So for example, in "Hard" that level 9 Wingull from some random trainer could have something like Surf? Hey, why not? But in order to keep things fair, it should be more rewarding somehow. Tales of Symphonia, for example, gives more Grade... except for the fact that making battles harder reduce the Grade you get, canceling out that boost in a lot of cases. But back to Pokémon... maybe beating a "Hard" game would give you access to an uber not obtainable otherwise?

Now, that's only from a gaming point of view, programming the whole thing is another story. But I would really like for trainer Pokémon to be something more than cannon fodder, while not necessarily increasing their levels (which would make them give out more experience, making the increase in difficulty smaller). Wild Pokémon can't really be made harder any other way than by increasing levels, though... hmm.

Edit: ...what? That part pertaining to difficulty levels is gone. Why is that? It's not a fundamentally bad idea... it's the execution that'd be complicated.

Edit 2: Three new videos up!

Part 88: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGUpZlzPE2g
Part 89: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTlqCt1YkRM
Part 90: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klK6q-zolpI

Haha, sorry. Then again, you really are a Ghost, I didn't think anyone was on at the time I typed up that post. o_0

I'll bring back that part of the post here. FYI, for anyone who feels totally wrong footed here, I was remarking on the fact whether Pokemon games (in the current RPG series) could implement the difficulty system, obviously ignoring the system execution and programming that would be involved.

IE; Easy is standardized is the expected playing level of the current storyline (in Diamond/Pearl; ergo, in Platinum, so far, I found it to be somewhat more challenging). Then executing the Normal difficulty would bring around better team execution by the AI (example being that they'll use the evolved forms more frequently as the player succeeds Gyms, obtaining more badges), not to mention the Wild Pokemon actually being higher levels and frequently in evolved forms in the later part of the game. Hard is obvious here, just about a standard higher than Normal in terms of matchups in types, teams, and Trainers/Elite Four/Gym Leaders, Wild Pokemon, etc.

Not completely necessarily like that, Slowflake. I mean, realistically you have to balance the Pokemon in question in relation to its level, unless the game assumes the AI Trainer breeds, in which case might be a fair point to discuss on whether it is viable in the difficulty system.

On the other hand, I agree. Knowing what programming entails somewhat as I'm going to major in that field, I can't be surprised at the standards so far we see in the current generation/past generation AI.

And yeah, finally got some ideas pin down there. Spent most of my day yesterday (Friday) thinking, aside from playing Platinum.

I honestly wouldn't be opposed to trainers breeding, or using TMs, HMs and tutors. And maybe engineer their IVs and EVs to increase the challenge.

As for the LP, part 91 is up already!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCoKDdXykSE

All they'd have to do for a "hard" mode is EV train the pokes that trainers ingame do. I can assure you that they don't, when a Rotom is outspeeding an Alakazam and Dugtrio.

I don't think even the E4 rematches use partially EV trained pokes, since Scizor eventually outsped Lucian's Alakazam and Espeon once it reached a 10-15 level advantage. Before you say "no fucking duh" actually look at the difference in base speeds between the two. Your standard EVd Alakazam will outspeed your standard lv100 Scizor at only level 50.

The only possible exception I see would be Cynthia. Her Garchomp lived through a +1 (gotten via Charge Beam) Shadow Ball from Rotom off a 17-level disadvantage. That same Rotom failed to OHKO a Roserade with Air Slash and a 20-level advantage (yes, I used Rotom-S which I thought was a good choice for ingame.)

The only thing stopping me from confirming it is the fact that Rotom has only slightly above average special attack, unSTABed Air Slash is meh (regard it like you did Articuno's Peck; with a ton of PP it was perfect for killing countless Machops and Glameows) and Shadow Ball- or rather 80 BP moves with no major side effect or attribute- is the cutoff point for what can be considered good STAB. So I can kinda see good mons surviving average attacks.

"Slightly above average" special attack? I'm sorry, but 105 is a lot more than that.

If you're not sporting base 120 at the very least you're not going to be wrecking anything without stat ups or weakness exploitation. Base 105 running with STAB alone is not going to threaten any big-name OU poke. At all.

Something with truly well above average offense is able to seriously dent many of its peers within its tier using its neutral STAB, and shouldn't require a Choice item to do it. I don't mean hitting things for 75%, but if you can't 2HKO with a neutral move, unbanded, either your movepool suck or, as I'm driving at, your offensive stat isn't WELL above average.

Rotom's alt forms claim to fame is its excellent typing and bulk. Don't think it's awesome offensively, because it's not. Respectable? Very much so. There's a difference. Yes, when looking at its stat spread as a whole, it makes its SpAtt shine even more, because it's a usable asset. Look at Octillery on the other hand, with an incredible special movepool and base 105 for BOTH offensive stats, and it's not recognized as above average anything. You're fooling yourself by looking at Rotom as the complete (sexy) package.

Base 105 is definitely only slightly above average. You want to achieve "simply excellent" you look at base 125 and up. Remember, complete packages cloud judgment! Consider how offensively oriented the metagame is now and it makes you not even want to call base 105 slightly above average!

That's true, but I'm using "average" from a more statistical standpoint, which means something like 80. And 80 is unusable. Yanmega has better HP and defense than that, doesn't mean it's capable of taking any sort of hit. Having like 250 final forms to choose from will do that... in past generations 100 attack could be really awesome because there was less stuff to choose from (just ask RBY Tauros). That's why the requirements to be OU are going to be increasing generation after generation, and that's why people who were thinking of Magnezone, Rhyperior and Dusknoir as unnecessary evolutions are wrong wrong wrong. Heck, even Blissey doesn't look so bad now... it just should've been withheld for two more generations than what actually happened.

Point taken.

The only stat that manages to avoid some of those problems is speed, due to their being multiple speed tiers with magic target numbers. Thank Blissey and Tyranitar for that. Nothing makes a poke with crap speed require EV investment like a major threat that also has crap speed. Scizor has managed to get out of that boat now that it has the bane of Tyranitar's existance in its movepool.

Edit: Now you're making me think amusing thoughts.

Snorlax evolution. Skarmory evolution. Heracross evolution. Believe it.

Well, actually, Snorlax hits 540 as it is so that's probably out of the question. Heracross on the other hand only hits 500, and with Rhyperior at 535, 35 stat points could do a lot for Heracross. Especially if they gave its secondary form 100 speed, which would only take 15 points. 20 more in attack would be insane. Hell, only ten of those in attack and the rest in Def or SDef would be welcome also. Heracross fortunately got defenses more befitting of a fighting type than a bug.

Oh crap, imagine Skarm with Blissy's stats only switched att and def.

I hope you mean Skarm keeps its original Att and Def, seeing as both of those stats on Blissey are atrocious.

Part 92 is up!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6q-KVwVJvg

Only two more and then it's over! It'll probably be done tomorrow or on Tuesday.

Huh, went by so fast. Then again, I only barely started being a little active.

sorry, I meant, def. switched with special def and attack switched with... just forget about the attack part.


congratulations slowflake, you know your videos a success when retarded people try to copy you; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nod9FcTWSM0&NR=1 I hate it when people think they're the funniest person on the planet.

Ahhhh, yeah.. check the date on that video. Then check the date on the first post of this topic, or even look at Slowflake's first LP video.

Looks like I've got quite a few people on YouTube wondering exactly what the big surprise at the end is gonna be. However, I can't shake that feeling that someone knows exactly what it is, possibly someone from here.

Feel free to guess if you want to, but I'm not commenting, whether it's right or wrong.

I've been wondering that myself. What is left to do in Pokemon Red? The Game Corner is the only thing I can think of, and that doesn't seem very worthy of an extra video.

Either catching Missingno, or thrashing the E4 with Mewtwo alone.

For the E4 thing, I explicitly said I was planning on doing that at one point, but ditched it in favor of that special something.

Edit: Foliage4 claims it's impossible to know every Pokémon in National Dex order by heart... well, I sure do, and I'm sure many others here do.

When I was in high school and only the first generation existed, I could name all 150, though not in order. I could get the first and last couple of dozen (counting backwards from 150 was really easy because they lumped all the legends, rarities, one-offs etc together.)

I sure as hell can't name all 49X in order, and I can all but guarantee I'd be unable to name the entire set without taking a really, really long time to ponder over them.

You can try to name them all in order at psypoke. It's callrd amnesia attack.