What Makes A Good Starter?

[altimis]

As the newest Pokemon Sun/Moon is around the corner, we will have a seventh set of canon starters. That made me think about starter pokemon in general and the qualities they have, and what fan games have either adopted, adapted, or overwritten.

​My question is, what makes a good starter?

​Some topics of investigation would be:
* Should starters be powerful enough for you to keep the whole game, or should they everntuallybe replaced?
​* Should starters be obtainable in the wild?
​* Should more fire starters be secondary fighting type?

​* Should starters be fire, grass, water? Should they even relate at all?

​Some are more serious than others, but they all fair-game...

​My observations:
All starters are fairly cute, and almost pet-related, as in most starter pokemon are based on animals people have as pets. They tend to have awkward stage ones, with powerful stage twos.
​They tend to be strong enough to last your journey to the end of the game without too much difficulty.
​I'm sick of fire/fighting. I dislike that they are always fire, grass, water.

​Things I think would make a good starter:
While I do like that you can effectively keep your starter the entire game, I feel like it would be interesting to have to make a choice to do so. I wouldn't mind a slight cut-back on power level simply because it might draw players closer to their pokemon. Do you want a more powerful pokemon, or a pokemon that has been with you since the beginning? I wouldn't cut back the power too much obviously, but just enough so that the question arises more often.

​I would love for there to be non-fire, grass, and water starters. While I appreciate the trifecta created, I personally would love if they were connected in some other them other than the rock/paper/scissors. Things like, have them all be the same animal but with a different elemental connection. Have them all come from the place only accessible post-game. Have one that can surf, one that can fly, and one that can ... rock climb, (punch boulders) just something else. I wouldn't care about which one beats the other, and just gofor whatever types may come from that.

I also think that they should all have three stages is kind of a waste. While I like that they should all have the same number of evolutions in their generation, maybe have it so they don't evolve, or have only two stages.

​Just something to strike up discussion... what do you guys think makes a good starter, versus a bad starter?

[DemICE]

A starter should be a pokemon that is able to be dependable (without being outright broken) at all stages of the story (early/mid/late).

The two stage evolution helps in that, since it is a better and more fluid power progression as the game itself progresses.

The grass/fire/water triangle is an ancient tradition that should be broken. Its only purpose was the rival battle imo, and to teach u basic type strengths and weaknesses. We are long past that. Every type should be viable, as long as it is balanced at early/mid/late.

Fire/fighting should stop happening anymore. We got enough.

Spheal for example, and Trapinch would make good and balanced starters.

[NickCrash]

There is no need for the Fire/Grass/Water triangle to be broken. If you don't want to use your starter any longer, the box is always there for you. What we need are better and more original type combinations for our starters. Remember how in Gen1 you got your first dual typed starter in Bulbasaur? Grass/Poison was good, until you realized that almost all other grass types in the game had that exact combination, so Venusaur could be easily Substituted for Vileplume (example).

Grass/Poison, Fire/Flying and Water/Ground were never revisited by starters, as there are also other wild pokemon with those combinations. However Fire/Fighting was made 3 consecutive times without wild pokemon of the typing, effectively forcing you to choose it against your will because of the nice offensive presense the pokemon would have in the game. In an ideal world where Wormadam does not exist, Grass/Ground has also not been revisited, and I hope it won't. Same goes for Water/Steel for Empoleon. The Gen6 starters have type counterparts here and there so they get a pass.

Normally, a starter should be a reliable pokemon that reflects your growth within the game. The levels they evolve are representative of the basic changes in a person's life; 16-18 entering maturity, and 30-36 no longer being considered 'young' . So it is good they remain that way, even though some final evolutions seem too sudden like Chesnaught's and Samurott's.

They should not be found in the wild, as they are supposed to be special both as a means to get you started, but also as a companion that is helping you through life (here game) and will be there both in the good and the bad. That can be said for almost any pokemon in your party (bar HM slaves), but this one is your very first pokemon, and your choice entirely, so it's higher on the emotional bond scale.

Therefore it must be powerful. As you grow, so must it, and as you fail, it must be there to help you stand back on your own legs. A weak pokemon like Bibs wouldn't do, and probably be discarded. For the same reason, it must be unique in the way it battles, and if possible, have special characteristics that define a role for it. Sure, when you enter the competitive scene you find many different sets for the same pokemon, but in-game, you don't have the patience to try them all out. Yet some are more profound than others, and this is also the game trying to tell you to organize your team not only by type, but also by roles.

I'm not sure I've covered your questions, since that's mostly my opinion.

I would be surprized however if the starters at some point become huge threats for everything, like a Steel/Dragon/Fairy triangle.

[Raviel the Phantom]

In my opinion, a good starter is one that has good stats (500+), which is usually the norm for them. This is your first Pokemon in each game, the one you are meant to craft a bond with above them all. It is meant to stay with you through the game to the very end. I don't think I have ever gotten rid of my starter on my main team. The mere thought of that is tragic.

[MirrorTrick]

please no more fire fighting, save litten

I don't mind having fire/grass/water starters, but I think it would be interesting if they broke the tradition. Maybe with another trio of types that are super effective against each other, like rock/flying/fighting or ground/poison/grass. You'd still have a place to start for people new to the series learning the type chart, but also be doing something new for the people who have seen 'em all.

The three stage evolutions help to keep them balanced throughout the game, plus there's some nice symbolism there about growing up (keeping in mind that the canon games are directed at a younger audience), so that's something I would personally keep.

Since they're supposed to be unique, I wouldn't make them available in the wild. It is a bit of a big deal which one you pick, after all, especially if your rival(s) get the other starter(s). I would make it so that you can get the other starters through a post-game sidequest, though, for dex completion (or if you want to play around with them during the post-game).

I think they should stay with you throughout the entire game, but that's more of personal preference than anything else. Make them strong enough so that they don't punish sentimental players (like me) who would prefer to keep them, but I wouldn't leave the player screwed if they don't use one, either, for people who would prefer more freedom with building their team.

[DarkRings]

In my opinion a starter pokemon is one that that strong enough that you can depend on it for the entire game. It shouldn't be boxed because at the start of the game you have a choice between three starters which are mostly very strong.

[altimis]

For me, I think it would be a sense of accomplishment if they were achievable in the wild in a difficult to get place.

​If the professor set it up such that, "I discovered a new species of pokemon, I want you to figure out what it can do..." then later you go through a puzzle/side-quest to end up where the starters are found in the wild. It brings a sense of exploration and, this is where the professor was. To me, if makes the character of the professor a bit more relatable(?)

​For me I think it's just the term starter that I dislike the most. I think of it as something that's meant to start you off; not something that's supposed be with you everywhere. It can, but that would be your choice to do it.

​That said, is if good that there are only three starters or simply one per type?

​What if you had a choice of one from each type? Or several choices for each fire, grass, water (like in pokemon reborn)? Do those negate the purpose of the starter?

​What if you simply chose a type, and you got a semi-random pokemon of that type. I'll use pokemon Reborn as an example. Instead of choosing one from the eighteen, you pick the type, and you get one in that type? I feel that there would be a bias in answers because, we all have a favorite that we would probably SR for; but what if they were entirely new pokemon.

​I think it would be fun to have a starter from each type, that would be more fun as a trainer to start with that kind of a choice. It would be cool to get at trainer type based on our decision too (or simply could choose it).

[NickCrash]

The choice is crucial. You decide with which pokemon to start your adventure, and as the professors usually say, those pokemon will accompany you through your journey. It makes an emotional connection, as to speak. They evolve like you do, and become stronger as you move on with the game. They are not too strong in order not to need anything else, but they are reliable.

Had we the opportunity to choose from all types, we would end up with two issues. First and most obvious one, what's the challenge when you start with a dragon, a fairy or a steel type pokemon? They instantly destroy the progression of the game, and you won't get the chance of learning through the mechanics, have an adventure through the region or discover new strategies to battle your opponents with. Brute force thanks to typing won't help achieve any of those goals. The second reason is the choice of typing. Grass/Fire/Water are a well-known trio that intuitively makes sense, so people of all ages and backgrounds can relate their knowledge to the logic of pokemon and have a smooth integration. They are also basic types that one can imagine, and like equally, unlike Bugs, Ghosts, Dark, and Fairy, although all kids would choose Dragons and Fighters. So it's a good choice.