Current Events > I caved. I bought Pokemon BD/SP. What kind of playthrough should I do first?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I specifically got Shining Pearl, which only matters to the above playthroughs in that Purugly would be available for mono-Normal but Skuntank wouldn't be for mono-Poison. There's enough other Poison types in the Sinnoh dex that I could still make a full team of 6 anyways.
---

What made you cave?

---

I was going to suggest a normal run first but

DELELELELELEWHOOOOOOOOP

---

You should do a playthrough where you drive to gamestop and get your money back.

---

Solar_Crimson posted...

What made you cave?

Seeing Youtubers like Blaines, PokeTips, and Austin John Plays cover the game and hearing about how fucking glitchy the games are at launch, including a duplication glitch you can do by yourself and a void glitch letting you catch Shaymin without the event item like in the originals. If I'm going to eventually cave and buy the game anyways (which I figured I would at some point, I love Pokemon and gen 4 was my favorite gen) I may as well do it early before they patch this broken shit.
---

So far, the normal playthrough option is winning. If that wins, then the option that gets the second-most votes will likely be my second playthrough.
---

Last bump before I start my playthrough
---

The kind of playthrough where you return the game and don't reward them for a glitchy, half-baked mess, Gen 4 remakes deserved more effort and care

---

Magikarp (solo)

---

Probably just return it.

---

DeadBankerDream posted...

You should do a playthrough where you drive to gamestop and get your money back.

Kiyune posted...

The kind of playthrough where you return the game and don't reward them for a glitchy, half-baked mess, Gen 4 remakes deserved more effort and care

Compsognathus posted...

Probably just return it.

Even if I did change my mind after the fact and wanted to return it (which likely won't happen) I bought it digitally so that's not even an option. I didn't feel like driving 15 minutes to the nearest Walmart or Gamestop and I didn't feel like waiting several days for a physical copy to be shipped.
---

Fire Type only run!

---

I started my playthrough last night after planning out the team I wanted to use, and I think I'll just use this topic to talk about it. So far I've gotten the first badge and defeated Team Galactic in the Valley Windworks, and my team right now consists of Monferno, Roselia, and Kricketune, all at level 16.

In my research, I learned that Kricketune is actually the only Pokemon in the entire Sinnoh Dex that can learn both False Swipe and a move that causes either sleep or paralysis. It learns Sing by level-up and False Swipe via TM. So despite planning to do a Kricketune solo as my second run, I'm also using one on my team for this first run to primarily use as my dedicated catching Pokemon.
---

https://youtu.be/o8gJCfoDhIc
---

Calwings posted...

Seeing Youtubers like Blaines, PokeTips, and Austin John Plays cover the game and hearing about how fucking glitchy the games are at launch, including a duplication glitch you can do by yourself and a void glitch letting you catch Shaymin without the event item like in the originals. If I'm going to eventually cave and buy the game anyways (which I figured I would at some point, I love Pokemon and gen 4 was my favorite gen) I may as well do it early before they patch this broken shit.

ngl these glitches actually make me want to play it more

---

I am at the third gym, but I have lost all interest. Sadly, I am way over leveled. Almost in the 30s.

---

Yeah I played for like an hour today and just got hit by how boring this game is. Don't even have the second badge yet.

---

KFHEWUI posted...

I am at the third gym, but I have lost all interest. Sadly, I am way over leveled. Almost in the 30s.

I'm purposefully avoiding as many trainers as possible (aside from gym trainers because I can't battle them after beating the gym leader) and not catching very many Pokemon to keep my team from becoming overleveled. I know I'll eventually need to battle those trainers to see all of the Pokemon in the Sinnoh Dex and get the National Dex, but I can do that later on.
---

Unfortunately, not many different Pokmon are showing up for me. Seems like the only ones showing up for me are Starly, Bidoof, Kricketot, and Shinx.

---

So... Mystery gifts are obtained at the t.v. station in Jubilife City...

---

I made it to Eterna City, got the Explorer Kit, explored the Underground for a bit, caught a Croagunk and an underleveled Gastrodon, got my ass destroyed by a wild Absol, beat the gym and Team Galactic, and got the bike. I didn't know you could find Pokemon from outside the Sinnoh Dex in the Underground before postgame, so seeing that Absol shocked me. It wouldn't stay in a ball and cut through my team like butter, so I couldn't catch it.

Current team:
Monferno Lv22
Roselia Lv22
Kricketune Lv21
Croagunk Lv21
Gastrodon Lv21
---

Yep I ran into a Houndoom but thanks to joy con drift, run away was hit. Got away safely!

---

Caught a Gastly, Houndoom, Bronzor, and Lickitung. Almost got a Hoothoot in underground.

---

you should return it


---

6/8 badges

---

KFHEWUI posted...

6/8 badges

You're going through the game way faster than I am. I just made it to Pastoria City where the fourth gym is. Also today, I went back down to the Underground to catch that Absol I saw before, plus I caught a Magnemite (which evolved to Magneton soon after) while I was down there and a Wingull on Route 213 right near Pastoria. In addition to adding Magneton, I decided to replace Gastrodon with Wingull (Drizzle will really help my team once it evolves to Pelipper) and Kricketune with Absol (which can also learn False Swipe, and I can just have Roselia paralyze stuff with Stun Spore until I get the Thunder Wave TM in the postgame) on my team.

Current team:
Monferno Lv32
Roselia Lv31
Croagunk Lv31
Magneton Lv33
Wingull Lv22
Absol Lv32

Next up is to train Wingull (with most of my other Pokemon boxed) to have it catch up with the rest of my team and then beat Crasher Wake.

Tappor posted...

you should return it

https://i.imgur.com/ve7jDzh.png

No.
---

I'm bum rushing it now. Avoiding as many trainers and grass as possible. My Pokmon are almost in the 50s.

Pretty much steam rolling everyone with just one move.

---

None of those. You just do a normal playthrough and try to 100% the game.

---

Tappor posted...

you should return it

U mad bro

---

It is completely wild to me that you have to actively avoid a major element of the game (trainer battles) just to maintain even a modicum of difficulty. Like it surely couldn't have been that difficult to scale trainer battles for the always on experience share.

---

Difficulty rom hackers, don't fail us now.
---

Compsognathus posted...

It is completely wild to me that you have to actively avoid a major element of the game (trainer battles) just to maintain even a modicum of difficulty. Like it surely couldn't have been that difficult to scale trainer battles for the always on experience share.

Trust me, I agree with you. Pokemon games are usually easy anyways, but having the EXP Share always on plus the levels being exactly identical to the original games that didn't have the modern EXP Share at all is ridiculous. It's almost like the game wants us to totally dump our team and replace them after every gym badge to avoid being overleveled, but even that's not realistic because TM's were made limited use again.
---

You can buy a wide variety of them... at least for special attackers pretty cheap.

Seeing that cheered me up at least.

---

Alteres posted...

You can buy a wide variety of them... at least for special attackers pretty cheap.

Seeing that cheered me up at least.

Yeah, seeing so many powerful moves just sitting there in the Veilstone department store that early in the game surprised me. It opens up more options, but it also makes the mid-game even easier since in most Pokemon games you'd be using weaker moves of those types at this point.
---

7/8 badges.

https://twitter.com/SerebiiNet/status/1464174744484429833?s=20

---

Didn't do much today. Like I said yesterday, I just trained Wingull to evolve it into Pelipper by fighting wild Pokemon on route 213 and then beat Crasher Wake. I also got Croagunk a few extra levels training alongside Wingull because it's the only unevolved member of my team but it's getting close.

Current team:
Monferno Lv33
Roselia Lv33
Croagunk Lv35
Magneton Lv34
Pelipper Lv31
Absol Lv33
---

Final badge. Heading to the end.

---

Got the 5th and 6th badges today, also went through Iron Island (getting a Shiny Stone and the Riolu egg while I was in there) and evolved a few of my Pokemon. Next up is dealing with Team Galactic's bullshit at Lake Valor.

Infernape Lv41
Roserade Lv40
Toxicroak Lv40
Magneton Lv40
Pelipper Lv40
Absol Lv39

I was slightly tempted to replace Toxicroak due to its type overlaps with Infernape and Roserade, but it and Pelipper make such a great team when I end up in a double battle. Pelipper brings rain with Drizzle and attacks both opponents with Surf, and that same Surf heals Toxicroak thanks to Dry Skin. Plus I don't think I've ever actually used Toxicroak in a playthrough before this, so I'm going to stick with it for now.
---

I am half way through with Elite Four. Literally stocked up on revive root and energy root and am bum rushing it.

---

nuzlocke is the only way i have fun with the games since they force me to use pokemon i never would and the extra difficulty. but i know you really can't do a nuzlocke in the new game with the forced EXP share. really dumb that you can't turn it off anymore.

i'd love if they added in a nuzlocke mode but it would never happen. but they could at least do a hard mode or add in some customization. like before you start a new game let you disable the exp share, boost levels of all the trainers and stuff. but that's extra work and not 5 year old friendly so won't happen.

creativeme posted...

i'd love if they added in a nuzlocke mode but it would never happen. but they could at least do a hard mode or add in some customization. like before you start a new game let you disable the exp share, boost levels of all the trainers and stuff. but that's extra work and not 5 year old friendly so won't happen.

The thing is, they already had a hard mode option in a mainline Pokemon game before.

https://serebii.net/black2white2/easychallengemode.shtml

The were willing to do it at one point, but then they never brought it back for future games.
---

Beat it last night.

When are they going to add Pokmon BDSP to Home?

---

Got the 7th badge, also dealt with all of the remaining Team Galactic stuff and evolved my Magneton to Magnezone while in Mt. Coronet. I made 3 attempts to catch Palkia with a good nature, but it's such a pain in the ass to catch thanks to Aqua Ring constantly restoring its HP that I just decided to KO it. Once it respawns again after I beat the Elite 4 (and also after I've used the duplication glitch to get a fuckton of Master Balls) I'll come back and catch it. For now, next up is heading to Sunyshore City and getting the last gym badge.

Current team:
Infernape Lv49
Roserade Lv49
Toxicroak Lv49
Magnezone Lv49
Pelipper Lv49
Absol Lv47

KFHEWUI posted...

When are they going to add Pokmon BDSP to Home?

Early next year, I think.
---

Calwings posted...

Got the 7th badge, also dealt with all of the remaining Team Galactic stuff and evolved my Magneton to Magnezone while in Mt. Coronet. I made 3 attempts to catch Palkia with a good nature, but it's such a pain in the ass to catch thanks to Aqua Ring constantly restoring its HP that I just decided to KO it. Once it respawns again after I beat the Elite 4 (and also after I've used the duplication glitch to get a fuckton of Master Balls) I'll come back and catch it. For now, next up is heading to Sunyshore City and getting the last gym badge.

Current team:
Infernape Lv49
Roserade Lv49
Toxicroak Lv49
Magnezone Lv49
Pelipper Lv49
Absol Lv47

Early next year, I think.

Did they change Palkia's catch rate? I feel like in the OG games you could basically just toss a Quick Ball at it and catch it on the first try more often than not and if that didn't work you just chucked Dusk Balls until one of them did.

---

If you've never used murkrow or honchrow I recommend giving it a try. I think its diamond only. But I caught one and decided to try it and it hits like a truck and it's not even evolved yet. I'm still really early though.

---

Wait!

You have to complete the Pokdex to access Ramanas Park? UGH.....

---

Compsognathus posted...

Did they change Palkia's catch rate? I feel like in the OG games you could basically just toss a Quick Ball at it and catch it on the first try more often than not and if that didn't work you just chucked Dusk Balls until one of them did.

According to Serebii, Dialga and Palkia had a catch rate of 30 back in the original D/P but it was lowered to 3 (the "standard" catch rate for legendaries) in OR/AS and that carried over to this game. The catch rate being higher in the originals makes sense because you're forced to fight them to progress the story, but the whole "if you don't catch a legendary, it'll respawn after you beat the Elite Four again" thing wasn't added until Platinum.

KFHEWUI posted...

You have to complete the Pokdex to access Ramanas Park? UGH.....

You need to see (not catch, just see) all 150 Pokemon in the Sinnoh Dex, then talk to Professor Rowan and get the National Dex. Getting that unlocks most of the postgame stuff, including Ramanas Park and a bunch of new Pokemon in the Underground. It is possible to see every Pokemon in the Sinnoh Dex (even the other version's cover legendary, thanks to an old lady in Celestic Town and her books) in one game without trading.
---

Umbreon posted...

I was going to suggest a normal run first but

DELELELELELEWHOOOOOOOOP

---

Calwings posted...

You need to see (not catch, just see) all 150 Pokemon in the Sinnoh Dex

150? I got 145...

---