Is it time to do away with the Elite Four Format?

[S.Bustathedog]

maybe just maybe if they made it a bit fifferent then yes don't scrap it ATM still don't scrap it it is a mayjor part of the game and it is easy but fun to beat {except the shino one that had me in tears}

 

[Rokrin]

That would be nice, but how would you be informed if a new challenger has arrived? Would you be given a time limit to reach the E4 building before you declare a forfiet while the Champion title goes to the challenger who was at the battle field on time? Would you be able to drop everything that you're doing at the time just to head to the E4 building? You're no longer playing as a challenger. You're now playing as the Champion. As Da Champion, you'll have to respect the challenger's wishes to challenge you. He/She just fought through four seemignly-tough trainers just to get to you, and all he/she could find was a note saying, "Went Shiny Hunting! Be back in 10 days!" which was signed by you... Yes, the Champion has loads of responsibilities...

I don't know, it wasn't really a developed idea when I was typing it. Maybe have an event that triggers upon entering any city, where some League Official runs up to you and tells you that a challenger is fighting through the Elite 4? Then you can just go when you want and that'll be when they "finished". If you wanted added realism, then yes, impose a time limit, but Pokemon isn't really the most realistic of games, and I don't think being the Champion should become a chore.

The hard thing would be deciding whether or not losing that battle has any adverse affects on the player.

 

[Biodragon]

While all of these ideas sound very interesting, I don't think most of them are practical. Tournaments are the battle tower type places are for and if the way to being the champion was too long and difficult then most kids might drop the game entirely. One idea that did interest me was giving the elite four better tactics. Someone else touched one this idea, the idea that after you defeat the elite four they leave that building that they were in and wander the world, and every time you battle them they get stronger. That way the younger/inexperienced audience could fight them once and the older/experience crowd could seek them out for a real challenge. Also when you see them next their pokemon may be different, or they have a lot of pokemon instead of just one team. (Their the elite four they must have more then 4-6 pokemon on them)

 

[itsme]

Elite 4 is mostly meant to be a type of entertainment for the in-gamers. Having some thought to the tournament style, I think the Battle tower's online battles serves to this purpose in a way.

I really think it would be cool if they made a seperate theme based online elite four thing, where they have like an online tournament every week or so, top 5 winners gets to become the elite four and the top guy being the champion.

 

[ArchedThunder]

I do think it is time to do away with the Elite 4, but I don't want a battle/Trainer tower knock off as the climax for a game, I want some thing new....

 

[leon25270]

From my experience, there are always more people who complain about any kind of change than praise it.

One great example is Sonic Unleashed. I've actually seen plenty of people who don't like the game because Sonic goes too fast.

Another is Facebook. If you've ever been on Facebook (and probably even if you haven't) you'll know what I mean.

It goes to show that no matter how much sense it makes to change something, there'll always be a huge group who hates the new thing. (For the record, I disliked the new Facebook)

And now, your "I think that number would be vastly larger than the group of people who would enjoy something new" claim has evidence to support it. "Sonic Unleashed" makes a good piece of evidence, seeing as that is a video game as well.

I don't know, it wasn't really a developed idea when I was typing it. Maybe have an event that triggers upon entering any city, where some League Official runs up to you and tells you that a challenger is fighting through the Elite 4? Then you can just go when you want and that'll be when they "finished". If you wanted added realism, then yes, impose a time limit, but Pokemon isn't really the most realistic of games, and I don't think being the Champion should become a chore.

The hard thing would be deciding whether or not losing that battle has any adverse affects on the player.

I guess my rebuttal wasn't fully-developed either. I just made my claim based on the fact that Cynthia (or any Champion-class Trainer for that matter) would always be waiting for you in that final room so that you could get things over with and decide who gets the Champion Title. I guess I dismissed the possibility that the Champion could somehow reschedule the final battle to a later date...

 

[Drake Pokétrainer]

Nah, the elite format is just like the fire,water,grass starters. Something that shouldn't ever change.

 

[dkc46]

I think that they should have it, but have it like in the anime where you have to go through a tournament after getting the 8 badges then you go into thechampion league and battle the elite four. The way they have it now, its just annoying having to fight them one after the other, in my opinion it just seems dum.

 

[Serbaayuu]

Why not the Elite 8192, while we're at it? -_-

No, it's the Elite 1337.

Maybe something nice (expanding on the idea of meeting up with the E4 and Champion later after you beat them) would be if you also met them during the game and they were actually part of the story.

Think about it: the only E4 who was really a major player in the D/P storyline was Cynthia. We're talking about the five greatest trainers on the continent, and for some reason the police are not recruiting them to help out with this Pokemon-themed evil gang? Or the E4 aren't doing anything themselves to stop these evildoers? (Forgive me if I'm forgetting something. I haven't played the storyline in over a year)

There should be more points in the pre-E4 storyline where you run into them and they help you. Or even other points not having to do with Team X where you would just battle with them for fun.

 

[Larry]

Nah, the elite format is just like the fire,water,grass starters. Something that shouldn't ever change.

Yeah...it would be cool with the tournament but still keep the E4.

 

[yhyiannis]

No, it's the Elite 1337.

Maybe something nice (expanding on the idea of meeting up with the E4 and Champion later after you beat them) would be if you also met them during the game and they were actually part of the story.

Think about it: the only E4 who was really a major player in the D/P storyline was Cynthia. We're talking about the five greatest trainers on the continent, and for some reason the police are not recruiting them to help out with this Pokemon-themed evil gang? Or the E4 aren't doing anything themselves to stop these evildoers? (Forgive me if I'm forgetting something. I haven't played the storyline in over a year)

There should be more points in the pre-E4 storyline where you run into them and they help you. Or even other points not having to do with Team X where you would just battle with them for fun.

Haha!

Yeah that would be pretty cool.

Yeah that is true. Well, Flint kind of played a role, but it wasn't that big I guess. He just meets you and tells you to go battle Volkner and that he'll see you at the League. But I agree that it's stupid that the police don't get the Elite Four to help get Team Galactic out. Cynthia didn't really do anything either. Actually, the police didn't do anything haha.

Yeah that would be pretty cool if you could just meet up with them.

 

[cocoa_adele]

i always look forward to seeing what pokemon the elite four has

 

[Rad3n]

You guys are all forgetting that the younger players still have trouble with the elite four and often need multiple tries. Making it harder by adding a "randomisation" process might be interesting but it should only be, if at all, for the second playthrough IMO.

 

[80p]

yeah i like the idea of a tournament but not to replace the Elite 4 for it. Throughout the game if you think about it they ont really give you that good of training areas until after you beat the E4 and get the national dex and all that, and iono if anyone else does this but i usually level my pokemon up at the E4 except when i EV train, If you changed the concept people wouldnt know who all to bring with them after beating the E4, but i think it would be a great idea to make the tourament idea unlockable after completeing the E4 so then everyones happy

 

[weavile33]

No, I definitely think they should keep the Elite Four for the purpose of originality. However, I do like the whole Tournament idea...

 

[Connor™]

People cry about the lack of consistency in the pokemon games, "how come lickitung couldn't evolve in Gen 3 when it could learn rollout", they all said.
Now you are suggesting the idea of scrapping the 'original idea' from the 1st games ?
If they introduced the tournament in Gen 2, that would have been fine.
However I think if they included it now and scrapped the E4, I think criticism over consistency would rise up once more.

 

[darkydude o doom]

What a shame quitting because the E4 format wasn't good enough for you.
It's fine the way it is.

 

[Electivirus]

I honestly think that a tournament format would be a nice addition to the games. Notice I said "addition", not "replacement". The E4's fine the way they are. Just make the tournament a qualification in order to face the E4. It wouldn't be fair to just let every Tom, Dick, and Harry who gets through the (pathetically easy) Victory Road face them.

 

[sam_h12]

Yeah that's what i'd like to see, like the Battle Dome in Hoenn.

I think the Elite 4's main problem is that the levels are too low!! It's so easy to use your starter for pretty much the whole thing without even having to train it. In future, the last gym should have its strongest Pokemon at about Lv70 or just below, then the E4 champion should have their strongest well into the late 80s.
I remember having to train hard in Yellow. The hardest game EVER.

 

[BCVM22]

I think the Elite 4's main problem is that the levels are too low!! It's so easy to use your starter for pretty much the whole thing without even having to train it. In future, the last gym should have its strongest Pokemon at about Lv70 or just below, then the E4 champion should have their strongest well into the late 80s.

They'd never do that, because little seven-year-old Tommy would be absolutely obliterated in his efforts to finish the game.