Last One to Post Wins! v3

[StCooler]

And the specific Gigantamax!

 

[Starlight]

Unfortunately they are all day dwellers and melt under starlight. I win.

 

[Megan]

At least they get quickbanned from competitive play, immediately. People just don't feel comfortable seeing it on the team preview screen.

 

[Zeostar]

They never took dynamax away from random battles. It was not a fun mechanic there either.

 

[ReKoil]

Dynamax at least felt necessary during a playthrough to me, when the other trainer uses it or is about to use it I would to.

I've been playing Violet for a while now, and other than doing it once or twice early game just to try it out, I've never felt any need to actually Terastallize my Pokemon, and just plain haven't done so since. I'm far from done though so maybe it will happen yet.

 

[StCooler]

Terastal looks like a fun mechanic. I understand it's broken in competitive play and Smogon is considering taking action (suspect test right now).

Which makes me think about this: try to imagine the next battle mechanic. Can you come up with something?

 

[Mimik-you_ [R]]

Victory 😎

 

[Sweet Serenity]

I am relaxed, snuggled up in the heat eating some milk and cookies. Feeling great!

 

[Megan]

I would be down for a new Pokemon mechanic that not only stuck around. But also ends up being balanced enough that it allows for fun gameplay.

 

[Starlight]

Balanced is the problem isn't it. Nerf something and something else they didn't plan on will become super dominant. They'll figure it out by Gen 25 hopefully.

 

[ReKoil]

They can just scrap the gimmicks entirely imo.

 

[Zeostar]

Personally I thought mega evolution was a great way to get under appreciated pokemon time in the spotlight.

On the contrary, I now think these would have been better as permanent evolutions. I wouldn't even mind seeing 4 stage evos as a new mechanic.

 

[StCooler]

I'm not sure Game Freak ever wants something balanced. I think they just want something visually appealing (those crystallized Pokémons are beautiful!) and that gives a feeling of power to the player.
IMO Terastal is balanced but the fact that the Pokémon that will use it, and the type it will get, are impredictible, make it too random for competitive play. I heard that Smogon was suspect-testing it.

 

[Aquacorde]

I don't wrap my head around much competitively but it's definitely an interesting element. I like a bit more unpredictability honestly!

 

[Megan]

I think the main thing here is that Pokemon was never supposed to be competitive on the level people expect it to be now. Like, sure, competitions have always existed, even in gen 1. And one of the main appeals of the series was that you could battle your friends.

But there are also so many elements that just don't really work out that well (all the RNG for example) and the constant power creep that we see because of course they want people to use the new stuff and not just stick with the old one...

 

[ReKoil]

I don't play competitive at all and just go by what I've seen on my playthroughs =P

 

[StCooler]

I think the main thing here is that Pokemon was never supposed to be competitive on the level people expect it to be now.

Exactly.

"I wanna be the very best" calls for competitive play though, but I agree, competitive play is more a side effect (or even, a collateral damage) than an intention of the developers.

 

[Megan]

The strategies in the games are definitely not nearly as intriguing as the ones people need to employ to win this thread, though. :P

 

[ReKoil]

I wouldn't mind seeing an option in the games to bribe a gym leader or E4 into letting you win tbh =P

 

[StCooler]

You would need Ion Storm (Deus Ex's devs) to develop the next Pokémon.