Should battles utilize more game mechanics?

[Master Cyrus]

By that I for example mean more ability activations, or at least more consistent activation parameters rather than just, oh I need a way to make Pikachu/Starter win in an otherwise unwinnable fight so here comes static/boost effect or to screw Pika over using guts or more strategies involving field moves, hazards, etc. While this has the positive effects of resulting in giving older fans as well as the gamers a treat of seeing Ash/Other use actual game mechanics in battles it can seem a little contrived for the anime, worst case being how burns worked in DP where the burned pokemon would simply burst into flames at random intervals and show no signs anytime else.

 

[YamiiDenryuu]

Yeah, I'd rather they not. There are a lot of mechanics that don't translate well from turn-based battles with everyone in a pretty much fixed position to real-time battles on an open field with everyone moving around freely. Random chance effects are a bit better, but not by much, as you just pointed out. Not to mention how a lot of those mechanics and effects can't be shown well enough to be understood to viewers who aren't well-versed with the games, and so the characters end up having to explain them. I'd rather the anime just do its own thing than try to follow something that most likely won't work for them.

 

[dman_dustin]

By that I for example mean more ability activations, or at least more consistent activation parameters rather than just, oh I need a way to make Pikachu/Starter win in an otherwise unwinnable fight so here comes static/boost effect or to screw Pika over using guts or more strategies involving field moves, hazards, etc.

I don't know, I'm sure there are countless examples of people being screwed over in-game, because of those "random" percentages of additional effects.

So it's kind of stuck, that the writers choose the convenient moment to activate abilities and additional effects and perhaps technically the anime is more inconsistent in the games but that's just how it is.

And I wouldn't like it to change. But more activation of abilities does sound nice.

Besides I like the "realistic" feel the anime has over because of the technical limitations of games. Using vine whip to close a mouth-fire-breathing Pokémon is a great tactic, and so I like seeing things like that.

I just wished more people weren't so obsessed with game mechanics for the anime, because of all those bullshit tactics/strategies that people cry, I can't help but wonder how they can be bullshit, if there is a realistic logic to it that can't be applied to the games because of technical limitations.

 

[Karamazov]

Some abilities, hazards and status effects should be used more, I think. but I wouldn't want them to have an effect on most matches. Many mechanics, as Yams said, don't translate well. Introducing things like the special stats would just make things way too confusing. I've seen shows like Bakugan, and it was really hard to get into them because they introduced so many rules are mechanics in every game, and it was hard to follow.

If you're a kid who never played the games, and you see some purple-headed kid's flaming money get hit with rocks on the field, causing the monkey to o Super Saiyan for seemingly no reason, and said purple-headed kid goes on about how Flamethrower will ruin the enemy's Pokemon because of their special defense stats, you'd be very confused.


so tl;dr: it's be nice to see abilities and a few game mechanics be used, but many mechanics don't work in the anime, or are just too confusing for little kids and casual viewers. The anime works well because you can not be a hardcore fan to follow along in battles, making it easy to jump in at a random match and not get too lost.

 

[Iteru]

No.

I'll use an example. Or two.

The first is that a trainer Nasty Plots his way up to +6 and then sweeps with priority Vacuum Wave with a Riolu (lol, Kotetsu...). How absurdly boring.

The second is that a Pokémon uses Cosmic Power and gets to +6 in both defensive areas. Now the only way for it to go down is for the opponent to get a critical hit. Again, really boring.

Game mechanics just don't work for entertainment purposes and I'll never understand people who want the Anime to use them all (go watch some competitive matches on youtube or something).

What the Anime should do is take advantage of the range of strategies that come about from a realistic fight setting. Things like Counter Shield or aiming Water Gun at the hole the opponent was using for Dig. The Anime is a different world than the games and it should take advantage to the fullest. Advertising a move does not necessarily mean forcing it to adhere to game restrictions.

 

[Drakon]

Some game mechanics like entry hazards and evasion buffs work. But most of them (especially the stat increases) don't.

I mean, you're trying to translate a turn-based 2d battling system with fixed position into a real time, 3d "realistic" environment where both combatants can freely move around. Sacrifices are gonna have to be made and one of those sacrifices are game mechanics.

Honestly, I think the anime should just say "fuck it" to the vast majority of game mechanics and exploit the fact that the battles are in a real-time, 3d environment.