PLA Quickfixes

[Blast]

While I think PLA is a great game and super fun game at its, there's some minor issues I have that seem to me like they would be easy to fix in an update or a possible next installment of the Legends series. I'm not talking about fundamental changes to gameplay elements, engine or even graphics, but just small improvements that I feel will make the game much more playable. I'll list some of these below:

• Space-Time Distortion timer

The Space-Time Disortions are obviously an important part of the game, not only for grinding money and getting rare items, but for Pokédex completion through the Fossil Pokémon as well. What's frustating as a player is that you have no control or insight on when and where these events will happen. For me ideally, there would be a rare craftable item you can use to summon a Distortion so you don't have to wait aimlessly for them to occur naturally. Still, at the very least a timer that shows when the Distortion actually acivates. Now, even when receiving the message and the location one will take place, I often find myself waiting for minutes in the area before it finally happens. Even if you want to keep the random nature of the Distortions as they are now, a timer counting down to moment of activation on the area map (which already shows the location where one will appear) would go a long way to not make players waste their time arriving way too early or too late. Since the Arceus Phone is powered by the one who rules over both time and space, it'd also make sense lorewise for it to be able predict exactly when one will occur.

• REMOVE FOG EFFECT

Let's face it: no one liked the way fog lowered the accuracy of all moves even in DPP. Honestly, it's a mystery to me why they decided that this was one of the features from the originals they wanted to bring back. Though it might look atmospheric, there's no fun or challenge when you miss your 90% accurate move three times in a row (happened to me today) because the weather happens to be foggy. Just keep it only as a graphical effect. Please.

• Ball trajectory indicator

One things you're doing the most in the game is catching Pokémon by throwing Balls, and in general it feels and controls good. The different Ball types are a nice addition too. One issue I have is you only get your crosshair to aim your Balls, which makes it difficult to judge how the various Ball types will fly one their way to their target, and how far they'll fly. For example, I find that the Feather Ball type seems to fly over the target more often than not even if you keep them directly in the crosshair, so I aim slightly lower than the regular Balls that fly with an arc. These kinds of quirks is more noticable in combination with the different Pokémon hitboxes, hitboxes of things like trees and the unevenness of the terrain and verticality in general. With togglable Ball trajectory indicator, similar to a game like Splatoon, you give players more control of arguably the most important gameplay aspect, throwing Balls and catching Mons. Countless times I'm hitting into the ground with or getting obstructed by a random hitbox of a small branch and end up wasting my valuable ammunition when a simple arrow showing me how the ball will fly before I throw it would help me to avoid this and aim better. Give the player an option to turn it on and off whenever they like and I think this addition would be a significant improvement in making the game feels less random, save items and help improve the player's aim in the process.

• Battle order indicator

Of all the changes I've listed so far, this one would probably the most complex to implement. Still, throwing my Pokémon into battle and having it instantly knocked before I even have a chance to move doesn't feel good and I know I'm not the only one. Or switching you Pokémon, thinking it'll still be your turn and then the opponent gets to move again chunking or KOing your newly switched in Pokémon. Or battling multiple Pokémon at the same and getting hit three or four times before being able to get a hit in. It feels a little unfair because you don't know these things will happen beforehand. If GF found a way to show which Pokémon will move first before you even start the battle, or when navigating the switch menu will give the player more insight of what they're getting into. You might still get ganged up on or be KOed instantly, but at least you'll know the opponent will get to move ahead of you. Honestly, I think this is one of the growing pains of the new seamless battle transitions and move order system, and I'd hope this'll get sorted out in the future. Be it with a visual indicator or a tweak to how the move order is decided.

I'm really curious if anyone else has run into small problems and come with quick solutions like this. Let's discuss

 

[Alola]

Would it kill them to give us an optional mini-map? I spend too much time opening up my phone/closing in and out of the menu to find out where certain areas are for Pokémon or where quest givers/receivers are that I am supposed to track. With a relatively open world setup, you'd think that would be a standard feature.

 

[Poke Dragon]

Is it really so hard to just not make extra inventory space cost ridiculous amounts of money? The fact that I have to spend 35,000 Pokedollars just for one inventory space is simply ridiculous. I understand the idea behind limited inventory, as I have played Breath of the Wild, but forcing the player to farm money just to unlock one slot just ruins the overall pacing. Breath of the Wild has given the perfect way for the player to unlock more slots in the inventory, this kind of mechanic should have been done for Legends Arceus rather than the whole money thing because it's better to reward players who take the time to explore rather than making them farm money for it.

So here's how I would change it: You would be able to find pieces of special cloth scattered about the region, call them whatever you want. No Pokemon would drop them, but you could get some of them from the Requests. They are finite, so the limited inventory gameplay would still be there, but less intrusive and actually more rewarding. You bring these pieces of cloth to a sewing person who will expand your satchel with them, thus unlocking more inventory slots.

Also, you can't just buy these pieces of special cloth either, as everyone from the in-game world forgot how to make them or the materials necessary to make them.

 

[Radio Free Derry]

Is it really so hard to just not make extra inventory space cost ridiculous amounts of money? The fact that I have to spend 35,000 Pokedollars just for one inventory space is simply ridiculous. I understand the idea behind limited inventory, as I have played Breath of the Wild, but forcing the player to farm money just to unlock one slot just ruins the overall pacing. Breath of the Wild has given the perfect way for the player to unlock more slots in the inventory, this kind of mechanic should have been done for Legends Arceus rather than the whole money thing because it's better to reward players who take the time to explore rather than making them farm money for it.

So here's how I would change it: You would be able to find pieces of special cloth scattered about the region, call them whatever you want. No Pokemon would drop them, but you could get some of them from the Requests. They are finite, so the limited inventory gameplay would still be there, but less intrusive and actually more rewarding. You bring these pieces of cloth to a sewing person who will expand your satchel with them, thus unlocking more inventory slots.

Also, you can't just buy these pieces of special cloth either, as everyone from the in-game world forgot how to make them or the materials necessary to make them.

I would also make it so that the cloth sells for a considerable amount, presenting a tradeoff between having more inventory space or quick cash.

Would it kill them to give us an optional mini-map? I spend too much time opening up my phone/closing in and out of the menu to find out where certain areas are for Pokémon or where quest givers/receivers are that I am supposed to track. With a relatively open world setup, you'd think that would be a standard feature.

Ehhhh, I feel like the markers you can put up mitigate the need for that somewhat, but I understand this complaint.