Pokémon Sun and Moon

[In-N-Out Double-Double & Animal Fries]

So Pokémon Sun and Moon just got announced, holiday 2016 release. We didn't see much apart from some concept art and a wire frame and colors of what is presumed to be the new bird Pokémon. Kind of reminds me of a woodpecker which makes me think another American Region but others think it's a Singaporean region because of the hotel and stuff. Idk.

Not sure how I feel right now. On one hand, new Pokémon games! On the other, no Pokémon Z.

official site link

[Imperial]

I'm surprised that Game Freak has done away with the third versions. No Pokemon Gray. No Z.

But if you've played one Pokemon game, you've played them all, so it's really just a matter of seeing how RUINED FOREVER this game is for nostalgia goons and metagamers and what new Mega Evolutions they introduce.

[In-N-Out Double-Double & Animal Fries]

At least now we have an adult Pokemon series with Pokemon S&M

[Nuclear]

I just hope it's playable on the 3DS. I'd hate to have to switch consoles this quickly.

[In-N-Out Double-Double & Animal Fries]

It's confirmed for 3ds

[mewarmo990]

I should finish Y.

[Nuclear]

Yay!

But if you've played one Pokemon game, you've played them all,

Slightly untrue. The old "collect monsters, battle people, save the world" formula may be a bit... basic, but it's a tried and tested one, seeing as the franchise managed to last twenty years without changing much of the gameplay. But as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire show, Game Freak's improving their story-telling, which means that we have a whole new experience in every new game.

It's kind of like Fate in that sense.

[In-N-Out Double-Double & Animal Fries]

The 'played one game played them all' is strictly untrue, even at a casual level. Even if ignoring the drastic metagame changes each generation brings to the competitive scene, each game has a different story, different layout, new Pokémon, and new random shit (contests, battle tower/Frontier, that stupid pokethon shit, fucking berry farming of all things, etc)

[Kishou the Badger]

I'm still disillusioned by how Pokemon sells itself obviously as a kid's game and TV show but is deceptively and annoyingly competitive. Especially when there are players that grind for egg personalities, IVs, EVs, and pretty much minmax a pokemon to heck and back. There's competitive gameplay and then there's... Pokemon. And Yokai Watch.

Kind of gives me mixed feelings about the series, honestly.

[Kirby]

No one's forcing you to play competitive.

[Imperial]

I've played Pokemon for years without getting caught up in the srs bsns of the metagame. You can enjoy the games without it.

[Saiga]

Played one, played 'em all is pretty accurate when you compare it to other video game franchises. I've becoming really burnt out on the franchise because the new installments really aren't innovative enough to make the time worth it.

I'm actually one who enjoys the competitive side to it, though. I do think Gamefreak have made it too bloody complicated but they've added a lot of improvements to that in newer games.

[Petrikow]

for being essentially an rpg pokemon is pretty interesting when played competitively

what other turn-based rpg has a competitive scene at all

what other competitive scene has over 600 characters to balance (well the pre-evos are usually not needed for this purpose so its like 200 hundred less but still)

i actually find it highly interesting

its just something youre not going to find somewhere else

and they could make the gameplay a bit more fair by fixing a few mechanics like removing crit balancing sleep removing IVs (or "maxing" them when you play versus another player) removing evasion etc

[Saiga]

I'd really like IVs to be removed. Nothing says use your favourite Pokemon like ditching them for their genetically superior offspring. And yeah, it's an absolute nightmare to actually get good IVs.

I also agree that the competitive scene is really interesting. I have tried PvP in a lot of similar games and they just don't feel quite as balanced or diverse in their metagame.

[Rafflesiac]

I think IVs add vital variety that helps to support the "every Pokemon is different and unique" narrative. If all Pokemon were innately similar, it would be boring. Besides, there are advantages for having low IVs as well, not just the high ones, so having IVs be removed would detrimentally affect gameplay as well.

As for the nightmare... you get used to it.

Breeding becomes routine.

[Saiga]

I think IVs add vital variety that helps to support the "every Pokemon is different and unique" narrative. If all Pokemon were innately similar, it would be boring. Besides, there are advantages for having low IVs as well, not just the high ones, so having IVs be removed would detrimentally affect gameplay as well.

As for the nightmare... you get used to it.

Breeding becomes routine.

Nah, that's a load. Who actually checks IVs to see one Rattata is different to another? Natures and EVs already cause variance without being as frustrating and making some Pokemon objectively better.

The only benefit to lower IVs was for Hidden Power and low Speed for certain builds. Hidden Power would obviously just work differently and the loss of benefit to those builds would be more than made up for with the benefit to everything else.

[Rafflesiac]

You don't have to check IVs to see which wild Pokemon are better, you can just look at their stats.

[Laith]

Breeding becomes routine.

I actually found it fun in X

and i wasn't even breeding for IVs

[Rafflesiac]

I enjoy seeing Pokemon like level 1 Corsolas with Head Smash and such.

Moving all of the rejects to Pokemon Bank is a real pain, though. Man, I should get into Pokemon again; I had a Lopunny that needed to love me and a lot of biking to do.

[GhostDIGIT]

All this talk of breeding pokemon for IVs reminds me of this:

Video