Using moves in the field

[Imperator161]

Since the beginning of Pokemon, we've had certain moves that can be used outside of battle as well as inside of it. Most of these are hidden machines, or HMs, though a few TMs fall into this category as well (e.g., Dig). Some of these moves are necessary for advancing through the story.

What are your thoughts on field moves? Any favorites? Any that you wish didn't exist? Do you generally carry an "HM slave" for using these moves, or do you spread them out among members of your team? What new field moves would you like to see in the future?

 

[Fannie]

Most moves that have use in the field I don't like to use in battle. I'd rather items did the job.

My revisions:

Cut - Hatchet
Flash - Torch/Flashlight
Surf - Surfboard
Waterfall - Rockclimb next to it?
Strength - Steroids idk
Rock Smash - Dynamite

 

[Arma]

I like the concepts of field moves, however I don't think Game Freak did a good job implementing them. Pokemon should have 1 or two additional moveslots which can only hold field moves. This way, you can easily add more Hms to the game, without forcing players to clog up they movesets.

 

[Blueredemption]

I am pretty neutral on this one. On one hand, I like having reletively strong moves like surf and strength through the main game. On the other, moves like flash that aren't technically necessary to progress are really annoying (this is more so in the older games). It usually works out though, the move deleter is right around where you don't need, say, cut anymore. Speaking of cut, I miss cutting down the grass around me ;-; why did they take that out...

I usually do carry around an hm slave, putting cut on my main team doesn't help much. I have no idea what another should be, imo they shouldn't add anymore anyway.

 

[Wicked3DS]

HMs need to go or at least be implemented in a different way. No sense having to sacrifice a moveslot or team slot just to be able to access an area.

 

[Imperator161]

Most moves that have use in the field I don't like to use in battle. I'd rather items did the job.

My revisions:

Cut - Hatchet
Flash - Torch/Flashlight
Surf - Surfboard
Waterfall - Rockclimb next to it?
Strength - Steroids idk
Rock Smash - Dynamite

I do like the idea of doing it with items, which I think was something GF originally considered implementing. It wouldn't have worked well with the limited inventory space in RBY, but after that, they would have worked fine as key items. For fly, maybe you could have some sort of jetpack or something? The changes in ORAS re: flying (and the Eon Flute) were very helpful, and it's been so refreshing not to have to carry a flyer.

Re: the other suggestion of extra move slots for field moves, I like that idea. They show up as extra options when you select a Pokemon in the menu, so why not have them be independent of the Pokemon's moveset? But in that case, I guess there's no reason not to teach every Pokemon who can learn an HM a certain move (unless there's a limit on how many each one can learn), so maybe it would be easier to just automatically unlock Cut on every viable Pokemon at a certain point in the story, for example.

HMs require sacrifice, especially in RBY, when they can never be deleted thanks to the lack of a move deleter. Do you think that sacrifice was a conscious choice on GF's part? To progress in the story, you have to partially cripple one of your Pokemon by wasting a move slot? Or do you think it was somewhat accidental/coincidental that it worked out that way?

 

[Elysieum]

As a rule, I carry an HM slave with every team I make these days. I just cannot stomach contaminating the movesets of my chosen stars with the likes of Rock Smash and Cut.

Krabby and Breloom do the job very well. The downside, of course, is that my teams are always 5 monsters strong instead of 6, but it is a small price to pay really.

Since Surf, Fly and Waterfall are strong enough to contend in actual battle, I usually do accommodate them within the main players. Versatile Water monsters and Physical birds are in abundance, so it's no trouble.

 

[Hiatus]

I've always wanted to see them implement more items to act as a replacement of external moves (for example, Escape Rope allowing us to get out of tunnels like Dig). It'd help reducing the chance of us carrying Pokémon on our team solely for those kind of attacks.

 

[Morkula]

I wouldn't mind HMs half as much if they were actually decent moves in battle. Surf, Waterfall, and even Fly to an extent don't bother me because they're good moves that aren't so much of a burden. But stuff like Cut, Flash, Defog, Whirlpool, etc. are absolutely useless moves.

I usually keep an HM slave for the useless stuff, but the good moves will get distributed among my normal team. It's such a pain to have to put aside a member of my team so I can use a slave though - especially if I'm going through something like Victory Road where I need the experience for all my team members.

 

[Sopheria]

I've never minded HMs quite so much, which is perhaps because I'm just used to them at this point, but I must agree it's quite a pain that most of them aren't particularly good in battle. It'd be nice if they weren't needed for overworld actions. Lapras should be able to swim without needing to learn a particular move, for example (they could still require you too have the proper badge before allowing you to travel across water). But I'm not sure how likely that is to change in future games, so for now I'm alright with keeping a dedicated HM slave in my party.

 

[Shiny]

HMs need to go or at least be implemented in a different way. No sense having to sacrifice a moveslot or team slot just to be able to access an area.

Nailed it in one.

Every single game I can't fully enjoy it by having a team of six pokemon I would like. Instead I have to have four pokemon I like, leaving two slots for two HM slaves.

Not very smart implementation.

 

[Sea Dragon]

I like how Pokemon can use field moves and I think simply giving all the HM moves key items would take away from that. But it would be nice if there was more flexibility in how you use them. Maybe either make them forgettable or let them be used automatically if you have the required badge.