Good things about your least favorite old gen

[Oskeo]

I had the same experience as Fritz, honestly.

Only I hadn't played the two generations before or after 6, so I thought the strange Europop modernization of EVs was just the way things were going. I never spoke to an EV judge and I bought Pokemon Shield thinking I'd have to play a short soccer minigame and select my EV loadout. I do kind of like the flirtatious, color coded menu notes that tell you if your EV build is complete or not in Gen 8.

It's kind of like an innocence barrier, where if you're not interested in EVs then you aren't bothered with that info, but if you've had the conversation once, then you know where everything is to get your build finished with the appropriate effort.

I realize this reads like everything after Gen 2 is the subject of this post, but I'd also say that's about accurate.

 

[Corveone]

You seem to like it when Pokémon is simple without the complicated numbers and RNG. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Numbers aren't the problem if they were tied to compelling game mechanics, were something that players had control over, and could strategically manipulate in a reasonable way just like you allocate stats, skill points, etc. in many turn-based or action RPG games.

But when it's just grinding like an automaton until you "RNGet" exactly what you were looking for... yeah, where's the fun, or the strategy, or the skill, involved in that? Rather just hex edit values (of course, keeping those values legal) and do something better with all the time doing all that legit for a full team would take.

Simplicity is sometimes better when developers don't know/don't care about adding complexity in more natural and engaging ways.

 

[Sweet Serenity]

Numbers aren't the problem if they were tied to compelling game mechanics, were something that players had control over, and could strategically manipulate in a reasonable way just like you allocate stats, skill points, etc. in many turn-based or action RPG games.

But when it's just grinding like an automaton until you "RNGet" exactly what you were looking for... yeah, where's the fun, or the strategy, or the skill, involved in that? Rather just hex edit values (of course, keeping those values legal) and do something better with all the time doing all that legit for a full team would take.

Simplicity is sometimes better when developers don't know/don't care about adding complexity in more natural and engaging ways.

I understand what you mean. For me personally however, breeding for IVs and EV training is very fun for me because it makes me feel like I'm a real Pokémon trainer. Whenever I play Pokémon, I like to feel like I'm actually working hard and accomplishing something. To me, hatching those Pokémon with perfect IVs feels like a reward and EV training really feels like the fruits of my labor are being paid off. Nothing feels better than actually being able to witness and feel, say, my Starmie hitting harder and moving faster based on the different type of individual type of training I give it compared to my other Pokémon. To me, simply editing those hex values without doing the work takes away a big portion of the game and I personally don't support it. I feel that if a person doesn't have time to do it the legit way, then they should play in a legit way that corresponds to the time that they do have or simply not play at all.

 

[KalloFox34]

I guess if there's something good I can say about my least favorite gen, it's that Game Freak made an attempt to shake up the formula by replacing gyms with trials.

My second least-favorite gen was also the one to completely overhaul stats and introduce features like natures and abilities.

 

[Lucifer]

My least favorite generation is the first half of 3, RSE.
While the starters have grown on me through fan games (the Mudkip line, in particular, as the best of the few water/ground lines), I overall am not a fan of most of the Pokemon designs and feel it has the weakest evil team plot despite the unique duality of there being a war between two teams.

Although Team Magma's land expansion plot has some substance, I find that Team Aqua's mirror, ocean expansion plot thoughtless and illogical. What intelligent human being believes more ocean and less land is a reasonable idea for human needs? I've only seen the first ten or so minutes of 'Waterscape' and even in that time it's plain how humans struggle on an Earth where the ocean has overcome the land.
I suppose the poor logic could have been a character point, but if that were the case, it wasn't executed well.

The one positive thing I can say about RSE: the contests. I enjoyed the contests immensely. They were well designed to require an alternate form of strategic focus on Pokemon moves that was logical and engaging.
I would love it if more of the games had them, at least in this style. Granted I haven't tried them since its debut, but I was not so much a fan of the Gen 4 contests.

 

[Amore]

Although Team Magma's land expansion plot has some substance, I find that Team Aqua's mirror, ocean expansion plot thoughtless and illogical. What intelligent human being believes more ocean and less land is a reasonable idea for human needs? I've only seen the first ten or so minutes of 'Waterscape' and even in that time it's plain how humans struggle on an Earth where the ocean has overcome the land.
I suppose the poor logic could have been a character point, but if that were the case, it wasn't executed well.

The one positive thing I can say about RSE: the contests. I enjoyed the contests immensely. They were well designed to require an alternate form of strategic focus on Pokemon moves that was logical and engaging.
I would love it if more of the games had them, at least in this style. Granted I haven't tried them since its debut, but I was not so much a fan of the Gen 4 contests.

They dress like pirates, of course their plan isn't solid! Your argument is invalid :P
Maybe Archie had a pet Wailord that got stuck between Hoenn's abundant oceanic rocks, so he wanted to raise the sea level so it could be free to travel the globe?

I agree on the contests, preferred them to Gen IV. However, when I transferred my Hoenn contest champs forward this last time, I just used Bulbapedia to figure out how to dress them for that initial round - I find the dancing fine, and the appeal phase to be still pretty fun!

 

[Lucifer]

They dress like pirates, of course their plan isn't solid! Your argument is invalid :P

I acknowledged that there might have been intention in the ill logic but it's still stupid and not to my taste.

I agree on the contests, preferred them to Gen IV. However, when I transferred my Hoenn contest champs forward this last time, I just used Bulbapedia to figure out how to dress them for that initial round - I find the dancing fine, and the appeal phase to be still pretty fun!

Yeah, I did not like the dancing, and not just because I sucked at it, and you reminded me that I found the dress up unclear and confusing when my design failed to appeal.

 

[Amore]

Yeah, I did not like the dancing, and not just because I sucked at it, and you reminded me that I found the dress up unclear and confusing when my design failed to appeal.

Oh yeah dressing your Pokémon made absolutely no sense. Even with a guide partially memorised I still didn't understand most of it.

I also preferred Pokéblok to Poffins, even if the former were basically useless for contests until you got lucky in post-game and that great NPC turned up.