Make consumables such as Focus Sash not be consumed in PVE

[Raichuforyou]

With obvious balancing for this, like increasing the BP costs on these sort of items, and making them less likely to be held on wild Pokemon, I think this would be a good balance to cause these items to be usable during PVE (making them one time use in battle, but not able to be consumed).

 

It's a slap in the face any time I see a Gym Leader or Elite 4 Pokemon using one of these consumables, knowing that if I were to desire to run my own focus sash or absorb bulb, it would cost me quite a bit to maintain these types of comps.

 

In my view too, these types of items being consumed in PVE is such an antiquated design of Pokemon that has stuck around, despite these items being pretty important for some certain comps. This also creates a benefit too where lesser experienced players can get more familiar with these items before jumping into comp, as well.

 

I want to clarify also that I think berries of any type should still be consumed.

[Darkshade]

2 hours ago, Raichu4u said:

With obvious balancing for this, like increasing the BP costs on these sort of items

That won't balance anything.

Once someone has one we sink less BP long term, objectively - regardless of how much they need to be abe to purchase it.

 

I'm not saying your point in regards to gym leaders is invalid, but they are some of the best trainers in the region and are sometimes placed there to help teach how these items work.

[Raichuforyou]

30 minutes ago, Darkshade said:

That won't balance anything.

Once someone has one we sink less BP long term, objectively - regardless of how much they need to be abe to purchase it.

 

I'm not saying your point in regards to gym leaders is invalid, but they are some of the best trainers in the region and are sometimes placed there to help teach how these items work.

I'm going to ask, and I'm not sure you have the data for this, but are people genuinely rebuying consumables for PVE? I could imagine maybe a scenario where someone stocks up on 5 Focus Sash's for the lv 100 Elite 4, but the end result is that it is scoring you more BP anyway. Even having a Pokemon set that revolves around it holding a focus sash seems worthless for PVE when you're doing something like rematching gym leaders, considering that you're spending 2,300 BP (maximum) to make about 250,000 pokeyen. And that's highly discouraged considering that winning without consumables is insanely easy.

 

I just genuinely question if it's a real sink, because I have a feeling that other players likeminded to myself just save the consumables for PVP and Battle Frontier.

[Matoka]

33 minutes ago, Raichu4u said:

 

If every item unique to Battle-Points were to require only a single purchase, similar to how Eviolite and Choice Band function, then over time Battle-Points just become a resource that stockpiles for players that already have all those items. (Ignoring BP tutor, vitamins and secret base decorations etc)

Eventually if a player plays enough, and doesn't automatically sell all their BP items to players and holds them, they will reach a point where they have x6 of each item.
With x6 of each non-consumable item you no longer have any demand for any of those items, your Battle-Points you gain now only serve to let you buy an item from the NPC and then sell it to a player.

but eventually that player will get x6 of every item, and the next player etc etc, at this point the demand for any of these items is nothing while the supply will just continue to increase, it is actively healthy for the concept of battle-points as a currency if there is something 1) unique to them, 2) desirable  and 3) consumable because otherwise BP and these items will become close to worthless.

Focus Sash is currently an example of an item that meets these criteria, obviously we all would love a no-strings-attached infinite use focus sash (I love shedinja so it makes me sad in the short-term for obvious reasons that its consumable too) but overall everyone is much happier with a functioning currency, especially one that has as many uses as Battle-Points.

Although I really REALLY do understand that its not particularly likely to make a person happy to hear that the reason why something they don't like is the way it is is because it's for the "Greater Good" and its really difficult to get a good balance of these kinda things, but overall I would say Focus Sash (and the others that work the same way) are good choices for this kind of item because they don't feel as "necessary" for majority of pokemon and they don't even necessarily always get consumed in a match so they usually on average do last more than a single match.

I don't have my hand anywhere near the cookie jar that is the development decision making of this game, but I would hope to imagine I'm not way off in what I said compared to the likely decision making that went behind this, and no one will know for sure but I (short-term sadly) doubt they will ever be made permanent items

[Raichuforyou]

But my argument is if anyone is actually buying these consumables over and over again for multiple PvE battles? I've already stated that I suspect that other players are like me to where the price of the focus sash (even it being 100 BP) is a deterrent to ever make a comp in PVE that uses it, because it inherently digs into your profits. I mentioned that it seems that the only worthwhile time to use a consumable is for the level 100 Elite 4, because you'll end up with a net profit of BP (and that's only implying you use just one consumable 5 times in a row).

 

I am curious how other players respond to these cheaper consumables though. I have personally only ever bought one of each for PVP/tournament mode battles, and have zero plans to buy more. Bands, EV boosting items, and move tutors function more as a sink for my BP.