Update Overworld HM Mechanics

[Miles]

This, since apparently no other discourse matters but the title of a thread. Please argue laziness, my suggestion could use a leg up.

 

What would change: Make HMs usable even if the Pokemon doesn't have the move slotted as long as you have a Pokemon in your party that can use it (and the appropriate badge, of course).

 

Why should it change: PRO stands to benefit from updating HMs. Updating the way HMs work is one of the biggest requests for the handhelds, and I honestly think sooner or later Game Freak themselves will do away with HM slaves in the spirit of Pokemon and a better experience, much like they rightfully did away with limited use TMs which used to be a common complaint too. Just because you can forget HMs doesn't mean it's a rational way of implementing them. With any thought, it's still terrible; it just looks almost decent because of the misconception that the only other option is to have them be permanent. In reality, we're still burdened by the move either way. We're forced to do redundant inventory, but that is not our only option. At the moment, we're not curing the problem at all, only blindly treating a symptom.

 

This is no grand departure from the series, it's simply bringing an outdated 1996 J-RPG mechanic to 2015.

 

When should it change: I think it can be accomplished in about two or three major updates. This will take longer than a certain other suggestion of mine because actual coding is involved. Unfortunately, coding is a bottleneck in PRO's developmental process.

[Kibido]

Sounds nice, this solution would remain in the spirit of the HM's mechanics and remove the burden of sacrificing move and team slots. It's way better than the item replacement idea. Great thinking.

[Cryska]

I may not mind HM's but I do actually think this is a great idea.

[Deso]

This is very remotely related but maybe some pokemon abilities working like this? For ex. Frisk working even if the Pokemon with frisk isn't in first slot of party.

[Miles]

42717 This is very remotely related but maybe some pokemon abilities working like this? For ex. Frisk working even if the Pokemon with frisk isn't in first slot of party.

If it's not about HMs, you should make a separate thread after thinking it through.

[Shinymatt]

My HM Slave Oddish is the least happy of all my poke

s

[Yixars]

I do think this is a great idea, not only because everyone* doesn't like having one slot on their pokemon team occupied by a slave but also because as you said, it's just outdated, if the pokemon playerbase were not used to it, the mechanic of the HM's would have changed long time ago, I've seen a lot of discussions about this and I do actually think that PRO has the "advantage" to offer a better system for their game.

[Deso]

It seems like the biggest counter argument was that it goes against the original pokemon games. How about making this an ability you unlock after completing some end game optional quest? This would make it so HM's are still used mostly the original way and it add's another goal for end game(completing whatever quest they associate it with). Judging from the number of people wanting this, I think people would want to do the quest even if it was fairly difficult.

[Miles]

42904 It seems like the biggest counter argument was that it goes against the original pokemon games.

By that logic, Game Freak would never have made limited use TMs into infinite use items because it goes against their own precedent, which wasn't the case at all.

How about making this an ability you unlock after completing some end game optional quest? This would make it so HM's are still used mostly the original way and it add's another goal for end game(completing whatever quest they associate it with). Judging from the number of people wanting this, I think people would want to do the quest even if it was fairly difficult.

No. As I've said, this is no grand departure from Pokemon, it's simply a quality of life update that is probably inevitable even within the main series. Doing it that way creates needless complexity and most importantly requires more coding for nothing. I want more quests in the game, but I am 100% against forcing quests onto this new mechanic "just because." In my opinion, that's the worst thing we could do short of not implementing it.