10-06-2019, 05:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-06-2019, 05:25 PM by Dragonstrike.)
While it was epic by definition and I did enjoy it to some degree, I do have a few criticisms.
a) The Artifacts only affecting one pokemon at a time (with the exception of the helm) made it feel like they were optimized for a single character to wield them all, using one pokemon at a time. That could be good or bad, but I think we can all agree that...
b) Not having enough Artifacts for all the players wasn't a good thing overall (at least imo). People felt left out (even moreso thanks to the Scims), and while that's (mostly) been adressed (OOC) already, it also left us with moments where not everyone could contribute to the final battle in a meaningful way aside from one or two small things.
c) The Artifacts being less effective than expected in the Clone battle seemed a bit...arbitrary. While I kinda get what Iron was going for with the power levels apparently affecting how potent ghe Artifacts are (at least, I think that's the key difference Iron was referring to between the Clones and the Prime), it was a rather nasty surprise to find out that it would take more blows than expected to fell something that wasn't even fully PDed, particularly since there was almost no prior indication that would be the case.
d) I feel like the Helm being given to Spira last minute hurt its performance overall. Its full range of effects weren't as well explained as the simpler Sword and Shield, and Spira's team wasn't exactly very well optimized for it on top of not really having any time to play around with the effects himself before the big battle. (Loved Kelda's turnaround reaction, though).
e) The retrieval of 3 of the Artifacts definitely felt...lackluster. Mostly because the Scims just automatically pulled 'em out of their hiding places, giving us very littke chance to puzzle it out for ourselves or make our own attempt. (Granted, that didn't quite happen with the Hauberk, but it boiled down to relying on them for it anyways)
f) Aside from the start of the SR and retrieving the Artifacts, plus the few times they drew some enemies from a large horde away...it didn't really feel like the Scims did much. I was under the impression they'd be present and assisting in almost every encounter due to the nature of the 'agreement', but it ended up feeling like they weren't there at all in most of the encounters we dealt with.
I liked the settings and cinematics a lot, but...it felt wanting mechanically to me. There were still moments I enjoyed, but...I'm finding myself more relieved that it's FINALLY over than celebratory.
I really hope that the next PD encounter we have is going to be a fairer challenge mechanically for everyone involved, not just those with the few key items that are the only things that can make a significant difference at all.
...of course, it's not truly over until Cosh either gets away or is arrested, and I find myself dreading this immediate stretch's roleplaying again. Honestly, I've not been having as much fun as I'd have liked during this entire stretch with the Artifacts, knowing that these issues were likely going to crop up after Deoxys.
It would be oh so cathartic to finally see Cosh get his due, though. Just like when Kelda turned around and left the Scims.
a) The Artifacts only affecting one pokemon at a time (with the exception of the helm) made it feel like they were optimized for a single character to wield them all, using one pokemon at a time. That could be good or bad, but I think we can all agree that...
b) Not having enough Artifacts for all the players wasn't a good thing overall (at least imo). People felt left out (even moreso thanks to the Scims), and while that's (mostly) been adressed (OOC) already, it also left us with moments where not everyone could contribute to the final battle in a meaningful way aside from one or two small things.
c) The Artifacts being less effective than expected in the Clone battle seemed a bit...arbitrary. While I kinda get what Iron was going for with the power levels apparently affecting how potent ghe Artifacts are (at least, I think that's the key difference Iron was referring to between the Clones and the Prime), it was a rather nasty surprise to find out that it would take more blows than expected to fell something that wasn't even fully PDed, particularly since there was almost no prior indication that would be the case.
d) I feel like the Helm being given to Spira last minute hurt its performance overall. Its full range of effects weren't as well explained as the simpler Sword and Shield, and Spira's team wasn't exactly very well optimized for it on top of not really having any time to play around with the effects himself before the big battle. (Loved Kelda's turnaround reaction, though).
e) The retrieval of 3 of the Artifacts definitely felt...lackluster. Mostly because the Scims just automatically pulled 'em out of their hiding places, giving us very littke chance to puzzle it out for ourselves or make our own attempt. (Granted, that didn't quite happen with the Hauberk, but it boiled down to relying on them for it anyways)
f) Aside from the start of the SR and retrieving the Artifacts, plus the few times they drew some enemies from a large horde away...it didn't really feel like the Scims did much. I was under the impression they'd be present and assisting in almost every encounter due to the nature of the 'agreement', but it ended up feeling like they weren't there at all in most of the encounters we dealt with.
I liked the settings and cinematics a lot, but...it felt wanting mechanically to me. There were still moments I enjoyed, but...I'm finding myself more relieved that it's FINALLY over than celebratory.
I really hope that the next PD encounter we have is going to be a fairer challenge mechanically for everyone involved, not just those with the few key items that are the only things that can make a significant difference at all.
...of course, it's not truly over until Cosh either gets away or is arrested, and I find myself dreading this immediate stretch's roleplaying again. Honestly, I've not been having as much fun as I'd have liked during this entire stretch with the Artifacts, knowing that these issues were likely going to crop up after Deoxys.
It would be oh so cathartic to finally see Cosh get his due, though. Just like when Kelda turned around and left the Scims.
Proud member of the Roleplay section!
Pokerole Game 1: Skull Ruins
Pokerole Game 2: Celadon City Vandals
Pokerole Game 3: PMD: Primal Shadows
Pokerole Game 1: Skull Ruins
Pokerole Game 2: Celadon City Vandals
Pokerole Game 3: PMD: Primal Shadows
