Pokémon's Wild Encounters are ESSENTIALLY Annoying - Dissecting Pokemon Game Mechanics - Tama Hero
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- If you ask most people what they find annoying about Pokémon game mechanics, the common answer would be wild encounters with enemies. They come out of nowhere, interrupt what you’re doing when you might be focused on something or finding your way, are quite repetitive, and usually the rewards for engaging with them aren’t that great. But interestingly, Pokemon games, and especially early Pokemon games set in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos would be much worse experiences without them and Tama's here to explain why.
You are definitely gonna wanna see my full reviews of Pokemon games:
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If this Byte left you hungry for more, please, enjoy the entrée and feast yourself on this playlist of all my in-depth Pokemon reviews! ruclips.net/p/PLz5XeL444xPATlw8IQd082Xy2ow7bzGiD
I'll be streaming later today on my Twitch, so follow here if you don't wanna miss it www.twitch.tv/tamashiihiroka
Woo I love ur streams!
I have a bites idea, WTF was gamefreak thinking with making feebas so hard to find in gen.3, seriously, the whole point of XD gale of darkness was to make it easier to get version exclusive Pokemon and hard to get/evolve pokemon like Dragonite, yet NO ONE on the development team ever thought, hey, the whole can only be found on 6 water tiles that change thing is stupid, let's throw the dex completionists a bone with a shadow feebas. Why?????
Effortlessly elaborating on how Game Freak used a common JRPG trope to magnify the theme of their game is one of many reasons why I tune into these videos. Very informative!
I’ve always appreciated how you explain the underlying intentions/subtle storytelling done in Pokémon. People give early Pokémon flack for being simple games, but you’re the first person I’ve seen point out the environmental themes present by the way encounters and the overworld are designed. I look forward to more videos in the future!
I’ve always thought about stuff like this
I always appreciate the little things about Pokémon that’s taken for granted
This is the unique charm of Pokémon
I didn't consciously realize how much random encounters added to the realism and world-building of the game. Awesome video!
Tama’s 2022 arc has been low key one of the best this year. Really enjoyed this video!
I'd save my Masterballs for Tamashi uWu😍
@@benjamincho4819 bro what
@@benjamincho4819 Yes Officer Jenny this comment right here.
@@benjamincho4819 ew
I love how understated the urbanization narrative is in Pokemon Red & Blue. I would love it if the games returned to telling a story through the environment as opposed to exposition and cutscenes.
So kinda like the Mario mainline games, I mean, I don't mind that, hehe.
I don't know if pokemon fans are going to be receptive to a shin megami tensei (1-3) style of storytelling, seeing as how gens 1-3's themes and metaphors tend to fly over most people's heads. In general I think most video games have moved on from this style of story telling to more direct exposition (cutscenes that really drill the theme of the game in) or environmental storytelling exclusively for lore like in dark souls. In general higher fidelity gaming has robbed us of the old style of minimal storytelling early jrpgs had.
Nowadays they kind of do a mix of both
I would love to see you talk about Ribbons! They once felt like a huge part of the game (the extra side content part of the game, at least) and added a ton to a Pokémon's personality and nowadays they've just been pushed to the side and have been completely forgotten. Also, your hair looks really really good!
I was doing the ribbon challenge but I stopped because the Battle Tower ribbons are a pain to get and it just kept annoying me.
I would note that they're being pushed forward a bit again with the ability to use them to equip a title to the pokémon that has them (and sorta kinda with the introduction of marks, which are treated the same and listed in the same place but you either have one or not, with no way to get or change them)
It's kinda weird, since they introduced Marks as well, which also give you new titles.
It would be nice if there were more ribbons in the modern games...
Glad to see you back at it and just as thoughtful and informative in ten minutes just as much as an hour! Kudos.
YES MORE OF THIS
Very cool discussion! The random encounters mechanic faded out of focus for me because most rpgs have them but your points were thoughtful and inspired curiosity to think more critically about these things. Great video as always! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the fade-out of HMs and also changes to TMs
I always feel weird because I prefer random encounters to overworld encounters in not just Pokemon but games that used turn-based combat in general. Even outside of the thematic reasons for having them in Pokemon, it always takes me out of a game to see overworld encounters just sort of stand around and pop into existence instead of letting my imagination fill the gaps.
That and I don't like being chased. SwSh love to put you in narrow areas and have Pokemon chase you down, which I would rather just experience as a random encounter. You could say that helps make Pokemon seem more like wild animals, but it does so in a way that makes my animal brain say "you're going to get eaten" and I don't like that.
*You Will Know Our Names starts blaring in the distance*
Super informative! I knew vaguely about the theme of urbanisation affecting wildlife being in thr games but this tied everything together really well
Random encounters basically dying out has always made me incredibly sad and I wish that I wasn't always argued with on that front as I feel like it's a more nuanced topic than just "seeing them is better" because it's deeper than that.
I also think random encounters were harmonious with the gotta catch em all slogan of early Pokemon. They were exciting to see what kind of new critter you may find. I appreciate the connection to nature. Im glad they’ve changed random encounters as an older pokemon audience member, the hype of finding a new pokemon is taken up by nintendo directs et.
Thank you Tama that was a good video!
This series is really worth everything i am excited.
The bird you have a video of is a red tail hawk! They're big for hawks but not as big as turkeys lol Cool to see one up close and wading around in the water like that! Fun fact: the call of a red tail hawk is often dubbed over bald eagles in film (because an actual bald eagle cry is squeaky and unpleasant kind of like a gull)
Always hyped when I see a new vid from you! Hope to see more like these. Also can’t wait for the long form videos too.
loved getting a smaller episode of your banger content, this was a real treat and further evidence of why you're one of my favorite youtubers - even when we disagree, you still give me a lot to think about and consider. i've always been pretty negative towards random encounters, and i still do think i feel this way because a lot of the time, the problem with them is that they're constantly intrusive which isn't always a bad thing, but in instances where you're going through a low-level area or backtracking in any capacity, this tends to make things even more frustrating than they already were. i'll always prefer when games provide more purposeful overworld encounters where interacting with the environment or going to certain areas causes battles, and engaging with those at a reasonable rate will be enough to help you get through the game. a lot of the time, random encounters seem to just be there because they absolutely had to be in the older games, and this feels like a way to call back to that era or something along those lines. although that being said, keeping that strictly to tall grass or caves has been a big reason as to why i don't mind they're inclusion as much in pokemon, since here it feels like they found that middle ground of including them, while also making the encounters feel as purposeful as they would've if they had just been overworld encounters. although i'm happy with what we have now - the overworld and tall grass working together, because they maintain that unpredictability, we can see the pokemon behave in unique ways outside of battle, and backtracking becomes a lot less of a pain than it would've been otherwise. while a lot of modern pokemon's game design gets a lot of flack, i do think that this area is one that was given a lot of thought, especially after viewing it through the lens i am now after watching this great video.
sorry for the really long comment, but like i said, you gave me a lot to think about. again, great work as always, ya don't miss
Been watching you since 2014, I'm so happy you've grown with us! I'm 29 and it's rare to see RUclipsrs grow with their audience and understand their audience. Your video essays are always pleasant to watch. Much Love, Ameerah 💖
This was a really well-written piece. It’s been great to see your development as a content creator. Thank you for all the work you put into making videos for us.
I love this new format of videos, it is nice to have little bytes of info in between your larger releases!
Not that I have a bias or anything... >_>
this is soooooo good!! I've watched too much pokecontent over the years and genuinely nobody is more thoughtful in their analysis than you. Like the way that you framed wild encounters as tying into the themes of the games was mind-blowing and you mentioned a ton of examples I had never considered. Thank you, Tama!
Can I just say, your hair looks FANTASTIC! Such a cute length!
I also love the concept of Tama Bytes.
This video was great - it made me think more about WHY certain Pokemon appear in certain places of various regions, and I enjoyed that - and I'm excited for more.
Also, I was today years old when I learned that the ability to run from an encounter is based mainly on your Pokemon's speed. I'm 33! I've been playing Pokemon since I was, like, eight! You can learn something new every day.
Awesome video! Really excited to see more of this series. I’d be intrigued to hear you unpack evolution methods - from the simple (Evo stones) to the absurd (Runerigus lol).
Pumped for the Colosseum video!
Love your analysis on game machanics, they are so well written. I too have always defended the random encounters and I'm happy that you brought it up with this video. The thrill of not knowing who's gonna come out of the patch of grass is a staple of the Pokémon game for me and it felt so weird and off to see them go after LGPE.
I love the idea of this new little series. Maybe next time Tama, you could give your thoughts on abilities or the inspiration for certain pokémon designs, kinda like in your old Japanese monster/yokai video.
1:57
"You don't have any say in the frequency of battles"
Repels: Am I a joke to you?
@@Hynotama it's not that hard to farm money in Pokemon. The people who actually think encounters are annoying and won't accept to pay in game money for repels are either 5 year old kids who just got to play Pokemon for the first time in their life or the ones who have started playing Pokemon from Gen 8. I do agree about black and white tho. That game's encounter rate was nuts
@@Hynotama when is grinding ever fun? Obviously but it's worth it. A couple hours of grinding for no encounters the whole game. That's an easy win for someone who hate encounters. (I personally don't)
@@Hynotama man I'm talking about Pokemon where the heck sonic came from. Lmao you actually made me spit water out of my mouth man my keyboard is all wet now lolol
Would love to see a breakdown of DexNav from ORAS! Great way to get hidden abilities, egg moves, and shinies. Lots of DexNav exclusives on mirage islands and after getting the national dex. Great method / gimmick
Always happy to see a new Tamashii video.
It's exciting to see you do small things like this as I really liked your segments like this in your bigger ones.
Also I cannot get over the Liz Lemon comparison.
Always ready for Tama Hero content, looking forward for the Colosseum game video!!! I never had a problem with running into every Pokémon, I always put the fattest in my party in the lead for that reason. So I can see every Pokémon in the area
Honestly, I love random emcounters as someone who likes suprise in thier gameplay. It can be a little annoying sometimes, but exploring an area and seeing whats available randomly always seemed really engaging to me. I would love to see random encounters return
You don't upload often but when you do it is always great stuff. Wheather you upload frequently with small videos or not often with big ones I will watch them and have done for a LONG time now.
Wow I love when a video gives me new perspective on why I like something. I did recognize the environmental connections in each area, but I didn't connect that to the theme's expansion.
If you're taking requests, I'd love a byte on any of the decisions for the combat mechanics. I'm particularly interested in how typing replaces classes from other JRPGS
Great insight into wild encounters in past and present games. I quite like the personality added to wild Pokemon in the newer games.
Great video! One other example to add: In the Isle or Armor DLC, Sharpedo will chase you down while you traverse the open sea and they are FAST and OUT TO GET YOU. While technically “annoying,” it fits because speed is one of Sharpedo’s best stats and its dex entries call it “the bully of the sea.” It fits with the themes you describe of how random encounters force players to interact with the environment, to remind you that these are living creatures.
Its really cool that your still doing these video Tama :) . been watching your vids on and off since 2012, so keep it up man :)
As of right now the first thing that comes to mind is maybe a Tama Byte about the elemental types? Like "why so many compared to other rpgs" and "what's even the point of having so many" and what that really does to the combat system?
Hey Tama, I want to say I really appreciate your content. I've been watching you for like maybe 12 years and I appreciate how much you're able to iterate/evolve/grow while creating rich content that's true to yourself. I think you're a great example of someone who's found a very positive space in RUclips and grown. It should be talked about more. That aside , please more of this.
You've been one of my favourite youtubers and my all-time favourite Poketuber since I was a kid. I've been playing these games since I was a toddler yet you always manage to teach me something new anout them. Love your insight, can't wait to see more
Hey Tama, great video! I never realized the deep connection and subtle storytelling the wild encounters provide. I used be generally annoyed by the sudden encounters but after this video, I will always look at them through a different lens.
I think this format (video-per-concept instead of video-per-game) is perfect for you! You have a great analytical mind
It's always a pleasant surprise when I get reminded that you exist. Always relaxing to hear you talk about random pokemon trivia
I'd love to see you go over Abilities and how this one mechanic completely revolutionized how Pokemon plays as a franchise! These passives opened up entirely new strategies and playstyles, and they shook up the ways we can build teams even today!
have to say, i absolutely LOVE how your hair looks in this video. the curls are absolutely gorgeous 😌
fantastic video, and a great idea for a series. your in depth reviews and analyses about pokemon games and mechanics is always great.
also that was a really cool ass bird
Oooh I like this idea! I'd like you to tackle the concept of how Pokémon is more minimalist in its story and characters from other RPGs, when it works and doesn't work with your thoughts on that, would be really cool to find out what you think
What a lovely appetizer before the 12 course meal that will be the colosseum video, looking forward to it!
I fully agree that random encounters can be frustrating, but I appreciate the argument that Pokemon's enhances the narrative. We are exploring the wild, some surprises popping up make sense.
I would love for you to dive into evolution mechanics and the ways they’ve added to the diverse ecology of pokemon, player-player interaction, and player-pokemon interaction!
Great talk, your points about what Pokemon is overall trying to teach fans implicitly is amazing to hear, I'm always getting a new perspective from your videos!
I have to disagree about Viola’s gym. If you pick Chespin, you can spam Rollout and win easily, even if you’re under-leveled.
The video in-general is great though! It’s always a good day when you upload, and we can never have too many videos about game design :D
This is a really cool analysis of random encounters. The hawk footage in the middle alone made this worth the watch, but I love the overall thesis too!
I haven't been on your channel in years. Glad to see you're doing well.
Wow your name just randomly popped into my head. Loved your glitch series back in the day, came back to school everyday to watch you and the jwittz. Your older videos are sweet nostalgia for me. Hope all is well, and that you keep making videos.
This is outstanding, it baffles me when I think you could stretch the script by adding pauses for emphasis or just talking slightly slower...
However that's why there's so much highly-concentrated substance. I feel like this vid is a future classic already. Once again, good job!
Great vídeo!
I know the game doesn't exactly have the same mechanics, but after playing PLA I simply can't go back to old blind random encounters (even with it's flaws).
You see everything before aproaching, you decide if you want to keep moving or aproach to catch/battle stuff. If you are focused on doing something else, just run past them (altough that might go wrong if you are in an area with high level Pokemon as well as alphas). And the best part is that you don't have to "warp" to a pocket dimension outside of the overworld with each battle. You can fight and choose moves and read the narration box while moving freely and looking away to plan your next spot.
This was awesome! I’d love to hear more about game design in smaller snippets like this. When it comes to Pokémon, your analysis can’t be beat!
The first half of this video was something I've been talking about since I first saw your vids on the matter, but of course I wouldn't have gotten half as far as you. Really enjoyed the video. Thanks for the amazing video. On a similar vein, I think looking at pokemon learnsets (specially early gens) and seeing how the worldbuilding is conveyed through little elements like that might be something you can look into.
ps: don't know if you're still doing the colosseum vid but if you haven't lost your mind bc of it I'm really looking forward to it
Oooo, definitely looking forward to more videos in this series, I love this kinda stuff.
And I feel like it really doesn't get appreciated enough just how much Pokemon weaves the meta-narrative into the very fabric of the game design, and it's something I believe the series has always been great at
Great video as always! You're one of my favorite RUclipsrs to watch precisely because you take the time to analyse ideas that people tend to take for granted.
As for topic ideas, I'd love to hear what you have to say about TMs and how they've changed over the years
never thought of the random encounters in pokemon like this before props to this video for helping me see things from a new angle
I'd say I've always been a fan of the random encounters of Pokemon, and I think you do a great job of explaining the appeal of them. Its really satisfying to enter a new area of a region and see what type of Pokemon the environment houses.
I do however think that the random encounters do come with some detriments, which manifests itself in the iconic "Hoenn has too much water" argument. I think that if eastern Hoenn was nothing but a giant network of caves people would complain just the same as they already do with the water, and I think there's two main issues why:
1) Not having any agency over the rates of encounters.
For example you mention Viridian Forest and how it depicts a change in environment, giving us unique Pokemon to establish the ecosystem it houses, but I think Viridian Forest does something uniquely well for players' agency over the random encounters too. Viridian Forest is full of different paths, some have grass on them and others do not, and this simple detail helps give players control over their experience with the random encounters. Do I take the long way around to avoid encounters because I know at some point I'm going to be forced to go through some grass? Do I take the most direct path and chance more random encounters? Do I formulate the shortest critical path through the grass that minimizes the amount of encounters but gets me to my destination quickly? Just having choices like these I think helps take some of the sting out of the randomness, and that's where caves and water generally fail. In a cave, or on some water, every single step could be just another obstruction and this process can repeat for what feels like miles. Having something like areas of rough churning water, or deep dark patches being visual indicators of where Pokemon reside at sea would go a long way to alleviating some of the tedium these encounters inevitably bring, since you would know where NOT to go if you choose to avoid excessive encounters.
2) Not all encounters are equally interesting.
You know a large part of why I hate caves in Pokemon generally? Zubat.
You know a large part of why I hate the ocean in Pokemon generally? Tentacool.
These Pokemon encounters are so overwhelmingly dominant in their respective environments that it becomes boring to see them over, and over, and over... And it's not just that their encounter rates are high and you'll see them a lot in one specific area. No, instead you see these Pokemon in EVERY similar area, and the cherry on top is that these Pokemon are generally weak. They yield very little experience, they have very obnoxious moves, and because they're so common you hardly ever think to add them to your team because "Eh, I can find them whenever and wherever, so I don't need THIS specific one." I feel like mixing up the encounters for these types of environments would go a long way to making them feel less bothersome.
These are personally my reasons for disliking random encounters in Pokemon, but I would say I'm still a fan of the mechanic overall. I think you did a great job of highlighting the positives that a mechanic like this has on the series, and I hope to see more great work like this from you in the future!
Love your Videos.
Loved them way back in 2011 when I first found your Videos on RUclips.
The first Video I saw was your Pokémon Green Myth Video which I believe is your first Video in general.
Didn't lost interest in your Videos, but eventually forgot your Name and never found it again.
Found you again a few months ago and I'm so happy about it, even though you do not upload frequently. :D
Ooooh I'd love to see a video on Critical Hits and maybe items
Happy to see a new video, I hope you're doing well!
Personally, just like how classic Wild Encounters made the Pokemon you’d battle a surprise each time a random encounter started.
To me, that feeling you get each time you see a brand new Pokemon you’d never seen before appear in a Wild Encounter is one of the biggest reasons I fell in love with Pokemon as a kid, and is something I’ve looked forward to with each new entry since. It also made roaming Pokemon feel like a really big deal whenever they’d pop up on the screen in Gen 2.
And to me, just seeing Pokemon walk around in the open world as your first introduction to them feels pretty flat by comparison. Of course seeing them walk around in the world is super cool, and something I wished for as a kid. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve definitely come to appreciate the sense of exploration that the old Wild Encounters brought with them.
Always a treat when one of your videos pops up into my feed! This was a great look at catching mechanics and made me think about them (especially in gen 1, which I'm now playing for the first time) as random being like, good! What a concept I hadn't considered LOL
If you're looking at mechanics this might be a bit too big of an ask (and it had been covered in smaller chunks in your Diamond/Pearl and Red/Green videos) but I would love to see your full thoughts on the transition of legendaries from hidden extras to vital components of the story and how that changes the way players expect to play the game. I always stash my legendary in the PC to make my elite 4 run more challenging (and have done so since I first picked up a Pokemon game) but I'm curious how game freak intended their inclusion to change the way players tackled the last third of the game or so after they became integral in Ruby/Sapphire!
awesome video! it's cool to see you back in the swing of things working on content. i loved that you mentioned litleo appearing in the route before the first gym in kalos, that's one of the things i picked up on (only recently somehow) from a youtube video - this is the case with almost every gym in every pokemon game, and it gives me more of a feeling that wild encounters are teaching you how to play the game without being formal tutorials.
I've always had this idea. Imagine that you go into an early area, and you can encounter all The Usual Suspects. Now imagine if there was also a tiny miniscule chance that you can get a Pokemon that you normally wouldn't be able to get in the area. That way if you did find it you can catch into your team and then your team makeup would change from play through to play through. So imagine you were going to catch a Pikachu in Viridian Forest, but you got lucky enough to get an elekid encounter. Now in that playthrough you're going to use that as your electric type user.
I really like when you talk about lore in your videos! thx for another great video!
This was an awesome idea for a video!! Would like to see you talk about HMs!!
You really put wild encounters into perspective w the themes of the region. Great video!!
Tama Hero Your back, you're really really back! I haven't watched you in a very long time.
Very interesting, I gotta admit all the environmental themes and writing kinda went over my head as a kid!
As the series moves away from purely random encounters, I have been thinking about what that means for what I personally enjoy about the games. When playing through Sword, I could avoid most wild Pokemon and with the shared EXP I never had much reason to seek them out. A lot of people love this and would say it's a big improvement, but honestly I can't say the same. That's around the time I realized how important the random encounters were to not only setting up the overall "feel" of an area, but also to building "bonds" with your team. By the end of the game I had no real attachment to my team since I barely used them (even though I fought every trainer along the way), because the fear of overleveling was a huge disincentive to fight anything in the wild.
I like how you brought up Animal Crossing for your example, because that's exactly it. The player doesn't always need complete agency over everything in their environment. I want to play the game *they* created, I don't want to build my own!
Yet another things game design-wise you're entirely correct on and do a great job explaining. There's a reason game developers never take complaints about games at face value and people complaining about Pokemon random encounters is one of the best examples of this.
Edit: It's also worth noting, since you didn't really mention this explicitly, that part of the appeal/excitement of hunting for Pokemon is that reveal you get at the start of every encounter. With the knowledge of what you're fighting before getting into combat, you lose a large portion of the appeal and reward of getting into combat to begin with. In my personal opinion, this change somewhat undermines the very core game loop that Pokemon uses, significantly lowering the quality of the games as JRPGs.
Loved the video! can't wait for the Colosseum one thoooo 👀
Love the intro! Reminds me of my childhood!
I'd be curious to see a Byte with your opinions on the camping and cooking mechanics featured in the eighth generation, because for it helped to build a bond with my team that I've rarely encountered in the franchise. I loved making at least one to two stops between cities, even as many as four where the larger Wild Areas were concerned, and got to see friendships between the Pokémon themselves.
Then I talked to some of my friends who were less enthralled with Shield/Sword then I was, and nearly all of them had the same answer when I brought up the camping: "I didn't really do that stuff".
(Also loved that when I tried commenting as the credits rolled there was a message involving Drowzee waiting for me,
Love the insight! Gained a sub. The nostalgia of the old games, and the reflection of our own world and advancements is great
I never cared for the challenge that random encounters proposed, but I can't deny that they seamlessly give the exp you need. Even in USUM, despite being just as linear as past games, I've found difficulty in having the right levels at the right time.
Really appreciate your analyses, as always! I'm especially compelled by your argument that the encounters is how we meet different pokémon in different habitats. Ideally we'd have Snap-like environments, filled with pokémon, but random encounters are the next best thing, and probably *the* best thing within the limitations.
I love how one of Tama's videos makes me think.
I just started the video, but I just wanted to say that your hair looks absolutely gorgeous.
Personally, I prefer overworld encounters. Seeing the pokemon actually inhabit the world is pretty cool. Plus sometimes random encounters can feel a little tedious if the mon you are looking for is a low encounter rate.
I think random encounters are good, it’s just the time it takes. If I could increase the game speed like you can in emulators, I would find it much more fun. I’d find it hard to believe that forcing a player to wait is a good way to make a reward feel better. I like a challenge that I can do better at or worse at depending on my performance (the battle itself) rather than the tedium of waiting.
I loved the comparison to how encounters shape storytelling. I never thought that before and I’ve been playing Pokémon for 23 years now! Really cool stuff
Your investigation on the subject has reached the same conclusion I did. Good job
I'm with you on random battles. I feel like the endurance test of dungeons/caves and so on has been missing in jrpgs now that many of them are exclusively visible encounters
This is a cool lens to view the games through. I don't think I actually feel this way about the encounters, and haven't ever really felt this way about them, but I'll keep this mind next time I play a Pokemon game. I liked what you said about Zigzagoon and how it's a part of how the ecology is in Hoenn, which I never really thought about.
I always felt the encounters were more just a nice way to naturally have you meet more Pokemon. If you play blindly, encounters are kind of excitinf because you never know what Pokemon will pop up on your way to getting to the next city.
Nowadays I usually already have looked at all the available Pokemon and have kind of pre-decided who I'd want to catch for my team and generally where you can get then... so all other Pokemon just feel annoying to see.
This is why I enjoyed Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Black recently, because I played them on a complete whim so discovering new Pokemon was always fun and exciting. Especially alpha pokemon in Arceus because it was cool to add giant Pokemon to your party
Welcome back! Great video as always~
Good to see you again hope you've been well!
Ecstatic to hear of an upcoming Colosseum video, that’s my favorite video game!
I love this analysis. Clever as always and inspiring. Makes me appreciative of older gens
Can't wait for the Pokémon Collosseum video!
"Digimon: Cyber Sleuth" took an approach I loved for random encounters:
As you progress into the game (and depending on your party), you can lower the chance of encounters, heavily lower it, or disappear it entirely. And viceversa, you can increase the chance or even force it, so as soon as you activate your skill, a random encounter will start. "Sweet Scent" kinda did that in Gen 2, but the system could be expanded upon.
I don't think random encounters are bad per sé, but after the 10th Zubat, you're starting to feel the dread. And you need to faint those Zubats because you need that EXP. Also time: it would be great to manually skip animations with the + button (like in Zelda), without the need of going through the settings and disable all animations. I want to fully enjoy the gym leader battle, I don't care about the 10th Zubat Leech-Seeding me.
No one commenting on tama calling that hawk/falcon/bird of prey a turkey xD !!!! "No 😐"
A new Tama series? What a great way to start my day!
Thank you for the content!! I needed something to watch before I had lunch lol missed you as well
Wow, bravo for giving me a new perspective on the broader themes of a game series as old as I am 👏. I thought I knew all there was to know but I was wrong.
I wonder if this has something to do with them introducing TM crafting in Scarlet and Violet, so that even if you know exactly what Pokémon you want to use going in, you have to go out of your way to interact with other Pokémon multiple times to make your favourites as good as they can be.
In fact, as I type this I wonder if they thought of this while making Legends Arceus as well, and that's why they made the Pokédex more research based, and why so many tasks require you to catch and battle so many Pokémon. Tying Pokédex progression directly into the story, making it a requirement to advance and unlock new areas and Pokémon, forces the player to interact with the Pokémon in the same way as random encounters.
I still think it's wild that I never saw the whole "man vs. nature" theme of Pokémon games until you mentioned it in that video about red & blue. I can see it now but even going back and playing the older games the theme is never really on the forefront of my mind. Makes me wish they was a little more foreword with it.