6th Gen Difficulty Levels

[Mithel_Celestia]

The chance to change the difficulty, and so alters Trainer's Teams, levels and AI, began during the second installments of the fifth generation, but only if someone else gives you key to do so. Since ORAS is the second installment after Pokemon X and Y, do you think this will be implemented in the game? And if so, will they allow us to choose early in the game?

 

[erisfrost]

I hope so. Personally, I liked that feature in black 2. Starting the game in challenge mode gave a new depth to the game, and made it feel over all different.~

 

[el lloydie]

This is my number 1 wish for these remakes. I wish I knew why they took it away for X and Y.

Sure, it took longer to level up if you didn't have the Exp Share on, but once you closed the level gap with the next boss (team admin, gym leader), it was still quite easy.

 

[SnowpointQuincy]

That feature was much underutilized in BW2.

No matter how hard they make it, you can over-level any challenge. The only thing that would up the difficulty is Level Caps. Each Gym Badge would raise your cap. Traded Pokemon would be immune, but disobey when they out-level you.

 

[Cerberus87]

I think that, until they make the AI learn how to switch Pokémon, difficulty levels are pointless.

 

[MarinoKadame]

Difficulty level should increase the AI difficulty, have them using items and switching. Also increasing the randomness of their pokemon team so they don't always have the same team. Taking pokemons from a bank of pokemons while keeping their signature pokemon.

 

[antemortem]

I think that, until they make the AI learn how to switch Pokémon, difficulty levels are pointless.

Some trainers have switched Pokemon in games before, but I think that's mostly reserved for some major NPCs and a couple of Ace/Cool/Veteran, etc. Trainers. But as far as difficulties go, I agree. This would be the best step towards making the games harder or creating a mode that's actually a little challenging. I doubt AI would be made that smart though because people complained when the difficulty was cranked up ever so slightly for BW so imagine the ♥♥♥♥storm from casual players, optional or not.

 

[ilias_]

Difficulty levels would be interesting but I want them to do it better this time, cause I couldn't get the keys in BW2 due to the fact that I don't have any friends that play Pokemon.

 

[Salzorrah]

I wouldn't mind seeing difficulty levels coming back on ORAS. Maybe they can alter the game like, maybe easy level can have most of them Youngsters or Lasses and fewer Veterans and such, and vice versa with the Difficult level?

 

[Sheep]

I'd like to see the NPCs smarten up a bit first. They hardly switch or use proper strategies; if all a higher difficulty will do is boost the levels a bit then it wouldn't mean much or anything at all. I'd love for these things to be worked on but don't have much hope it'll happen since Pokemon really loves its current formula.

 

[MementoMori]

That would actually be pretty interesting. I would personally find it more challenging if the the Pokemon of your opponents were always a few levels higher than yours.

 

[Pepperton]

A way they could increase difficulty other than raising the levels of Pokemon is giving trainers items, even if they don't make a gigantic difference, like, for example, a Sitrus Berry. Of course, there's also the obvious limit - giving Roxanne's Nosepass Assault Vest would be going a bit overboard, but sprinkle some helpful items into NPC teams like Miracle Seed, Magnet, etc., and then as the game progresses, the items get more powerful. It would be easy to implement at least!

 

[Raiknight]

I am definitely down for some sort of challenge mode. I haven't actually raged at a pokemon game since the Sinnoh Pokemon League. Whitney in HGSS was probably the closest thing to a challenge I've had since then. Even that wasn't as ridiculous as I remember it being. I would love to actually have to try to beat the games again. The most enjoyable moments in any game for me come from that feeling of accomplishment you get after completing that really difficult task. I haven't had that in Pokemon in a long time. I miss it. In ORAS, a veteran sort of difficulty would be nice. There are some interesting ideas people have come up with.
- Level cap that goes up with each badge to prevent overleveling.
- Higher levels for all trainers.
- Better AI. Make trainers actually switch for advantages, give them hold items (the usefulness of the items would increase as the game progresses), and make them do things that actually will make me mad.
Just simply doing that would be an improvement.

 

[BadPokemon]

They should just have an easy/hard mode at the beginning. I think they are afraid they will lose a lot of the younger fanbase because of it. Maybe you have to have the right parental settings to play hard mode? They closest thing to a challenge was in the battle institute. They trainer had one pokemon left, and it was a whiscash. I had my charizard in, and long story short, it used defensive and special defensive boosting moves the whole time until it had a low amount of hp. Then it would use rest. It happened over and over again and I switched in my espeon. Earthquake to the face. I was forced to quit.

Anyways, they need to maybe make leveling a lot slower. It would force you to grow closer to your pokemon, and make the game harder. Also, the could revert back to the old exp. share and you get the new one post game for breeding and such. Switching out pokemon would be a great addition.

Another big thing: no mono type gyms. For the ice type gym: OHKO everything with charizard. Fighting gym: OHKO everything with psykick, etc. opponents switching would make it way harder.

 

[MarinoKadame]

Switching Pokemons
Holding Items
More use of recovery items
Having a bank of at least 12 pokemons to be chosen at random, but they will still keep their signature pokemon.
Maybe a level cap for each badge to make it harder to beat the leaders and E4.

 

[forestguardian]

I think that, until they make the AI learn how to switch Pokémon, difficulty levels are pointless.

When i first battled someone through the handheld games they were switching pokemon on me and i didn't understand it until after i got my but whooped. Getting the Ai to smarten up and switch to your weakness is great.

 

[Alpha May/Omega Brendan]

Upping the Rival difficulty: May/Brendan

With the upcoming release of Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, one wish I have is that your rival May/Brendan would become more of a challenge to you. I mean your last rival battle is at Lilycove City, their starter has not reached its final evolution, and it's funny that after defeating the champion they come late to give you tips about how to defeat him and the battle has already reached its conclusion. So my question is, do you believe that the rival difficulty should be higher, and that maybe they should have more appearances in the story?

 

[Cyclone]

Most rivals inconveniently interrupt you at the end of Victory Road. This seems plausible.

 

[Pendraflare]

Yeah, Brendan/May were definitely the worst rivals in the series. So I would like for them to have at least one more battle, or up their levels a little bit and give their starter its final form. I mean, in HGSS, Silver's levels in the last battle against him before the league were a bit higher than they were in GSC, so I don't see why they couldn't do that here.

 

[Elaitenstile]

Hmm, what I thought would happen is a repeat of Blue/Green in RBG, but I was baffled when I found that we don't battle her after Lilycove. And I usually get to my final form of my starter in Norman's gym. Seriously, what the hell? Well, the least they can do is give extra encounters like in Mt. Pyre or in Sotopolis. And they could add a perma-rebattle for May/Brendan like the one we get for Barry in DPPt. Or they could make Wally the main rival and make May/Brendan a pseudo-rival, like Bianca and Shauna. Doesn't seem like they actually compete with us, tbh.