>>32774157Yes Gen 1 and Gen 2 Gyms were shit, and they improved. The thing is that improvement should've carried over to Trials, since they're basically just Gyms anyways, but it didn't. Revisit it in Gen VIII, fine, but as it is switching to Gyms would require to provide new experiences that may actually be good this time, due to either a different level designer, or a director who can say "this isn't okay", or just more experience with off-grid overworld, instead of recycling most if not all of the trials like they probably are actually going to do.
Also while Blaine's Gym has a quiz deal, there's still actually walking around the Gym and options to just fight all the trainers rather than take the quiz. That's a difference right there in the philosophy we've seen behind Gyms and Trials thus far.
>>32774175I used Popplio and it was still easy as fuck, because I actually used a varied team rather than crutching on my starter. Not that any of the games aren't easy, except maybe BW2's Challenge Mode.
Totems are pretty cool, yeah, but there's plenty of ways to implement them without the Trial shell.
