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Trainer AI in HeartGold and SoulSilver

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NPR

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For a while now I have been wondering why gf hasn't improved the trainer AI in recent years. We have the technology, so why not make a trainer in game KNOW which of his attacks will be super effective, or when they REALLY need to switch out their Pokemon. For that matter why not make them know the most effective one to switch in with. I have always wondered why in my Fire Red version when I send out Charizard in the final battle he doesn't switch out his silly egg tree and send in Blastoise. Not to mention that if I send in a grass pokemon and he has his Arcanine out WHY does he use extreme speed instead of flamethrower? Same goes for Gold in the final battle against Red. He has a great variety of types and moves, but never uses them properly. It seems to me that Game Freak, because they don't want to lose their 5 year old base wants Pokemon games to super easy, but could they at least make the trainers a little less stupid? There must be some kind of middle ground in the next game.

So, do any of you want to see an improvement in the AI in HGSS? Or at least some kind of buffing up of trained Pokes movesets so it is almost impossible for them NOT to make a stupid mistake.
 
I'm pretty sure in D/P/Pt that at least the Elite 4 displayed some of the AI you described, such as switching in an effective pokemon type.

Might just be random, but it seemed logical to me.
 
I'd prefer it. It might actually make me enjoy battling again. Usually, I treat them like wild pokemon with clothes.
 
Doesn't that not happen when your battling? If the pokemon your facing has a move that is super effective on yours, it will use it or if the foe has another pokemon that could be super effective on yours it will use it?

I faced a infernape with my typlosion and the NPC switched it to a swampert which had surf and EQ, both super effective moves. Or when my vileplume was against a toxicroak and it got switched with a yanmega that air slashed my vileplume to beat it.

You'll notice this more in Battle Frontier and possibly E4 than with normal trainer battles who may not have super effective pokemon against yours where as other places like Battle Arcade will.

Even if you don't always notice it, you will if you look hard enough.
 
I don't think we should have to wait till the end of the game to find smart people.
 
No but it still needs to be progressive. Each game brings new fans and so they need to be catered for too. I see what you're saying but it terms of gameplay most trainers have types to match their location so if the player has been doing their job and training a varied team then there's not much that 'Swimmer' can do.

It's less of an AI problem, more a question of type variety and maybe levels on in game trainers. Personally I'm fine with it the way it is, though.
 
Anyone who has raised a Shedinja in R/S/E will know that the AI isn't completely stupid. They can and invariably will switch in whatever can KO a Shedinja. It's true, I've had Wattson switch Magnemite out for Voltorb to KO my Shedinja with Rollout.
 
NeonTidalWave said:
I'm pretty sure in D/P/Pt that at least the Elite 4 displayed some of the AI you described, such as switching in an effective pokemon type.

Might just be random, but it seemed logical to me.
Click to expand...

My battle with Cynthia in Platinum suggests this might not be the case - her Milotic used Mirror Coat at least four times in a row, against a Pokémon that was using exclusively physical attacks. :p

But I think while a little improvement would be good, especially for the Leaders, they can't send it too high, because the game still needs to be beatable by younger kids, who are still the target demographic. The obvious solution is to have different difficulty options to choose from when you start the game, but they probably won't go there.
 
I don't know how far the AI goes, I just noticed that if an E4 member was facing a water pokemon with a fire pokemon they would switch to grass/whatever's effective. Beyond that I think they have pretty much two or three tactics total, such as the Mr. Mime/Bronzong combo of Lucian's.
 
NPR said:
We have the technology.
Click to expand...

We can make the trainers better, stronger, smarter. *smack*

I like the idea of ramping up the AI. Of course, early in the game, most people you're facing have a thematic team; it's not like Misty can switch in a fire Pokemon to take care of your Ivysaur, or a Bug Catcher is going to have a Poliwag to fend off Growlithe. So those guys will be fairly easy anyway. Later on, especially in the last few battles, that might be cool.
 
Actually, when I was looking at a rom editing too, there was a setting to change a trainer's AI. Example, gym leaders had higher AI than regular trainers. I didn't test it out, but I imagine that it would give people more AI.
 
Regardless of the AI of the NPC Trainers, I'm really waiting to see old Trainer Classes in HGSS! That'll be awesome!

I also hope that better trainers like GLs and E4 will be talking during the battles, as in DPP. It was pretty fun.

I wouldn't mind the NPCs AI to be improved, though.

Yay for old trainers, anyway! Welcome back Super Nerds, Firebreathers, (Gypsy) Jugglers, Teachers etc.!
 
If a Trainer switched out one of their Pokémon, that would prompt me to do the same... This might cause an endless cycle.
 
AI should start out dumb then gradually get better and better the more you progress in the game. By the time your about half way through the game trainers should have the ability to switch out for type advantages, and at least have a general idea of what moves are effective and what moves do nothing.

Some of the worst examples of this stupid AI I can remember was a NPC trainers haunter using curse and knocking itself out, effectively losing the match for its trainer.

Another was a NPC's oddish using sweet scent to lower my evasion when its attack had 100% accuracy anyway.

I do agree, trainers should not be this stupid.
 
Sounds reasonable. It actually gives the allusion that the trainers further in the game are better than the idiots outside Violet City.
 
Ouch. I guess it's tough when you go through the right way. I just used Rayquaza in my Emerald version. Ah well.

Just uber train. That's what I do. I have a lvl 10 started by the time I first battle May.
 
Harder trainers means more exp, I mean how much exp do you get from a trainer that has 2 ratattas and a pidgey. Gotta love the trainers who have magikarps and use splash attacks... they should at least give it tackle.
 
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