Should the difficulty be increased?

Started by RickGrimes June 30th, 2016 11:02 PM
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Male
In hiding
Seen December 26th, 2022
Posted January 16th, 2020
88 posts
7 Years
Let's be real here: X and Y were WAY too easy. You could pretty much breeze through the game with little to no effort.

"Oh, but Rick, just turn off the EXP Share."

Yeah, I did that. The game is still way too easy when you turn it off.

Do you think this game should be more of a challenge or was the difficulty in X and Y good as is?

Lunar

Age 24
Male
England
Seen September 16th, 2020
Posted September 15th, 2020
When you look at most Pokemon games, excluding Gen 1 and perhaps Gen 2, the games weren't necessarily THAT hard to beat, the games got hard at about the Elite Four but throughout the majority of the region there wasn't too much difficulty. Now when we look at Gen 6 the games were ridiculously easy, even the Elite Four who are regarded as the best trainers in the region only had four Pokemon in Kalos (most of which could be sweeped due to the lack of diversity) and personally I think that ruins the fun of the game, it's not as enjoyable playing when you can literally win everything with minimal effort.

I think the difficulty has to increase in SM, whether the EXP Share gets reverted to its old system (which I think needs to happen) or we get a challenge mode, something has to give.

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Holy Kipper!

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Seen 3 Weeks Ago
Posted July 3rd, 2021
3,269 posts
7.5 Years
Yes the difficulty needs to increase, and it's not the exp. shares fault. I could make a decent game by giving the E4 level 70-80 pokemon, instead of 30 levels below your own >:(
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Hikamaru

Age 30
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Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
During the E3 footage it could be possible that Sun & Moon are reverting to the 5th Gen EXP system which means very hard level grinding. Maybe they'll do that while retaining 6th Gen Exp. Share but game footage is not final so it's subject to change so I have a feeling they'll make it the same as X/Y, and have the EXP system function like non-5th Gen games.
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Nah

Age 30
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15,645 posts
9.5 Years
Difficulty options>just changing the level of the singular difficulty option. Not everyone wants the same level of difficulty.
Nah ンン
“No, I... I have to be strong. Everyone expects me to."

Desert Stream~

Holy Kipper!

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Seen 3 Weeks Ago
Posted July 3rd, 2021
3,269 posts
7.5 Years
I wish it would but I think gamefreak care more about catering to casual fans these days. I'm not looking for Dark Souls levels of difficulty here, I just want a respectable challenge which is what I feel we got for the most part up until the 6th gen games.
Now I wouldn't mind dark souls difficulty
The fact that we have difficulty hacks for third gen games, never mind 6th gen shows we need a difficulty boost. And a lot of fans aren't casual, being casual in video games is just bad practice IMO.
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Mister Coffee

Blathering Fool

Male
Seen November 7th, 2020
Posted June 12th, 2019
992 posts
11.7 Years
Should these games have options for higher difficulties: Absolutely.

Will these games receive options for higher difficulties: Probably not.

It may sound really jaded, but people have been asking for more difficult pokemon games since I want to say generation three (Generation three was when I first started hearing talk about making the games harder), despite the voice for increasing difficulty has gotten louder and louder, but with each passing generation it's always ignored.
So I just expect every pokemon game to always be easy, and if I want it to be difficult I find ways to make the game difficult for myself on my own terms. Plus if I always expect every pokemon game to be easy... maybe one day they will finally release a generation that is really hard, and then when I get to play it, I will be pleasantly surprised and a lot less jaded.
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"Somewhere off in a distant world, an island exists, where the ocean only meets the sand, where the weather is always warm. An adventure begins, traveling from the vast lands into the deep seas, chasing into the heart of the tropics, where the plants are vibrant and the beasts are fantastic. We will find each other there, chasing the fleeting dreams of a land full of beauty and potential."

Hikamaru

Age 30
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Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
While the others do want options for Challenge Mode-like difficulty, I feel it and Easy Mode was intended to be a B2/W2 feature only and we also have to remember Pokemon's target audience is young children, mainly around 7-10. Kids that age wouldn't want an extremely difficult game that would cause them to constantly ragequit, and we also have to know that we've gotten older with each new Pokemon game but we have also gotten smarter.

The games aren't getting easier for us, we're just better players than we used to be.
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blue

gucci

Male
United Kingdom
Seen September 26th, 2021
Posted August 7th, 2019
21,056 posts
15.4 Years
X/Y were really easy in comparison to past games regardless of how you played, there's no question about it. I purposely played with the Exp. Share switched off from the start and I still can't remember a tough battle I had aside from the final battle with Lysandre. It does becomes obvious how stripped back the games are in terms of difficulty when compared to past titles such as Platinum or Emerald.

Having optional play styles seems like the best option to remedy the situation which seems to be an issue for many people. B2W2 proved it is possible to do this with the Easy, Normal and Hard modes which worked perfectly imo. I know this has been said multiple times but having something like this really does cater to a much wider audience.

smocks

fiat lux

Female
California
Seen March 25th, 2019
Posted March 10th, 2019
To be fair, Pokémon is a game intended for kids, they're the audience they're trying to please more so they can be a part of their franchise and fall in love with Pokémon. Kids nowadays you could say give up more easily, so therefore, GF makes the games easier for the kids.

But as in terms of difficulty, I can't see GF making a difficulty setting because how about the new people who are going to play Pokémon? They might not want to play it easy and then realize they'd made a mistake & not want to restart their game so they just give it up.

To me, the difficulty is insanely easy, so I find more joy about the concept and plot of the game instead :P But in terms of difficulty you can always change the way you play, like turning off the EXP share and making your game into a nuzlocke. Just turning off your EXP share won't do nothing, its just there to help you train & level up your Pokémon, its not a difficulty setting :p

Caite-chan

Seen March 20th, 2023
Posted March 24th, 2022
11,679 posts
19.5 Years
I thought Black/White 2/2 were harder than X/Y. It took me less than 24 hours total to complete my X game. I went to the midnight release and by 3am I was about to the 3rd badge.

So yeah I think there should be a setting where you can pick the level of difficulty.
Age 33
Female
United States
Seen December 10th, 2017
Posted December 10th, 2017
1,011 posts
7.7 Years
I would love for the difficulty to be increased, but realistically? That probably won't happen.

I remember someone saying in one of these threads before (I think I made a similar thread before) that well...Pokemon isn't difficult anymore for the simple fact that we're not really kids anymore; we can outsmart the AI, we can plan strategies that the AI doesn't, things like that. Has Pokemon actually changed at all as far as difficulty itself is concerned? Probably not, it's just most people have gotten better at Pokemon battling to the point where they feel the games no longer present any more a challenge than they used to.

That being said, the point if Pokemon is more than just battling, there's more than just catching Pokemon out there. The point is to, as silly as this sounds, have fun with your pocket monsters, go on an adventure and explore! Battling is one aspect of Pokemon that will probably be touched on a bit more this generation now that we have a professor that studies Pokemon moves, but that doesn't mean that the battles themselves would be inherently harder or easier. They've just...been as they've always been, really, for the most part.

I remember back when I really thought Platinum was the hardest, but that was because at that point in time, my Pokemon were roughly around the same level as Cynthia's, bar a few levels less, so of course it was a challenge. I think it had more to do with the type of Pokemon Cynthia was using rather than any actual battle strategies she had or lack thereof.

Tbh though, even ranting through all of this, I still wouldn't be against a set difficulty option. Give Gym Leaders more useful held items, give the Elite Four the same, and raise their levels by either 10-15 to give players an actual serious challenge. I mean, you're going to most likely out-level them anyway, but it'd be a fun experience actually batting with a high-leveled opponent instead of someone weaker, if that makes sense.
I agree with this, and I don't understand why a lot of people don't take this into consideration. Somebody in this thread had said RSE was easy for them, when it was the complete opposite for me. The reason why is because I didn't have a whole lot of experience with typing advantages and disadvantages, and I didn't use any "uber types" like Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Dragon, and Steel. I specifically remember having a tough time in Sapphire, but once I played Emerald things were a little bit easier since I had gained more experience playing Colosseum and LeafGreen.

Another thing is the Super-Training. The funny thing with that is you only have to use it once to activate it. Once you've used it only once, it doesn't turn off but runs in the background without you even realizing it. You'll see little sprites of your Pokemon using punching bags off and on, training their stats. Once that started happening to me in AlphaSapphire, my team had become insanely powerful I couldn't believe it.

Dter ic

Fire Emblem....HEROES

Age 26
Male
(Un)united Kingdom
Seen December 15th, 2018
Posted July 9th, 2018
741 posts
10.7 Years
There should definitely be an option to choose the difficulty - as others have said, this was possible in B2/W2 and I can't see that as other than an advantage.

Yes while I agree the Pokemon series is primarily targeted at children, it wouldn't hurt to give experienced players the option to play at a more challenging difficulty. The Pokemon series has been out for so long that it's been part of a generation of children that have grown up with the series. I can only see that as an advantage where a Pokemon game can cater to both new players whilst not forgetting the many experienced players that have played previous titles.

Mister Coffee

Blathering Fool

Male
Seen November 7th, 2020
Posted June 12th, 2019
992 posts
11.7 Years
OH! I completely forgot about the challenge mode in B2/W2. Maybe they could bring that back? It might've been a one-time thing, but it'd be nice for those who'd like a challenge.
Wait, what? There was a "Hard Mode" in B/W2? ...man sounds like I missed out. lol
Well, wait... if a harder setting was actually designed in a previous game, why would they take it out?! It was an option right? So was not like it was forced upon new players, right?
This is just like Emerald's Battle Frontier all over again... Game Freak takes one step forward then two steps back.
I really just don't get it.
Masters of Hoenn


"Somewhere off in a distant world, an island exists, where the ocean only meets the sand, where the weather is always warm. An adventure begins, traveling from the vast lands into the deep seas, chasing into the heart of the tropics, where the plants are vibrant and the beasts are fantastic. We will find each other there, chasing the fleeting dreams of a land full of beauty and potential."

Nah

Age 30
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Seen 4 Hours Ago
Posted 4 Hours Ago
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9.5 Years
Wait, what? There was a "Hard Mode" in B/W2? ...man sounds like I missed out. lol
There was, it was just a total pain in the ass to use. You had to beat the game first before even getting the option to change the difficulty, and there was only one extra setting per version. If you wanted to play hard/easy mode but didn't have the version that gives you the key for that, you either had to get the other version (and of course beat the game all over again) or physically swap keys with another player. Not one of their shining moments in the series really.

Well, wait... if a harder setting was actually designed in a previous game, why would they take it out?! It was an option right? So was not like it was forced upon new players, right?
This is just like Emerald's Battle Frontier all over again... Game Freak takes one step forward then two steps back.
I really just don't get it.
I don't think we'll ever understand why the psyduck Game Freak does this really -_-
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“No, I... I have to be strong. Everyone expects me to."

Perriechu

i make this look easy tik-tik boom like gasoline-y

Age 27
Male
England
Seen December 11th, 2021
Posted August 12th, 2020
4,076 posts
14.1 Years
I just want challenge mode back.. :( That was literally such a good system that satisfied everyone. The default setting wasn't too challenging, easy mode made it so younger players weren't put off and challenge mode allowed the more capable players to have actual fun. I loved X & Y but the difficulty of the game is something that put me off so much.

With a general amount of grinding I found the games really annoying and hard to play without the EXP Share. And I wasn't spending hours and hours grinding because it just becomes a daunting chore rather than fun. And with the EXP share it's just too easy - especially with the leaders only having three or less Pokemon and the Elite 4 being pushovers..

I hope for Sun and Moon we get two things back;
- Difficulty settings (Probably not, but I'll settle for a slight increased difficulty over XY)
- Battling the Elite 4 in a set order. I hated that about V and VI.

And about the whole series being targeted towards children; whilst that was true it has been stated many times that they want to appeal to all audiences. Pokemon is no longer just aimed at children now, adverts always feature adults playing it or older children. Pokemon GO features a middle aged woman playing it. Union J, a British boyband were used to promote XY for a period of time in the UK so it proves that the target audience for Pokemon isn't just children anymore.

They've implemented a system before that benefits everyone, I don't see why they can't just bring it back tbh, but without having to complete the game in order to get it. It should be set at the beginning like a lot of other games and then if you wanna change you start a new game.









OuterTsuchinoko

Age 31
Male
New Jersey
Seen November 19th, 2018
Posted July 13th, 2018
580 posts
7.2 Years
I would love it if Sun and Moon were more difficult like Gen 1-4, but I don't think it going to happen or is necessary. I know I and maybe most people don't play these games for their difficulty as much as they play for all the other things you can do in them. I play the games more for the initial adventure, breeding, shiny hunting, and collecting. I definitely do think they should put an option though, but I doubt they will, especially seeing how they are putting even more into the game to make it easier like telling you what attacks are strong against the opponent during battle.

Male
Morioh
Seen October 29th, 2017
Posted September 22nd, 2017
811 posts
14.4 Years
I don't think they will increase the difficulty, and that's fine. I do think they should put in a Challenge Mode though, because it's really sad as a vet Pokemon player to see the last Gym Leader use 3 Pokemon and all the Elite 4 using only 4. If not, then at the very least they can give us good Gym Leader/Elite 4 Rematches and stuff like the Battle Frontier and strong post game trainers, all which XY lacked.

OuterTsuchinoko

Age 31
Male
New Jersey
Seen November 19th, 2018
Posted July 13th, 2018
580 posts
7.2 Years
They need to bring back the achievement medals back from B2/W2. Those could help increase difficulty depending on how difficult the medal is the player is going for. Also should have the last gym and all Elite Fours have 6 pokemon. I'd like to see trainers using more healing items too. Something as small as that can really help increase difficulty.

Male
UK
Seen May 9th, 2019
Posted June 22nd, 2017
81 posts
8.4 Years
None of the pokemon games have ever been hard to anyone who knows what they're doing. I've made a few hacks myself and I've found that the pokemon formula isn't built for difficulty. No matter how many high level pokemon they put in, you just end up grinding until you can beat them. Even if this may sound appealing, some of us find grinding boring and it really just slows the game down. Also, if you increase the levels of the NPC pokemon, you just get more experience and as a result level up even faster and usually end up over levelled anyway. I don't think anyone should ever be playing in game pokemon for a "challenge" (unless you want to be bitterly disappointed).

I've thought about it and one of the keys to pokemon's success is that it makes every player feel like a pokemon master. Even when I was playing my first game and didn't know the type matchups perfecly, didn't pay attention to natures, didn't know IVs and EVs even existed, didn't know all the pokemon and their stats and didn't know I could look things up online on sites like serebii, I still beat the game easily. You can play through with any pokemon you find cute or cool or interesting and not have to worry about building the best team necessarily. You save the world and become the champion of the region. It makes the player feel good about themself. I always thought I was the best pokemon player in the world and I'm sure a lot of us have felt that way at some point.

I actually had so much fun in XY. I remember how fun it was to be able to catch all my favourite pokemon in game and pretty early on at that. I spent a lot of time shiny hunting too. A good friend showed me a video about chain fishing for shinies and we spent a day on it together and we caught a shiny each and it was really exciting even for men in our twenties; that was my first shiny ever. We tried using the pokeradar method of shiny hunting and failed miserably. We spent weeks breeding for shinies and competitive stats. We spent a day getting all the mega stones during the hour that they were visible. We spent a day on a reddit for exchanging friend codes for friend safaris. We spent a lot of time wonder trading some of the extra pokemon we'd bred and it was a great feeling imagining how happy someone out there might be to receive a good pokemon rather than a bunelby. I got into trading and learned to nickname certain pokemon things like "yes", "no" and "5IV" to use those as a means of communicating with other people. I remember my friend telling me all about how he figured out a way to convince gullible children on wifi to trade him their legendary pokemon (he would ask for 2 legends for his one and trade a rubbish pokemon for the first one and then disconnect). He's a bit of a nob but he found it so funny it was hard not to laugh along. I completed the pokedex for the first time by systematically trading over GTS, evolving and breeding. I remember the frustration of getting haxxed repeatedly at the battle maison. Honestly, I had one of the best times playing XY by enjoying what the game had offer. I'd forgotten until about half way through this post and now I'm smiling like a kid again.
Also, this was by far the easiest gen for breeding and raising competitive pokemon and as such was the first game I played competitively in. I'd previously just decided it wasn't worth the effort. I had a lot of fun with competitive battling and pretty much played XY until ORAS came out.
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