Discussion Main / PowerCreep

So it seems like nothing's been done about the page image despite it not being clear enough. Since I don't play Hearthstone or whatever card game that is, I don't really understand the significance of the expansion version's higher number.

Maybe this is one of those pages that doesn't really need an image?

The new image is extremely cryptic. I can't understand what the hell it's talking about. At least with the Yu-Gi-Oh image IT WAS EXPLAINED WHY IT WAS POWERCREEP. The new image doesn't make any sense if you're not familiar with Hearthstone AND IT DOESN'T EVEN EXPLAIN WHY IT'S POWERCREEP.

Thunder Nyan Nyan should be replaced with Gemini Elf because the latter has appeared much earlier and is a normal monster.

The whole big section on pokemon reeked of natter, structured very much like a forum discussion. I'll paste it here if you really want it back, but I've replaced it with something more concise.

• After five generations of games, Pokemon was bound to develop this. In Black/White especially, it was as if Game Freak realized that they had spent too much time in the past creating Pokemon to promote gimmicks, like pairs of Pokémon being designed for double battles or the infamous Spinda that is known only for its wide range of spotted pelts. To atone for their sins, Black/White introduced a bunch of new and unique Pokémon that were mostly designed with competitive battling in mind. Unfortunately, Game Freak succeeded a little too well, and the main counterbalance for most of the powerful new species, their limited move pools, is effectively gone in Black 2/White 2 thanks to the new move tutors. This hasn’t ruined the game though because old Pokémon tend to get more powerful evolutions every other generation, plus Pokémon are modular gameplay-wise, so any one can be granted any new move or ability with ease, allowing for easy correction of balancing mistakes. The notorious Spinda, for example, got the ability Contrary, which turns stat buffs into stat nerfs and vice-versa, and the move Superpower, a mighty Fighting-type attack that would normally lower the user’s Attack and Defense after each use if not for Spinda being Contrary. But then you have poor species like Delibird, who gets two abilities that do the exact same thing, Fan Rotom who can Levitate despite already being a Flying-type, and the eternally neglected Farfetch’d, which make you wonder how much Game Freak is really paying attention to the game balance.
  • Arguably subverted in the case of Pokemon. Generation 5 has improved some moves that older Pokemon benefit from enormously, such as changing Doom Desire, Jirachi (Generation 3 legendary), to having increased accuracy and benefiting from STAB. Other Pokemon gain hidden abilities from the online Dream World, allowing for the previously mentioned Spinda to become at least marginally useful, as well as breathing new life into Pokemon such as Ninetails, who gained the impressive Drought ability, or Politoed gaining Drizzle, making them both powerful contenders in weather teams.
  • In single-player territory, Power Creep definitely applies across the generations. Consider the Flying types encountered near the start of the game: Pidgey doesn't evolve into Pigeot until level 36, and is still weaker than Generation Four's Staraptor which evolves sooner. Unfezant in Generation Five evolves faster than either of them, and has higher base stats. The Legendary Birds of Generation One had the highest base stat totals of any Pokemon bar Mewtwo. By Generation Five, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres are among the weakest legendary Pokemon, and Mewtwo is now merely one of many with the same power level.
  • A better example of Power Creep would be Pokemon moves. Aside from moves like Tackle and Wing Attack which got a base power boost in later generations, the later generations also introduce moves that are entirely better than some older ones. For example, Aerial Ace is just as strong as Wing Attack, but is also guaranteed to hit.
    • It's interesting to note that there ARE balancing factors in many of these cases. In the example given, Wing Attack has 35PP as opposed to Aerial Ace's 20PP, meaning it can be used more times before having to be restored. However, this factor only really comes into effect in certain parts of the single-player game. With the possible exception of moves with only 5PP, the number of times it can be used is a non-factor in all but the most stalled and drawn out multiplayer battles.
    • The most powerful and reliable moves are still very useable even competitively five gens running. Flamethrower, Surf, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam and Earthquake with their solid power, 100% accuracy, decent PP and secondary effects mean that other types are still getting moves up to their level of usefulness.
  • The sixth generation is adding Mega Evolutions. This allows new life to be added to old standbys and increases the power of some already very powerful Pokémon. The fact that Megas need to hold a stone helpfully stops them from being completely overpowered. Interestingly, the new Pokémon themselves are on the whole less powerful than in Generation 5, with only a select few (such as Aegislash) having outstanding stats.
    • The games also play with rarity, making powerful Pokémon easier and easier to find with each installment.

Just removed World Of Warcraft, and indeed the entire MMORPG folder (because WoW was the only thing in it) for having zero context. If anyone cares to re-add it, please explain why it's an example.

re:cut

it seems like a fair point on which to note deign flaws however there's not enough content. Bouncing back to YKTTW.

I don't like the name though, it makes me think of character power levels changing through a series or something. I'd rather we have a name that indicates that this is happening with video games via expansion packs. I've entered it as Expansion Pack Power Creep.