>>49928425 I think what I'm getting at is more so that 50%-80% of a route shouldn't be optional exploration. They clearly put care into these routes, they shouldn't make all of that care feel hidden away. Think of Viridian Forest, where you had to take a winding path, with occasional dead ends or items littered on the ground. Or even the desert in Hoenn, which although itself can be considered an optional area (defeating my entire point, I know) was a location where the shortest route was NOT the marked path, meaning that you either explored on your own to get to your goal faster or you were exposed to more of the route while taking the path of least resistance.
I think the better use of optional exploration are things like the Old Chateau in DP, where you see most of the route on your own but there is this huge mansion just off the path that is only hinted at by the cuttable trees you see. Or even the areas in Unova with the darker grass & stronger pokemon, since those areas hinted at there being more to explore on the route while also telling you that you aren't ready for this area, yet (I assume, still haven't beaten BW). When a game holds your hand as much as Sun & Moon (I love the games, but they really do hold your hand), having such huge chunks of the routes be optional almost feels like the game is saying "the gameplay is optional, the story is not." But maybe my mind is overblowing just how many areas were completely optional in those games.
