5th Gen How do you feel about less emphasis being placed on HMs?

[MrGriszell]

I hope they have a lesser role in the future

 

[soϲks]

Do you like the idea of less HMs than in other recent games? Yes. I've always seen HMs as like a restriction rather than something that adds to the game - sure, you can go flounder about in dark caves now, but at the cost of a moveslot on a Pokemon that you either caught and put in your team just for that move or it just wastes a moveslot on a more valuable Pokemon that you might have been training. The only "redeemable" HMs that are actually useful insofar as battling are Surf and Waterfall, imo. Perhaps if the rest of the HMs were more viable moves I'd be more willing to teach them to my main party members, but until then HMs just force me to use slots up for HM slaves that I don't want to use or catch, but I need to.

Along with that, do you think it's a good thing that you only need one HM to complete the story? Yes, again. Like I said, HMs are more of a restriction than anything - and I'm glad that we aren't forced to go through more than is necessary.

 

[Sully]

I like less emphasis on the HM's. It makes the games tons easier(:
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[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

With the urban setting of Unova, this move makes more sense because there will be fewer natural obstacles to move. It's also easier on those like me who don't use a dedicated HM slave because that means fewer HM moves spread out over my team of six.

It's not that I don't like the concept of HM's, it's that the majority of HM moves are fair to terrible. Having to waste fewer moveslots on subpar moves is always a good move.

 

[Alternative]

I like that there aren't as much HMs as the previous games, which is a major improvement from the other games. I mean you don't want to be having 2 different HM slaves just because every single move is necessary.

Although, I'm breaking away from the crowd and saying that I think it was a bad idea to only make one HM (Cut) actually needed to get through the game. Caves generally have boulders which need Strength to push, and there are lots of water routes which need Surf to navigate, and those two HMs have been the biggest stone in Pokemon which are needed for getting through a game. If anything, at least have those two HMs needed to complete the main story of Black and White.

 

[Cyb3r0t4ku]

I think they should get rid of HMs from the move pool and have to be ability you can teach your pokemon to use outside of battles.
For example your charizard can have the ability to fly and cut down trees outside of battle while its inbattle movepool could be 1flamethrower.2. wing attack.3. firespin 4. steel wing
or maybe aply those abilites to an attack for example you can smash rocks(rock smash) with steel wing, or remove trees(cut) with flamethrower. move boulders with takle, takedown etc(strength)
but make it so that even tho snorlaxs tackle can move boulders a pidgys tackle would be inaffective.

. an example your milotic can carry you while swiming in the water because its a water type but not know the move surf.

I totally agree - sometimes a HM takes the place of a potential 'decent' move and to get rid of them from the pool would create some much needed space. Plus it would make more sense, as you said, to have the relevant HM assigned to a pokemon or a certain type of pokemon.

However I think this would compromise the choice of which pokemon to have in your party as you would need a pokemon that could learn 'flamethrower', for example, in order to destroy trees although this may not be your preferred choice of pokemon to have in your party.

I liked how B/W toned HM usage down - I think it makes the game flow a bit smoother.

 

[sshadow]

Well I liked it for the most part in some of the past games I felt forced to use all of the HMs.
But I would of like just alittle bit more for surf. you do need it to do the extra stuff after you beat the game though.

 

[Astinus]

Well, this is good news. Needing to switch around my Pokemon just to have a necessary move to continue the storyline was certainly a PITA. I learned to play through Pearl with four or less Pokemon because I always had two HM-dedicated Pokemon in my team. This was especially frustrating towards the end of the game where I would have liked to use more of the Pokemon options given to me, but couldn't. Or when part of my team has to be boxed until I get through a certain area, like Victory Road.

There's also the fact that the moves taught by the HMs were horrible to use outside of the regular game. For me personally, I also found that at a certain point, the HM moves didn't work in in-game battles, so they just sat on my Pokemon, taking up a slot because there was no way that I would remove them in the case that I needed the move again.

Really, the only HM that I found useful in the game was Fly. Both in the game's plot and battles, Surf was my favorite HM because of how good the move was. To not have all the HMs be necessary to complete the game's plot is a good thing. It means that I can actually plan a fifth member of my Unova team.

 

[lamby101]

I'm pretty happy, it did get annoying having to either have a HM slave, or when you got to an obstacle, having to either go back to your pc to fetch a pokemon that knew the HM or to teach a pokemon in your party that you and overwrite a move you preferably would have kept.

I understand what people are saying when they say they see HMs as markers or milestones. But why can't they just use the storyline to unblock the barricades you always come across in these games? As in, once you beat X you can get through for example.

 

[Porygon Z]

Well, it's good just because you have to keep a Patrat up to? Driftveil City? Then it will be useless. But, the other HMs do a good chunk of damage.
Cut: 50
Fly: 70
Surf: 95
Strength: 80
Waterfall: 80
Dive: 80
They're not that bad, I have at least Fly and Surf in my team, always.

 

[bwburke94]

The thing with Fly is that it takes two turns, which in single battles allows Leftovers recovery and another turn of Toxic stalling. However, if the flyer or opponent has No Guard, or it's a double battle...

 

[Regeneration]

It's good to have less emphasis on HMs; I like it. It reduces the burden of either having an HM slave or being forced to replace valuable move slots with crappy moves like Defog, Cut, etc.

 

[bayant]

for me, less hms mean more good moves.

 

[Tsundera]

It would have been a lot more practical to just keep the HMs as they were (and/or introducing new ones) and implement a portable PC system that you could utilise on-the-go. I like the concept and diversity of the HMs but it is a real pain when you have to sacrifice party slots for HM-specific pokémon. It's like playing Ocarina of Time all over again [having to pause the game over and over to change equipment].

 

[DarkVhozon]

Yes I hate having to have HM, moves, espically since they usually suck and I have to set aside a whole slot or two on my team for a slave. That was a problem D/P/Pt had, 7 HM's is too many

 

[Shinjiaoki94]

How about HM Surf and Fly, Rock Climb and Waterfell? They're pretty useful, aren't they?

 

[レイジングブラスト]

I'm glad they finally made a game where you don't have to worry about swapping in an HM slave and having one of your teammates miss valuable experience. I just realized that you could actually beat the whole main game without using any HM's.

 

[olih]

I'm really glad they changed the HMs. I hate HMs, not a lot of them are poweful moves, and they just take up space in my Pokemon's moveset. I think it's awesome that less emphasis is placed on HMs. Thank you Game Freak!

 

[solarowl]

The less use of HMs is awesome. No more HM slaves holding my team back.
But I still use some HMs like surf and fly, they're useful outside and in battle.

 

[Honest]

Do you like the idea of less HMs than in other recent games?
Quite honestly, I really don't care. I mean, there will always be one poor Pokemon that we shall dubb "HM Slave", and I myself prep for that.

Along with that, do you think it's a good thing that you only need one HM to complete the story?
Ehhh, to be honest, I like it. It allows you to be flexible with your movepools and less stress will be put on the need for a Pokemon to know a certain move.