Pokémon Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield General Discussion

[Corrie]

I got the Crown Tundra DLC recently and have been doing the Max Lair raids a lot. I just happened to capture 2 shinies and one of them was Ho-Oh. I know this is a stupid thing to complain about, but I'm actually disappointed I ran into a shiny Ho-Oh. I prefer the original color format more and just kept him because the odds of that happening were like 1/300 since I don't have a shiny charm.

Congrats on the shiny! But I feel that. Some of the original colours I like more than the shiny variants.

 

[DarkDesertFox]

Congrats on the shiny! But I feel that. Some of the original colours I like more than the shiny variants.

Thanks! Luckily we have a second Switch so I will just make a Sword file on there and try again. Glad you don't have to beat the game or have good Pokemon to do the Crown Tundra stuff.

 

[Holla]

Thanks! Luckily we have a second Switch so I will just make a Sword file on there and try again. Glad you don't have to beat the game or have good Pokemon to do the Crown Tundra stuff.

You actually don't need a second Switch to have more than one save file on Pokemon Sword. I have two different saves via 2 different accounts on my one Switch. Just thought I'd point that out.

 

[Orius]

So, I've finally got a Switch! But what's this? Already bored of the three out of four games I bought on Switch? (Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3) At least Animal Crossing is still offering some engagement, but other than that, I'm already seeking new horizons (hah!) in other Switch games.

So what did I do? I thought, "Hey, maybe it's a good time to buy that still-kinda-new Pokémon game, Sword and Shield now that I've completed Let's Go Pikachu..." But, before I paid money for it (thank god), I looked up the negative rumors I heard about the game and boy, people reeeeeally loathed this game, and their opinions have now put me off paying $60 for it (yes, $60 in Singapore, for each game).

Some of the reasons aren't that bad, like easier completion of Pokedex (which I like 'coz back then, you had to trade event-exclusives just to complete the dex, and hopefully, that's gone in SwSh), or easier leveling up of Pokémon (I hate grinding for levels). An easier game translates to a more relaxing game for me. Other points they brought up though does raise concern, like having to go to raids. It seems like many players have complained that it's too challenging unless you team up with other players, but on the other hand, the matchmaking sucks (of course; no matchmaking system doesn't suck) and how you get paired up with random players who cause you to lose. I hate the multiplayer scene because I'm not a competitive player by nature, so I don't like the pressure of being skilled enough to team up with players in these challenging "raids." So yeah, definitely a big turn-off, this one.

And then there's the thing I care about the most: the story. I know, I know, getting Pokémon for storytelling is like going to a funeral when you need cheering up. But what I heard is that the story for these two games in particular sucks the most, how the pacing of the story is poorly done, how Hop is a terrible trainer who keeps annoying you with rival battles even though he doesn't know how to type match-up like an even dumber version of Ash Ketchum, how all the exciting events would happen off-screen because Leon and "Shillzard" (his Gigantamax Charizard) would take care of everything for you while you continue on your journey to get your badges. I mean, look, Pokémon isn't known for having the best storylines, but a semi-decent storyline would still be better than a completely dull one, especially if you're gonna make your game last for more than a few weeks (see my "Let's Go, Pikachu" game time). Remember Pokémon Black and White? Oh man, that was a great storytelling achievement for Gamefreak.

Anyway, sorry for the tirade, but I just want to make it clear that everything I've said here is based off rumors. I have very little knowledge of what the actual quality of SwSh is like, so I could be mistaken for all I know. I know it's not very pleasant for someone to come into a Pokémon thread and whine about its potential flaws when he hasn't even played it, but learning about the Dexit incident got me a little sour because I just bought a one year subscription for Pokémon Home... and now the National Dex is gone. Wow. So yeah, had to get it off my chest, my dilemma about whether if buying these two games being worth it or not.

Having said that, I would like to hear from you long time veterans. Should I fork out the money, especially if I've already pre-ordered the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl double-pack (which comes out in two months)... or should I just settle for Pokémon Snap instead?

 

[DarkDesertFox]

So, I've finally got a Switch! But what's this? Already bored of the three out of four games I bought on Switch? (Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3) At least Animal Crossing is still offering some engagement, but other than that, I'm already seeking new horizons (hah!) in other Switch games.

So what did I do? I thought, "Hey, maybe it's a good time to buy that still-kinda-new Pokémon game, Sword and Shield now that I've completed Let's Go Pikachu..." But, before I paid money for it (thank god), I looked up the negative rumors I heard about the game and boy, people reeeeeally loathed this game, and their opinions have now put me off paying $60 for it (yes, $60 in Singapore, for each game).

Some of the reasons aren't that bad, like easier completion of Pokedex (which I like 'coz back then, you had to trade event-exclusives just to complete the dex, and hopefully, that's gone in SwSh), or easier leveling up of Pokémon (I hate grinding for levels). An easier game translates to a more relaxing game for me. Other points they brought up though does raise concern, like having to go to raids. It seems like many players have complained that it's too challenging unless you team up with other players, but on the other hand, the matchmaking sucks (of course; no matchmaking system doesn't suck) and how you get paired up with random players who cause you to lose. I hate the multiplayer scene because I'm not a competitive player by nature, so I don't like the pressure of being skilled enough to team up with players in these challenging "raids." So yeah, definitely a big turn-off, this one.

And then there's the thing I care about the most: the story. I know, I know, getting Pokémon for storytelling is like going to a funeral when you need cheering up. But what I heard is that the story for these two games in particular sucks the most, how the pacing of the story is poorly done, how Hop is a terrible trainer who keeps annoying you with rival battles even though he doesn't know how to type match-up like an even dumber version of Ash Ketchum, how all the exciting events would happen off-screen because Leon and "Shillzard" (his Gigantamax Charizard) would take care of everything for you while you continue on your journey to get your badges. I mean, look, Pokémon isn't known for having the best storylines, but a semi-decent storyline would still be better than a completely dull one, especially if you're gonna make your game last for more than a few weeks (see my "Let's Go, Pikachu" game time). Remember Pokémon Black and White? Oh man, that was a great storytelling achievement for Gamefreak.

Anyway, sorry for the tirade, but I just want to make it clear that everything I've said here is based off rumors. I have very little knowledge of what the actual quality of SwSh is like, so I could be mistaken for all I know. I know it's not very pleasant for someone to come into a Pokémon thread and whine about its potential flaws when he hasn't even played it, but learning about the Dexit incident got me a little sour because I just bought a one year subscription for Pokémon Home... and now the National Dex is gone. Wow. So yeah, had to get it off my chest, my dilemma about whether if buying these two games being worth it or not.

Having said that, I would like to hear from you long time veterans. Should I fork out the money, especially if I've already pre-ordered the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl double-pack (which comes out in two months)... or should I just settle for Pokémon Snap instead?

I can confirm the rumors you heard are not far from the truth. The story really is one of the weakest in the mainline Pokemon games. I definitely wasn't feeling it. The characters, however, I did enjoy. I think Leon is one of the best characters in the series. Hop is quite annoying with how often he challenges you to a battle and how easy they are, though as a character he's more of a buddy than rival late game. It isn't necessary to find people to raid with, but it does make it a lot easier since the NPCs can be really dumb and waste a turn or a life. You can carry most raids late game with some strong Pokemon but there are difficult 5 star ones that pop up that make the NPCs dumb decisions weigh in more. The wild area is a nice idea, but it's definitely bogged down by the amount of weather effects it has going on and some areas looking graphically unimpressive. The lag is also really bad if you have online turned on in those areas. They never fixed that.

Despite everything I've said, I have actually still had fun and enjoyed the game. I got back into it recently after buying the DLC. The soundtrack is great. Dynamax is a cool mechanic that makes almost any Pokemon feel really powerful when you get to use it in battle. Breeding competitive or strong Pokemon is A LOT easier this game compared to previous games which is great. It makes it feel a lot less tedious. Raid battles are fun to play with people. The camping feature where you can watch, interact and cook with your Pokemon is a really nice addition. I like that you can enter other players tents, though I wish you could do it with a friend where it wasn't just local. There's lots of ways in-game to get items that were usually a 1 time way to get without trading. I don't think it's worth it just for the story, but if you like any of the other things I mentioned, it might be worth it! I've gotten like 170 hours out of it so far, so I definitely got my money's worth.

 

[Orius]

Breeding competitive or strong Pokemon is A LOT easier this game compared to previous games which is great. It makes it feel a lot less tedious.

Could you explain that for me? I'm guessing that you still need a perfect IV Ditto, which should be easier by chain-catching Ditto in Let's Go Pikachu and then transferring it via Pokémon Home to SwSh? But what about all the other stuff like checking out hidden abilities, finding the right nature, etc. Does SwSh have a fortune teller like in Let's Go, the one who could change all the Pokémon you catch to the nature you want (for a price)? I'm more concerned about hidden abilities because, IIRC, those Pokémon with hidden abilities are pretty hard to get.

I'm guessing not much has changed with EV-training though. lol I wish there's a faster method of EV-leveling like how you can get 15k xp or so by chain-catching Chanseys in Let's Go. Seriously though, Let's Go has so many features that makes it easier to play. Even completing the Pokedex was a breeze; I did it in a week or so.

It isn't necessary to find people to raid with, but it does make it a lot easier since the NPCs can be really dumb and waste a turn or a life. You can carry most raids late game with some strong Pokemon but there are difficult 5 star ones that pop up that make the NPCs dumb decisions weigh in more.

You don't need competitive Pokémon to enter these raids, do you? That's my bigger concern because I don't like the idea of your teammates using competitive Pokémon and pressures you into using them too in multiplayer content.

 

[DarkDesertFox]

Could you explain that for me? I'm guessing that you still need a perfect IV Ditto, which should be easier by chain-catching Ditto in Let's Go Pikachu and then transferring it via Pokémon Home to SwSh? But what about all the other stuff like checking out hidden abilities, finding the right nature, etc. Does SwSh have a fortune teller like in Let's Go, the one who could change all the Pokémon you catch to the nature you want (for a price)? I'm more concerned about hidden abilities because, IIRC, those Pokémon with hidden abilities are pretty hard to get.

I'm guessing not much has changed with EV-training though. lol I wish there's a faster method of EV-leveling like how you can get 15k xp or so by chain-catching Chanseys in Let's Go. Seriously though, Let's Go has so many features that makes it easier to play. Even completing the Pokedex was a breeze; I did it in a week or so.

You don't need competitive Pokémon to enter these raids, do you? That's my bigger concern because I don't like the idea of your teammates using competitive Pokémon and pressures you into using them too in multiplayer content.

Sure! You actually do not need a perfect IV Ditto. None of mine are perfect, only 3-5 IVs. There is a spot that has a glowing Ditto den which guarantees 3 perfect IVs. The best way is to do the time travel glitch to avoid wasting Wishing Pieces, but essentially you can keep resetting the den until you get a Ditto. Basically, I caught a bunch of Dittos of different IVs and natures. You can just put an Everstone on the Ditto you want the right nature for and then breed the your desired Pokemon. Once you got the desired nature, just put the Everstone on that bred Pokemon and then the Destiny Knot on the Ditto to carry over the IVs. So let's say the Ditto has 3 perfect IVs in HP, Attack, and Defense. Then once you breed the Pokemon with the right nature and 3 IVs, you use another Ditto with perfect IVs in different categories. So you throw the Everstone on the Pokemon and breed with a Ditto that has perfect IVs in Sp. ATK, Sp. DEF, and Speed. Then you can get perfect IVs in all categories. Though I would recommend a higher IV Ditto like 4-5. There are glowing Pokemon in the game that carry hidden abilities you can look for. Your only other options for hidden abilities are the DLC Legendary Raid dens to get a capsule to get the hidden ability or by trading with someone who bred one. As far as natures go, you can just use a mint for the nature you want. They are not too hard to get but are definitely a post game thing. You can also grind bottle caps to max the IVs for any Pokemon without breeding.

In the DLC, there is an NPC that resets EVs but otherwise you'll have to do it with berries. EV training is super easy this time around. You just send a Pokemon on a job, do the time travel glitch, and you have 96 EVs in like 1 minute. You don't need competitive Pokemon for raids, though I do bring them just to make things easier.

 

[Orius]

Thanks for all the info, but I got a bit confused there about the Ditto...

Basically, I caught a bunch of Dittos of different IVs and natures. You can just put an Everstone on the Ditto you want the right nature for and then breed the your desired Pokemon. Once you got the desired nature, just put the Everstone on that bred Pokemon and then the Destiny Knot on the Ditto to carry over the IVs. So let's say the Ditto has 3 perfect IVs in HP, Attack, and Defense. Then once you breed the Pokemon with the right nature and 3 IVs, you use another Ditto with perfect IVs in different categories. So you throw the Everstone on the Pokemon and breed with a Ditto that has perfect IVs in Sp. ATK, Sp. DEF, and Speed. Then you can get perfect IVs in all categories.

So wait, how many Ditto do I need? And could you explain again whom I put the Everstone on?

Let's say, hypothetically, I have a Ditto with a Brave nature I want to transfer to a Mudkip. I would put the Everstone on the Ditto first, then after my Swampert does his woo-hoo with Ditto, you said to "put the Everstone on that bred Pokemon," meaning the new Mudkip my Swampert gave birth to, is that correct? But how do I transfer the IVs over from Ditto onto my Mudkip? Do I put the Everstone on Mudkip and get him to do the woo-hoo with a Destiny Knot-wearing Ditto with perfect IVs (which is kinda disturbing btw, your dad and your mate being both Dittos)?

Sorry, I don't normally breed competitive Pokemon very often, so all the details is a bit confusing for me. lol

The best way is to do the time travel glitch to avoid wasting Wishing Pieces

Will that affect the other games on my Switch like Animal Crossing (like would it get AC to time-travel too)? Or it wouldn't matter so long as I don't start up AC while time-traveling and just reset it to the proper time if I wanna play AC?

Also, how does the time-traveling work exactly in SwSh? As in, how far ahead do I need to set the time?

 

[DarkDesertFox]

Thanks for all the info, but I got a bit confused there about the Ditto...


So wait, how many Ditto do I need? And could you explain again whom I put the Everstone on?

Let's say, hypothetically, I have a Ditto with a Brave nature I want to transfer to a Mudkip. I would put the Everstone on the Ditto first, then after my Swampert does his woo-hoo with Ditto, you said to "put the Everstone on that bred Pokemon," meaning the new Mudkip my Swampert gave birth to, is that correct? But how do I transfer the IVs over from Ditto onto my Mudkip? Do I put the Everstone on Mudkip and get him to do the woo-hoo with a Destiny Knot-wearing Ditto with perfect IVs (which is kinda disturbing btw, your dad and your mate being both Dittos)?

Sorry, I don't normally breed competitive Pokemon very often, so all the details is a bit confusing for me. lol



Will that affect the other games on my Switch like Animal Crossing (like would it get AC to time-travel too)? Or it wouldn't matter so long as I don't start up AC while time-traveling?

Also, how does the time-traveling work exactly? As in, how far ahead do I need to set the time?

It depends on the natures you want. I had to catch a lot of different Ditto until I got the natures I wanted. It's all RNG sadly but it's worth it to make breeding easier for the natures you want. If you wanted, you could catch and transfer Dittos from a previous game for natures but you will just have a Pokemon with worse IVs to start the breeding process with. Correct, so once you breed just one egg you should already have the right nature from the Everstone. That way, you can throw the Destiny Knot on the Ditto that has the good IVs which doesn't matter what nature it is. The Destiny Knot pulls 5 IVs from either parent, so once bred a Mudkip with better IVs then your first Mudkip, throw the Everstone on that one and then a destiny knot on a Ditto with the better IVs the Mudkip is missing because if you just keep using the same Ditto you're not going to get all the IVs you want. I learned that the hard way. LOL it is pretty messed up and can be confusing. Though I have gotten 5-6 IV Pokemon easily doing this method. You don't need perfect IVs in every category. Like obviously for a Pokemon like Machoke, special attack is pretty useless so you can have a crappy IV in that stat but if it's perfect in everything else you're fine.

Animal Crossing won't time travel unless you open it while the date is ahead. You can reset the date back to current time or the last time you played Animal Crossing and you should be fine. There are two ways to do time travel in Pokemon Sword/Shield. One way is to open a raid den, invite others (you can do this via local, you do not need to do this online), and while that screen is open you change the time ahead however many hours or days. Rinse and repeat that process. The other method is to win or lose a ranked match online and then after that as long as you don't disconnect you can change the time without doing the den method.

 

[Orius]

It depends on the natures you want. I had to catch a lot of different Ditto until I got the natures I wanted. It's all RNG sadly but it's worth it to make breeding easier for the natures you want. If you wanted, you could catch and transfer Dittos from a previous games for natures but you will just have a Pokemon with worse IVs to start the breeding process with. Correct, so once you breed just one egg you should already have the right nature from the Everstone. That way, you can throw the Destiny Knot on the Ditto that has the good IVs which doesn't matter what nature it is. The Destiny Knot pulls 5 IVs from either parent, so once bred a Mudkip with better IVs then your first Mudkip, throw the Everstone on that one and then a destiny knot on a Ditto with the better IVs the Mudkip is missing because if you just keep using the same Ditto you're not going to get all the IVs you want. I learned that the hard way. LOL it is pretty messed up and can be confusing. Though I have gotten 5-6 IV Pokemon easily doing this method. You don't need perfect IVs in every category. Like obviously for a Pokemon like Machoke, special attack is pretty useless so you can have a crappy IV in that stat but if it's perfect in everything else you're fine.

Animal Crossing won't time travel unless you open it while the date is ahead. You can reset the date back to current time or the last time you played Animal Crossing and you should be fine. There are two ways to do time travel in Pokemon Sword/Shield. One way is to open a raid den, invite others (you can do this via local, you do not need to do this online), and while that screen is open you change the time ahead however many hours or days. Rinse and repeat that process. The other method is to win or lose a ranked match online and then after that as long as you don't disconnect you can change the time without doing the den method.

Nice, nice. Thanks again for all the help! I'll try and snag a copy of Sword/Shield tomorrow from my favorite game shop; I don't like digital copies. lol

 

[Midoriya]

Just wanted to mention this in case it wasn't, but in order to raise a competitive monotype Dragon team for Pokemon Sword I was gifted a perfect IV Ditto to breed with. I also had an Everstone and a Destiny Knot. You can just buy HP Ups, Proteins, Irons, Calciums, Zincs, and Carboses from the pokemart and give them to a Pokemon you're EV training at level 1 in order to max out the correct EVs for them. As far as IV goes, I would just breed the Ditto with whichever Pokemon you're trying to get perfect IVs for, and keep breeding until you get up to 5-6 perfect IVs. At least, that's what I did. It takes a long time and you'll definitely have a lot of eggs that hatch that are failed breedjects, but it's worth it.

Just my two cents as someone who never did the competitive scene before Sword/Shield.

 

[Orius]

Guess it's a good time to return to Let's Go Pikachu... 6IV Ditto, here I come!

 

[Snek]

I just want to add that the Watchtower Ruins Lair is one of the most pointless dens in the game. They should've just given us a den in the Crown Tundra of nothing but Blisseys and Dittos to make us really happy. The Watchtower Lair is event-exclusive and only used a couple of times in 2020. In 2021 it hasnt been used at all. GF really doesn't know what to do with any of things they implement in games.

 

[Orius]

So, contrary to what I heard from the critics, Pokémon Shield wasn't really the complete disaster I had thought it was - quite opposite, in fact. The Gigantamax gym battles are AWESOME. lmao THIS is how the gym battles should be done, with a huge crowd of audience cheering you on as you go all kaiju-sized hurling huge explosive attacks. The spectacle and scope of the battlefield really make the gym battles exciting again.

The story's alright so far. Bebe is a douche, but I did feel kinda bad for him when his backstory's revealed, and his gym challenge privileges stripped. "Frank's Letter" is obviously the best part of the story so far, even if it's just a small side quest. Oof, my heart bleeds...

I think in terms of the battling gameplay, it's not bad so far, and I haven't really met challenges I couldn't overcome. I did hit a small hiccup in the beginning (before the Grass Badge) when I over-leveled my traded Pokémon and ended up having some of them disobeying me, but once I got the Fire Badge, the level limits for obedience are high enough that it's no longer an issue.

The Surprise Trades are a hit-and-miss, but it's been incredibly helpful in completing my Pokedex. Of course, there are a large number of douches who would send out crappy Route 2 Skwovets and Rookidees, but every now and then, I would get a rare one that fills out a Pokedex entry. Useful tool to feel productive if you're grinding and feeling bored.

Hop is annoying at first, but he's starting to grow on me. I have a soft spot for underdog losers. Also see "Ash Ketchum," whom I vocally supports.

I like the fashion aspect of the game, but so far, I haven't really found that many outfits appealing enough to wear them. I'm just sticking with my Fire Type jersey/jacket atm.

My Libero Cinderace I got from Pokémon Home has been incredibly helpful so far, changing types for every attack and making every move a STAB move, but the real MVP is still my Sneasel, whose dark type Beat Up guarantees a OHKO in most situations due to it being a 6-times attack (plus the abundance of psychic and ghost types waiting to be pounded). He also has the Metal Claw attack, which isn't as powerful (especially once my Corvisquire learned Steel Wing and evolved into Corviknight), but it did help OHKO a few fairies in the wild sometimes. I don't really have any poison type with me, so I thought I was screwed when I arrived at Ballonlea, but then I remembered, "WAIT! Corviknight!" lmao OHKO that sucker Alcremie once she went Gigantamax.

Seriously, the music-change for the final Pokémon of each gym leader really helps boost the mood and makes it so exhilarating to Gigantamax. Whoever's in charge of the music and sound design deserves a raise.

 

[VanitasFan26]

After replaying Pokemon Shield again for the 3rd time. I am just going to get the negatives out of way. The Story is just basic and it feels unoriginal, the characters are not that interesting, and its the same typical Pokemon formula that you are used to since Red and Blue. However, there are things about the game I do like. The Galar Pokemon themselves are pretty unique and you can tell they did try to be original with different typings.

As for the Dynamax and Gigantamax its basically a copy and paste of Mega Evolutions and Z Moves, but they were entertaining to battle with especially when you are battling the gym leaders. The music is alright for the most part, and the DLC itself really made up for the lack of content for Post Game.

However, it still bothers me how they decided not to include every Pokemon in the game despite the fact that past Pokemon games let you transfer all the Pokemon you want to use. I know the whole National Dex Controversy was all over the place and I seen both sides, It was Game Freak's fault for not including it and the Fans should've not have been so upbeat about it by sending harassments to the developers. Honestly this is something they have to never do again with the next generation of Pokemon.

This has been a thing whenever there is a new generation they like to take out features from older Pokemon games just to keep the games fresh and new. While that is a good thing it can sometimes be bad, because it could be features that people love to have in Pokemon games and I know people were scared when they do something new. Look at how Black and White were treated when it first came out and when Sun and Moon replaced Gyms with Island Trials and Kahuna battles.

Overall Pokemon Shield may not be the best Pokemon game and its sad to see it get so badly treated with the whole national dex controversy, but it is a solid game for new players who never played Pokemon before, but if you're someone who has played Pokemon so many times you know what you're in for and its nothing really new. Let us hope Legend's of Arceus would be a great Pokemon game because at least they are trying something new and doing an effort to change up the formula.

 

[Orius]

After replaying Pokemon Shield again for the 3rd time. I am just going to get the negatives out of way. The Story is just basic and it feels unoriginal, the characters are not that interesting, and its the same typical Pokemon formula that you are used to since Red and Blue. However, there are things about the game I do like. The Galar Pokemon themselves are pretty unique and you can tell they did try to be original with different typings.

As for the Dynamax and Gigantamax its basically a copy and paste of Mega Evolutions and Z Moves, but they were entertaining to battle with especially when you are battling the gym leaders. The music is alright for the most part, and the DLC itself really made up for the lack of content for Post Game.

However, it still bothers me how they decided not to include every Pokemon in the game despite the fact that past Pokemon games let you transfer all the Pokemon you want to use. I know the whole National Dex Controversy was all over the place and I seen both sides, It was Game Freak's fault for not including it and the Fans should've not have been so upbeat about it by sending harassments to the developers. Honestly this is something they have to never do again with the next generation of Pokemon.

This has been a thing whenever there is a new generation they like to take out features from older Pokemon games just to keep the games fresh and new. While that is a good thing it can sometimes be bad, because it could be features that people love to have in Pokemon games and I know people were scared when they do something new. Look at how Black and White were treated when it first came out and when Sun and Moon replaced Gyms with Island Trials and Kahuna battles.

Overall Pokemon Shield may not be the best Pokemon game and its sad to see it get so badly treated with the whole national dex controversy, but it is a solid game for new players who never played Pokemon before, but if you're someone who has played Pokemon so many times you know what you're in for and its nothing really new. Let us hope Legend's of Arceus would be a great Pokemon game because at least they are trying something new and doing an effort to change up the formula.

Yeah, gonna be honest, I'm not the most hardcore Pokémon fan, period, so my more positive sentiments might be due to that. I mean, the National Dex being cut was a shame, especially after I recently bought an annual subscription of Pokémon Home, but I'm almost too lazy to collect all the Pokémon anyway or even reach 100% completion. Let's Go Pikachu was easy because it's only 150, but even after getting the certificate and catching MewTwo, I didn't bother finish the other aspects of the game and pretty much abandoned it.

I can see why long time veterans of the franchise would be upset, but perhaps the franchise has moved on to appeal to newer fans who've never experienced the games before or are casual gamers like me who just like to pick up the latest rendition of Pokémon every 5-10 years just to see what's changed. The graphics update might be a trivial bonus for Pokémon veterans, but it's a pretty big deal for me who had to deal with sprites for several generations. Sure, Sword and Shield's graphics are pretty pathetic compared to Pokémon Snap, but it's a phase, and Pokémon games are only gonna look better on Switch in the future.

It also says a lot that something as trivial as the gym battles being given a little more spectacle than before would excite someone like me, while it might have gotten a "Meh" from most fans. So, perhaps it's just different strokes for different folks, with the franchise now having a different kind of appeal.

I mean, I'm just having a good time running around and exploring a new region, not really bothering to remember how the stakes have been lowered so much compared to the likes of Black and White or even RBY where you get to fight a literal mob boss. I mean, if I really wanna dig into it, I'm sure I could find faults with no problem, but just that thrill of getting to Dynamax again in the next gym with the crowds cheering, lol, that's a simple enough pleasure for me.

 

[Snek]

As for the Dynamax and Gigantamax its basically a copy and paste of Mega Evolutions and Z Moves, but they were entertaining to battle with especially when you are battling the gym leaders. The music is alright for the most part, and the DLC itself really made up for the lack of content for Post Game.

This is exactly what I've thought when I played Sword! How Max Moves are basically reconned Z-moves and how all the Gigantamax are basically downgraded Megas.

I got Sword and Sword isn't any different than Shield. The story is lame. The final antagonist isn't evil. Rose's reasoning was terrible. Like he should have waited like Leon said. The evil team isn't even evil. The team boss is a kind-hearted gym leader. It seemed like a game that Game Freak made to subvert all the past games.

Overall Pokemon Shield may not be the best Pokemon game and its sad to see it get so badly treated with the whole national dex controversy, but it is a solid game for new players who never played Pokemon before, but if you're someone who has played Pokemon so many times you know what you're in for and its nothing really new.

Which gets me to this. GF deserved it honestly. They needed a wake-up call from the fans. As an older player, I felt sort of betrayed that they would screw me over. Not letting play with my favourites like Scizor (eventually in IoA) and Greninja really left a sour taste in my mouth. I hated it at first, decided to play and try it out, and realized it was mediocre at best. The biggest problem is that GF has never realized how veteran players got into Pokémon to begin with. They burn out the older players by trying desperately to attract newer players. If they want to get new players they shouldn't chain us to lengthy tutorials and heavy hand-holding (e.g. current Exp Share and Ex. Candies).

 

[Orius]

If they want to get new players they shouldn't chain us to lengthy tutorials and heavy hand-holding (e.g. current Exp Share and Ex. Candies).

Actually, I think those were precisely there for the new players.

But like I said, I get why the more hardcore IV-training folks among Pokémon fans would be angry. Fortunately, I'm not one of them. lol I love hand-holding.

I know how it upsets a lot of older gamers, particularly those who grew up with the N64 or older consoles, how us newer generation gamers need everything to be spoon-fed. But I guess it's just a difference of philosophy on what we consider to be relaxing and enjoyable gaming experience. Times are changing, even if it might not be to your liking.

 

[Snek]

Actually, I think those were precisely there for the new players.

But like I said, I get why the more hardcore IV-training folks among Pokémon fans would be angry. Fortunately, I'm not one of them. lol I love hand-holding.

I know how it upsets a lot of older gamers, particularly those who grew up with the N64 or older consoles, how us newer generation gamers need everything to be spoon-fed. But I guess it's just a difference of philosophy on what we consider to be relaxing and enjoyable gaming experience. Times are changing, even if it might not be to your liking.

No, no just no. Don't start attacking fans like me because we hold a different view on gaming. Don't brush aside the criticisms from older fans who have played the games from its very beginning. I've played the games since RBY. The excessive hand-holding is a concern. Pokémon was never really challenging, but the excessive hand-holding makes it unenjoyable. Don't say that GF hasn't taken notice of these criticisms either. Legends Arceus feels like it will appeal to fans like me. Pokémon attacking the player directly? Sounds fun. A game thats drastically different from the original formula. BDSP seems like a game that would appeal to you. You can't appeal to all fans, but when fans cry foul in massive numbers you need to listen to them. I'm glad the Sword and Shield era is finally coming to end soon.

 

[Orius]

No, no just no. Don't start attacking fans like me because we hold a different view on gaming. Don't brush aside the criticisms from older fans who have played the games from its very beginning. I've played the games since RBY. The excessive hand-holding is a concern. Pokémon was never really challenging, but the excessive hand-holding makes it unenjoyable. Don't say that GF hasn't taken notice of these criticisms either. Legends Arceus feels like it will appeal to fans like me. Pokémon attacking the player directly? Sounds fun. A game thats drastically differemt from the original formula. BDSP seems like a game that would appeal to you. You can't appeal to all fans, but when fans cry foul in massive numbers you need to listen to them. I'm glad the Sword and Shield era is finally coming to end soon.

I mean, I could say the same about elitist gamers who attack people like me as well who enjoy the hand-holding, labeling us as filthy casuals who aren't real gamers. In discussions like these, opinions are brushed aside one way or another inevitably. It's either you saying you like to play games your way or me saying I like it my way. To each his own.

Also, when fans cry foul in massive numbers? That just sounds like a majority vote to me. There's a reason why the term, "overrated" exist. Just because an opinion is shared by the collective masses doesn't mean it's true. I don't mind you wanting things to go back to the old ways, but I think my minority point of view shouldn't be brushed aside either.

Also, my intention was never to attack your opinion, contrary to what your post sounds like (brushing off my opinion and cramming your own). That's why I added the part about how "it might be a difference of philosophy" to state that it might just be subjective to our own preferences.

Oh, and by the way? I've played the games since RBY too. Guess I just had a different experience growing up with the games, huh? People having different experience playing all the same games. Imagine that. It's as if games could be played in other ways and still be enjoyable, not just adhering to a single linear design.

Like seriously, it's because of all these so-called "hardcore gamers" that we get blend, generic open-world roguelike AAA RPGs with the same formula and designs these days, appealing to the same masses that bought their older games. So boring.