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Pokémon Sword & Shield

Flathead770

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Haha SharpSword and SturdyShield :p

Those are some good points and while I was never a huge Pokemon fan to begin with, it is a little dissapointing to see this unfold.

I was already planning on skipping this one and waiting out for the updated release that they do, but I probably have enough to keep me busy that I can skip that one as well if need be.

Also saw the leaked starter evolutions and...I don't really like them. I really do think that newer generations should be adding fewer pokemon as we're already up to close to 1000 of them. Would much rather them focus on doing something else to shake things up a bit.


Justin1993

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As a shiny hunter, reading that the starters are shiny locked at the beginning of the game upsets me. I love starting a new game with a shiny starter. Sure it can take a while to get them sometimes, but I personally don't mind. Also, why would they add in the ability to turn down sound elements of the game with an in-game item from an optional NPC? Why not just put the option in the settings? Why be needlessly convoluted with simple volume settings? I believe there was something similar in USUM as well with the Ultra Space controls. It could easily be missed if you aren't thorough with NPC interactions. Well, I guess I can miss out on these games. I'm busy with my 2ds Pokemon backlog anyway.


ImpracticalDino

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EXP Share is also now mandatory apparently. GameFreak says the solution to training just one Pokémon is to put all of your Pokémon in the PC Box and isolate the one you want to train. Like, seriously? Do they really have to make it more complicated for everyone? They also basically removed any sort of difficulty that the game possibly had by removing the option to turn it off or on. I also find it hilarious how one article I’ve seen states that exact thing as a way to “disable” EXP Share.

Why can’t they just go back to making a Pokémon game every two years, like they did back in the day? In fact, they should take as long as they need to. Everything they do now is so rushed, lazy, and unpolished as they’re literally rushing to get the games done. They should relax and actually deliver a good game that everyone can enjoy.

https://thenerdstash.com/pokemon-sword-and-shield-to-have-mandatory-exp-share/


https://youtube.com/watch?v=87F6vrdHGFE



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ImpracticalDino

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For more poor animation craziness, just watch this video.

I liked the part with the Attack Helicopter Steelix, the power to stop time by climbing on a ladder, and the Michael Jackson walk.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=oPx0pCH5oh8


Discord! I'm howling at the moon! And sleeping in the middle of a summer afternoon...


pokeplayer984

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Okay, first off, one thing I DO NOT approve of is sending death threats over a game you are not satisfied with.  Some "fans" of Pokemon are doing this and it disgusts me.  There is no reasonable excuse for this.  It only proves you are being beyond entitled about something and makes you the bad guy.  Heck, keep doing this and you could land your butt in prison as threats are grounds to take legal action in most countries.  So, cut that crap out and deal with whatever issue you have in a more reasonable manner.  You can express your anger without that death threat.

Now, on to my thoughts so far.

I'm only a few hours in and I have quite a bit to say.

First off, it is important to note that this is shaping up to be a more story heavy game than most Pokemon Games.  I'm not even to the first gym at this point and my starter has just reached it's second stage.  However, since the first gym is Level 20, highest level ever for a first gym, I'll give it a pass.

Plus, there seems to be some level of manipulation when it comes to how much experience is given.  If the Pokemon battles, they get more experience than those that don't.  On top of that, if they have a lower level, they gain more experience than those of a higher level.  Finally, if the Pokemon is knocked out, they gain no experience whatsoever.  There definitely seems to be more freedom with this than people may think.  It's really not all that bad.

The Pokemon Encounter works much like Pokemon Let's Go!  In this game and the one before it, you actually run into the Pokemon physically to engage in battle.  Unlike Let's Go, you still have to widdle down the health and cause status problems to make it easier to catch.  I like this in the fact that if there's a certain Pokemon you want, you can just look around and try to find the one you want.  You don't have do go through tons of encounters just to find the one you want.  However, take note that there are Pokemon that are brave enough to attack you.  I have found Electrike to chase after me if they spot me.  I recommend getting Digglet or Wooper quickly to deal with them.  Due to this alone, Wooper is my "Electric blocker" choice for the team for the time being.  This will likely change in the future as I shape my team.  We'll see what happens in the end.

Also, you can easily venture into higher level areas early on.  There are some strong Pokemon out there and they can cause serious damage.  Going up against a Pokemon that's more than double your level when you already have 2 digits to yours and your opponent has weather helping it is no picnic. (Seriously, I ran into a Level 28 Vulpix that had harsh sunlight and my Water-type was only Level 12 at the time.  Needless to say, my advantage was out in one hit and I had to flee.)  Be careful out there!

I'm not even at my first badge and I am enjoying it so far.  I hope to come back later when I have more to talk about.

See ya later! :wave


ImpracticalDino

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I completely agree with you pokeplayer984. There are people who critique something because they love the product and want it to the the best that it could possibly be, and then there are people who take it towards a very extreme level, both sides included. While death threats have very little meaning on the internet in my opinion, as anyone can say something like that behind the protective computer/screen of a device, you should still strive to voice your concerns in a civil and respectful way that doesn’t result in ad hominem attacks. I would never advocate something like that anyway, as some people do take those threats literally, which could affect them mentally in a negative way.

I’m interested to read your thoughts about the game as you play through it, so I do hope you keep us updated.



I thought nothing else could be wrong with Sword & Shield, but then I found this.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=uWAVpjPPC4w

Yes, while the mistake itself is minor and only occurs in the end cutscenes, it still illustrates (in my opinion) how lackluster and effortless this Pokémon game is compared to previous games. When looking for flaws, glitches, or anything wrong with a game, this would be the mistake I’d never think of or expect would happen.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2019, 12:10:28 AM by ImpracticalDino »


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pokeplayer984

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Okay, I have beaten the second gym and am on my way to the third.  During this time, I made some "already chosen" catches.  Basically, these are Pokemon I chose to have on my team before I got the game.  I already have Budew, (Which has evolved into Roselia and will be Roserade before the end of the game.) Eevee (I'll be choosing which Eeveelution to have on my team soon.  Plus it's good for breeding reasons.) and Farfetch'd. (I want it's new evolution.  Also, it'll be great for catching purposes.) I definitely need to pick a Water-Type for the next gym.

The gyms do hold puzzles and at the end you face the Gym Leader.  However, the Gym Leader is in a huge stadium.  This stadium is designed to make the Dynamax function happen.  So long as you Dynamax at the right time with the advantage, you should be okay.  Oh, and you get a uniform and everything.

Right now, here's my main team.

Raboot
Roselia
Farfetch'd
Eevee
Meowth (This is the Gift Meowth you get.  It's great for money-making reasons.  Has Pay Day as a move and Pick Up for an Ability.)
Quagsire (Might replace, but we'll see.)

Another thing, the day and night cycle doesn't function normally until Post-Game.  Until then, it's only Day and Night as the game's story sees fit.  So there's probably lots of Evolutions you won't get until Post-Game.

Finally, if I am looking at everything right, this may be the one game where picking a starter won't matter in terms of difficulty.  Sure, you might have an early advantage with the Fire-Type, but you lose that advantage by the second gym and have to cover it with something that can take on Water-Types.  So, it depends if you want to get through the first gym quickly or want to get some other Pokemon and have the advantage by the second or third gym later.  There's a lot to figure out here and my team may be changing quite a bit through the game.  We'll see.

So that's all I have to say so far.  Still enjoying it and we'll see if it holds up from here.

That's all for now.  See ya later! :wave


pokeplayer984

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Update: Third Gym done and wake up call has happened.  I nearly lost all my Pokemon due to low levels.  I need to do some training and rearranging of my team.  I'll be keeping my starter and Roselia, but from there, we'll see what happens.  I think I might go for Togekiss.


StardustSoldier

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Please keep the updates coming. Although I don't have the game itself, I'm interested to see what you think of the rest of it. :)




pokeplayer984

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Okay, I beat the fourth gym.  I got my first loss because I didn't go back to heal my Pokemon.  Sure, I had the weakness, but with lower health and the Gym Leader actually being smart enough to use your weakness in terms of attack, I guess I should've seen this coming.  I healed my Pokemon, revitalized my strategy and won with only one Pokemon left.  Espeon, you've earned your place on my team.

Now, I must give praise to the story because it did something unexpected.  Time to go into spoilers.

Spoiler: ShowHide
First off, in this game, in order for trainers to take on the Gyms, they have to be endorsed by someone.  We also need to talk about a trainer called Bede.  He's arrogant, snooty and thinks he's all that.  He's also endorsed by the chairman of the league.  Anyways, after the fourth gym, he attacks a ruin that the people of the region find to be sacred.  After you put a stop to his antics, the chairman arrives, finds out what happened and bans Bede from taking on the Gyms, disqualifying him from the league.

I am in shock and awe with this move in the story line.  There are those who get away with a lot of bull crap in previous games and beyond beating them in battle, they are never really punished.  Some have a redemption arc, but through it all, they aren't punished it seems.
 Here, we get a firm punishment, a very harsh one at that and well deserved.  This could get interesting for once.  We'll see where it goes.


So yeah, this is getting quite good now with the story.  I'm enjoying it.

I'll update again later.

See ya later! :wave


pokeplayer984

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I loaned my Switch to my nephews over Thanksgiving Weekend.  I made sure NOT to include my Pokemon games as I don't want the little ones messing them up.  Anyways, I got it back and continued my adventure.  Here's my progress while it's recharging.

I've beaten the 5th Gym.  I guess I'll be giving up on getting Togekiss because I can't find Togepi or Togetic.  They are being very annoying to encounter.  As for the 5th Gym, let's just say my Roserade was overleveled and leave it at that.

I've been looking ahead and see that I need a Fighting-Type for the last 3 Gyms.  I had found a powerful Bewear earlier and chose to have that as part of my main team.  It doesn't have a Fighting-Type move yet, but it's close to the Level for one.  I've never trained one before, so this should be interesting.

Here's my team so far.

-Cinderace
-Roserade
-Espeon
-Bewear
-Meowth (Again, the Gift one.)
-???

I'm looking to Lapras to finish my team when I can finally get it.  I know where I need to go.  I just need to get there.

That's all for now.

See ya later! :wave


pokeplayer984

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Bewear came through for me!  I have now collected all 8 badges and get to move on to the Champion Cup.

In Sword & Shield, instead of The Elite 4, you go against 6 opponents in a row before taking on the Champion.  Before this, I'll be heading to the toughest place in the Wild Area to catch Pokemon and revamp my team.  I really have to think about what I want in a team.  What I have won't cover enough so it is vital I change up my team.

Cinderace, Roserade and Bewear will be in the final team, but the last three slots will need some serious thinking.

I'm going to bed now, but I will spend tomorrow getting a new team.  Wish me luck!

See ya later! :wave


pokeplayer984

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So, a certain package arrived early and I had to take a day off for it.  Let's update.

My team is now as follows.

-Cinderace
-Roserade
-Gallade
-Flygon
-Lapras
-Corviknight

There's several different reasons I have changed my team to what I have.  I know I'll be facing Fairy/Psychic Pokemon and Roserade will be murdered by them.  It's the reason to bring a Steel-Type for the final battles.  Lapras is just a great well-rounded Pokemon that I've liked having since the start.  It's very defensive and just learns a good number of moves.  Roserade will still be good for a number of Water-Type Pokemon coming up.  Gallade comes through for all the Poison, Fighting, Dark and Normal Pokemon.  You will also need a Ground-Type for Electric-Type Pokemon.  Plus, you need some way to deal with Dragons.

Yeah, the finals are no joke.  You need a well rounded team that can handle a lot.  I mean, you do get healed between each battle now, but they still aren't easy.  So yeah, no pressure.  I'm sure I'll beat it by tomorrow.

See ya later! :wave


StardustSoldier

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Thank you for the updates. How does the game compare so far to previous Pokemon titles? Also, is it Sword or Shield that you have?




OwlsCantRead

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My brother's done with Shield and grinding up a competitive team, and one of the things he mentioned was that this gen it's easier than ever to do that.

I borrowed the game from him to try it out 1-2 days ago (since he already has it, I just used a different profile) and recorded the experience through my Elgato. It is indeed a graphics jump, though some of the short one-sentence NPC dialogues remind me that I am still playing a Pokémon game.

Spoiler thoughts:
Spoiler: ShowHide
Early game up to lab is surprisngly well designed. The rival Hop battle might be the best first Pokémon battle ever despite it being a 1v2 supposed disadvantage.
- Starter beats Wooloo.
- Gains level and learns STAB type move.
- Use that move to deal super effective damage on Hop's starter.

So much better than the Tackle fights of old. The game implicitly lets you discover type matchups for yourself and speeds up the fight accordingly.

So yeah, the game looks good, but I'm not sure how long it'll capture my interest. Long RPGs have never been my forte.
Would it be possible for swimmers and flyers to get more love around here? Both figuratively… and literally.







That one guy who writes LBT fanfiction and accidentally makes them five times longer than he'd originally intended.


pokeplayer984

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@StardustSoldier - In all honesty, this is a game where I can't really give a full opinion until I've played it fully.  There's so much to do in Pokemon these days.  Heck, this game has a second story for crying out loud! (Which I'm currently on.) So, there's a lot for me to do before I can give my thoughts.  Please be patient with that.

That being said, there are some things I would have done differently looking back.  For starters, I would have gotten Shield Version and not Sword Version.  The reason is Galar Ponyta.  Ponyta is a Shield Version exclusive.  When getting Togepi for my team failed, I had debated in having Ponyta on my team instead, only to realize I had the wrong version of the game.  So, Espeon being on my team only happened for very specific reasons.  Even then, she didn't stay.

On top of getting Shield, I probably would have gone Team Sobble.  This would mainly be due to having a better all around team that I would feel comfortable having.  In the original games of Red and Blue, I pick Blastoise to get a more comfortable team in the end.  Here, Sobble is a nice water-type to have and would also give me access to putting Litwick comfortably into the team, which a part of me wanted.  I don't hate Scorbunny.  I really enjoyed using her. (Yes, got female first try.) However, Sobble would have been a better choice for my team in the end.

Not to mention, putting an electric-type into the team would've benefited me more.  I often enough ran into Flying Pokemon and didn't really have a good way of dealing with them.  Yeah, looking back, electric would've helped me here.

So yeah, a lot I would have done differently.  It's been quite the experience for me in Pokemon.  I've enjoyed the game despite these problems, and I'm not done yet.

That's all I have to say for now.

See ya later! :wave


pokeplayer984

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Well, I beat the second story.  Really not much to it and is done in very little time.  You end with catching the box legendary and facing your rival with the other legendary.  The story was nice in concept, I just wish it was longer.

Anyways, now that I'm done, it's time for me to set up for something I want to do in the future.  Luckily, I don't plan to go live with it until Pokemon HOME comes out.  Yes, it will involve that in some way.  So yeah, I've got a good amount of time with it.

The only real big goal for me left is to get Ditto, which is being a pain to get right now.  Hopefully, I won't have to wait until HOME to get one of my many Ditto instead.

This was a fun game.  Do I feel sorry for those missing out?  Well, if you were one of those horrible people who sent death threats over your favorite Pokemon not being in the game, then no, I don't.  Go ahead and not play it at all.  The fandom is better off without you.  However, if you have been one of those kinder people who have been debating on giving this a try, despite certain Pokemon not being in it, then maybe you should try it.  I know it sucks to not have certain Pokemon in the game, but I feel the story to be good and the gameplay a lot of fun.  It could end up being better than you think.

That's all from me.

See ya later! :wave


Sleeping-force's-inside

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I had a fun Pokémon idea, inspired by Leon of this game... Do you guys think I can post it in here to share? Or should I make a new topic?


pokeplayer984

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Did a box full of Breeding Scorbunny from my Female Cinderace yesterday.  Surprise Traded them all away today.  Here's the result.



Plenty of new entries for the Pokedex.  Not to mention quite a few regional variants that are perfect for Shiny Breeding.  Yes, I plan to finally get into that.

For now, I'm working on some Regular Pichu Breeding to give away for later today.  Will update later!


pokeplayer984

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And after 3 boxes full of Non-Shiny Wooloo, I am reminded WHY I don't Shiny Breed.  Looks like I'm going to be trading all of that away later today.

However, after all the breeding, I went back to the Wild Area.  I have found how EASY it is to get Competitive Pokemon in this game after you beat the main story.  EVERY encounter is Level 60 now.  With Nature Mints, Easy Bottle Caps, Exp Candy and other things, you can make a really good team rather quickly.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going Togekiss hunting.