What else should be version exclusive?

[bobandbill]

We've always had version exclusive Pokemon, and for the second time will have version exclusive Gym Leaders (but they actually have different types of Pokemon, etc., unlike in BW). And of course there'd be a slight variation on plot given the mascot legendary. But how far should this extend for Sword and Shield? Different Gym puzzles entirely? Different town designs (again ala BW), or even a radically different story?

Or do you think it's already too much with the different Gym Leaders?

 

[dss_live]

I'd definately like them brinking back differnces in cities, like in black/white.

Maybe even make the storyline different by following different decisions depending on the games; let's say taking sword and shield as example, the main character would go for a more straightforward way of dealing with what's happening in sword compared to shield where the main character could go on a more thoughtful path, leading the main characters into different situations while still keeping the overarching story the same. Change the way they go about things instead of the story as a whole itself.

 

[Ignition]

All I really want is different town designs, more new version exclusive Pokèmon, and not making clothes version exclusive

 

[Auraninja]

I'm hoping that it will lean towards what Black and White 1 & 2 did with version exclusive gyms (check), places, place themes, along with the version exclusive Pokemon and box art Legendaries.

 

[DannyDark]

Yeah, no differences would be ideal. Make one game and make it the best and most expansive it can be.
I honestly consider the practice as money-grabbing; especially the unannounced, mildly upgraded third versions with exclusives content.

Version exclusive Pokemon make little sense now, to me personally, with the inclusion of the GTS. It's not as though you need to know someone, or buy yourself, the second version as they're easily trade-able for, anonymously.

 

[Det. Viper]

Version exclusive content is and always be a thing for Pokémon. And just as @DannyDark had said: two games is a money grab. And we all are going to buy into it unfortunately. That’s why third versions were kinda replaced with a sequel or the like (BW2, USUM).

With that being said, with two games being the norm I’d like to see more differing content between the two games. Different Pokémon, different gym leaders, two rivals where one is battled in one game and the other is for the other game, visual differences in some areas between the games, slight story differences that lead to the same climax. All could be implemented to give each game its own identity. With the games now on a home console all of it could be easily supported.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

Version exclusive content is and always be a thing for Pokémon. And just as @DannyDark had said: two games is a money grab. And we all are going to buy into it unfortunately. That’s why third versions were kinda replaced with a sequel or the like (BW2, USUM).

With that being said, with two games being the norm I’d like to see more differing content between the two games. Different Pokémon, different gym leaders, two rivals where one is battled in one game and the other is for the other game, visual differences in some areas between the games, slight story differences that lead to the same climax. All could be implemented to give each game its own identity. With the games now on a home console all of it could be easily supported.

Yep. Cash is king there. It's why I try to get the version I like most first and try to get the other on sale if I'm able to, or get the other used.

 

[Auraninja]

I mean, I would rather have versions be at least a little bit different so there is more flavor to them.
After all, the Pokemon games are known by their version exclusive names. For example, we say Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, not Pokemon Hoenn.

Also, games like Mega Man Battle Network also had version differences, and I personally thought they made the games more interesting.

 

[WhiteBlair]

Dynamax Crystals.

I assume in Sword and Shield, we will have specific Pokémon only obtainable in Max Raid Battles and a couple of them can be version exclusive. To trigger it, you may require the crystals; the ones you need for Larvitar and Jangmo-o for Double Pack orders. The said crystals might play a role to G-Max the Pokémon once you capture it.

In XY, specific stones were also version exclusive such as Houndoominite and Manectite, so unless you have a generous friend to trade it over, you had to get both versions to collect them all. The same tactic may apply here.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

Dynamax Crystals.

I assume in Sword and Shield, we will have specific Pokémon only obtainable in Max Raid Battles and a couple of them can be version exclusive. To trigger it, you may require the crystals; the ones you need for Larvitar and Jangmo-o for Double Pack orders. The said crystals might play a role to G-Max the Pokémon once you capture it.

In XY, specific stones were also version exclusive such as Houndoominite and Manectite, so unless you have a generous friend to trade it over, you had to get both versions to collect them all. The same tactic may apply here.

I'd hope they wouldn't do that. That said, I wouldn't be surprised. I hope we'd have access to them if we bought the games separately.

 

[AgentKallus]

Either as much as possible or as little as possible I'm undecided.

I'm hoping now it's on a home console that they'll phase out the concept of doing them in pairs, but if they did do that then I choices you make in the story should affect what Pokemon to appear so that there is still an incentive to trade in order to fill the dex.

 

[Creyk]

The HM slaves should be different.
For example. Now in the latest games, HM's work with you randomly calling on a pokemon through that pager thing. So, for example when you use strength, in sword, a slaking appears to move the boulder. In shield, the traditional machamp comes out. In sword, when you use fly, a butterfree appears and takes you where you want to go. In shield, the traditional charizard comes out. If you use surf, in sword a remoraid appears and you can do your thang. In shield, the traditional lapras comes out. It's the perfect system because it's a safe mix of old and new so anyone can get which ever they prefer (innovation vs tradition) and it's a meaningful aesthetic change.

ALSO.
Our parents are almost always single for no reason.
In one verison we should have a dad, in the other a mom. Because representation matters and single dads are very underrepresented in the pokemon universe so far, which is offensive to many players, including me. It's like they are trying to erase my existence.

 

[shoz999]

We've always had version exclusive Pokemon, and for the second time will have version exclusive Gym Leaders (but they actually have different types of Pokemon, etc., unlike in BW). And of course there'd be a slight variation on plot given the mascot legendary. But how far should this extend for Sword and Shield? Different Gym puzzles entirely? Different town designs (again ala BW), or even a radically different story?

Or do you think it's already too much with the different Gym Leaders?

I had an idea for a game mechanic but more like for a future game. Imagine a Pokemon game set in Australia and the major theme here would be a Dream World, not a Dream World like the website but a realm where you can actually interact with it in the games like in the BW2 manga. Now imagine this Dream World looking very different in two versions, Pokemon Dream Version & Pokemon Nightmare Version. In Pokemon Dream Version, this Dream World turns the physical fictional hot desert of Australia into a spring of flowers and vast freshwater lakes. In Pokemon Nightmare Version, this Dream World turns the physical ficitonal hot desert of Australia into a cold snowy wasteland full of haunting forests and frozen rivers.

I suppose for Pokemon Sword & Shield though, I simply like to see a different tone in the environment as a version exclusive.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

I had an idea for a game mechanic but more like for a future game. Imagine a Pokemon game set in Australia and the major theme here would be a Dream World, not a Dream World like the website but a realm where you can actually interact with it in the games like in the BW2 manga. Now imagine this Dream World looking very different in two versions, Pokemon Dream Version & Pokemon Nightmare Version. In Pokemon Dream Version, this Dream World turns the physical fictional hot desert of Australia into a spring of flowers and vast freshwater lakes. In Pokemon Nightmare Version, this Dream World turns the physical ficitonal hot desert of Australia into a cold snowy wasteland full of haunting forests and frozen rivers.

I suppose for Pokemon Sword & Shield though, I simply like to see a different tone in the environment as a version exclusive.

A different tone, environment wise could be kind of cool. I like the ideas you've mentioned.

 

[Aduro]

I feel like there should be as little withheld from each version as possible. The version exclusive pokemon thing I get. Its partly a way to encourage people to make gaming a social activity. But also a way to get people to pressure each other to buy the games, or just make them get both copies to complete their dex or gather competitively viable pokemon. If there is anything else that's version exclusive, it should absolutely be able to be shared by connecting a Sword and a Shield game.

But other than that, you should be able to get all the content with either version. There's no real reason for even the version exlusive gym leaders, it only worked in BW because they were pushing for the whole truth-ideal choice thing (in a game where you had no choice in the plot whatsoever).

 

[KKS-Lapras]

There's no real reason for even the version exlusive gym leaders, it only worked in BW because they were pushing for the whole truth-ideal choice thing (in a game where you had no choice in the plot whatsoever).

I disagree with you on this point. I used to feel the way you do, but the more I think about it, having 2 unique sets of gym leaders would be interesting to experience, and since Game Freak has done it twice now, they might as well use it to it's full potential. Especially if, and this is a big if, it leads to finally there being a Dark type gym leader. The Anime has shown in the past there are gym badges, and thus gym leaders that are not seen. Make that point hold meaning.

 

[Leonhart]

I don't like the concept of version exclusive Gym Leaders, so I'm actually not really interested in there being more version exclusive characters or features. At most I could maybe tolerate version exclusive city designs, but that's as far as I'd want to go.

 

[Bolt the Cat]

You know what's kind of surprising when you think about it? How the Clefairy and Jigglypuff lines have never been version exclusive. I mean, they're both very similar Pokemon with a ton of shared history. They were both 2 stage Normal type pink blobs that evolved with a Moon Stone in 1st gen. Then in 2nd gen they both gained baby Pokemon. Then in 6th gen they both gained the Fairy type (albeit Clefairy became pure Fairy whereas Jigglypuff just became Normal/Fairy). In retrospect I'm actually shocked they've never been version exclusives.

Other Pokemon that would make good version exclusive pairs:

Pineco line/Ferroseed line
Diglett line/Drillbur line
Machop line/Timburr line
Tentacool line/Frillish line
Geodude line/Roggenrola line
Ponyta line/Blitzle line
Magnemite line/Klink line
Drowzee line/Munna line
Dratini line/Goomy line
Sentret line/Zigzagoon line
Wingull line/Ducklett line
Meditite line/Mienfoo line
Torkoal/Turtonator
Dwebble line/Binacle line

Granted a lot of these are just 5th gen Pokemon paired with the Pokemon they're ripping off, but still.

 

[Sabre_King]

I know the E4 haven’t been confirmed yet; granted I would be surprised if there isn’t one. But I think it would be cool if the E4 had 1-2 individual pairings be version exclusives

I still think the northern most city could house the E4 in separate buildings or if it’s one giant building then that just makes it easier. I think the whole gym leader exclusives has opened the door to new possibilities and I think extending that to the E4 would make the games even more interesting.

 

[Creyk]

You know what's kind of surprising when you think about it? How the Clefairy and Jigglypuff lines have never been version exclusive. I mean, they're both very similar Pokemon with a ton of shared history. They were both 2 stage Normal type pink blobs that evolved with a Moon Stone in 1st gen. Then in 2nd gen they both gained baby Pokemon. Then in 6th gen they both gained the Fairy type (albeit Clefairy became pure Fairy whereas Jigglypuff just became Normal/Fairy). In retrospect I'm actually shocked they've never been version exclusives.

Other Pokemon that would make good version exclusive pairs:



Granted a lot of these are just 5th gen Pokemon paired with the Pokemon they're ripping off, but still.

It's because the clefairy and jiggly lines are so pure and holy no one should be denied the opporuntiy to get them if it is their heart's desire. There is an innocence about them that is not present in most pokemon