>>39191849Not really.
And not even really
>>39191854, so much.
Every game not set in Japan has been full of stereotypical tourist bullshit. Sports are one of the things that instantly spring to mind when thinking about the UK as a tourist.
Thinking in that line returning to Gyms makes sense.
There's a reason people tell you to write what you know and Game Freak don't know anything but Japan, demonstrably.
What would actually be more interesting for them to do is if they let the nearby Nintendo branch handle development with them overseeing it but clearly they haven't done that.
If it were me, I'd personally want someone to oversee me doing somewhere else who has actually lived there for at least 20 years. One of my regions is based on where I live for a reason. I know what life is like here. I've lived here for almost half of the average human life now.
I can only imagine them shitting it up badly in comparison if they ever decided to make one (which is unlikely because even in Canada we're basically ignored, but still).
The other two regions I have aren't actually based on a real life place. They're designed to be interesting from a level design perspective and because I'm making them up they don't feel like tourist tripe.
I didn't dislike trials, they basically are just gyms after all, but I'd say trials are more suited to side questing. Though they could combine the two if they weren't hacks rushing out yearly shit. No reason a hard boss battle couldn't anime it up and see you earning a badge despite not competing in a Gym directly at the end of a side quest.
