What do you think of the core Pokémon formula?

Main series Pokémon games, for the most part, tend to be very similar to each other. They all have various creatures that can learn no more than 4 moves you can capture/use in turn-based battles, gyms (or trials) to defeat, an evil group to stop from doing bad deeds, and a cover legendary to aid you in your quest in one way or another, among other things.

What do you think of this formula? Would you be happy to see it continue for the foreseeable future? Or are there certain parts of the formula you wish would be shaken up?

The formula has been working for years and Pokémon hasn't seen a severe decline in game purchases every time it releases a new game or remasters an old game. But I'd definitely like to see something a little different. Maybe making the game more multiplayer and a bit challenging, such as, players who finish the game and have progress further than most other players can obtain the role of gym leader and are limited to the level in that area of the map and the typing in that gym. Of course this gym leader would be eventually replaced by someone who is further than they are in, I guess challenge... a weekly challenge to give people an opportunity to gain extra in-game items, etc... anyway this would be something a little different and add some community in game. I know it's a weird idea but I think it would be fun.

I'd like seeing Pokémon used in other forms as battling and gain exp. points from it. Because battling the huge amount of battles in the game to progress isn't a good fit for them (Wobbuffet comes to mind).

Pokédex being not representative of what can be caught but what can be seen (I'll agree it's a completionist's nightmare, but I'm no completionist): allow selected trainer to bring a Pokémon that's not in the Pokédex.

No new Pokémon, we have enough to work on.

Design a new region with mix and match of Pokémons according to environment, it is what's done in Pokémon Bushido and it is charming.

Overall, stop making people train and battle their Pokémon in mindless game features like wild Pokémon battling... Honestly I don't care about defeating 25 times the same old Pidgey, this just plain sucks and anyone saying how they're proud that they've put in the effort is wrong.

Methodical said:

The formula has been working for years and Pokémon hasn't seen a severe decline in game purchases every time it releases a new game or remasters an old game. But I'd definitely like to see something a little different. Maybe making the game more multiplayer and a bit challenging, such as, players who finish the game and have progress further than most other players can obtain the role of gym leader and are limited to the level in that area of the map and the typing in that gym. Of course this gym leader would be eventually replaced by someone who is further than they are in, I guess challenge... a weekly challenge to give people an opportunity to gain extra in-game items, etc... anyway this would be something a little different and add some community in game. I know it's a weird idea but I think it would be fun.

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That sounds like a really fun side thing to do once you've beaten the game! Can play the game how you normally would until you return to your gym leader town/post, from there you can choose to continue your adventure as a gym leader and work on your gym team. Maybe even have the ability to fully customize your gym and its puzzle too, à la Mario Maker. I never thought of it that way but would absolutely love it.

d4rk said:

I'd like seeing Pokémon used in other forms as battling and gain exp. points from it. Because battling the huge amount of battles in the game to progress isn't a good fit for them (Wobbuffet comes to mind).

Pokédex being not representative of what can be caught but what can be seen (I'll agree it's a completionist's nightmare, but I'm no completionist): allow selected trainer to bring a Pokémon that's not in the Pokédex.

No new Pokémon, we have enough to work on.

Design a new region with mix and match of Pokémons according to environment, it is what's done in Pokémon Bushido and it is charming.

Overall, stop making people train and battle their Pokémon in mindless game features like wild Pokémon battling... Honestly I don't care about defeating 25 times the same old Pidgey, this just plain sucks and anyone saying how they're proud that they've put in the effort is wrong.

Click to expand...

Definitely good point that not all Pokémon are really meant for consistent battling.. the Exp. Share is a godsend for cases like Shuckle and Wobbuffett, but I'd like to be able to actually use my Pokémon in battle and those types of overly defensive ones make it hard. Will never know how I managed to do a Shuckle-only run in Crystal at 11/12-years-old back in the day.

I wish they'd focus more on side content like being a contest star/breeder etc, those are actual jobs in the Pokémon world and there's no reason they can't give us experience! (Or at least experience in that specific field, maybe we can have a few different professions to level up so we're not limited to just being a trainer?)

I personally don't really have any problems with the formula itself! I think it works just fine, and Pokémon, for me, has always kinda been about making that core journey your own by way of all the team-building possibilities and all the little side things you can potentially do along the way. So, anything replacing the core formula would also need to be conducive to that for me to be down with it, personally.

I do think that, considering that this formula is one they seem pretty committed to using, they could stand to build the story off of it a little more than they do, as opposed to kinda just... having the game's narrative focus flip-flop between the "Pokémon League challenge" and "Versus Team Badguys" plots without them really being all that interwoven. To Gen VIII's credit, SwSh did kinda do this, but I still think there's a lot of untapped potential there.

Maybe this is just because I've been on a Generation I kick again recently, but I would really like to see them... I'm not quite sure how to word this in a way that makes it clear what I mean, but I would like to see them try exploring other potential developmental directions from the franchise's starting point. I don't mean shifting the series away from being family-friendly or anything (that's always been the intention with the games); more that, for example, Pokémon has thus far really only embellished the Gen I+II storyline formula in one particular way; the whole Enemy Team Seeks Legendary Pokémon plotline. There are a bunch of iterations of That Specific Embellishment, but I think there are a lot of other directions one could potentially go in to add more meat to the foundation Pokémon's stories are built on besides just that. Heck, even RGBY/GSC are retroactively kinda interesting for the fact that Team Rocket is just a crime syndicate doing crime syndicate things and not especially seeking any legendary Pokémon.

As far as gameplay goes, really all I personally want is for them to flesh the main campaigns back out in terms of things like area complexity and just... generally how much there is to do besides Progress the Plot at any given moment. More intricate and nonlinear area and region design would be much appreciated, though I don't want anything like, alienatingly-complex to kids or anything. Just stuff like you'd see in especially Hoenn and Sinnoh. I also think they should make Contests and, if I may be so self-indulgent, the Pokéathlon and follower Pokémon, series mainstays, but that's just me, haha

I like the gameplay formula, don't want that to change. What I'm tired of, to the point I stopped caring long ago, is the plot. It's allways the same recycled garbage with some villain team trying to catch some legendary to do something that would put the region/world in danger, and whatever lame excuses to leave gym leaders, Elite Four, etc. as mere ornaments that can't pretty much do anything other than waiting a 10 years old new trainer to fix everything and save the day... oh, and the dumb rival cliche "I'm your rival because... because it's a Pokémon game and you must have a rival, right?"

So, I'm fine with the core gameplay formula, I love exploring a region, catching Pokémon, building a team and battling other trainers. Obviously improvements, QoL features, balance buffs/nerfs, etc. are allways welcomed, especially when they help making certain obtuse background mechanics less tedious. I wouldn't mind some rework on gyms either.

so and so. When it comes to gameplay, I d say I m quite happy with it. I mean, it's a repetitive game series and I d love to see new things, but done in a proper way. I felt like pokemon was really annoying because the formula was always the same and I just decided to not play anymore. Then gen 7 came out and many things were different so i had sparkles in my eyes, i was like "wow, they listened". I played ultramoon and i was very very very disappointed. There were many major and minor innovating things that really didn't work out for me and indeed gen 7 is the gen i like the less. but that's another topic, i guess. I agree with everyone saying that the plot should be different and more intricate. Tbh, i feel like that too, but i m sad to say that we'll prolly never get that. Pokemon is a versatile game and that's a good point of strength imo. But also double-edge: for example, gen 8 pokemon games have a simple story, quite clear and really fast. Obviously, it's not the best and it's not too intricate like gen 7 plot, but at least it's quite clear, while gen 7 plot lacks much stuff. The thing is that gen 8 games are the clear representation to me of a pokemon game created for competitive players. Fast, not too hard and it's really easy to make competitive pokemon. I m not a competitive player at all, but i enjoyed making competitive pokemon. So, Dynamax apart, these games were quite good for competitive players, having given less effort on the plot tho. This whole thing is to say that GF is trying to find a balance for every kind of pokemon player and when it comes to that, swo/shi aren't too bad. There are some trends I don't like tho. First if all, the cut dex. I mean, it's ok if some pokemon can't be found in the game, but they should give every pokemon a pokedex entry (it's a monster collector game lol. this is anti-collecting) and all pokemon should be transferred to the games. All of them. This would be amazing for collectors, imo. Also, I would obviously love a better plot. Maybe the "Legends Pokemon" series could eventually fix that for us. I REALLY hope so. Graphically pokemon games are not too good, so even tho i don't mind because i find the content more interesting and important, I mean it's one of the most sold series, so they should really improve the quality. Last but not least, it would be amazing if games had a way to select difficulty. Not just the bw2 stuff, but like a HARD mode based on the opponents' teams actually having a strategy and good items. I feel like renegade platinum could quite be an example. I mean, I'd want something even better than that, but renegade platinum is a good starting point. Not too hard, but challenging.

The basic formula (8 gyms, evil team) works well enough for me, and in fact, it's when Pokemon strays from this formula that I start to lose interest. That's why 7th gen didn't exist to me, and why my interest level in Legends Arceus is slim to nil. It's also why I've had little interest in a majority of the spinoffs (Colosseum and XD Gale of Darkness being two notable exceptions.)

Execution of this basic formula is where Pokemon main series games have been hit or miss. That's the reason I can, say, enjoy the Sinnoh games much more than the Johto games despite both adhering to the same 8 badge plus evil team format.

Improvements can certainly be made. Tougher trainers. More engaging evil teams with more interesting goals/schemes. Better casts of characters. But for me, changing the basic formula makes a Pokemon game... not seem like a Pokemon game, but a cheap cash-grab by slapping the Pokemon name and likeness onto something it has no business being attached to.

With that said, I would play the hell out of a Leaf x Serena yuri visual novel, and love every second of it.