Is there anything you'd do to improve the battling in Pokémon?

[Sheep]

Battles are the main focus of this series; they're turn-based with each move having power, accuracy, an extra effect (some moves), and power points, and as a result things like critical hits and misses are mostly RNG-based.

Is there anything you would do to change the battles in Pokémon? Maybe remove accuracy altogether similar to Temtem, or perhaps take away the turn-based aspect of it? Let us know!

 

[Devalue]

Hm. Perhaps limit the number of switches per battle to three each? Never liked excessive switching. Imagines it looking very goofy in an anime match. (Could argue the same for item usage too, though.)

Possibly remove PP too. Inconveniences the player more than anything. Would not call Pressure, Spite, and Grudge interesting interactions with the reduced PP of some moves. Potentially runs into an issue of a never-ending battle, though (or trolling). Dislikes the idea of putting a time limit on how long a Pokemon could remain out. Means putting some kind of fatigue mechanic in. May not be a better solution.

 

[ReKoil]

To me they're more of a necessary 'evil' and the main focus of Pokemon are the Pokemon themselves.
evil is too big a word, but it's the expression so ... =P

They've made trainer battles optional, which is okay. I still end up fighting trainers for money though lol

Personally I'd be curious to see how some more choices around trainer battles would pan out. Like say, maybe bribing someone to throw the match. Or perhaps just making a wager with the trainer you're about to fight. Not necessarily for more or less prize money. Could be something like 'loser has to go catch the winner a Vulpix' or something, and then you'd either receive one in a trade or visit the trainer after a period of time and they give you one.
Also am I the only one who wants to at least try and run from a trainer battle just to see what happens?
All of this is far too fancy for a Pokemon game though and will likely never happen =\

For wild battles I'd like to see S.o.S calls return, but in limited fashion. I disliked that they could keep calling for help forever. I like the idea of a wild Pokemon knowing it's losing and calling for help, but when it does so it would be either 1 or 2 Pokemon showing up to help, or maybe even combine it with hordes and turn the backup Pokemon into a horde. However, the backup Pokemon showing up needs to be a one time thing imo.

 

[Explorer of Time]

Hm. Perhaps limit the number of switches per battle to three each? Never liked excessive switching. Imagines it looking very goofy in an anime match. (Could argue the same for item usage too, though.)

Possibly remove PP too. Inconveniences the player more than anything. Would not call Pressure, Spite, and Grudge interesting interactions with the reduced PP of some moves. Potentially runs into an issue of a never-ending battle, though (or trolling). Dislikes the idea of putting a time limit on how long a Pokemon could remain out. Means putting some kind of fatigue mechanic in. May not be a better solution.

I somewhat agree with both of these. Regarding switches, just not giving priority to switching out would cut down on excessive switching, since the incoming move would hit the switched-out Pokemon instead of the switched-in Pokemon in most circumstances, kinda like Pursuit does.

Regarding PP, I would have it automatically refill after each battle. PP-restoring items other than Leppa Berries are difficult to find in large numbers in most games, so running low on PP necessitates running back to the nearest Pokemon Center even if the player's party is at near-full health, which feels frustrating most of the time. I'd also increase each move's maximum PP a little and remove the PP Up and PP Max items so that every Pokemon gets maxed-out PP from the beginning.

 

[Curt_09]

Okay, so I can't guarantee it's an improvement but I was brainstorming this idea last year. I imagine a game where Pokemon attributes and the battle interactions are more complex. The stats as we currently know them would be reduced to attack, defense, and agility (and renamed to something more fitting like affinity, e.g. Golem has a high defense affinity). Then individual body parts would have a strength rating and skill rating, like arms, legs, tail, body, etc. that can be trained. Moves would need to be trained into the Pokemon and the requirements would be strength and skill based instead of level-based. Damage calculations and hit success would be based on the strength and skill of the body part used, the skill with the move, the Pokemon's attack and the defending Pokemon's strength (and maybe skill) with the body part being hit. Body parts can become damaged or fatigued, affecting the ability to attack and defend. Battles would still use an HP bar, but PP would be replaced with MP. Battling would be real-time and more hands off, like in Digimon World 1 (or DW: Next Order) where you can give orders but it's not a turn-based battle where Pokemon just stand there and trade blows.
It would put a lot more focus on training and battle prep, which to me is very interesting.

 

[PoryKid575]

I think the battling system is fine as-is. It's been refined for over 25 years and has a healthy mix of strategy, luck and fun. It's also simple enough for kids to easily understand while being deep enough for organized competition like Smogon and VGC; that's not always an easy balance to strike and I don't feel the need to fix what isn't broken. I'd make a few tweaks to certain mechanics and individual Pokemon, but the core battle system is rock solid.

Possibly remove PP too. Inconveniences the player more than anything.

I disagree, PP is a way to balance moves (strong moves have less PP then weak ones) and gives an incentive to actually visit Pokecenters instead of just carrying items. Being in the thick of a tough dungeon and trying to make do with half your Pokemon being knocked out, the rest at 1/2 HP and juggling PP to save your good moves for when you need them is a fun experience (at least to me) that's partially lost with the relatively plentiful PP restoring items in the Switch games.

 

[Devalue]

Personally I'd be curious to see how some more choices around trainer battles would pan out. Like say, maybe bribing someone to throw the match. Or perhaps just making a wager with the trainer you're about to fight. Not necessarily for more or less prize money. Could be something like 'loser has to go catch the winner a Vulpix' or something, and then you'd either receive one in a trade or visit the trainer after a period of time and they give you one.
Also am I the only one who wants to at least try and run from a trainer battle just to see what happens?
All of this is far too fancy for a Pokemon game though and will likely never happen =\

Imagines a few possibilities for other trainer rewards: items, information on a rare Pokemon's location, information on things like the Stakes of Ruin, agreeing to form a group with you, access to a minigame, or cheating at a minigame. Could swipe some of your (purchaseable) healing items if you lose.

Allows you to run from trainer battles in Scarlet/Violet, for the record. Loses the fight by doing so, however.

I somewhat agree with both of these. Regarding switches, just not giving priority to switching out would cut down on excessive switching, since the incoming move would hit the switched-out Pokemon instead of the switched-in Pokemon in most circumstances, kinda like Pursuit does.

Regarding PP, I would have it automatically refill after each battle. PP-restoring items other than Leppa Berries are difficult to find in large numbers in most games, so running low on PP necessitates running back to the nearest Pokemon Center even if the player's party is at near-full health, which feels frustrating most of the time. I'd also increase each move's maximum PP a little and remove the PP Up and PP Max items so that every Pokemon gets maxed-out PP from the beginning.

Would be on board with those implementations. Flows naturally with the existing gameplay and user interface.

I disagree, PP is a way to balance moves (strong moves have less PP then weak ones) and gives an incentive to actually visit Pokecenters instead of just carrying items. Being in the thick of a tough dungeon and trying to make do with half your Pokemon being knocked out, the rest at 1/2 HP and juggling PP to save your good moves for when you need them is a fun experience (at least to me) that's partially lost with the relatively plentiful PP restoring items in the Switch games.

When was the last time Pokemon had a dungeon like that? Black/White? Usually stuck a healing area in the center of long areas (see: Reflection Cave in X/Y, X/Y's Victory Road also with a shortcut back, a Team Flare Hideout in X/Y, Aether Paradise in Sun/Moon).

Typically only runs low or out of PP for a few reasons:

• Catching legendaries. Struggles themselves to death.
• Farming. Depleted all of Galvantula's Leech Lifes while farming SoS Blisseys in Ultra Sun plenty of times. (Stockpiled tons of Leppa Berries in that game.)
• SoS battles, speaking of which. Must not let the opposing Pokemon Struggle itself to death.
• Long, repetitive dungeons like Kanto's Rock Tunnel or Silph Co. Indicates poor Pokemon variety more than anything.

Rarely uses PP-restoring items, regardless. Simply hightails it back to the Pokemon Center, thus wasting time. Mentions running low on PP in a meaningful way once recently, in Fire Red. Came about from unusual circumstances. Basically duoed the Elite Four/Champion, with a few Hyper Beams and Earthquakes from a third and fourth. Switched between Alakazam's Psychic and Psybeam, once at the cost of a lot of irreplaceable hitpoints.

Views accuracy as a sufficient means of balancing high-power moves. Could not even trust Razor Leaf's 95% accuracy in a recent Scarlet playthrough. Avoids moves like Fire Blast because of the accuracy, not the PP. (Does not help, though.)

 

[PageEmp]

In the later PMD games, there is a system where using a move multiple times boosts it, in terms of accuracy or power. I can't remember if you have to choose between which.

I think it would be a great idea for that to be in the main series games. It would probably work like: you use an attack 50 times and then you choose to either boost it's accuracy or attack by a slight amount. This time it would definitely be something the player has to choose otherwise it could be broken.

 

[Adam Levine]

bring over frostbite from pla and replace freeze with it

 

[Hālian]

Hmm… perhaps move fusion, such as was evidently planned for Gen III.

 

[Pyrax]

I just want faster battles lmao. Separate textboxes for every single status/stat change drags battles on. Battles would feel much smoother if the games a singular message i.e. "X's attack and defence rose!".