Portable PC?

[Hikamaru]

So, I was watching a trailer analysis video on GameXplain's YouTube channel and while the commentator brought up interesting stuff, there was one in particular that I felt was worthy of a topic, and seems to be the apparent massive change-up to the traditional PC storage system in the games.

Spoiler:

As shown in this image featuring new character Kukui, it looks like he is calling you on a laptop, and the trailer also showed a scene of the male protagonist in his room but there was no PC to be seen like the other Pokemon games previously had.

So, if this is to be believed, could this mean the PC has gone portable and now become a key item we can use to switch our Pokemon around while on the go? This generation already is making key advancements to the main series format and this one definitely looks like a huge leap in modernization for Pokemon.

 

[PkmnTrainerElio]

That looks great and I hope it is a portable PC. I would like to see more features on the PC than just the boxes and item storage and to see an actual PC menu and screen, rather than just the typical menu.

 

[blue]

I love watching their breakdown videos, it always shows much more information that could easily be overlooked. This was an interesting point brought up because the interface in that image appears to have the features of some sort of tablet device. It would make sense to introduce modern technology into the games as they move forward in generations, not to mention the time it would save from travelling to and from the PC. Perhaps it is some sort of tablet with a Pokemon spin on it becoming the device of this generation similarly to Pokegear, Poketch ect.

If this is the case then I could imagine it would have a wide variety of features with a portable PC just being one of them. Having optional video castings with important NPCs such as the professor to check your Pokedex progress would be pretty cool!

 

[PkmnTrainerElio]

It could have many features on it.

• A YouTube-like app where you can watch tutorial videos (how to catch Pokémon, how to battle, etc. Basically a revival of the Teachy TV) and Battle videos (your own and your friends').

• A social media app where you can see all your friends (like the X and Y and OR/AS friend list) and ask to battle or trade them.

• An app which acts as the Town Map.

 

[RedJ]

It's possible. It looked like there was only one Pokemon Center on the island they showed, and if that's the case on other islands we go to (if that's what they end up doing) then we'll probably need something like that,especially on bigger islands.

Personally I think carrying around the PC boxes with you would make the games way too easy. You could heal any time you wanted which would definitely take away some of the challenge from the games, and they're already fairly easy, imo. It'd make potions and other healing items completely redundant outside of battle. I'm not a fan of that idea. :(

They could easily make it so your Pokemon don't heal when deposited.

 

[Melody]

Personally I think carrying around the PC boxes with you would make the games way too easy. You could heal any time you wanted which would definitely take away some of the challenge from the games, and they're already fairly easy, imo. It'd make potions and other healing items completely redundant outside of battle. I'm not a fan of that idea. :(

It's possible. It looked like there was only one Pokemon Center on the island they showed, and if that's the case on other islands we go to (if that's what they end up doing) then we'll probably need something like that,especially on bigger islands.

They could easily make it so your Pokemon don't heal when deposited.

I would speculate that they could make the PC somewhat location-aware. This means that while your PC might in fact be portable there may be some areas of the map where "reception" is considered to be too "poor" to transmit Pokemon. Your own portable PC might be allowed to carry perhaps 1 Box of Pokemon worth of pokemon that you could swap out somehow. This box would basically be a box you selected while in town or at a Pokemon Center where you could "link up" properly to the Network and use the larger Pokemon Storage System properly. Pokemon deposited or withdrawn to/from this box would not be healed. This is because theoretically you're carrying a laptop with a capability to Only Store Poke Balls and would lack the necessary equipment, a healing system, to heal them. ¹Your laptop would also only be able to carry a limited number of Pokemon; so that'd quickly make things a little less overpowered.

It'd be a simple mechanic where some areas of the map, possibly everywhere except when you are inside a Pokemon Center, simply restrict your PC abilities. You may be able to have "Read-Only" or "Offline" access; which is to say you'd be able to open your PC anytime to view the pokemon in all of your boxes and view their summaries and stats, but not be allowed to withdraw them. This is where that 1 Box idea would fit in; theoretically.¹

This box would be a standard box of 30 Pokemon and captured pokemon could just go into there until you arrive at the Pokemon Center where you could then rearrange the pokemon and boxes. This one portable box could have a variety of restrictions upon it; the primary one being that it may not heal deposited Pokemon, or may not heal Pokemon deposited from your party. This single box may even be Deposit Only in nature; meaning you could free up one slot in your party for wildly caught Pokemon. Additional mechanics to limit things may include simulating a battery; where PC operations consume power from a finite meter; and when you run out of power; the only thing that you can do is deposit wildly caught pokemon when your party is full. You may only be able to access your PC in certain situations; perhaps being unable to do so inside caves, or while standing in grass where wild pokemon lurk about. Possibly, your PC may only be accessible inside a building. They could push some pieces of realism onto the portable PC idea to dampen it's use to make it less game breaking. In an extreme version of this sort of restriction, which they could do for simplicity's sake, you'd only be allowed to use your "laptop PC" inside the Pokemon Center itself by completing some action, like sitting at a table proved in the Center with a Power and Pokemon Storage System Network Uplink

If you are In a City or At a Pokemon Center however; the PC could "Come alive" and be a lot more useful. Perhaps it now receives a clear "signal" so you can now conveniently access the Pokemon Storage System without any limitations you might have anywhere else in the overworld. Full PC box and Management would be enabled and you'd be able to Deposit/Withdraw/Move any and all Pokemon from Box-to-Box, Party-to-Box or Box-to-Party and edit markings, change wallpapers, name your boxes, Manage held items on each Pokemon, and more. While more realism-based limitations like the portable device having perhaps a battery that needs charging; which you can only do at a Pokemon Center, at home or somewhere that allows you to charge it; may not actually be disabled...you might find more reason to visit the Pokemon Center if your Pokemon need healing or you need to charge up the PC.

It's entirely possible that you may be required to progress through the main storyline before getting a "Laptop PC" gifted to you by the Pokemon Professor. That would mean you'd still have to play through with all the normal restrictions until you've proven your mettle as a trainer and are now setting out to search the islands to complete your Pokedex.

 

[Hikamaru]

Personally I think carrying around the PC boxes with you would make the games way too easy. You could heal any time you wanted which would definitely take away some of the challenge from the games, and they're already fairly easy, imo. It'd make potions and other healing items completely redundant outside of battle. I'm not a fan of that idea. :(

Game Freak has been catering most of the casual gameplay to younger players lately, which was also why the Exp. Share was changed to affect the entire party Pokemon at once. I could see healing upon PC deposit being nerfed, but then again Game Freak usually like to ensure the target audience don't struggle too much difficulty-wise.

 

[PkmnTrainerElio]

Game Freak has been catering most of the casual gameplay to younger players lately, which was also why the Exp. Share was changed to affect the entire party Pokemon at once. I could see healing upon PC deposit being nerfed, but then again Game Freak usually like to ensure the target audience don't struggle too much difficulty-wise.

I wish they didn't make the games so easy... It takes away the fun.

 

[Hikamaru]

I wish they didn't make the games so easy... It takes away the fun.

I can understand if easier new features getting introduced makes Pokemon games less challenging, but imagine if we had the earlier generations released today with the same challenging stuff they had - children could get easily more frustrated if things became harder. But alas, sacrifices must be made.

The fact of the PC likely becoming a laptop or tablet device this generation alludes heavily to the advancement of computers in the real world. We already had Pokemon Centers take a notable leap in 5th Gen with the merging of the Poke Mart, and it would be interesting to see which other traditional parts of Pokemon get modernized in these games.

 

[Xander Olivieri]

I think that is just the new Pokegear/Poketech/X-Tranceiver/Holocaster/Extra gadget that'll appear on the bottom screen. I doubt we'll have portable PC boxes ever.

 

[Hikamaru]

The one thing to notice is the presence of minimize, full-screen, and close buttons like on a computer screen. Also, while we usually get a Pokegear-like gadget every generation, we didn't get one for X/Y so I could say that tradition got broken as well.

 

[Xander Olivieri]

The one thing to notice is the presence of minimize, full-screen, and close buttons like on a computer screen. Also, while we usually get a Pokegear-like gadget every generation, we didn't get one for X/Y so I could say that tradition got broken as well.

The PSS was essentially our C-gear which held all our online and link copabilities. The PSS becomes an app for the Pokenav+ is ORAS. This was our Pokegear-like gadget.

The Videocall is like the X-Transceiver and Holo Caster, so like those it'll prolly be a key item for the purpose of keeping in touch with NPCs and finding out other events and be part of the new PSS system.

 

[Hikamaru]

The PSS was also the reason why the connection rooms were removed from Pokemon Centers, because you can now do it on the go. I could definitely see the PSS returning as a feature if this seems to be the new standard for battling and trading.

 

[LilBueno]

I would speculate that they could make the PC somewhat location-aware. This means that while your PC might in fact be portable there may be some areas of the map where "reception" is considered to be too "poor" to transmit Pokemon. Your own portable PC might be allowed to carry perhaps 1 Box of Pokemon worth of pokemon that you could swap out somehow. This box would basically be a box you selected while in town or at a Pokemon Center where you could "link up" properly to the Network and use the larger Pokemon Storage System properly. Pokemon deposited or withdrawn to/from this box would not be healed. This is because theoretically you're carrying a laptop with a capability to Only Store Poke Balls and would lack the necessary equipment, a healing system, to heal them. ¹Your laptop would also only be able to carry a limited number of Pokemon; so that'd quickly make things a little less overpowered.

It'd be a simple mechanic where some areas of the map, possibly everywhere except when you are inside a Pokemon Center, simply restrict your PC abilities. You may be able to have "Read-Only" or "Offline" access; which is to say you'd be able to open your PC anytime to view the pokemon in all of your boxes and view their summaries and stats, but not be allowed to withdraw them. This is where that 1 Box idea would fit in; theoretically.¹

This box would be a standard box of 30 Pokemon and captured pokemon could just go into there until you arrive at the Pokemon Center where you could then rearrange the pokemon and boxes. This one portable box could have a variety of restrictions upon it; the primary one being that it may not heal deposited Pokemon, or may not heal Pokemon deposited from your party. This single box may even be Deposit Only in nature; meaning you could free up one slot in your party for wildly caught Pokemon. Additional mechanics to limit things may include simulating a battery; where PC operations consume power from a finite meter; and when you run out of power; the only thing that you can do is deposit wildly caught pokemon when your party is full. You may only be able to access your PC in certain situations; perhaps being unable to do so inside caves, or while standing in grass where wild pokemon lurk about. Possibly, your PC may only be accessible inside a building. They could push some pieces of realism onto the portable PC idea to dampen it's use to make it less game breaking. In an extreme version of this sort of restriction, which they could do for simplicity's sake, you'd only be allowed to use your "laptop PC" inside the Pokemon Center itself by completing some action, like sitting at a table proved in the Center with a Power and Pokemon Storage System Network Uplink

If you are In a City or At a Pokemon Center however; the PC could "Come alive" and be a lot more useful. Perhaps it now receives a clear "signal" so you can now conveniently access the Pokemon Storage System without any limitations you might have anywhere else in the overworld. Full PC box and Management would be enabled and you'd be able to Deposit/Withdraw/Move any and all Pokemon from Box-to-Box, Party-to-Box or Box-to-Party and edit markings, change wallpapers, name your boxes, Manage held items on each Pokemon, and more. While more realism-based limitations like the portable device having perhaps a battery that needs charging; which you can only do at a Pokemon Center, at home or somewhere that allows you to charge it; may not actually be disabled...you might find more reason to visit the Pokemon Center if your Pokemon need healing or you need to charge up the PC.

It's entirely possible that you may be required to progress through the main storyline before getting a "Laptop PC" gifted to you by the Pokemon Professor. That would mean you'd still have to play through with all the normal restrictions until you've proven your mettle as a trainer and are now setting out to search the islands to complete your Pokedex.

This is pretty interesting. Something like this wouldn't be too bad. Otherwise, I'd be against it. Part of the fun of any adventure game is planning ahead to make sure you have everything you might need for the next area. Even if you can't switch Pokemon from box to party during a battle, allowing the usage of stored Pokemon would take out that strategy aspect -though it would rid the need of HM slaves.

 

[Cyberglass]

Looking at the screenshot, I don't think it's too likely to have the same capabilities as a PokeCenter PC, since none of the icons look like they would connect to such a feature. This makes sense, though, because aside from the logistics problems of being able to swap Pokémon on the go, in previous games the only computers that could transfer Pokémon were those inside PokeCenters and Pokémon Daycare, i.e. places whose business involves storing Pokémon. I don't really see it as an app released to the general public; the computer in the player's room certainly never had it as an option. For that reason, I see the potential laptop as a replacement for all the other extra devices the player has had: X-Tranceiver, PokeNav, Poketch, C-Gear, etc.

What I find most interesting is the presence of a battery. Will that relate to the amount of charge left on the 3DS, or will it be a separate charge for the virtual laptop? Will you need to stop by a PokeCenter to charge it back up if it runs out? Things to ponder.