Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire: Expectations & Desires? [Not a speculation thread]

[Excitable Boy]

I don't think there's any harm to taking a year off to cool off the franchise fatigue, myself; even mainline Mario, the money-making machine, passed on 2014.

 

[BurningWhiteKyurem]

Those kinds of people play Pokemon?

Surely you jest. I get that Pokemon has paper-thin plot, but ever since Black and White, the series has been going in a direction of making the story has as much emphasis as gameplay (even if one supersedes the other in certain cases). Even then, people still did enjoy going through the story in the older games. Not sure why you're surprised.

Doesn't that conflict with trying to challenge the people who can clear the main story? Post-game content is usually optional (the Delta Episode isn't because it needs to be cleared to unlock the Battle Resort, but the Resort itself is optional).

Who said anything about challenging players going through the story? Not to mention, when have we ever seen GF try to make the main campaign more challenging? Other than the key system (as atrocious as it was in terms of practicality) in BW2, GF has no consistent record of trying to challenge people who can clear the main story. Furthermore, just because the post-game is optional, it doesn't mean that it suddenly justifies cutting content. The element of choice should always be there between trying to satisfy both the casual and the dedicated market. I mean, is it really going to hurt you if the ratio of people playing the Battle Frontier in relation to those that don't care about playing it are 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 or what have you?

 

[Excitable Boy]

Surely you jest. I get that Pokemon has paper-thin plot, but ever since Black and White, the series has been going in a direction of making the story has as much emphasis as gameplay (even if one supersedes the other in certain cases). Even then, people still did enjoy going through the story in the older games. Not sure why you're surprised.

They've been going in that direction, but I've never really heard of anyone asking for them to do so (at least, anyone informed of what it would/could entail); certainly, there's been no real desire for them to ever start doing so.

Who said anything about challenging players going through the story?

Game Freak did. "The player can choose to keep on playing after the main story and continue to the post-game, where the difficulty rises and there are much more difficult Trainers and challenges to overcome."

Furthermore, just because the post-game is optional, it doesn't mean that it suddenly justifies cutting content. The element of choice should always be there between trying to satisfy both the casual and the dedicated market. I mean, is it really going to hurt you if the ratio of people playing the Battle Frontier in relation to those that don't care about playing it are 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 or what have you?

That was my point; if they're going to make the main story easier to compete with Youkai Watch protect the casuals from challenge, they ought to at least make good on including a higher difficulty with more difficult Trainers and challenges.

 

[BCVM22]

The new movie confirms there's no new game in 2015. If there was then the movie would promote it.

Uh. What? No. That's not what that means at all.

I agree that no more remakes should happen.

That's an odd thing to demand.

Game Freak has had three chances and have not made a good one yet.

And that's an even more odd thing to say.

I'd only buy sequels.

There's a lot of odd going on here.

 

[shadowF]

do you guys think more could be expanded to ORAS or there is no need to go for another visit to hoenn?

 

[Lorde]

do you guys think more could be expanded to ORAS or there is no need to go for another visit to hoenn?

Is this about the Battle Frontier not being in OR/AS? Because I still don't see what the big deal is. :x

 

[shadowF]

Is this about the Battle Frontier not being in OR/AS? Because I still don't see what the big deal is. :x

nah, I was talking about in terms of story. Battle frontier can be put in another region like kalos or something.

 

[BurningWhiteKyurem]

do you guys think more could be expanded to ORAS or there is no need to go for another visit to hoenn?

It doesn't feel like Hoenn has any loose ends left, which is why remaking Emerald or making AS2/OR2 makes no sense. Though, Kalos could definitely use some expansion after what happened post-Lysandre battle.

 

[Bolt the Cat]

One such complaint is the water routes - GF made them better by making encounters there pretty much optional. Unless the RNG hates you, you will randomly encounter maybe 1 or 2 pokemon at the most in any given water route as you pass through and you can still grind on say Pelipper through the usage of DexNav. This is without Repels, mind you.

That doesn't address the real issues with the water routes, it's more of a quick fix. The biggest problems with the water routes were the open ended and confusing design and the repetitive distribution (Tentacool and Wingull everywhere) and they did nothing about that.

To simply call them lazy remakes at this point, especially when it is over stuff like having no Battle Frontier, is bogus. BF probably wasn't popular enough in the wider audience for GF to pour what is likely to be a lot of time and money into remaking and it would have probably been subject to the same cheap team selection process that the Maison has if it was included.

That "wider audience" that GF is pandering to isn't buying the games though. Most of those people don't want to buy a gaming centric device to play their games, they want something more multimedia like a smartphone or tablet. They're designing this game around the wrong audience.

At any rate, this whole casual friendly direction hurts the game in a much larger way in the sense that they're skimping on content in general in some ways. The post game is still subpar thanks to them being unwilling to make proper post game sections like the Sevii Islands and the Battle Zone, instead we get a bunch of tiny Mirage Spots which don't offer a lot in terms of exploration and content, it's just going in, catching Pokemon, finding a few items, and leaving. There's not much to explore, no trainers to battle, no fun things to do there, nothing. I'd get a lot more out of a more traditional post game area. Then there's the way they've handled the post game Pokemon distribution, starters and legendaries are basically crammed into the game rather unceremoniously and catching them is more like a chore instead of a fun sidequest. And in spite of that, there's not a whole lot of Pokemon available, both in Hoenn Dex and overall in the game. And then they didn't just leave out the Battle Frontier, but everything that Emerald brought to the table. No Trainer Hill, no Mirage Tower, no Desert Underpass, no Juan. The storyline I can understand because it conflicts with RS, but the other stuff could've been added easily. This game just doesn't offer as much as past games, I could get more out of a game like Platinum, HGSS, or BW2 than XY and ORAS combined.

do you guys think more could be expanded to ORAS or there is no need to go for another visit to hoenn?

You mean like another version? Well, there's a lot they could add gameplay wise as I mentioned above. But it seems like they've exhausted just about everything for the storyline. The Weather trio all have Megas/Primals and lore surrounding them. Magma/Aqua are disbanded and likely not to make a return. Where could they even go from there? So I don't think we'll be seeing Hoenn for a while, probably not unless we get something else like Mega Evolutions that can actually add something else to the legendaries' lore and abilities (God help us if this happens, but this is basically what it's going to take for another visit to Hoenn).

 

[shadowF]

So could the Azoth project take place in Kalos? seeing as it is something with alternate dimensions, I can see it being used for the diamond and pearl remakes. But that wont be for a while.

 

[Endolise]

So could the Azoth project take place in Kalos? seeing as it is something with alternate dimensions, I can see it being used for the diamond and pearl remakes. But that wont be for a while.

Project AZOTH has no relation to alternative dimensions. What it was, was Team Magma/Aqua's goal of reviving Primal Groudon/Kyogre and using them to expand the land/seas:

PROJECT AZOTH
File No. 1

The goal of Project AZOTH is to return the world--return everything--to the beginning.

In order to further the project, we must proceed with research on Groudon's/Kyogre's Primal Reversion.

Primal Reversion is a potential of Pokémon Evolution, a potential different from Mega Evolution.

Mega Evolution is made possible by the energy of people and Pokémon.

Primal Reversion is made possible by natural energy.

In Primal Reversion, Groudon/Kyogre absorbs natural energy into its body, thereby increasing its power dramatically.

Both states significantly enhance Pokémon's power: the difference lies in the source of the required energy.


PROJECT AZOTH
File No. 2

We intend to analyze the power of the ultimate weapon used in Kalos 3,000 years ago and work on the development of a drill weapon utilizing the technology.

The Seafloor Cavern is sealed by the power of a Legendary Pokémon.

The only way to gain access to the cavern is to break the seal with power that exceeds that of the Pokémon.

According to the reports from the Petalburg recon team, Devon Corporation holds the secret of the technology of the ultimate weapon.

We will dedicate all our resources to obtaining this technology.

 

[Excitable Boy]

Is this about the Battle Frontier not being in OR/AS? Because I still don't see what the big deal is. :x

why do people playing a JRPG centered around turn-based combat want things related to JRPG turn-based combat in their JRPG centered around turn-based combat

why can't they be satisfied with things that are not turn-based combat, anyway

 

[EmphaticPikachu]

That doesn't address the real issues with the water routes, it's more of a quick fix. The biggest problems with the water routes were the open ended and confusing design and the repetitive distribution (Tentacool and Wingull everywhere) and they did nothing about that.

I really think the problems stop at pokemon distribution, as I've never had a problem with how "open" ended they were, if anything that made looking for places to dive that much more fun. (Tbh I was actually kind of sad they literally TOLD you where to go almost when it came to finding the "secret" spots, I wish they kept it hidden. they aren't that secret if you tell them they're right there...)

it's hardly confusing too. (cause you know, gps map.)

Really I just dont get why game freak kept the same pokemon there. I really doubt people would have fond memories of finding tentacool over and over...

 

[The Teller]

Derailing all current topics...my ORAS desire would be a short DLC, about the size of the ORAS demo, that costs us around $3.99, that uses Hoopa to explain WHY these interdimensional rings are popping up all over Hoenn, and ONLY in Hoenn, and why ONLY legendary Pokemon are popping out of them. And then you get to catch it at the end, with a new, unique battle theme that you'll only hear once, and you can send it to the main game, where it can unlock its other form. What do you guys think?

 

[BCVM22]

I think having to pay directly for DLC, much less paying directly for an event Pokémon therein, is the sort of thing they seem committed to avoiding for now.

 

[SoulOfSilver]

That's a bias. Sinnoh will be ten years old in 2016, believe it or not. There are people out there for whom Diamond/Pearl were their first Pokémon games, just like there are people for whom Ruby/Sapphire were their first.

That's true, good point. I didn't meant it as a diss toward Sinnoh and Unova, but I think the pattern of remakes will get tired for the older fans unless they shake things up more. ORAS was a good reimagining, and as long as they keep pushing those boundaries and trying new things I would be OK with revisiting those regions.

 

[BurningWhiteKyurem]

They've been going in that direction, but I've never really heard of anyone asking for them to do so (at least, anyone informed of what it would/could entail); certainly, there's been no real desire for them to ever start doing so.

Thinking about whether people asked for it or not is irrelevant.

Game Freak did. "The player can choose to keep on playing after the main story and continue to the post-game, where the difficulty rises and there are much more difficult Trainers and challenges to overcome."

No. They were talking about making the game more challenging after the main campaign was done. That being said, this is the same GameFreak that pretty much nerfed challenge during and after the main game. Or at the very least, their notion of challenge is based on battling high level trainers after already giving you some broken combat options, and a facility in which it relies on hax to win. Sounds rather stupid.

That was my point; if they're going to make the main story easier to compete with Youkai Watch protect the casuals from challenge, they ought to at least make good on including a higher difficulty with more difficult Trainers and challenges.

Except you're still dealing with GameFreak's rather high penchant for ambiguity. Even when they say they're interested in making things challenging post game, they worry about mundane things like players not wanting to devote time to an RPG that pretty much is a lifestyle.

 

[Excitable Boy]

Thinking about whether people asked for it or not is irrelevant.

So, we got plot because no one said no?

Maaaaaan.

No. They were talking about making the game more challenging after the main campaign was done.

As was I.

Even when they say they're interested in making things challenging post game, they worry about mundane things like players not wanting to devote time to an RPG that pretty much is a lifestyle.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Creyk]

I'm wondering about something....IF, and I mean if they decide to re-make Firered/Leafgreen for the 20-year-anniversary (personally, I could live without it), do you think that they could change a lot more things in the region (lots of new places, different Gyms) because now it's set in an alternate universe where mega evolution exists? Or would they give the overused "we want to keep it true to the originals" excuse and just do a visual update with minimalistic improvements?

 

[Akashin]

I'm wondering about something....IF, and I mean if they decide to re-make Firered/Leafgreen for the 20-year-anniversary (personally, I could live without it), do you think that they could change a lot more things in the region (lots of new places, different Gyms) because now it's set in an alternate universe where mega evolution exists? Or would they give the overused "we want to keep it true to the originals" excuse and just do a visual update with minimalistic improvements?

If they were to hypothetically do so, it would stand to reason that it would be exactly what you called it: a remake. Changes here and there to modernize it, but otherwise exactly what we already got. Just as ORAS were.

That said, I hope you can live without it, because this definitely isn't something to have any sort of hope of seeing happen.