Remove IV's/Individual Strength

[SleepingGiant]

In this document, I detail many of the problems with IV's and the reasons why removing it (and maybe replacing with a completely different system) would be helpful to all players, whether casual, hardcore, and competitive.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/...bXGDWYmQaiepQPAzw/edit#heading=h.j346eyn5e3dz

What about you all? What do you think about this system, and what feedback do you have on the points raised in the document?

 

[Pikachu111213]

If anything should be simplified I think it should be EVS. I don’t like Let’s Go’s System tho

 

[SleepingGiant]

I don't mean simplify IV's, I mean completely remove them.

As for LG's system, the actual stat calculation was completely broken but the interface with the candy was nice. If they changed it so you could give candy in bulk, and the different sizes gave different multiples of 4 EV's, it would be an excellent replacement for the current EV training system.

 

[TheWanderingMist]

No, IVs should be kept. They exist to differentiate Pokémon of the same species.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

I don't agree with all your points. I don't think the remark about the Skill Swap Trevenant is necessary or adds much seeing as keeping chains going against most pokémon is fairly straightforward even without that. I'd only advise to actually go through that trouble for chaining pokémon with a very low calling rate as they might not successfully call another before running out of PP (Sharpedo for instance). But in the vast majority of cases you can just switch to a fresher pokémon and KO the older one every ten or so summons.

I also believe that if you ditch IVs (which I actually support), you should also ditch the influence of natures on stats. I think natures, perhaps even more so than IVs (which can at least be hyper trained), limit options, especially when considering limited pokémon. I could only get a single Kyogre in my Ultra Sun file through the 2018 legends event. I settled with soft-resetting for Modest, which disqualifies me from adapting my strategy later to for example a Trick Room-focused Kyogre which would run Quiet, or maybe one that's a bit faster and would run Timid. With regular pokémon I can simply breed another one with the nature I want, but with legendaries I can't. I was considering trying a special Silvally, only to find out that all my Silvally and Type: Null don't have the right nature to support such a strategy. And especially at the higher stat numbers with EV investment natures have a quantitatively larger impact than IVs do. Keep the influence of natures on pokémon tastes (like which berries confuse them, which pokéblocks and malasada's they like, etc), and perhaps give different natures different animations in refresh and battle to differentiate them in personality rather than in battling proficiency.

Also, why is this in the Sword and Shield section?

 

[Requiem Aeternam]

I don’t want to see IVs removed. I have no interest in competitive play or playing against other players at all, but I enjoy breeding for perfect Pokémon and it’s been a hobby of mine for more than 10 years. If they were to take that away I’d be done with the franchise. What’s the point in playing if what I enjoy the most isn’t there anymore?

Also how would taking IVs away affect other Pokémon from games with IVs? Would the Pokémon I worked hard to breed have all their stats set to a specific value making all the effort I put in to get the IVs I want for nothing? Would they just be blocked from transfer altogether meaning I lose years of work? It just doesn’t make sense to scrap IVs now especially with what that could mean for those who have worked hard to get the Pokémon they want.

 

[SleepingGiant]

No, IVs should be kept. They exist to differentiate Pokémon of the same species.

It looks like you read the title and not even the very beginning of the content. Differentiating Pokemon species can be done in ways other than making everything uniquely bad.

I don't agree with all your points.
...
I also believe that if you ditch IVs (which I actually support), you should also ditch the influence of natures on stats.
...
Also, why is this in the Sword and Shield section?

I agree that Natures are a pain but I would prefer if we could change the influence of natures on stats. That way you would be able to use the mons you caught and not worry about having to get another one with a different nature. The way I see it working out is keeping Nature affecting the other stuff like taste as you suggested, while Individual Strengths would refer to the +10%/-10% effect on stats.

Also, excellent question. Is it possible to move the thread?

... but I enjoy breeding for perfect Pokémon and it’s been a hobby of mine for more than 10 years...

Also how would taking IVs away affect other Pokémon from games with IVs? ... Would the Pokémon I worked hard to breed have all their stats set to a specific value making all the effort I put in to get the IVs I want for nothing? Would they just be blocked from transfer altogether meaning I lose years of work? It just doesn’t make sense to scrap IVs now especially with what that could mean for those who have worked hard to get the Pokémon they want.

First, fair. To some players, seeking the perfect IV's is a major component to the gameplay experience. Many see it as a huge grinding tedium, but not all.

The effect I would hope for is as you stated, having the IV's scrapped. I have also been breeding for the last 10 years, and while I would hate to see a lot of the progress go, I see it as a necessary sacrifice. We have gone through a major tedium that, hopefully, new players into the franchise will not have to deal with. A lot of work "wasted" is my perspective, but it's fair to view yours as a positive.

 

[Pokemon Fan]

Rather than removing them, why not just continue the trend of making them more visible to the player and easier to manipulate? Make bottle caps easier to get, reduce the level requirement for using hyper training to 50, maybe even make a way to reduce a IV to zero or another particular number if you like. Include in-game characters that will give a detailed breakdown on how IVs work if the player character asks about them.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

Also, excellent question. Is it possible to move the thread?

I've seen mods move threads before. I suppose you could try messaging one with a request for a move.

Rather than removing them, why not just continue the trend of making them more visible to the player and easier to manipulate? Make bottle caps easier to get, reduce the level requirement for using hyper training to 50, maybe even make a way to reduce a IV to zero or another particular number if you like. Include in-game characters that will give a detailed breakdown on how IVs work if the player character asks about them.

I think the difference is that the easier they are to manipulate, the less they actually mean in the end. Unlike with natures, EVs, move selection, or hold item choice, there's no trade-off for IVs. You simply max out everything (and I suppose bring attack to 0 for purely special attackers for the odd case of Strength Sap, confusion, or Foul Play). EVs you use to increase one stat can't be used to increase another stat. You can invest a lot in bulk, but then you won't be as fast, or hit as hard, and vice-versa, because you're limited to 510 EVs total. But there's no such trade-off for IVs, you can max out every single one of its stats there. And if there's no trade-off, it's also not interesting. It's just extra complication and an extra hurdle to hyper train before your pokémon is battle ready.

Also, the more the game starts explaining your pokémon purely in terms of numbers, the more those pokémon become those numbers rather than their own personalities and the less they come to life so to speak. It kind of breaks immersion in a way.