Pokemon Sword & Shield GENERAL DISCUSSION Thread [Spoilers]

[Bguy7]

That's... exactly what being optional does? If we define "the main game" as what needs to be done in order to get yourself from Postwick up to Wyndon and back, again, in what way are Max Raid battles "main game content"?

For years, we've been able to mix records or spin Poké Blocks or get difficulty keys from someone else's game or collect Friend Safaris or lord remembers what other elements we've gotten that encourage you to interact with other players. The rewards for Max Raid battles are far more lucrative, sure, but how are Max Raid battles any more "main game content" than any of those other elements, aside from the fact that they utilize this generation's new mechanic?

I would say that the major reason is what you said yourself at the end of your post. Gigantamax Pokémon is large part of the game, and Max Raid Battles are the only way to get them. Yes, it's optional in the sense you can ignore them if you don't care about Gigantamax Pokémon, but the same could be said for any new Pokémon or form. The things you listed all tend to be features that are used to enhance your experience if you so chose to go out of your way, but you aren't missing anything if you don't. Here you are most certainly missing something.

I'd also argue that the way the mechanics are implemented and integrated matters as well. The things you listed tend to either be things done in obscure corners of the game, are post-game exclusive, or accessed only through menus. That removes them from the core experience of the game. Meanwhile, Max Raid Battles are presented front and center in the Wild Area, and touted as main focus for the place. In more precise words, they are integrated in a more prominent way.

 

[BCVM22]

They are promoted and focused upon, to be sure, but to call that "main game content" is a very loose definition of the term.

In more precise words, they are integrated in a more prominent way.

Still here. I think you're conflating the two exaggeratedly.

 

[Bguy7]

Still here. I think you're conflating the two exaggeratedly.

For whatever it's worth, it clearly we're both using different definitions of the term "main game content." You're defining it as content necessary to main story, while the definition I'm using is more about the content at the core of the game's identity and experience. Yes, it's a looser definition, but it's not an invalid one, and I still stand by my initial statement.

 

[BCVM22]

Here's the thing, though: even if we do go with your definition, what precisely is the crime? Multiplayer has been a part of the equation since the very beginning. Where's the sin in having Max Raid battles be designed around it? Particularly as it is possible to complete a Max Raid battle all by yourself . They're not designed for that, of course, and it can be difficult and tedious and luck-dependent and requires you superleveling your Pokémon (which itself is now far easier, probably by design), but it is possible.

It seems like the considerable majority of the complaints about the concept of Max Raid battles - not the details or the execution, but the concept - boil down to "you need friends or helpful random people online to enjoy them to the fullest." Which, yes, but where's the boundary for what they are allowed to design around multiplayer and what they aren't?

 

[Bguy7]

Here's the thing, though: even if we do go with your definition, what precisely is the crime? Multiplayer has been a part of the equation since the very beginning. Where's the sin in having Max Raid battles be designed around it? Particularly as it is possible to complete a Max Raid battle all by yourself . They're not designed for that, of course, and it can be difficult and tedious and luck-dependent and requires you superleveling your Pokémon (which itself is now far easier, probably by design), but it is possible.

It seems like the considerable majority of the complaints about the concept of Max Raid battles - not the details or the execution, but the concept - boil down to "you need friends or helpful random people online to enjoy them to the fullest." Which, yes, but where's the boundary for what they are allowed to design around multiplayer and what they aren't?

I think you may have misunderstood what I said earlier. I don't mind Max Raid Battles all that much as they are now because it is possible to do them on your own. My initial comment was in response to someone else saying that they should be harder so that it's impossible to do without help.

Given, I would rather have not had Max Raid Battles designed around multiplayer at all, but I tolerate it as is, since they did give single players a way to participate.

 

[Zachmac]

Well I didn't expect my little post to spark this long of a debate.

Perhaps I should have clarified that I didn't want all raids to be super-challenging, just for the most difficult of them to be. Then there might be reason for people to run support.

Imagine if there was a 6-star difficulty raid with a level 80-90 pokemon that's extra aggressive but drop even better rewards. There'd still be 4-5 star raids that would be doable solo.

But ah well, there's not really much point dwelling on it. GF never liked having wild encounters over level 70 so I don't think we'll see it happen in future titles or events.

 

[shoz999]

This game really makes you feel like a Sword & Shield. I guarantee almost everyone of you will find something to chuckle at in this video.

 

[Pokemon Fan]

This game really makes you feel like a Sword & Shield.

I have to ask, what exactly did you mean by this?

 

[shoz999]

I have to ask, what exactly did you mean by this?

It's a joke people make, referencing game reviews, I believe specifically IGN where they often say "this game really make you feel like 'INSERT'". It's like the 7.8, too much water meme.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

Did anyone else think that Yungoos would be in this game since he is said to be from another region?I really expected him to though it seems he's from another region.

 

[Bguy7]

Did anyone else think that Yungoos would be in this game since he is said to be from another region?I really expected him to though it seems he's from another region.

Nothing suggests that Yungoos came from Galar, so not really. Odds are we'll never know what region Yungoos came from, just look at Corphish. It's original Pokédex description in Ruby and Sapphire also states that it's from another region, and yet here we are, years later, and there has been no indication that any of the regions we've seen are its region of origin.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

Nothing suggests that Yungoos came from Galar, so not really. Odds are we'll never know what region Yungoos came from, just look at Corphish. It's original Pokédex description in Ruby and Sapphire also states that it's from another region, and yet here we are, years later, and there has been no indication that any of the regions we've seen are its region of origin.

Corphish could've been from Kalos or any of the other games it was in.

 

[Bguy7]

Corphish could've been from Kalos or any of the other games it was in.

For whatever it's worth, we know it's not native to Kanto, Johto, Alola, and Galar due to it's Pokédex descriptions in the respective regions stating as much. That leaves Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos as possibilities. However, it's not present in the Sinnoh and Unova dexes, so that leaves Kalos as the only possibility for it's native region. While possible, there's been nothing to confirm it, or even imply it, so we really can't assume anything. If anything, given that it's an invasive species in so many other regions, it seems more likely that it is in Kalos as well.

Point is, we'll eventually see Yungoos in some other region, that much is certain, but that doesn't mean it's the region it came from, unless directly stated or implied. Even if we had gotten Yungoos in Sword and Shield, odds are they wouldn't have confirmed if it came from Galar or not.

 

[RileyXY1]

Did anyone else think that Yungoos would be in this game since he is said to be from another region?I really expected him to though it seems he's from another region.

That was thrown in there as a reference to real life mongooses in Hawaii, which are an invasive species that was brought over to control the rat population.

 

[Ignition]

Did anyone else think that Yungoos would be in this game since he is said to be from another region?I really expected him to though it seems he's from another region.

No but I wouldn’t be surprised if one day they decide to have introduce a region which happens to be Yungoos’s original habitat

 

[Pokemon Fan]

The Copperajah line is also noted to come from another region, and we likely won't see it unless they make a region based off of India.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

I was upset that this region doesn't have a victory road I hope if they add one in the remakes that its not in a cave like every other victory road like give us a forest one or something!

 

[Bguy7]

The Copperajah line is also noted to come from another region, and we likely won't see it unless they make a region based off of India.

Even if we did get a region based off of India, we wouldn't be able to assume that it's where Copperajah comes from. After all, this is the franchise that gives us zebras in the New York-based region, pandas in the France-based region, and koalas in the Hawaii-based region. Pokémon need not be related to the region they come from in terms of real world animal populations.

I was upset that this region doesn't have a victory road I hope if they add one in the remakes that its not in a cave like every other victory road like give us a forest one or something!

I 100% agree with the first part. At least Alola gave us the Mount Lanakila cave as a spiritual replacement for Victory Road and Vast Poni Canyon as a functional replacement, but Galar didn't even pretend to have a Victory Road. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the lack of dungeons in recent Pokémon games is one of the more concerning changes for the worse, and Galar is the worst offender we've ever had.

However, I don't necessarily agree with your second statement. Caves provide the most complex setting for a dungeon, since you can have multiple floors. You just can't do as much with a forest or other dungeon settings. In theory a Victory Road that isn't a cave would be interesting, but in practice it just wouldn't be as complex as cave-based ones. That being said, there's a lot of variation one could do with a cave that we have yet to see. For example, a volcano cave could be interesting.

 

[shoz999]

I was upset that this region doesn't have a victory road I hope if they add one in the remakes that its not in a cave like every other victory road like give us a forest one or something!

Or a Snow Cave. Or maybe a Temple that looks like something from Indiana Jones. Or maybe somewhere high up in the mountains somewhere. I'm pretty sure that's never been done.

 

[Bguy7]

Or a Snow Cave. Or maybe a Temple that looks like something from Indiana Jones. Or maybe somewhere high up in the mountains somewhere. I'm pretty sure that's never been done.

If you count Mt. Lanakila as a Victory Road (which it really isn't, but clearly Game Freak wanted us to pretend it is), then a snow cave high in the mountains has been done. A temple could be cool and complex, though we did get ruins in Black and White 2's Victory Road.