>>29530957Sorry, I meant to say it takes an hour to beat max rank starting with zero contest stats and including the time it takes to max out your stats in that hour.
Adding a location-based evolution really isn't hard to do programming-wise. People have done it on hacks for the Game Boy with assembly code, and it's only a few lines (albeit, the hacks I mention base it on maps, it would be slightly more complicated if you need to be within a certain range of an object on the map, but still doable on the Game Boy and definitely super easy on the DS; I'm sure a ROMhacker would have done it in an HGSS hack if they weren't so annoying to hack). If GF wanted to, they could just include a Moss Rock in Viridian Forest and an Icy Rock in Seafoam Islands, and have either Route 9 or Rock Tunnel act magnetic due to their proximity to the Power Plant; the fact that they didn't isn't the fault of time constraints, it's a design choice (not a good design choice mind you, there's no reason not to include them other than wanting to squeeze more money out of the player by forcing them to get a Sinnoh game).
>>29531596Berry Blending being required for Contests is a good example of what you mean, I suppose someone disliking the former would have trouble doing the latter. I admit I was very annoyed at having to endure Zinnia's shitfest to get to the Battle Resort, this would be like that to them.
However, freedom doesn't mean much if there's nothing to choose from. I can see an argument if it bars you from other content in the game (though I think it's better to refine content rather than remove it if there's a flaw in it, such as making the AI less shit and allowing you to get perfect Pokéblocks on your own with proper play), but content such as the Mirage Tower and Desert Underpass should have been included even if they aren't interesting to some. I personally like the Mirage Tower, it adds character to the region, an RNG-based mini-dungeon that you must check periodically for.