Some tidbits according to the description of the
official guide book:
1. The areas of the game remain the same: 4 main islands and Aether Paradise
2. Poke Refresh returns
3. Poke Pelago returns
4. Festival Plaza returns
5. Poke Finder returns
6. Battle Royale and Battle Tree return
7. QR Scan returns
This guide book will be released on December 6th, and comes with a serial code for two Master Balls. It also mentions that it'll detail how to "get the newest moves, abilities, and items", though obviously that sounds a little odd. Have they ever introduced new moves and abilities mid-gen?
None of this is a surprise, but might as well say what I'd like to see from these returning features:
1. Just because the main region map didn't change doesn't mean they can't have secret islands. Would be a cool thing to let us access with Mantine Surf (that or secret locations around the islands like secluded beaches and/or caves). Granted these locations might not have much depth to them, but would be nice places to hide pieces or lore, rare items, and maybe a special Pokemon (Legendaries, Hidden Ability Pokemon).
2. Hmm, well I don't think them making it any less broken is going to happen. How about this, letting us groom and play with our Mega Pokemon or any other form that's not normally accessible outside of battle. Would create some neat animations. Also, maybe have the bean color be a factor when feeding a Pokemon, having different colors is kind of pointless as of right now.
3. Can you make it so we can do more stuff with the Poke Beans? Like how about each island having unique things we can buy instead of just dumping a ton of Beans in a crate for them to eat. Isle Abeens can have type lures which attract Pokemon of a certain type, Isle Aplenny can have different kind of mulches to make berries grow faster/produce more berries/mutate/etc., Isle Aphun can have certain exploration equipment which has the Pokemon more likely to find a certain kind of item, Isle Evelup can have advanced/mixed drink blends, and Isle Avue can have bath oils which can affect other traits like Affection (or when high Affection bonuses will activate) or what Nature an Egg will mostly likely have.
4. The only way to have improved that was to replace it with the PSS. Well let's work with what we
are forced upon got. First, actually, why not implement the PSS? Would it really change the bottom screen that much? Maybe even let us actively switch out trainers in our Plaza with ones currently on the PSS list. This would also bring back O-Powers. Also have it when we click on a trainer's icon it lists what clothes they're wearing and what facilities they're offering, also noting whether you have it or not (would is also be too much to ask to let us search for specific clothing and Facilities?).
Second, how about we bring some mechanics of the better done Join Avenue in. Instead of a facility already having a rank, how about just letting us level it up upon frequent visits to it? In place of Sophocles offering a certain level facility, have it so he can either offer a new facility or rarely offer to instantly level up an existing facility.
Third, let us explore other people's Festival Plaza. What's the point of choosing our castle, music theme, and naming it if no one else is going to see it?
Fourth, put better items in the shops (for starters, Apricorn Poke Balls in the Ball Shop!)
I'm sure there's more that can be done, but these basic ones would make Festival Plaza may be worth it.
5. A simple one, how about each route/area you can catch a wild Pokemon having a Pokemon unique to it. Probably have to cut down on having every day of the week having a different Pokemon, but they could still do a night and day difference and maybe even have some version exclusives. Heck, they could have native found Pokemon but they have their Hidden Abilities.
6. A mode in Battle Royal where it's last Pokemon standing being the winner would be nice. Probably play more of it if that was an option.
Battle Tree, I don't know, adding back Triple and Rotation Battles? Maybe also Inverse Battles. While we're at it, why not also Little Cup and Rental Pokemon. Oh, and of course adding in more well known NPCs from past games.
7. For the QR Scanner itself, why not make it into a DexNav of sorts? You scan a certain Pokemon's QR code, it'll look for that Pokemon, and if its around it has an increased chance having something special about it like better IVs, an Egg Move, Hidden Ability, and/or even Shiny.
As for Island Scan, how about each route/area you can catch a wild Pokemon having a Pokemon unique to it. Probably have to cut down on having every day of the week having a different Pokemon, but they could still do a night and day difference and maybe even have some version exclusives. Heck, they could have native found Pokemon but they have their Hidden Abilities.
2 Master Balls? Hm, not bad, though they'll probably just be used on the Island Guardians unless you REALLY want Tapu Fini in that one Lure Ball you get.
This is a bit off-topic, but I'm curious how Game Freak is going to justify the Tapus being catchable in future generations.