>>23558710^this.
most HMs served a purpose back in gen 1-2-3
gens 4-5-6 kinda experimented a bit and then dropped it off completely.
cut was a roadblock
fly was a time saver
surf was terrain transport
flash was uh..."path revealing"
strength was a puzzle minigame
waterfall was almost always used as a "late-game terrain gate"
whirlpool was literally cut for the ocean
rocksmash was literally cut but you could sometimes find items/pokemon
dive was a fun little exploration minigame
rock climb was sorta like waterfall but for land
defog which was like flash but for outside caves
most of them were just clones, save for strength, surf, dive and fly.
when the game is centered around endurance and survival, then HM's are fine.
but if the game shifts to a more streamlined cinematic approach, then there is
almost no reason to still keep them permanent.
i for one wish that gen 7 brings us a more hardcore endurance pokemon game
like red and blue were. greater focus on survival and exploration rather than
collect badges > beat evil team > stop legendary pokemon > become champion
