Isle is going to be level-scaled. So now I'm sitting here trying to breed up some babies that I will level up to maybe level 20.
I'm still torn, though. I realize that another option would be to just go in with my level 95-100 team, catch the pokes I want, and then breed *those* pokes to get babies I can raise.
Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that actually enjoys raising baby pokes, lol.

 

[CynthiaLover]

For my primary Sword file, I'll just go in with my normal team and use it to "test the waters", so to speak. That way I can get a general feel of the DLC. Considering my team is still at or around the 80s, it means they can still grow, thus the events won't be wasted (I've spent most of the time on that file working on breeding experiments since completing the dex). Though, considering I'm hoping to get the Water-type evolution for Kubfu, I might box Torpedofang my Barraskewda, depending on how things work out. Also, unless the Max Soup only works on the Starters and nothing else, I plan to not obtain G-Max Corviknight, as its G-Max form is a real power-up let-down to me. Max Airstream is vastly superior to the glorified Defog that G-Max Corviknight gets (granted, Defog is fine on its own, but I'd rather have the +1 Speed over it), so, unless the Max Soup doesn't work on anything other than the Galar/Kanto Starters, I'll box Skyla the Corviknight to avoid her getting her G-Max form before "eating" the soup.

After I use my main Sword team as the beta run for Isle of Armour, I'll use the DLC to expand my other incomplete save files, since by that point I'll have the general gist of what the DLC contains, thus I can mix and match to my liking.

 

[prog rocker]

I just hope I can still use what I want instead of what works.

 

[PinkIceFox]

I'm gonna be strutting onto the isle with my champion team in tow. Like the celebrity I am.

My machoke's gonna get benched tho. Sorry Stud (it's a running gag between me and my girlfriend, don't ask) but... you're the team fighting type.

 

[zoroarctic]

This is something I'm looking forward to trying as well now that you can have multiple saves.

I must have missed the memo. This for real?

 

[Esserise]

I must have missed the memo. This for real?

It's not baked into the core software of the game, but is eminently possible due to how the Switch functions. Save files correspond to user profiles, so if you simply create a new user profile for that Switch, you can play the game again from the start without affecting another user's save.

(General note: I don't think this works with Animal Crossing though.)

 

[PinkIceFox]

It doesn't work with animal crossing. New users will just be new people moving onto the old island.

I'm totally using this feature for a nuzlocke at some point.

 

[zoroarctic]

I’ll start with a couple of lower level Pokémon, then fill out my team with Pokémon on IOA.

 

[Esserise]

"We asked Nintendo product marketing specialist Demetrius Boggs if this meant level scaling was in place, and he confirmed that Pokemon Sword and Shield's Expansion Pass area's trainers and wild Pokemon will in fact scale with your own Pokemon levels. Specifically, Boggs confirmed the DLC areas would even scale to match a team of level 100 Pokemon."

Mr. Boggs should've double-checked because that ain't how it actually works lol. It's the same system that's used throughout the main game's Wild Area, so it corresponds to how many badges you've obtained, capping at around Lv60. This pretty much precludes the idea of someone who has already beaten the game going through with a new, low-level team (unless you want to have a very hard time I guess).

 

[Eeveely]

Atleast we still have 18 gyms in one game, right?

 

[Sakuraa]

I used my in-game team for the first part of the dlc, but I plan to use Kubfu only for the part of the game I'm at now.

 

[Dizzard]

I was going to use a new file to start with a fresh team at a lower level.....but in the end I just used the team I beat the base game with.

Sure I'm over leveled and just stomping the enemy but I don't get the impression that the progression in this dlc would really allow me to build a satisfying team. (it would basically just be either "start a new file, catch Pokemon and then not fully evolve them before the dlc story is over" or "use my existing file, catch some level 60 Pokemon and have them level up a little but not really get attached to them".

It kinda seems to me like this dlc is best suited as a brief stopping off point during the main adventure, to pick up some different Pokemon and then continue with the main story.

It also means I can explore the sea straight away since in the new file I didn't have the bike yet. Also I can add Pokemon to my existing pokedex instead of doing it with a new file and then just having to do it again for my main file later.

 

[multiingbe]

i can see how it could have been confusing to program full level-scaling as far as, if it is based on an average of the player's current party, and that were to be changed multiple times, the scaling would have to possibly drop much lower or higher than it had just been.

While that probably woudn't bother us, it would bring strange continuity issues in experiencing a story. In a fangame it would be ok and there are some which do that I think.
But for an official game it would look sort of strange perhaps to be able to make all of the levels of surrounding wild and trainers' Pokemon rise and fall just by switching your team around!

 

[Knightwolf09]

This does bring up a question. With IoA, the highest level for trainers raised all the way up past the 70s. You think for Tundra that'll be the next start scale of levels? Like the highest level next will be in the 80s?

 

[Joker901]

This does bring up a question. With IoA, the highest level for trainers raised all the way up past the 70s. You think for Tundra that'll be the next start scale of levels? Like the highest level next will be in the 80s?

I don't think so. People have full boxes of level 100 pokemon right now. If they meant to proper scale levels they would have done it in the Isle of Armor (which is the dlc focused on battles, according to TPCi). Considering that wild pokemon are level 60 and trainers are level 70, they just don't care about the fact that anyone that has bought the games in November-April and used them can destroys the dlc with a single pokemon. Not counting that they litterally lied to every journalist who specifically asked about the possibility of scaling for level 100 pokemon (I read about at least 4 journalists who were told individually that there was scaling for level 100 pokemon). Why exactly would they care in November for a Dlc that is focused on exploration?
The level scaling is basically the same of the main games post game (5 levels more for the last main battle). It will not change for the entire gen 8.

 

[RK9]

Personally I think the scaling matters little when you see that Klara sends out non-fully evolved Pokémon against you twice. (Not even strong ones but stuff like Venipede.)

But it's definitely a push in the right direction.

 

[prog rocker]

Now that I think about it, I guess I have to plan how to tackle the DLC in a way it makes sense.