Fitting Held Items into the PWO Mold

[Orean]

Firstly, I believe it should be prefaced that this staff-created discussion should not be inferred as a precursor to any upcoming implementation of Held Items—they most likely out of the current client's capacity, thus are presumed to be an on-hold project until a new client is on-board. Meanwhile, I would like to at least get the ball rolling for Held Items—how their uses can be more well-conceived for an MMO environment.

For even handheld-game features that we're adoptive of, the rationale towards adding these features is because they are workable for the game, not merely because they existed in the handheld games; it's situational, and it often requires them to be recreated in a different form, for what is more workable in an MMO-nature game—Held Items being one that I'd like to be assessed more in-depth, and one that can potentially have more uses for an MMO environment than their handheld-game existence let on.

Held Items in the handheld, which were tailored more as stat-enhancing/health-restorative items than ability-like equippables, were resourceful mainly for in-battle use; they had a scanty amount of out-of-battle uses, and added minimal-to-no enrichment to the PVE system—an aspect [PVE] that I personally believe an MMO should hold a higher standard of enrichment for than a more linear, single-player game. I'm not looking to do away with their in-battle effects (though alterations for the in-battle use of Held Items are open for discussion here), but I personally believe that they would be too one-dimensional for an MMO setting here, if added from the handheld games without any expansion of their use.

Some of the staff, such as Tecknician (who slightly inspired this discussion, after tossing around some ideas in a semi-recent IRC discussion) have tossed around some ideas, but it is a concept I wanted to take to the forums as well, evolving it into a more collective player-involved discussion—it is a potential change that I don't want you (the players) to be sheltered from, and it is a concept that I would like you to consider, in regards to what changes you'd like to see for Held Items here.

What new types of Held Items would you like to see here? What purposes, outside of battle, would you like Held Items to have here How can the in-battle Held Items be changed to fit this game's PvP culture better?

Please discuss and share your opinions.

 

[Buggot]

Just a quick thought I had, like the stat enhancing held item, but instead, a Held Item that makes the pokemon holding it shiny and 28+ IVs! Think of the possibilities xD
Edit: Maybe like a temporary item that makes the pokemon able to transport (i.e. like a trans. ticket)

 

[SapphirePhoenix]

First off, what is a PVE? Sorry, I'm not familiar with that term :s

Does this discussion focus on adding out-of-battle effect ideas to items that actually exist in the mainstream Pokemon games or is this for ideas for hypothetical new PWO-exclusive items? Or both? Either way having working hold items is something that would enrich the game in the future. It would be interesting if there was an item that slightly boosted the appearance of wild Pokemon with decent IVs, although having something like that risks being targeted by botters or would potentially over-saturate the market with high IV Pokemon.

The above idea made me think of the possibility of held items serving as substitutes for certain Pokemon abilities that had field effects. For example, the ability Arena Trap would increase the wild Pokemon encounter rate when you walk around so there could be a held item that the first Pokemon of your party can hold that can also do the same, or the opposite; Keen Eye/Intimidate reduces wild Pokemon encounters so a held item can mimic that effect too. Another interesting ability-to-held-item thing would be Pressure, it increased the chances of higher leveled Pokemon to appear and I think this would be an item effect people would like to use for training purposes.

Another idea would be a couple of held items that would be just for fun and serve no actual beneficial purpose. Maybe there can be a series of items that can change the weather on our client end (if it's raining the items can turn it into snow, or fall leaves floating down the screen, or drops of blood, or fish or..). And to activate it we can have a Pokemon on our lineup hold it (if people put more than one weather item on their team, whichever one is on the slot closest to the front would take effect). An item that when held would randomly make the Pokemon holding it make noise while you are walking around (its cry plays randomly) would be interesting too.

Just random ideas!

 

[Orean]

PVE (player-versus-environment) encompasses more of how players progress through the overworld; how they navigate through the map, complete the questwork, interact with NPCs, and so forth, in order to advance. Using HMs to surf, cut trees, etc. in the handheld games are some examples of PVE aspects. The handheld games, from the level of depth I have played, have never really been instrumental in the PVE aspect, and it's a concept that I would look us to potentially look at for how they're implemented in PWO.

I don't believe we'll ever develop a satisfiable PVE system, by an MMO's standards, if we don't look into different avenues than the single-player games, which is why I believe Held Items can be an opportunity to cater to the PVE system just as much as it does for PvP.

While yes, I am interested in hearing what type of out-of-battle Held Items players would like to see, I'm curious to field suggestions for generally what's considered more befitting for PWO—it may or may not include some of Held Items as they were used in the handheld games, but some of the Held Items that player may consider the most helpful here may also have never existed in the handheld games (namely PVE-oriented ones), and something I believe we could take a creative approach to if desirable.

In-battle Held Items, as they existed in the handheld games, are ones I also believe the PvP subcommunity may find it worthwhile to re-examine. Many of the in-battle ones in the handheld games were simply health restoratives, which were often used to facilitate a player's progression against NPCs, moreso than adding a well-defined element to the strategic culture of PvP. Stat-enhancing items and the sort did indeed exist as well, but if they would be better off changed in PWO, for our PvP culture, is the question, I suppose.

 

[SapphirePhoenix]

Thanks for the explanation! So, going back and re-reading the original post with that explanation in mind..

Held Items in the handheld, which were tailored more as stat-enhancing/health-restorative items than ability-like equippables, were resourceful mainly for in-battle use; they had a scanty amount of out-of-battle uses, and added minimal-to-no enrichment to the PVE system—an aspect [PVE] that I personally believe an MMO should hold a higher standard of enrichment for than a more linear, single-player game.

I think a lot of typical PVE uses for held items are already filled by the regular items we see in game; things like bikes and surfboards that hold navigational value or keys/tickets/bamboo flutes that are used for quests, so it's hard to come up with things that can be used outside on the map and think of a good reason why a Pokemon has to hold it instead of us players clicking on the item and having it activate from our backpack. Right now there really isn't much reason to need Pokemon to hold anything other than for battle or evolution purposes so maybe there could also be something added to the game to create a desire to have more PVE items around? (or people can suggest items and situations where it would be helpful)