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How to Make Gym Battles Tougher

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KarlG

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OK so I just thought of this idea and i'm really proud of myself. (Yes I have no self-worth, sue me.)

How to Make Gym Battles Tougher in later Generations:

1. Challengers are only allowed to use the same number of Pokemon as the Leader.
2. Challengers' Pokemon cannot exceed the highest level of the Leader's Pokemon.

Now the biggest kickstart to this idea was the complaint that Gen VI Gym Battles were too easy. Well, of course, Exp Share was turned on! When I turned off Exp Share, my Pokemon were only slightly overlevelled than the leaders', and only because I also battled a ton of wild POkemon along the way instead of running. I was also inspired by the Pokemon World tournament, where I faced so much difficulty in taking the leaders down.

This makes monotype runs more interesting and fun - of which I am a big fan of - and it gives an added in-game idea of fairness for both challenger and leader. Now, of course, the challenger is the challenger, so he can use as many items as he wants. I remember the times of Re-Reviving my strongest fainted Poke in dire times, and that's something that is a hallmark of Pokemon.

Thoughts?
 
I impose some of these restrictions myself.

When I go to face the leader I make sure I only have as many Pokemon on me as he has, I have done this for a considerable amount of time now, since DP at least and now it just comes naturally.

I would love to know how to turn the god awful Exp Share off. my Pokemon are far too overleveled despite never being used.
My Delphox hasn't been used since it was a Fennekin (never got to use it as a Braixen) and its now Level 40 without me having even fought the 3rd gym yet.
 
Emayex said:
I would love to know how to turn the god awful Exp Share off. my Pokemon are far too overleveled despite never being used.
My Delphox hasn't been used since it was a Fennekin (never got to use it as a Braixen) and its now Level 40 without me having even fought the 3rd gym yet.
Click to expand...
Step 1: Open Inventory
Step 2: Shift over to Key Items
Step 3: Highlight "Exp. Share"
Step 4: Press "A"
Step 5: Highlight "Off"
Step 6: Press "A"
 
Using the same aumont of pokemon as the Gym Leaders wouldn't solve a thing because atm they all have one major flaw: they are weak to a certain type, meaning that you only need one pokemon, two at best, to sweep a Gym Leader. The only solution imo is to remove the single type Gyms and do instead based around themes, each gym leader would have a team about a theme, so you can't sweep an entire Gym Leader's team because his team would have pokemon with different typings.
 
Well I have this more so fun method of when I'm bored of a Pokemon game (usually collecting legendaries and such) I will have the same amount of Pokemon as the gym leader and... battle with my eyes closed xD I go by sounds alone and I used to know the majority of Pokemon cries before gen VI. It may sound stupid but darn, is it fun!
 
PinkiePieFox said:
Well I have this more so fun method of when I'm bored of a Pokemon game (usually collecting legendaries and such) I will have the same amount of Pokemon as the gym leader and... battle with my eyes closed xD I go by sounds alone and I used to know the majority of Pokemon cries before gen VI. It may sound stupid but darn, is it fun!
Click to expand...

That actually sounds really fun! I'll have to try that.
I'm also playing through Y in French... and I'm doing a Nuzlocke. It makes things a little more difficult.
 
Try limiting the amount of Pokemon you have to match the gym leader and battle at a type disadvantage, that can help raise the challenge :D
 
Ellron said:
PinkiePieFox said:
Well I have this more so fun method of when I'm bored of a Pokemon game (usually collecting legendaries and such) I will have the same amount of Pokemon as the gym leader and... battle with my eyes closed xD I go by sounds alone and I used to know the majority of Pokemon cries before gen VI. It may sound stupid but darn, is it fun!
Click to expand...

That actually sounds really fun! I'll have to try that.
I'm also playing through Y in French... and I'm doing a Nuzlocke. It makes things a little more difficult.
Click to expand...

I'm playing X in French, it does add to the challenge doesn't it, although I've only done beginners french, I am getting quite good at getting the general understanding of what theyre saying.

I then play Y after in English and do the bit I did in X to see if I was right or occasionally see what im supposed to be doing.
 
Since gyms are usually one type you could make your team's type weak to that type and teach them moves that are super effective against the gym type. Adds a real challenge, toss in my eyes closed method and it will be difficult but somewhat fun!
 
I didn't and don't use EXP share and still found the gym battles easy. One thing I enjoyed doing that made them more challenging was to use a limited number of pokémon instead of the full party. That can be either the same number as your opponent's (if the gym leader uses four pokémon, using four pokémon as well) or a number set by you. You could even go as far as choosing those pokémon from a limited set or using the same ones, to make it more challenging to work with that gym leader's type's weaknesses and strengths.
 
I like to do Gym Battles using just one Pokemon, that is super effective to the gym type. Especially for the first 4 gyms, but after that, I may use two or more. But I try to aim for using just one Pokemon.
 
  1. Make every Gym a Normal-type Gym
  2. Make sure she's female, and her name is Whitney
  3. Give her a Miltank
  4. ????
  5. Profit
 
Rather than the game saying "Only pokemon under level 30 in this gym", why not use the Open Level system? The gym leaders' pokemon are the level of your highest pokemon. There isn't really a way to abuse that system since those pokemon grow with them.

The obvious problem is that you could end up fighting a gym leader with level 35 pokemon, but when you go to the next route all the trainers' pokemon are only 26ish. So the solution to that is to utilize the open level system through the entire game! When you beat a gym leader, whatever level their pokemon ended up being gets snapshotted, and the levels of the pokemon on the next route adjusted accordingly. Meaning you beat that gym leader at level 35, and so the trainers' pokemon on the next route are 32-33ish (because it usually goes down a tiny bit initially).

Each route then has its wild pokemon and trainers' pokemon defined as (Gym3level - 2), (Gym5level), (Gym8level + 4), etc. Which are obviously set in stone as you progress past that point.

This lets you play the game at your own speed, and the difficulty essentially adjusts as you go based on your choices. If you really want, you could make your journey leave your pokemon at level 70 after 8 badges, or by dodging all the trainers, you could end up with level 40 pokemon. Your choice.
 
While a scaling system is intriguing, I can't see it being used in a main series game. Maybe as a kind of "second quest" after completing the main game?
 
Stop the monotype trend.

Oh right, that won't happen. Well... as it is, making Gym Leaders challenging is a feat in and of itself. They will always be weak to one Type regardless of any coverage they try to add. I liked the approach in Diamond/Pearl where they actually had variety in the teams and the only type focus was their moves. Of course, that was changed in Platinum unfortunately. Another good spin was the Striaton Gym where they specifically used a Pokémon with a type advantage against your starter. The lack of variety at the start of the game made it so that even with the monkey you got as a gift in the Dreamyard, you'd have a fairly good and challenging battle. Of course, these are oddballs and yet are the most challenging Gyms. As it is, the only other Gyms that pose any challenge whatsoever are those with Types with naturally few weaknesses and work-arounds, like Normal and Electric.

So yeah. I don't think Gyms will ever be any challenge until they remove the monotype stuff. After 6 Generations, it's clear that's a no-go, though. I guess more of the same can work just fine. That is, more preventive tactics, dual types and coverage moves. Plus, bigger rosters for latter Gym Leaders, like 4 Pokémon starting with the 7th Gym at the latest. Preferably in the 6th Gym. Locking you up to the same amount of Pokémon they use I don't think makes much of a difference, but it's still something I approve of. Level adjustment to your own would be another good spin.
 
How about adding different styles of battles? Adding the Inverse Battle or Rotation Battle could add more layers to the battles. Having the Gym Leader's Pokémon scale when we get stronger, too.
 
Maybe they could have certain gym leaders run more competitive strategies i.e. Psychic gym with Reuniclus using Trick Room or electric gyms using the Thunder/Rain Dance combo.
And improve the A.I. so that they actually switch out to gain an advantage.

Also, bring back Challenge Mode!!!
 
I wouldn't want to see trainers or wild Pokemon scaling their levels to yours--I've seen it done before, and I don't feel it ever made the game harder (quite the opposite, actually), and it comes as the cost of making it even more clear that the entire world revolves around your character. Plus I'm usually outleveled by Gym leaders, so it would actually make them easier for me.

I don't think the problem would be that hard to solve if Gamefreak really wanted to make Gym Leaders hard.
1: Give them more Pokemon. WAY more. The first gym leader? Three Pokemon. Add more for each Gym leader after until the fourth Gym leader on has a full party; the player can easily have six by then.
2: Use dual types and move coverage to counter weak points.
3: AI should switch if doing so would make a more favorably type match up.
4: Use simple tricks, like the aforementioned Trick Room, or a Baton Pass set.
 
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