How to improve Pokemon

[The Almighty Aardvark]

Congratulations! You have been tasked with reinvigorating the Pokemon series. We have to admit our games have been a little stale on the innovation front, and while we do have some plans for the future (4 blades Pokemon battles, but try to keep that under wraps, we want to shock people with the big reveal), we're interested to hear your ideas.

To get the ball rolling, one thing I think the series could sorely use is adopting some rogue-like elements. Make every game a little bit different. The series is definitely simple enough to do that. One big area I think this could be done is with randomizing Pokemon location distributions. Tired of finding the exact same Pokemon at the exact same point of the game? Maybe on your second playthrough you'll find a Rhyhorn in an early area, instead of finding one at level 40 once your team's already been set up. It will improve replayability, and give you access to a wider array of Pokemon than you'd normally have

 

[monkeymangler]

Change Number One: Beginning and Advanced Starts

Beginning is the traditional start: 1 starter of fire/water/grass, pokemon catching tutorial, basic fighting tutorial, etc.

Advanced allows you to start with a wider range of pokemon, all at Level 5. Maybe instead you'd like to start with a Level 5 Zorua, or Level 5 Litwick. It skips the tutorials, while keeping mandated story stuff intact (rival intro, friend intro, etc)

Change Number Two: Allow for your own choice of gym order

More free paths (and interesting map design) to allow for players to access the eight gyms in the order they want. Correpondingly, gym leaders and their minions will have stronger pokes based on how many badges you have.

Change Number Three: More sidequests and more post game content.

Give more than just grinding and battle maison stuff. The Looker quests from X/Y were a good start.

Change Four: Bring back regional tournaments from Black/White

Cynthia is my favorite character in Pokemon... ever. Getting to battle her again in B/W after D/P was a treat. Why not have a regional competition set on a timer (every week in game or so). Battle old Elite 4 members and their updated teams in a bracket to compete for prizes. Rare candies for low finishers, rare equips for winners, etc.

 

[FakeSympathy]

1.Keep the reusable TM mechanic. This was a great idea introduced in Black & White. This allows player to not spend money on them or decide which pokemon to give it to.

2.No more auto lock for trainer battles. Player should be allowed to battle by choice.

3.No more HMs. Player should not be forced to keep "HM whore" in their party. If pokemon is flying type, If should know how to fly. If pokemon is water type, it should know how to surf or climb waterfall.

4. Skip tutorial on how to catch pokemon. Veterans of the series should not be forced to listen to same shit that's been around for two decades. Let the new players watch it and older players skip it.

5.And Finally, make ALL regions available. I know a single game can't hold that man regions, but break them down to dlc if necessary. After beating the current region, then the player challenge Kalos region, and battle the player model. They do this for every region and eventually climb up to Kanto, and challenge our favorite trainer, Red

 

[Elfgore]

1. Release two games like usual. Only one is for children and young teens, and the other is for older teens to adults. Every Pokemon is catchable in a single on of those games as well. I'm man enough to admit that a lot of young people buy and play Pokemon. Nintendo/Game Freak need to man up and admit that a lot of people who play Pokemon are older. They don't need the pointless tutorials and they actually might enjoy a story that is a little more serious. It would be a great way to keep people happy. Not to mention you made three games for this past Fire Emblem game, you can do two different Pokemon games.

2. An NPC that acts as a trade evolution in the game. I shouldn't have to work out a schedule or bring my 3DS to work just to get a damn Machoke.

3. Let you be a gym leader or at the least have to defend your title of Champion.

Edit: 4. Get rid of HMs. I want a team of six Pokemon that have move-sets I want and not having to use useless HMs to get from A to B

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

3.No more HMs. Player should not be forced to keep "HM whore" in their party. If pokemon is flying type, If should know how to fly. If pokemon is water type, it should know how to surf or climb waterfall.

I can't agree with this more. You either waste one or two pokemon slots on a pokemon that has no other purpose, or you cripple your own pokemon with TMs. It's a horrible game design decision

 

[Scarim Coral]

I think the game should allow you to picked whichever Gyms you want to tackle first then to be the given the automatic routes set up in the program. Also YES the game will changes to whichever GYM cities/ town you go to first to keep it balance since I can imagine picking a 8th badge cities as yor first gym battle will be unfair as hell.

Before you mention "why go to the furthest town instead of the nearest one for a gym battle?" at the start of the game, you should be given the option to say which town/ cities you are living in?

Also while I know it's still not possible yet but I would like to see the ditching the turn based battle for a more real time like the anime. I mean their attempt to spice up the turn base battle with team. flying exclusive and rotations battle was a failure in my eyes.

 

[Wrex Brogan]

...let people skip the catching tutorials. Or at least let *us* be the ones catching the pokemon instead of whomever is showing us. They did it in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, they can do it elsewhere!

That's about it, really.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Either nerf the Exp Share or scale the wild and trainer Pokemon battles to match.

Give us better post-Elite Four content - something like New Game+ that has a whole new 8 or more Gym Leaders and perhaps a Champion's Tournament.

Now we have full 3D, perhaps it's time to look at jazzing up the Gym Battles, like the stuff in the Orange Islands arc of the show.

Bring back, and retain, trainer customization.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

3. No more HMs. Player should not be forced to keep "HM whore" in their party. If pokemon is flying type, If should know how to fly. If pokemon is water type, it should know how to surf or climb waterfall.

I second this one. There's no reason a water Pokemon shouldn't be able to "surf" (swim) without the use of a HM.
Knowing how to cut or swim naturally is one thing. Knowing how to use it correctly in battle is something else entirely and should still require the HM.

 

[nomotog_v1legacy]

The slow start is a big element they need to ease up on the tutorial and intro scripting. Actually ease up on the story in general. I also like the idea of being able to more places at the start.

I want to see more non battle activities. More exploration, let pokemone do more outside of combat more HMs kind if (but don't make them take up a move slot I agree). I really like the safari zone back in the day. You know, the games are in 3d now, we could include a photo activity in it.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

As for my personal recommendation, make it feel like an actual world for once. More open areas, more interesting locations, more detail. The 3DS can handle it I'm sure.

The step to 3D with a "hub city" was a nice start, but I still hardly feel like I'm on any kind of adventure.

Here's Pokemon in a nutshell
1. Find a small town
2. Explore to all 4 main corners talking to NPCs
3. Fight Gym Leader if available
3a. Complete forced side objective
3aa. Get completely off track in a 2 hour long "dungeon" as part of some story you didn't really want to be a part of.
4. See if local Pokemon population interests you by running in circles in the same square area
5. Repeat

Giving me a linear path surrounded by "trees" and mountains doesn't feel like an adventure. I guess it's okay for kids, but kids aren't necessarily helpless idiots. They can explore a more complicated world than you give them credit for.

 

[Gxas]

I would change nothing as each generation consistently sells well and to make too drastic a change risks losing that.

I argue that Pok?mon needs not be reinvigorated at all as it is one of the only consistently fresh (while being ridiculously samey) franchises around.

I guess if I had to pick one thing it would be wider character customization because that was awesome in XY

 

[Plucky]

I'd add value to horde battles. like a leader being obviously shiny or having moves/abilities that the lesser pokemon doesn't have. or some sort of density-shifting mechanic that involves defeating leaders of enemy pokemon. like if there were a bunch of routes in succession, news of your win would cause Pokemon down the line show power or perhaps most of the stronger ones migrating. then eventually after 7 or so routes, Pokemon that would've been level 3 would be level 50 from the first route you defeated. (however you need badges and a degree of overlevelling to do that) heck, maybe do the Bravely Second thing and have bonuses for defeating enemies in one round with Dragon Quest item drop mechanics like defeating a bunch of Trevenant might drop mulch or Murkrow dropping a pearl.

items that are stolen should be placed in the bag at the same time as showing your pokemon gaining exp. no idea where this should also account for items picked up since that might make obtaining items trivial. i wouldn't be surprised if Pokemon Sun/Moon adds affinities to Natures/Species/Typing to make doubles/triples more divergent like if a Fire pokemon was near a Water type, the Water type would dry out a bit. if a Quiet pokemon was next to one with Modest then nothing would happen but if it was next to a Sassy one then Quiet would be worsened. could give value to Pokemon with Unaware some value if it ignores the negative parts and confusion, whilst Oblivious would ignore positive boosts and Attract.

 

[totheendofsin]

Get rid of random encounters, move to have pokemon visible on the overworld. Depending on the pokemon you should either have to sneak up on it, or it would attack you (on that note also have a mix of high and low level pokemon to promote sneaking up on some and avoiding others).

Edit: also bring back actual story events for the mythical pokemon, instead of just getting the pokemon from someone in the pokemon center

 

[Pseudonym]

3D models of pokemon and riding pokemon were good. More of that. Voice all the pokemon, not just pikachu. Animate the actual pokemon executing HM's like fly and surf. Rather than rollerscates and bikes you should just be able to ride a pokemon all the time like you could ride a mammoswine in pokemon Y. I don't think these things will all happen because it would be a fuckton of work, but I'd appreciate it.

Rather than not have HM's as some people have suggested they could often stand to be more powerfull. I have no problem using surf or fly. It's cut that's annoying to have with it's 30 attack strengt. Oh, and screw mega-evolutions. They're lame.

 

[CaitSeith]

I think it needs better characters. I think that making the bad guys in Pokemon B&W similar to PETA, made them more interesting. I think Pokemon needs some of that slight moral ambiguity, without being hamfisted.

 

[Zepherus14]

Change Number One: Beginning and Advanced Starts

Beginning is the traditional start: 1 starter of fire/water/grass, pokemon catching tutorial, basic fighting tutorial, etc.

Advanced allows you to start with a wider range of pokemon, all at Level 5. Maybe instead you'd like to start with a Level 5 Zorua, or Level 5 Litwick. It skips the tutorials, while keeping mandated story stuff intact (rival intro, friend intro, etc)

This especially is something I've wanted for years, it's so simple and yet adds a huge window to replayability, hell I'd even be okay with it if you gotta first beat the game in traditional first to unlock advanced.

Another thing I've heard in the past is making gyms and even trainers smarter, no "I'm gonna have five magikarps in my team lol". Instead of having a gym a specific type, why not have it as a certain style. A team centered around raindance being up, a team about baton pass, a team about all out attacking, etc. Something where you actually have to think for a second instead of continuously firing off flamethrowers at the bug pokemon to kill them all. And if the devs find this would be too hard for the kids, make it in the aforementioned Advanced version.

Obviously the HMs being altered so instead of needing the move, maybe a key item or something instead, so that your Pokemon don't have to have shitty moves on them. (Thankfully Surf and Waterfall are two pretty good moves, but still) I understand why they are there to gate people from a game design perspective, but gotta agree that it's shitty having to make HM slaves...

Now specifically something that bugged the hell out of me in X&Y was that Mega Lucario you get. Although petty in some ways, I despised that thing because the game wouldn't just give me the mega stone to give to the Lucario that was already in my team that I'd been training since a Riolu before the first gym. It's kinda like if you got a new console and had a friend with you as you got it, you drive home, plug the thing in, get it all set up, but then get some random stranger to play with you while your friend sits on the sidelines thinking 'K, why is this idiot getting to play when I've been here the whole time?'

 

[Silvanus]

Just don't lock certain pokemon to one version or the other. Make them appear only in out-of-the-way spots (like the streetpass islands in OR/AS), or only in post-game, just don't make them impossible to attain except through trading.


Also, New Game + (or equivalent).

Edit: 4. Get rid of HMs. I want a team of six Pokemon that have move-sets I want and not having to use useless HMs to get from A to B

And this. Definitely this. There's no damn reason for the HM mechanic. Just give pokemon an "ability" slot for overworld stuff like surf, separate from their battle moves.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I think it needs better characters. I think that making the bad guys in Pokemon B&W similar to PETA, made them more interesting. I think Pokemon needs some of that slight moral ambiguity, without being hamfisted.

The characters and story in gen 5 were really awesome. That would be a priority for me if I had a say in making Pokemon games. X and Y was a total disappointment in that regard.

HM Reform is a must, as just about everyone else has mentioned.

I would like a focus on more new Pokemon. For me, megas are neat, but they don't replace the excitement of brand new Pokemon. Again, that's where Gen 6 stumbled.

Loved the idea of a choice between a beginner opening, and a veteran opening for players. Less tutorial talk if you don't want it.

Make all legendaries have 6 IVs. We can't breed them, so you may as well make them near perfect in that regard. Maybe get the ability to add IVs to Pokemon who do not have perfect ones as well.

Give enemy trainers more Pokemon. Way too many random trainers just have one or two, it's kinda lame. Or, give us a hard mode that we can select at the beginning of the game.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Congratulations! You have been tasked with reinvigorating the Pokemon series. We have to admit our games have been a little stale on the innovation front, and while we do have some plans for the future (4 blades Pokemon battles, but try to keep that under wraps, we want to shock people with the big reveal), we're interested to hear your ideas.

To get the ball rolling, one thing I think the series could sorely use is adopting some rogue-like elements. Make every game a little bit different. The series is definitely simple enough to do that. One big area I think this could be done is with randomizing Pokemon location distributions. Tired of finding the exact same Pokemon at the exact same point of the game? Maybe on your second playthrough you'll find a Rhyhorn in an early area, instead of finding one at level 40 once your team's already been set up. It will improve replayability, and give you access to a wider array of Pokemon than you'd normally have

Doesn't this thing fall more into the category of procedural generation rather than roguelike? Because to my mind a roguelike is a game where you achieve success through repeated failure, and inch step by step closer to your goal. Anyway, whatever you call it, I agree. Pokemon was made for this kind of thing. It could either be in the main game as changed trainers' pokemon, or as an optional, infinite end-game dungeon (like in Torchlight), where you meet tougher and tougher trainers. Or the option to start out with any type of pokemon you want, and the game reacting to it. Like being able to choose a dark pokemon as a starter, or a steel pokemon and so on.

Greater variety of pokemon appearing in all areas. There's over 700 of the little fucks now, yet you still encounter maybe 5 different pokemon at most in different zones. You could easily make that 15, hell, make it 25, and you'll still have enough pokemon left over to make them the rare ones.

New Game+. After recently defeating Red in emulated Pokemon Silver (with a team where everyone was under lvl 60) I was flabbergasted at the fact that I ever had the patience to get my pokemon to lvl 100 as a kid. After beating the final boss there's nothing but grind without reward, and that has no place in 2016. Start the game again where the first gym leader's pokemon are at least lvl 50, and the last around 85-90.

Difficulty levels. I know it's a game directed at a young audience, but difficulty levels really wouldn't take away from that, would they? Make the AI really vicious on higher levels. Make them use the most cruel tactics. Also, you could add the chance of encountering pokemon way out of your league in the wilderness. Imagine encountering a lvl 30 Rhyhorn with only your lvl 15 starter, and escaping by the skin of your teeth. Or maybe whittling it down inch by inch, and then capturing it to boost your team tremendously.

Definitely change the HMs. Moves like Flash, Rock Smash and Cut have never done anything but cripple pok?mon who have to give up a move slot for some shitty obligatory game progression system. First, remove the HMs from being moves, and just items used on their own. Maybe you still need a pokemon able to use it (ie. a water pokemon to use Surf, a Flying pokemon to Fly) to be able to use them, but definitely take out the fucking goddamn shit-pissing shoulda-been-aborted retarded step of "USE SURF?" Just cut the tree out of my way, I've got places to be!

More hidden areas! Tons more, with rare pok?mon and loot. Make the paths really obscure and hard to find. I'm talking Painted World of Ariamis levels of obscure here. Maybe have separate dungeons for all the ninety zillion legendary pokemon the series has by now.

More hold slots for items. Maybe separate ones for buff items like Miracle Seed and Mystic Water, and healing items like Berries.

And for fuck's sake, no more roaming pokemon! Nothing screams "PADDING!!!!" like being forced to zigzag around the world in the hopes of finding a pokemon that you can throw one ball at, and then immediately flying to another location to find it again.