Like what Tokyodrift said, Sun & Moon were already difficult on their own, considering that the trainers in-game had smart and devious moveset strategies, on top of the EXP system being the same one used in 5th Gen. It was very easy to find yourself underleveled when you played through this game.
Alexander18
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That is why they need to make the games easier. These games are mainly for kids and should be treated as such. The older players should not be given special treatment.
Remember that S/M did introduce type effectiveness now being openly displayed on the battle interface. That and all the cutscenes on Melemele Island are pretty much serving as tutorials designed for younger players.
Alexander18
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That maybe but doesn't change that the games are harder. Even harder than games before gen 6. That can really after the younger players.
tokyodrift
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Well, considering I play Drayano hacks, it would be nice to have something like that. Increasing the levels, making the AI a bit more like a human with constant switches, more defined movesets, etc.
pkmin3033
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Honestly, I think unless they put a cap on levels going through the game, Pokemon will always be easy. In the story of the game at least, levels just blow strategy out of the water, you can just grind your way through to victory. It might take longer with BW's exp system, but time consuming is not difficult.
For me, I guess I'd roll with this:
Easy: XYORAS' EXP system, and maybe nerfing the buffs on Totems slightly.
Default: Something similar to SM's difficulty. If the difficulty modes are available at the start there is no reason to change this.
Challenge: No EXP Share, Pokemon levels and AI increased, levels capped until you beat a trial. If nothing else, the last point is what would actually make it a challenge, not just a longer grind.
For me, I guess I'd roll with this:
Easy: XYORAS' EXP system, and maybe nerfing the buffs on Totems slightly.
Default: Something similar to SM's difficulty. If the difficulty modes are available at the start there is no reason to change this.
Challenge: No EXP Share, Pokemon levels and AI increased, levels capped until you beat a trial. If nothing else, the last point is what would actually make it a challenge, not just a longer grind.
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I completely agree honestly. Even in the days of Red and Blue, Pokemon is not that hard and that still sticks with me today. I'll even argue the fact that the games have never been overall that difficult. Sure there were parts that really did test the players abilities, but even then, whenever I grind to the nearest 10th of a level I could crush anything. The only reason the older games are a bit harder imo is because of the glitches and the phy/sp split.
I'm in no way trying to say Pokemon should not increase it's difficulty, but I do feel with the accessibility people have to resources like the Rotom map, Exp share, and type-hint battle guide in SM it's definitely less time consuming that before to get to where you need to go. I suppose that's why so many people see the older games as harder to begin with. Other than some glitches and harsher mechanics, now that there are guides to make the gameplay flow easier, it feels easier and much less of a challenge (with the exception of Kalos in which Junichi Masuda iirc stated lowering the difficulty of that game to tend to mobile players)
As in the case of USUM and I know that they'll be a bit harder considering the fact that every 3rd installment has had some sort of difficulty spike, which is, good for me.
Alexander18
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Hope they go back to make the games easier. SM forces me to use several team mates multiple times when i just want to use my starter.
LilyGardy
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The developers have no real reason to up the difficulty as they knowere those who find the game too easy will just make their own challenge like a Monotype or Nuzlocke.
If kids find the game too hard though they may go off the series.
Difficulty settings would be nice and all but I'd rather the developers concentrate on a good story and possibly post-game over arbitrary difficulty settings where anyone who wants a challenge will create their own anyway.
If kids find the game too hard though they may go off the series.
Difficulty settings would be nice and all but I'd rather the developers concentrate on a good story and possibly post-game over arbitrary difficulty settings where anyone who wants a challenge will create their own anyway.
I personally think this would be a better balance of difficulty systems unlike B2/W2 which only affected levels and some AI movesets.
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I want these to be the most difficult games in the series. I want NPCs to level up rather quickly, with a Champion battle at higher levels than Diantha, and I want the Exp. system to remain as it was in Sun and Moon, with better AI for most or all trainers.
Aside from the fact that I'm tired of the constant discussion regarding how "easy" X and Y were, and even ORAS, I want it to be made clear that there's a place for older, more "hardcore" players in this franchise. Introducing the above - even as something optional, which you choose at the beginning of the game and cannot change - would accomplish that. It would also silence the vocal sects of the fanbase that in Gen 6 were so loud about how easy things were, since SM already reduced their complaints in the first place. USUM aren't likely to attract quite as many first-timer casual gamers as SM did anyway, so let's show everyone a good, tough time!
Aside from that, I want to feel a sense of achievement when I finish these games. I got that with Sun and Moon - I was home on a short break and stayed up until 4AM one night repeatedly attempting to defeat Kukui, and I felt so proud when I did. That's the main thing I want - I want it to be a challenge, I want to lose here and there, I want to feel like I'm making an effort.
Do I expect these games to actually be even tougher than Sun and Moon? Absolutely not.
Aside from the fact that I'm tired of the constant discussion regarding how "easy" X and Y were, and even ORAS, I want it to be made clear that there's a place for older, more "hardcore" players in this franchise. Introducing the above - even as something optional, which you choose at the beginning of the game and cannot change - would accomplish that. It would also silence the vocal sects of the fanbase that in Gen 6 were so loud about how easy things were, since SM already reduced their complaints in the first place. USUM aren't likely to attract quite as many first-timer casual gamers as SM did anyway, so let's show everyone a good, tough time!
Aside from that, I want to feel a sense of achievement when I finish these games. I got that with Sun and Moon - I was home on a short break and stayed up until 4AM one night repeatedly attempting to defeat Kukui, and I felt so proud when I did. That's the main thing I want - I want it to be a challenge, I want to lose here and there, I want to feel like I'm making an effort.
Do I expect these games to actually be even tougher than Sun and Moon? Absolutely not.
Alexander18
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No way. USUM should not be made that hard. Not now. Not ever. These are kids games after all. Us adult players don't get to ask GF to raise the difficulty because the majority of players is kids. GF will not turn the games ultra hard like that.
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They probably won't, but that doesn't actually mean that they couldn't. The adult players, as well as the teenage players who are more capable of handling a challenge, make up a quite substantial portion of the sales of these games. Besides, that's why they could make it optional, as I noted - choose "challenge" dufficulty at the beginning of the game and boom, done.
Even kids probably didn't experience a challenge with games like Kalos if they took advantage of the Exp. Share and some other thing, which were automatically turned on.
S/M did already have a lot of difficulty to it, such as the return of the 5th Gen EXP system which made it hard to level grind, on top of trainers with strategies that would usually be seen in the competitive field. Heck, even the Alola Elite Four's Pokemon have actual EV/IV investment in them.
Alexander18
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If it is optional then maybe. If it is forced on us from the start then that is where i draw the line. But i doubt we get the difficult settings again anyway.
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Honestly, forcing anything on anyone isn't really my style - I'm one of those people who wants the games to be even more open, let people play how they want. That includes difficulty.
What I don't want, however, is another convoluted key system to control difficulty. If I can play in hard mode at all, I want it to be available to me immediately.
Alexander18
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I meant i don't want GF to force the difficulty feature on us. Maybe make it optional by making it a choice at the start menu. I think SM difficult is enough for us though. I had some trouble already without added difficulty.
I personally do agree with this, since I often felt very overwhelmed in my Moon playthrough at times, such as that early fight against Ilima with his Technician Smeargle, as well as most Totem and Kahuna battles. Even Kukui obviously gave me a hard time since he does have a very good team.
pkmin3033
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GF relies on the older fans of the series to make their own entertainment, unfortunately - they can't be unaware of the various challenges and their popularity amongst parts of the fandom. Programming that sort of thing into the game would be quite time-consuming I would imagine, so I expect they take the lazy route and just leave it to them whilst trusting people will play the way they want to. Nobody is forcing you to play a certain way after all.
...that said, B2W2's easy and challenge modes were a bit bizarre to begin with, and if Gen VI was just a trial run for Gen VII - which I think it pretty clear it was, given the huge leap in visuals and the lack of a follow-up for Gen VI - then I could see them picking up where they left off with that in some fashion.
...that said, B2W2's easy and challenge modes were a bit bizarre to begin with, and if Gen VI was just a trial run for Gen VII - which I think it pretty clear it was, given the huge leap in visuals and the lack of a follow-up for Gen VI - then I could see them picking up where they left off with that in some fashion.