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How to EASILY improve Pokémon games!

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
So I’ve been saying this for awhile now, and tbh wondering why it’s not a thing yet. Gamers of all ages play Pokémon. From The ones who grew up on it all the way to new players. The games are very easy and become even easier which each new iteration.

My solution is a simple, have a “hard mode” option in the settings of the game. Below is what hard mode would contain:

Hard Mode:
  • Every trainers Pokémon will all be 5 levels higher than they are on the default difficulty.
  • If a trainer Pokémon can be evolved at the level it’s at, it must be evolved. (No more level 30 Magikarp’s, for instance)
  • The AI would always have “good AI”.
  • No EXP Share at all in Hard Mode. Meaning not there by default and no way to obtain it.
These 4 very simple improvements would make the game so much more enjoyable for the true gamers out there. There can be even more things changed but for me, these 4 would help the most with making the game a little more difficult.

I also feel you should gain way less EXP from catching Pokémon. I think even in the regular difficulty it should be halfed. And maybe in Hard Mode it would be even less.

IMO a hard mode is a necessity for the future of Pokémon. I don’t see any reason they shouldn’t add it. The more options we have as gamers the better.
 

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
Also in hard mode, there wouldn’t be EXP Share or any way to obtain it. EXP Share is insanely broken. Half of the challenge on older Pokémon games is having to switch in Pokémon to gain experience.

Gaining experience for catching Pokémon is fine, I actually like that feature. However it should be about half as much as it currently is imo. And maybe in hard mode it would be even less.

In Pokémon Sword & Shield, it’s just WAAAY too easy to level up and gain experience. Especially with the wild area having over leveled Pokémon. They did a food job not allowing you to catch them unless you had a certain amount of badges vs how high of a level they are though. For instance, you can gain exp from:
  1. Fighting trainers (every Pokémon in your party gains EXP when you faint a Pokémon)
  2. Killing wilds (every Pokémon in your party gains EXP when you kill a wild)
  3. Catching Pokémon (every Pokémon in your party gains EXP for catching a Pokémon)
  4. Rare Candies
  5. EXP candies (very easy to obtain via raids)
  6. Setting up camps and cooking (I’ve gained at one time 1,500 EXP for every Pokémon via cooking)
All of these ways to gain experience just makes an easy game that much easier. It’s actually more difficult to NOT level up and gain experience. You have to purposely skip trainers and not catch Pokémon, and EVEN THEN, you will still be overleveled...

*This was added to the OP
 

colby4898

Special Forces Sonya Up-player
I haven't played a pokemon game since I was like 12, what's exp share? Do you mean when you switch out you pokemon and you then kill a pokemon, both of your pokemon get the xp?
 

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
I haven't played a pokemon game since I was like 12, what's exp share? Do you mean when you switch out you pokemon and you then kill a pokemon, both of your pokemon get the xp?
No. Everyone in your party gets EXP regardless if they’re used. You can never use a Pokémon and as long as it’s in your party it will get experience.
 

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
Also in hard mode, there wouldn’t be EXP Share or any way to obtain it. EXP Share is insanely broken. Half of the challenge on older Pokémon games is having to switch in Pokémon to gain experience.

Gaining experience for catching Pokémon is fine, I actually like that feature. However it should be about half as much as it currently is imo. And maybe in hard mode it would be even less.

In Pokémon Sword & Shield, it’s just WAAAY too easy to level up and gain experience. Especially with the wild area having over leveled Pokémon. They did a food job not allowing you to catch them unless you had a certain amount of badges vs how high of a level they are though. For instance, you can gain exp from:
  1. Fighting trainers (every Pokémon in your party gains EXP when you faint a Pokémon)
  2. Killing wilds (every Pokémon in your party gains EXP when you kill a wild)
  3. Catching Pokémon (every Pokémon in your party gains EXP for catching a Pokémon)
  4. Rare Candies
  5. EXP candies (very easy to obtain via raids)
  6. Setting up camps and cooking (I’ve gained at one time 1,500 EXP for every Pokémon via cooking)
All of these ways to gain experience just makes an easy game that much easier. It’s actually more difficult to NOT level up and gain experience. You have to purposely skip trainers and not catch Pokémon, and EVEN THEN, you will still be overleveled...

*This was added to the OP
Much of SwSh's design was to help with getting through the game much more quickly and assisting in getting into the PvP battling much more easily and quickly, so EXP Share being the way it is makes sense. But I do agree, Hard Mode should have no EXP Share. Should be a separate save slot, though.
 
I only play Pokemon Go so I don't get fat.
The games themselves never appealed to me since it seemed like a watered down version of Shin Megami Tensei with weak mechanics.

Maybe you wanna play a Shin Megami Tensei game or its spin off that's more popular than the main series Persona.
Those games are either pretty tough by default or give you the option to be tough in the most modern releases and you can collect all sorts of weird demons.
 

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
Much of SwSh's design was to help with getting through the game much more quickly and assisting in getting into the PvP battling much more easily and quickly, so EXP Share being the way it is makes sense. But I do agree, Hard Mode should have no EXP Share. Should be a separate save slot, though.
It feels only logical to add a hard mode. The only argument against it, really, is tradition. As in it has never had it. But that is a very weak argument imo.
 

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
It feels only logical to add a hard mode. The only argument against it, really, is tradition. As in it has never had it. But that is a very weak argument imo.
Tradition already flew out the window with much of Gen 8. Plus Gen 5 already had a hard mode. No reason why they couldn't add it.
 

THTB

Arez | Booya | Riu48 - Rest Easy, Friends
I only play Pokemon Go so I don't get fat.
The games themselves never appealed to me since it seemed like a watered down version of Shin Megami Tensei with weak mechanics.

Maybe you wanna play a Shin Megami Tensei game or its spin off that's more popular than the main series Persona.
Those games are either pretty tough by default or give you the option to be tough in the most modern releases and you can collect all sorts of weird demons.
Pokemon is very much nostalgic for a lot of people, plus the series is far more notable for its multiplayer aspects than difficulty, though fans do want to see the main campaign made more difficult with a hard mode.
 

Kiss the Missile

Red Messiah
Games already have a lightweight hard mode. Change the Battle Mode to Set instead of Switch. This makes normal pve battles like pvp battles where when you knock out a Pokemon the game doesn't give you the option to instantly switch out, and it doesn't tell you what's coming out next.

Also Exp Share is a godsend. There's nothing "hard" about grinding your team 1 member at a time. It's just tedious.
 

TyCarter35

Bonafide Jax scrub
BW2 actually did have a hard mode tho the method of unlocking was pretty BS. Although I think the option to turn off exp share like they had in X and Y would be nice. If that isn't enough u can always nuzlocke the game
 

Juggs

Lose without excuses
Lead Moderator
I know people are saying if you want difficulty play competitively. Which I am working on, just got 2 completely finished competitive Pokes (Mimikyu and Cloyster). Gonna work on an Eiscue too. I love trolly Pokémon that are also very good. Mimikyu’s disguise and Eiscue’s Iceface are great. And the Shell Smash with focus sash shenanigans with Cloyster is also up my alley lol.

But I just want a challenging single player experience in Pokémon like when I was a kid!
 

colby4898

Special Forces Sonya Up-player
No. Everyone in your party gets EXP regardless if they’re used. You can never use a Pokémon and as long as it’s in your party it will get experience.
Oh. That does sound dumb. I remember there was an item you could give to one of your pokemon so that was the case. But all of them all the time sounds silly
 

NeonGroovyGator

Vampire mommy simp
Yeah I legit can't understand why they haven't done that yet.
I personally don't care because I've always hated playing pokemon for the grind anyway and I much prefer competitive if I'm taking the game seriously, but come on. People have been asking for ages, the main campaigns get easier and easier with each release and B2W2 showed it can be done. I find it baffling that we don't have hardcore modes in every single generation.
But then again I lost most of my faith in them after the national dex fiasco.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
So which pokemon game is the best? I always wondered why they come in two parts or a red, blue, moon, sun etc etc
 
So which pokemon game is the best? I always wondered why they come in two parts or a red, blue, moon, sun etc etc
Because they are the same exact game with a couple of different Pokemon in it, so idiot children ask their parents to buy them the same game twice.
 

MKF30

Fujin and Ermac for MK 11
Because they are the same exact game with a couple of different Pokemon in it, so idiot children ask their parents to buy them the same game twice.
Figured it was a selling gimmick, not surprising since it's Pokemon especially.
 
So I’ve been saying this for awhile now, and tbh wondering why it’s not a thing yet. Gamers of all ages play Pokémon. From The ones who grew up on it all the way to new players. The games are very easy and become even easier which each new iteration.

My solution is a simple, have a “hard mode” option in the settings of the game. Below is what hard mode would contain:

Hard Mode:
  • Every trainers Pokémon will all be 5 levels higher than they are on the default difficulty.
  • If a trainer Pokémon can be evolved at the level it’s at, it must be evolved. (No more level 30 Magikarp’s, for instance)
  • The AI would always have “good AI”.
  • No EXP Share at all in Hard Mode. Meaning not there by default and no way to obtain it.
These 4 very simple improvements would make the game so much more enjoyable for the true gamers out there. There can be even more things changed but for me, these 4 would help the most with making the game a little more difficult.

I also feel you should gain way less EXP from catching Pokémon. I think even in the regular difficulty it should be halfed. And maybe in Hard Mode it would be even less.

IMO a hard mode is a necessity for the future of Pokémon. I don’t see any reason they shouldn’t add it. The more options we have as gamers the better.
There needs to be a Master Mode.

  • Gym leader Pokemon are fully evolved and they have a full party.
  • NPCs should play smarter, go for supeffective moves & switch Pokemon when necessary.
  • Higher leveled Pokemon in your party are set to match Gym leaders lowest level. Ex. first gym could have five level 20 Pokemon and a level 25 boss Pokemon, second gym could be five level 25 and a level 30 boss Pokemon, etc.
  • Pokemon League Elite 4 or equivalent should be somewhere around level 80 / 90 and the Champion Pokemon should be level 100. Why are the Pokemon Champion Pokemon not level 100 when they have been training for like a decade, there is no way a 10 year old kid should be able to train all of their Pokemon faster than the in game Champion in less time ( I know it's a game )
P.S. Pokemon Sword and Shield would finally be on very easy mode compared to other games overall if it had this mode.