Pokémon General Thread

What could we use for a normal /ghost type?

A Stand user.

They'd probably have to be Ghost/Fighting.

x2 I think probably a physical tank in terms of stats.

Either super tanky or a speedy sweeper. Three immunities is no joke, even if one of them is normal.

So Pokemon. Still far and away the best-selling JRPG of all time. And still turn-based.

Hm. Could it be the narrative of gamers only want ARPG's to spazz out over is a manufactured and false one?

Just can't make mainstream JRPG's with traditional battle systems. We can't aspire to sell 20 million copies like that niche Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Edited by Nikkolas on Feb 14th 2021 at 11:35:22 AM

There are plenty of people who enjoy the complexity of ARPGs, but you can't deny the accessibility of turn-based RPGs in general and Pokemon in particular. That probably makes a very significant portion of the gap.

Pokemon is in a class of its own and has immense marketing and name brand value that most series will never have. So it should be treated as its own thing and I wouldn't draw too many conclusions based on its success for the sake of the argument you're trying to make.

It's not something I like to bring up - because you should be able to make a case for turn-based without resorting to it - but since you mentioned accessibility, I am legally blind and ARPG's just are no good for me. Do you see the enemy's weak point on his right side? No. I just know they're weak to Lightning so I balst them with Lightning.

And of course I'm just giving a quick, simple example/counterexample. Turn-based games can be incredibly complicated and require a lot of thought and effort. But it's thought and effort that lends itself to what I can do. I appreciate that.

Of course ARPG's require a lot of thought, skill and effort too but not in any way I can really handle so it does irk me when people ay ARPG's are the future and turn-based is old trash.

A Final Fantasy or other established brand could do the same thing, then.

Edited by Nikkolas on Feb 14th 2021 at 11:47:24 AM

No they really can't. Pokemon is a unique combination of collect-a-thon and mass-market design appeal that no other franchise has matched, in sales or popularity. Any example you think either does or could has more than one reason why they can't.

I don't think a big name series like FF would do BADLY with a turn-based system because it has sufficient brand name value that enough people will buy it. Hell, Yakuza switched to a turn-based RPG for its newest installment and was the best-selling game for 4 days in its japanese debut. However, comparing Pokemon to most anything else simply does not make sense.

To use a recent example, FFXV sold 8.9 million copies roughly. Pokemon Sword and Shield has sold over 20 million copies, and was probably far less expensive to make and market.

My point being that turn-based games can sell. But you shouldn't be using Pokemon to make that argument when it's a unique series whose brand value is far superior to everything else in the JRPG space.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Feb 14th 2021 at 5:13:20 PM

This week's it's Reuniclus's turn!

Reuniclus has always been one of my favorite Pokemon since its introduction, just because the concept of a giant single-celled organism as a Pokemon is so amazing. Great to hear that it's also really solid in the competitive scene.

My only complaint about Reuniclus is that it's far too similar to Beheeyem, both being Gen 5 pure Psychic Type slow and bulky special attackers. I wish the two Pokemon had more major differences, like if one of them was dual-type.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Feb 14th 2021 at 4:32:56 AM

One of them is good and the other is not. That's plenty of difference to me.

Which is the good one in battle ?

I never used either In battles in my unova play throughs (went with Cobalian, zorark , Magneton as my big heavy hitters)

Reuniclus is the better of the two. In fact, Reuniclus's only Gen V Psychic rival is Gothitelle.

They are very alike, but that HP advantage spells the difference.

To say nothing of movepool and abilities.

Gothitelle stands apart by having moderate speed, better defenses (though lower HP kinda messes that up), and Shadow Tag. Beheeyem is literally just a worse Reuniclus, in almost every way.

I love both of their designs, so I wish Beheeyem was more unique. Maybe if it had a different ability, like Psychic Surge or an ability that auto-sets Trick Room.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Feb 14th 2021 at 8:59:52 AM

Popping in to give Reuniclus a bit more love. Good cellbaby.

Maybe make the little aliens part Steel or something?

Beeheyem also reminds me we got Signal Beam axed just because; not a gimmicky move like Hidden Power, Return or Pursuit, and not a random move with low power and meh distribution, but rather something pretty much every Psychic, Electric and Water was able to learn for coverage.

But the main game team may still think only Volbeat got it or something. Just like Tail Glow.

Dexit may be bullshit, but Movexit is even worse, if only for some of the bad takes.

Another point against the loss of moves is all the unnecessary specific moves we got in return. The long drawn out animations might look cool but they don't help.

You bring it up a lot, but I do agree that Signal Beam being gone hurts. A lot of the moves being gone hurts, a lot of those moves were valuable as coverage moves or they had their own niche that affected the metagame. I can't believe we live in a world without Pursuit and Hidden Power.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Feb 15th 2021 at 5:13:02 AM

Pursuit kinda made 2 entire types a liability, but nowadays Ghost is very strong and just kept in check by weak moves. Hidden Power was also patchwork coverage in an obtuse way, and it became incomplete as soon as Fairy became a thing.

Personally, I'd have Pursuit keep its 40 BP even if hitting the one switching out, and Hidden Power be initially determined by personality value, but then being changeable by NP Cs.

And I bring Signal Beam up, because it gave Electrics something to hit Grass types with, and Psychics something to hit Psychics and Darks with. And it gave Kyogre a 4th attacking type that wasn't Hidden Power, even if inconsequential.

(And this is when I bring up Hurricane and Kyogre not getting it and my annoyance)

Hidden Power, I can comprehend. The need for specific I Vs, fairy type, and bottle caps are all good reasons for it to be gone. The loss of Pursuit, I can't defend.

I looked at the list and a lot of these are either gimmicky or have stronger alternatives. The problem is poor distribution of moves that exist. Again, some of what was added has no reason to be there. They have unique animations too, it's so unnecessary.

Give Kyogre Hurricane and Groudon Heat Crash.