Pokemon Sword & Shield GENERAL DISCUSSION Thread [Spoilers]

[Prof. SALTY]

True, and someone still had to pay; I don't get where this "the Pokemon are free" is coming from. Like I said, if you're lucky and you don't pay, good for you, but the Pokemon are not being added for free.

I mean, from the looks of it a pretty substantial amount of people will be paying for one of the 2 options soooooo... Think you're good if you specifically don't want to pay. You're acting as if only a handful of people will be getting either HOME or the expansion pass.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

Who else thought the game lacked story

 

[Little Hero]

So you were willing to spend $60 more, retreading the same story path with minor differences, wasting more physical/memory space, as opposed to just paying $30 to explore two brand new areas with their own storylines?

(And if you are like those who like buying all versions, you'd be perfectly fine spending over $240 instead of $180?)

If the third version was worth it, then yes...if this hypothetical third version improved on the originals, added more Pokemon, implemented the wild area better, had a skip button, and fixed some of the glaring issues the original Sword and Shield games have, then yes. I mean, I can just trade my copy of the game to save money, so there's also that.

You're acting as if only a handful of people will be getting either HOME or the expansion pass.

Oh, people would buy them alright. I just said the Pokemon aren't free.

 

[Auraninja]

I was thinking since they're Electric and Dragon type (probably, based on the dragon armor) they'd be called something like Regibolt/Regivolt/Regijolt and Regidrake/Regidraco/Regigon.

Since we've got Regirock, Regice and Registeel the naming will probably be pretty straightforward.

Going back to this, because I was watching Gamexplain's analysis, and it's right arm does appear to have a draconic motif.

I'll go with Regispark and Regidrake for right now.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

If the third version was worth it, then yes...if this hypothetical third version improved on the originals, added more Pokemon, implemented the wild area better, had a skip button, and fixed some of the glaring issues the original Sword and Shield games have, then yes. I mean, I can just trade my copy of the game to save money, so there's also that.

The problem is the "hypothetical third version" can also be "hypothetical version sequels to both versions" which was their previous fad before it was completely replaced by this new, more convenient approach. We simply don't know which would've been real.

But in the end, your first version choice gets expanded.

In your first cartridge.

Without making you buy another cartridge or, Arceus help you, buy another SD card for memory.

With brand new content that doesn't make you retread the whole story again.

At a price cheaper than buying a 3DS version game.

With new Pokemon in it.

How are any of the previous approaches much more convenient than just "I can just trade my old game away to save money."

And by the way, we also don't know what these new areas have in terms of new story content. It's just like how we never saw like more than half the Gym Leaders.

Oh, people would buy them alright. I just said the Pokemon aren't free.

Which is how it's always been. All the time. You buy a game to get the Pokemon.

 

[mehmeh1]

The pokemon themselves are as free as in previous games....................for the most part. The big issue here IMO is the paid online and lack of GTS, as now online trading is behind a (pointless) paywall, and even if it wasn't, it's now pretty difficult to get the pokemon you want without trade boards.

 

[Dragalge]

The pokemon themselves are as free as in previous games....................for the most part. The big issue here IMO is the paid online and lack of GTS, as now online trading is behind a (pointless) paywall, and even if it wasn't, it's now pretty difficult to get the pokemon you want without trade boards.

Eh, I’d say it’s still better than shelling out another money for a DS. And the paywall for NSO is inevitable though Nintendo could really be better on the value of it lol.

 

[mehmeh1]

Eh, I’d say it’s still better than shelling out another money for a DS. And the paywall for NSO is inevitable though Nintendo could really be better on the value of it lol.

I'll forever blame sony fanboys for buying into paid online for the ps4. At least with the Xbox there was the excuse that when they started, console online was on its infancy

 

[Auraninja]

The price for online is probably covering the cost of maintaining it.

Also:

Fast, cheap or good. Pick two.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

The price for online is probably covering the cost of maintaining it.

Also:

Only the online in Sword and Shield is crap. It disconnects far more often than on older games in the series, which very rarely did it.

Haven't had the disconnect problem in Smash, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Dauntless.

Just with Shield.

 

[Bguy7]

With brand new content that doesn't make you retread the whole story again.

This is actually where I take the most issue with having DLC instead of a third version. The expansions to main story are one of the more important aspects of a third version, and we lose that entirely with this DLC method. Now Sword and Shield's main story, which felt incredably empty and lackluster, will never get it's chance to be redeemed by a third version changing its story around and filling it out better,

 

[Auraninja]

Only the online in Sword and Shield is crap. It disconnects far more often than on older games in the series, which very rarely did it.

Haven't had the disconnect problem in Smash, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Dauntless.

Just with Shield.

Y-Comm isn't a good online system, and I don't know what to say about the disconnects. I haven't really had that problem.

But it would be unwise to think that Pokemon would not use the NSO when all Nintendo games on Switch use it.

 

[BCVM22]

Only the online in Sword and Shield is crap. It disconnects far more often than on older games in the series, which very rarely did it.

I've never had this issue.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

Y-Comm isn't a good online system, and I don't know what to say about the disconnects. I haven't really had that problem.

But it would be unwise to think that Pokemon would not use the NSO when all Nintendo games on Switch use it.

Agreed. You're lucky. The other games and older Pokemon games used the same wifi connection. So I'm at a loss as to what causes the disconnects. The other Switch games haven't run into the problem nearly as often.

 

[Zachmac]

This is actually where I take the most issue with having DLC instead of a third version. The expansions to main story are one of the more important aspects of a third version, and we lose that entirely with this DLC method. Now Sword and Shield's main story, which felt incredably empty and lackluster, will never get it's chance to be redeemed by a third version changing its story around and filling it out better,

I'm not confident a third version would have really improved it much. I mean, its possible, but Gamefreak has never had consistently good story telling. Most people agree that US/UM had a worse story then their counterparts.

At least Isle of Armor seems like its going to have its own separate story. I'd rather have a new side story then a modified version of an old story anyway.

 

[lolipiece]

This is actually where I take the most issue with having DLC instead of a third version. The expansions to main story are one of the more important aspects of a third version, and we lose that entirely with this DLC method. Now Sword and Shield's main story, which felt incredably empty and lackluster, will never get it's chance to be redeemed by a third version changing its story around and filling it out better,

No offense, but I feel that more often than not, story expansions on third versions tend to be pretty underwhelming.

Suicune doesn't really add anything to Gen II's barebones story, and the new character Eusine is tied to Suicune, making him just as pointless by association.

Fighting both Team Magma and Aqua was cool in theory, but Game Freak was kinda bad at balancing their appearances. I mean, you battle Maxie three times and Archie once, which is less than you do in Sapphire. The hell's up with that?

The Distortion World was cool visually, but didn't really add much other than a new form for Giratina. Looker and Charon don't really do anything to change the story much. Heck, the latter doesn't do diddly squat during the story.

Ultra Sun and Moon went from a story about Lillie's family issues and her growth as a person to a story where all of Lillie's character development goes into the toilet because an alien space prism decided it didn't want Lusamine as the main antagonist anymore. I'd say more, but I'd like to avoid going on a rant.

And hey, it's not like we can't see old characters in the new locations. Plus, there's always possibility of more DLC to expand on characters.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

This is actually where I take the most issue with having DLC instead of a third version. The expansions to main story are one of the more important aspects of a third version, and we lose that entirely with this DLC method. Now Sword and Shield's main story, which felt incredably empty and lackluster, will never get it's chance to be redeemed by a third version changing its story around and filling it out better,

After USUM's lackluster changes, I welcome a new story that doesn't try to wedge itself into the main narrative but changes too little about it.

 

[Bguy7]

I'm not confident a third version would have really improved it much. I mean, its possible, but Gamefreak has never had consistently good story telling. Most people agree that US/UM had a worse story then their counterparts.

When it comes to Ultra Sun and Moon, I wouldn't say it's that cut and dry. It was worse in some ways, but it also made improvements in others, so the experience still had value. Even if it was worse overall, I'd argue that was more of a one-off.

At least Isle of Armor seems like its going to have its own separate story. I'd rather have a new side story then a modified version of an old story anyway.

This is is of course speculation for now, but I'm not expecting too much out of the DLC story. It will basically be a glorified post-game story tacked on after the fact. It's just not the same as an integrated story. Maybe it will be a great story and I'll be proven wrong, but if it's anything like the post-game story we already got, then probably not.

Not to mention, we could still have gotten an extra post-game story from a third version as well, just like how we got the new Rainbow Rocket story from Ultra Sun and Moon.

No offense, but I feel that more often than not, story expansions on third versions tend to be pretty underwhelming.

No offense taken. But I do disagree. I can't comment on Crystal, since I never played the original Gen II games, but I definitely enjoyed Platinum and Emerald more than they're original versions, regardless of their flaws or missed potential. And refer to what I said above for Ultra Sun and Moon.

And hey, it's not like we can't see old characters in the new locations. Plus, there's always possibility of more DLC to expand on characters.

I just really feel like the main story itself needed to be expanded, not tacked on to.

After USUM's lackluster changes, I welcome a new story that doesn't try to wedge itself into the main narrative but changes too little about it.

I like to think they would improve from there. Especially seeing as Ultra Sun and Moon was based on a game with an already strong story, while it would hard for a third version to Sword and Shield to not improve the story.

 

[Zoruagible]

Since they're adding content.... I hope they bring back the GTS.
Seriously this link code **** sucks, I'd prefer to just toss in say a Farfetch'd and get a Ponyta in return. Not have to pass through hoops in order to get one.
Nobody outside of Japan knows somebody irl that plays Pokemon lol

I think that Sinnoh will just be an expansion pass for Sword & Shield instead.

No... I don't think they'd ever do that.
Now Sinnoh's Battle Frontier I could see getting added as a DLC, after all HGSS has Platinum's Battle Frontier. But not Sinnoh itself

There's more money value in releasing a full game, rather than making a $60 DLC that is locked behind a $60 game! Quite the turn off that pricing would be

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

Seconded about bringing back the GTS. Thought I tried a vague enough number for a link trade and still ran into/saw a crapload of people show up. It's a mess to say the least.