Pokemon X & Y (October 2013 on 3DS) - [Now out! Go out and play it already]

[Kuzu]

Well now that I've had a few hours to digest this. Yes, I am hype but at the same time a bit disappointed. What's the point of a 3D environment if I can only move in four directions? I love the way the battle system looks now, but I get the feeling it's going to play more or less the same.

 

 

That said, the starters do look rather nice, I am in love with Not!Sonic, and will be using him on my team. I rarely start with a Grass starter anyway.

 

 

The legenderaries do look indeed ridiculous, especially the deer, what is up with that.

[Mogtaki]

I have that worry others have when it comes to the 3D battling system and it turning into Pokemon Stadium which is slow at times. It's cool and all, but it seems like it may draw out a little longer than people might like it to.

[Sami]

Pros:

Starter designs

Region

3D

 

Cons:

What is up with these legendaries?

 

I swear Game Freak are constantly trying to see how ridiculous they can make them look because seriously,

What in the name of sanity do you have on your head?!

Reshiram and Zekrom were already pushing it but seriously this is just ri-donk-ulous. I really, REALLY hope these 2 don't reflect the designs of the rest of the new Pokemon, especially with how great and simple the starters look.

Reminded me of the Deer God from Princess Mononoke, actually. I dunno about Mononoke, but apparently it's based off of Norse mythology. I think it looks awesome, personally.

 

 

Edit:

And I seriously don't understand why people are so intent on changing the battle system. It's seriously perfect as it is; that's the only thing I don't want changed at all. New types to freshen things up? Sure. More dynamic camera angles and animations? Awesome. More Pokemon and moves to keep things interesting? Fantastic. Radically changing the single best thing about the entire franchise? No thank you.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Discoid

[\gunther]

My friend seems to be under the impression that the new region is Paris. Not based on Paris, like actual, literal Paris. I assume he's just being a stupid twatbird and is taking /vp/'s words to heart too much, but it wasn't confirmed at all, was it.

 

Also, Game Freak, I want a sea sponge pokemon.

 

 

you can make something kawaii and massively marketable with that c'mon guys get to it

[Soniman]

I agree with Discord, the battle system is fine to me and it's the reason why I got into Pokemon and it's addicting nature in the first place.

 

I have no trouble with them adding significant touches here and there (they physical and special split in Gen IV, and Gen V's triple battles) but changing the whole damn thing would do well to alienate the dedicated user base.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Soniman

[Kuzu]

Reminded me of the Deer God from Princess Mononoke, actually. I dunno about Mononoke, but apparently it's based off of Norse mythology. I think it looks awesome, personally.

 

 

Edit:

And I seriously don't understand why people are so intent on changing the battle system. It's seriously perfect as it is; that's the only thing I don't want changed at all. New types to freshen things up? Sure. More dynamic camera angles and animations? Awesome. More Pokemon and moves to keep things interesting? Fantastic. Radically changing the single best thing about the entire franchise? No thank you.

 

I think people just actually want a fresh experience from Pokemon from a change. Not I'm tired of the battle system myself, but I can see why someone would be bored.

[Sami]

I agree with Discord, the battle system is fine to me and it's the reason why I got into Pokemon and it's addicting nature in the first place.

 

I have no trouble with them adding significant touches here and there (they physical and special split in Gen IV, and Gen V's triple battles) but changing the whole damn thing would do well to alienate the dedicated user base.

*Discoid

 

 

 

I think people just actually want a fresh experience from Pokemon from a change. Not I'm tired of the battle system myself, but I can see why someone would be bored.

I think over a hundred new Pokemon, a new region, new moves, and adjustments to a set system is plenty "fresh" enough.

 

I love improvement. Really. But competitive battling is my favorite aspect of the franchise. I love playing mind-games with opponents and spending a full minute just thinking about what I should do from an extremely broad variety of choices, predicting what my opponent will try to do, and trying to outsmart him/her. Making it real-time would be completely pointless and I don't want it to happen. Making any other radical changes that aren't improvements/adjustments (like the physical/special split) would be pointless; it's not improvement, it's being different for the sake of being different, and I hate that.

 

Don't try to "fix" one of the best RPG battle systems ever. There's no need.

[KrazyBean]

I think people just actually want a fresh experience from Pokemon from a change.

 

A Real Time Battle system?

 

EDIT: Ignore this, I've been  'd

Edited January 9, 2013 by KrazyBean

[Kuzu]

*Discoid

 

 

 

I think over a hundred new Pokemon, a new region, new moves, and adjustments to a set system is plenty "fresh" enough.[

Sometimes that's not enough for people.

 

I love improvement. Really. But competitive battling is my favorite aspect of the franchise. I love playing mind-games with opponents and spending a full minute just thinking about what I should do from an extremely broad variety of choices, predicting what my opponent will try to do, and trying to outsmart him/her. Making it real-time would be completely pointless and I don't want it to happen. Making any other radical changes that aren't improvements/adjustments (like the physical/special split) would be pointless; it's not improvement, it's being different for the sake of being different, and I hate that.

 

Don't try to "fix" one of the best RPG battle systems ever. There's no need.

 

 

Look like I said, I'm perfectly fine with the battle system, but for someone who would like something more, I can see why they would be upset.

[Sean]

Frankly I would rather have Game Freak change everything else surrounding the battle system. I've always wanted a more open Pokémon game where you can choose your goals and change the outcome of the story, and to some extent the gameplay. You could decide whether to aim for the championship as always (and if you do, they should make it mandatory for you to defend your title - otherwise you'd lose it and have to re-earn it) or maybe become a Pokémon researcher, or even join the evil team altogether and help fulfill their ambitions. Essentially I want something like Fallout: Pokémon Edition.

It's not the battles I'm sick of in Pokémon, it's just everything else.

[SuperStingray]

I don't really want to lose interest in Pokemon; it's an amazing franchise, but I can't help but feel... intimidated by its scale now.  There's like three years worth of things to do and they expect you to get it all done in two, and then do it all over again WITH EVEN MORE THINGS.  I felt proud to have completed my Pokedex in Diamond, but then before I could blink, Black and White are announced and tell me to complete it all over with another hundred species.  If each generation was about 5 to 7 years apart, then yeah, maybe that would be enough time to let my interest in each game settle.  But it's like Nintendo's a girl scout troop coming by to sell cookies to me every single week, except each week there's 20% more cookies in the box than last week.  Now there's like 2000 goddamn cookies in my cabinet, and while I still like cookies, I just want them to kindly fuck off for a while so I can enjoy the ones I have without feeling pressured to make my every waking hour revolve around them.

[FlameStream]

I was pleasantly surprised at first. But when I sat down and watched it again, I feel that it's going to be more of the same.

The biggest downer was probably the grid-based movement system, which hurt the environment art potential a lot.

The other is the battle system, but I didn't expect that to be enhanced, lol.

[Soniman]

You wonder why they dropped the "Gotta Catch Em All" line as their slogan..

[Sami]

Sometimes that's not enough for people.

 

 

 

Look like I said, I'm perfectly fine with the battle system, but for someone who would like something more, I can see why they would be upset.

Hm. I realize that you don't want these changes yourself, but considering nobody here seems to want radical changes (or wants to debate about it), I'll aim the question at you -

 

How about this - name one legitimate flaw in the current battle system, and offer something that will be an objective improvement. Such as better presentation, for example. a real-time system is not better, it's different, and though change can be nice, my main argument is that there's no point in changing what's already practically flawless in design.

 

This is why I'd advocate small adjustments and tinkering with the inner workings of the system; it freshens things up, and it makes way for genuine improvement. Changing for change's sake only fractures the fanbase (Sonic Adventure fans vs. Modern Sonic fans, as an example) and risks creating an inferior system. 

 

If people are upset with the system, then Pokemon simply isn't the franchise for them. It's practically the only thing that's remained the same throughout all these years, and for good reason - that's what Pokemon is, and always should be. Especially considering the market isn't exactly overflowing with fantastic turn-based RPGs.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Discoid

[\Lennox]

Frankly I would rather have Game Freak change everything else surrounding the battle system. I've always wanted a more open Pokémon game where you can choose your goals and change the outcome of the story, and to some extent the gameplay. You could decide whether to aim for the championship as always (and if you do, they should make it mandatory for you to defend your title - otherwise you'd lose it and have to re-earn it) or maybe become a Pokémon researcher, or even join the evil team altogether and help fulfill their ambitions. Essentially I want something like Fallout: Pokémon Edition.

It's not the battles I'm sick of in Pokémon, it's just everything else.

Hell, a seamless, yet turn-based battle system (think CHRONO TRIGGER) would make me very happy. But how about sidequests?

[-Robin-]

Little side note, but assuming the X and Y Pokemon are based off the Norse gods, and if the third entity in that Norse god picture posted earlier is indeed in the game, then, if the stereotyping of snake Pokemon is left alone, we finally get our Poison type Legendary Pokemon, thus having a Legendary Pokemon for each of the 17 types.

[Autosaver]

Technically, wouldn't Arceus be every type?

[Mega]

I just really strongly dislike it. I don't really care about grid movement or non-top-notch graphics or ice creams, but I don't think I could handle it if every time I sent out a Gardevoir I had to hear a woman drone "GaaardeVOIIIIIR" in her best Senor Cardgage impression. Maybe I'm alone on that, but... no thanks.

You are not alone by any means. I hate name cries in the anime and greatly prefer the animal sounds used in the Black and White 2 trailer. And I don't think having them make sound would take away from their ability to emote? Facial expressions and body language can do wonders.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Technically, wouldn't Arceus be every type?

Only through holding a bunch of rock slabs, and even then he can only hold one at a time.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Malpercio

[Nepenthe]

You are not alone by any means. I hate name cries in the anime and greatly prefer the animal sounds used in the Black and White 2 trailer. And I don't think having them make sound would take away from their ability to emote? Facial expressions and body language can do wonders.

 

I don't expect Pokemon in the games to emote because there's never any real reason for them to, because they're not characters nor partners; under the current system, they're pretty much are just glorified fighting dogs. Beyond the Ability listed next to them in their profiles, they have no discernible personalities. You don't get to know an individual, you don't get to actually grow with them. They're tools at your disposal and thus pretty blank in the character department. So no, they don't need to emote, so talking is not important. But all of this in turn, however, relegates the more iconic Pokemon- the ones I personally most identify with the most, the things that come to my head when I think "Pokemon"- to the ones in the anime and films, the ones that talk. A Pikachu doesn't make some random midi squeak; it goddamned well says "Pikachu." There's a disconnect I find disconcerting and symptomatic of how uninteresting a great deal of the game world in Pokemon is as described by Sean, especially in comparison to the show.

[Mega]

But would it be so bad if Pikachus and Squirtles made animal sounds while still having the expressions and body languages that help characterize them? Not all Pokémon in the anime say their names to begin with. Charizard sure doesn't, for one, and he has tons of personality.

[Soniman]

Actually if you listen well enough you can hear Charizard say the name of his jappenese name "Lizardon"

 

Just a random factoid.

[Mega]

Eh, it still sounds more like a roar in spite of that. It's not like he's explicitly shouting CHARI-CHARIZAAAAARD.

[Nepenthe]

I'm not saying more physically expressive Pokemon aren't an option. I'm saying I want my game Pokemon to talk because I feel that's actually a significant part of their identity that random monster growls that can come from any ol' game cannot replicate. It's why Pikachu talked in the trailer, because the iconic Pikachu talks. It does not screech or whatever.

 

And like I implied before, I don't need them to say their name every five seconds. If Oshawott merely said a quick "Osha!" when it came out of its Pokeball during a battle, no one would be none the wiser after awhile. I guarantee it would eventually become the same background noise its generic game sound is now, and the people saying this is a some deal-breaker wouldn't really notice it or come to care as much.

 

I also can't jive with the implication I feel is floating around on this subject that talking is completely useless to characterization.

[Conando]

So, for those concerned about Froakie being an ice type, it's unlikely. The Japanese name, Keromatsu, is a combination of the Japanese words for croak and foam. Those little frilly things are supposed to be foam. Though I SUPPOSE it could evolve into a dual ice type, I find it unlikely.

Edited January 9, 2013 by King Of Awesome