Pokemon Sword & Shield GENERAL DISCUSSION Thread [Spoilers]

[Paige712]

Just in apparently the staff size for swsh is around 1000 people. The core developers are at 200. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/259372-pokemon-sword/78056322#6

 

[Ultra Beast Lover]

Why are the minor league gyms associated with the rivals?

They'd be the ones we actually care to see, I mean we could see the major league gym leaders or a secondary character but seeing a rival will allow them to have a little more development.

 

[Bolt the Cat]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet (I can't bother sifting through several pages of posts checking), but Game Freak has confirmed autosaving in a GameInformer interview. The feature can be turned off if needed for SRing.

https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/10/01/pokemon-sword-and-shield-introduce-autosave-to-the-series

EDIT: Oh whoops, Serebii already confirmed that hours ago.

 

[Beloberto]

Since I don't trust Gamefreak to properly balance the game around Exp.Share, it really worries me the news it will be not an item just like in LGPE. So far I kept that damned thing off in every game and never had to grind endlessly. Even in Gen VII, supposedly built around the notion you would have Exp.Share on, I just had the proper amount of grinding (and have in mind I had a rotating team of 10 pokémon evenly leveled). Having the Exp.Share off forces me use each and every member of my team equally and that's very important in the end so you get attached to them, at least for me.
Of all the bad news so far, this is the only one that actually feels like a really bad one to my personal criteria (I don't mind the dexit and I never liked Mega and Z-Moves).


As for the 18 Gym members, that's really good. In general the Galar experience seems to be shaping up to be the most exciting in pokémon main games so far. And so far I am really liking the character designs (Allistar aside), so I am really excited to see every type get their own Galar representative (especially Bug and Poison).
Also, for those afraid of we not having a lot of new pokémon left to see, this should at least guarantee we'll have one new pokémon from each type like in previous gens.

 

[Satoshi & Touko]

Quoted from the first post in the thread"

"Will be directed at experienced players"

Not that I mind of course, but it's very clear as of this point how much of a lie this is. ROFLMFAO

 

[janejane6178]

Since I don't trust Gamefreak to properly balance the game around Exp.Share, it really worries me the news it will be not an item just like in LGPE. So far I kept that damned thing off in every game and never had to grind endlessly. Even in Gen VII, supposedly built around the notion you would have Exp.Share on, I just had the proper amount of grinding (and have in mind I had a rotating team of 10 pokémon evenly leveled). Having the Exp.Share off forces me use each and every member of my team equally and that's very important in the end so you get attached to them, at least for me.
Of all the bad news so far, this is the only one that actually feels like a really bad one to my personal criteria (I don't mind the dexit and I never liked Mega and Z-Moves).


As for the 18 Gym members, that's really good. In general the Galar experience seems to be shaping up to be the most exciting in pokémon main games so far. And so far I am really liking the character designs (Allistar aside), so I am really excited to see every type get their own Galar representative (especially Bug and Poison).
Also, for those afraid of we not having a lot of new pokémon left to see, this should at least guarantee we'll have one new pokémon from each type like in previous gens.

I fully agree, I wonder if we will get 18 gym leader characters or just random npc's. I dont hope for the latter

 

[Sulfurian]

Quoted from the first post in the thread"

"Will be directed at experienced players"

Not that I mind of course, but it's very clear as of this point how much of a lie this is. ROFLMFAO

Especially in regards to the dex cut. They're also going about this all wrong in the competitive aspect. Nerfing the grind to getting competitive pokemon does the opposite, instead of making veterans appreciate the change, it makes them wish the feature was available sooner.

"Sorry but because there's so many pokemon we could not make the grind as easy from gens 6-7 but now that we cut some here is a bone." Its the equivalent of telling an athelete the training requirements have been cut down after their retirement. Spat in the face of hours of work.

 

[greninjamaster]

18 Gyms is a FANTASTIC selling point. Honestly this game just sounds more and more amazing.

 

[DannyDark]

If all 18 gym leaders are as two-dimensional as most gym leaders have been prior to SwSh.. then, personally, it really makes no difference whether there's 8, 18 or 800.
If all 18 are well-developed, engaging and make meaningful appearances beyond their introduction and match as Gym Leader, then I'll consider it a good thing. But for me, the issue was quality and so increasing quantity doesn't address that... if anything, quality could realistically drop. I didn't expect them to lean so heavily into the football theme, though, I do think that's really neat, with the football leagues and such.

I want a Gym Leader to be an actual character; not just a differing skin on a model that fulfills the same role as all others and then loses all relevance after you've beaten them.

As for the breeding thing.. I can't help but think it oversimplifies the process way too much. Trying to breed the perfect, competitive-viable 'mons were what gave a lot of previous games the longevity that they had, since it could take multiple sittings to get the one you wanted, IVs and such. This, along with the possible permanent EXP share, definitely makes this seem like the easiest game yet, catering to casual players. Of course, you don't have to use the nature changing options or any other they put in.. but, if the end-goal is the same, you'd be stupid not to just to have the same end result as someone, much quicker than it would normally take, just so you can say "Yeah but I bred mine properly,".

I'm worried that GF have it in their heads that Max Raids are going to be much more difficult than seasoned players with top tier Pokemon will actually find them, and they're trying to make the game easier, leading up to the end-game content, to make sure everyone is ready and has a chance against the toughest raids.

Turned into a bit of a rant at parts, but it's just a general dislike of the even easier, cos let's be clear the games have been very easy for quite a while, direction that GF appear to be taking the games at this point. Of course, we don't know nearly all of the details regarding the features that have been hinted at, or the content for the rest of the game, so who knows, but can only speculate on what's in front of us.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

If all 18 gym leaders are as two-dimensional as most gym leaders have been prior to SwSh.. then, personally, it really makes no difference whether there's 8, 18 or 800.
If all 18 are well-developed, engaging and make meaningful appearances beyond their introduction and match as Gym Leader, then I'll consider it a good thing. But for me, the issue was quality and so increasing quantity doesn't address that... if anything, quality could realistically drop. I didn't expect them to lean so heavily into the football theme, though, I do think that's really neat, with the football leagues and such.

I want a Gym Leader to be an actual character; not just a differing skin on a model that fulfills the same role as all others and then loses all relevance after you've beaten them.

As for the breeding thing.. I can't help but think it oversimplifies the process way too much. Trying to breed the perfect, competitive-viable 'mons were what gave a lot of previous games the longevity that they had, since it could take multiple sittings to get the one you wanted, IVs and such. This, along with the possible permanent EXP share, definitely makes this seem like the easiest game yet, catering to casual players. Of course, you don't have to use the nature changing options or any other they put in.. but, if the end-goal is the same, you'd be stupid not to just to have the same end result as someone, much quicker than it would normally take, just so you can say "Yeah but I bred mine properly,".

I'm worried that GF have it in their heads that Max Raids are going to be much more difficult than seasoned players with top tier Pokemon will actually find them, and they're trying to make the game easier, leading up to the end-game content, to make sure everyone is ready and has a chance against the toughest raids.

Turned into a bit of a rant at parts, but it's just a general dislike of the even easier, cos let's be clear the games have been very easy for quite a while, direction that GF appear to be taking the games at this point. Of course, we don't know nearly all of the details regarding the features that have been hinted at, or the content for the rest of the game, so who knows, but can only speculate on what's in front of us.

Only the Kalos Gym Leaders were the flatest of them all, except for Korrina, who got lucky to be the poster girl of Mega Evolution (until ORAS laughed at her family's history) that let her have a lot more screen time. After that, they seem to have given NPCs like them more depth.

 

[MasterJedi]

Come on guys, not that hard to understand the gym system. It’s like relegation in soccer. Gym does well it can be promoted to the majors, it does poorly it gets relegated to the minors. Not hard to get, even for us mostly Americans.

 

[yefluke]

If all 18 gym leaders are as two-dimensional as most gym leaders have been prior to SwSh.. then, personally, it really makes no difference whether there's 8, 18 or 800.
If all 18 are well-developed, engaging and make meaningful appearances beyond their introduction and match as Gym Leader, then I'll consider it a good thing. But for me, the issue was quality and so increasing quantity doesn't address that... if anything, quality could realistically drop. I didn't expect them to lean so heavily into the football theme, though, I do think that's really neat, with the football leagues and such.

I want a Gym Leader to be an actual character; not just a differing skin on a model that fulfills the same role as all others and then loses all relevance after you've beaten them.

well.... gen 7 can have 19 'unique' characters represent each type (psychic with dexio and faba).... and not even include Lusamine , Kukui, Hau
How can gen 8 won't be able to to that?

 

[RileyXY1]

Come on guys, not that hard to understand the gym system. It’s like relegation in soccer. Gym does well it can be promoted to the majors, it does poorly it gets relegated to the minors. Not hard to get, even for us mostly Americans.

This Major and Minor League thing is more like baseball than soccer.

 

[Marzbar]

Autosave being able to be toggled on and off is good.

Exp share being no longer an item you can turn off could potentially make the games too easy. Hopefully they’ve factored that in and made it challenging.

Making competitive Pokémon easier to achieve does sound good on paper. Like being able to change natures could be great. And an easier way of removing and gaining EVs. But I too worry if this will impact the longevity of the games. Let’s hope there’s lots of post game content and we can still breed for perfect shinies.

 

[BCVM22]

This Major and Minor League thing is more like baseball than soccer.

In terms of terminology only. As described, with Gyms being promoted to Major League or demoted to Minor League, it's definitely more like promotion and relegation in European soccer. Baseball doesn't relegate or promote teams. I'm curious, in fact, as to whether they might use a different name for it in the European releases - North America and Japan are baseball-heavy regions where "Major League" and "Minor League" resonate more, Europe less so.

I don't think they will because that's not quite their way, but they could.

 

[WhiteBlair]

Interesting tidbits from Game Informer: (Source: PokExperto)

• Originally, it was intended to shake the battle formula and change it to something different from traditional turn-based strategy.
• Increasing the movepool up to 5, and decreasing down to 3, were considered at one point. For both cases, they plan to revisit in future.
• 1000 staff has worked for Sword and Shield; double the number of Sun and Moon.
• Zacian and Zamazenta comes from colors and has the word play: "The Cyan" and "The Magenta", also "That Cyan" and "That Magenta".
• Max Raid Battles' inspiration comes from the mythologies of giants in Britain.
• Dynamax doesn't require held item.
• Sword and Shield were named after Zacian and Zamazenta's design.

 

[Lord Godwin]

Interesting tidbits from Game Informer: (Source: PokExperto)

• Originally, it was intended to shake the battle formula and change it to something different from traditional turn-based strategy.
• Increasing the movepool up to 5, and decreasing down to 3, were considered at one point. For both cases, they plan to revisit in future.
• 1000 staff has worked for Sword and Shield; double the number of Sun and Moon.
• Zacian and Zamazenta comes from colors and has the word play: "The Cyan" and "The Magenta", also "That Cyan" and "That Magenta".
• Max Raid Battles' inspiration comes from the mythologies of giants in Britain.
• Dynamax doesn't require held item.
• Sword and Shield were named after Zacian and Zamazenta's design.

Regarding point 1, just imagine Pokemon in a Final Fantasy style (as per new newest installments)

 

[SpiritSkye]

On the topic of features we don’t yet know about, I would be very happy to have selectable idle (and/or other) character animations, selectable throwing styles again and mayyyyybe having the option to customize your capsule animations return? I would love if any of those were included, though we’re already getting so much so I’m not gonna hold my breath.

Of any unannounced features, what would you all like to see?

 

[Genos]

I'm glad the autosave feature has been discussed. And I'm glad it can be turned off.

 

[wolf jani]

Interesting tidbits from Game Informer: (Source: PokExperto)

• Originally, it was intended to shake the battle formula and change it to something different from traditional turn-based strategy.
• Increasing the movepool up to 5, and decreasing down to 3, were considered at one point. For both cases, they plan to revisit in future.
• 1000 staff has worked for Sword and Shield; double the number of Sun and Moon.
• Zacian and Zamazenta comes from colors and has the word play: "The Cyan" and "The Magenta", also "That Cyan" and "That Magenta".
• Max Raid Battles' inspiration comes from the mythologies of giants in Britain.
• Dynamax doesn't require held item.
• Sword and Shield were named after Zacian and Zamazenta's design.

Yikes! please never switch away from turn-based. movepool change could've been interesting. The amount of staff is suprising. While Zacian & Zamazenta are cool names. That etymology is the most boring for box legend so far. Everything else revealed was basically obvious.