Why can't there just be a "physical" level cap?

[lastdragon]

I was playing Pokemon Pyrite earlier, a romhack of Crystal with increased difficulty and a few additional features. One of the things I really like about it and think would be a great addition in Reborn is the physical level cap. Once you reach the cap, you can't go above that level. Any exp you gain is immediately reduced to zero. I never understood why you need sweet candies to reduce your pokemon's level in Reborn, It's unintuitive and really takes away from the fun in my eyes. It adds a layer of difficulty (read: annoyance) that I really can't be bothered to deal with. It's not fun.

[elfen]

Because that would deter people from using a ray of different pokemon. The point of this kind of system forces us to utilize all sorts of pokemon we wouldn't think of, and if we just stuck with the same 5-6 pokemon, we would be punished.

[Marcello]

Also common candies give you the option of levelling above the cap for evolutions or moves and then bringing it back down again, which you can't do with a hard cap.

[Caraboo]

Yeah, basically what they've said. I don't know if I would have been able to beat the second poison gym in a timely manner if I hadn't been able to grind above the level cap a bit so my Floatzel could learn Aqua Tail to get rid of that Nidoqueen.

[Combat]

Along with the previous points, it makes more sense to do it in the way that Gamefreak intended, since level caps are in all of there games without having a psychical one.

[Ice Cream Sand Witch]

I'm about 10 levels above the level cap and I think I prefer disobedience to not being able to level up. It just feels like a waste of EXP.

I've also only ever used Common Candies in my Metronome run, because Metronome has two opportunities for disobedience: once when using Metronome, and once when the Pokemon uses the move that Metronome generates. It's the same with paralysis, confusion, and infatuation.

[Kurotsune]

All that said here's the real reason

Thank you for contacting the Reborn Development team, please forward all inquiries to amethyst.liddel@gmail.com

Everyone has pretty much already listed the reasons but I'm not about to skip the opportunity

[Commander]

Yep, that is actually a really good reason tbh. I mean I did it for Hardcore just to stop people from overleveling (and freaking changing 100 trainer levels) and it's hilarious how people are split 50-50 on this idea. I personally don't care as it eventually makes for an even bigger grind down the line as you'd be wasting approximately 40 level ups using the level limiter.

Reborn itself is fine since the soft limit and hard limit are different with a gap inbetween. If you're saying you need to stop your Pokemon from leveling up in REGULAR reborn, there's more problems there than one because you shouldn't be dancing on the cap but usually 3-5 levels below. So yeah, don't think Reborn really needs to stop exp grinding as it's not an issue.

[Caraboo]

Yeah, I don't think I ever really have had an issue with the level cap in the first place. Not even during that relatively long stretch of not getting a gym badge did I have to use common candies very much. I'm only having to use them a lot now as I'm grinding at end of episode 15 and using my 'main' team members to help out my lower leveled guys. XD Idk, I've never had an issue with it, I don't see a problem with it, and I'm glad it keeps people from overleveling too much and keeps the game at a decently challenging range.

[Eternal Edge]

My personal question is how is putting a hard cap on level more intuitive than letting the player decide what level they want to keep their Pokemon at? Forcing your players to play a game your way is in no way consumer friendly and leaves you with few options should you run into trouble in-game. With no level cap you can evolve or learn later moves that might give you the type advantage you need in order to progress. Plus, locking the level completely cuts out a mechanic of the game that, I'd be willing to say, is one of the defining mechanics of Pokemon.

[Tempest]

Lore-wise a hard level cap is pretty hard to explain. The soft level cap is easy in comparison, and it allows the player more strategic options and more freedom. Though I do agree some kind of level cap is definitely beneficial.

[Garnet.]

#slammed

it's not really annoying, it forces you to think. plus common candies arent even expensive. adding a hard level cap has it's own merits but i think it's more annoying with a hard level cap because going like 5 levels above the cap to get a move to help you win vs whoever and reverting back down requires you to really think past "oh well thats it hes level 40 i cant level him up anymore oh well :["

imo the only reason you'd want it is so your pokes dont disobey you in a gym battle by going up one level but that just enforces not using one poke and if you really have an issue with it the game also kind of pushes you in the direction of a rotating party so :///

all in all like everyone else said freedom is a big thing in pokemon games and a hard level cap like that is the opposite of that

[Tartar]

Because that would deter people from using a ray of different pokemon. The point of this kind of system forces us to utilize all sorts of pokemon we wouldn't think of, and if we just stuck with the same 5-6 pokemon, we would be punished.

I actually I kinda did that throughout the game. It's not like you'll ever hit the level cap as long as you don't actually grind. If anything my team was chronically bellow the level limit.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Tartar

[BigShotJoe]

I actually I kinda did that throughout the game. It's not like you'll ever hit the level cap as long as you don't actually grind. If anything my team was chronically bellow the level limit.

This right here. No matter what kind of playthrough I'm doing, my team always ends up being 15-20 levels below the cap around the Radomus/Luna/Samson section of the game. In one playthrough, I swept Samson with a level 47 Gyarados. A hard cap wouldn't be a great idea.

[DemICE]

Well dunno, but i personally never had a serious issue with the level cap. I figured the game was giving me the next level cap about when i needed it myself. I was always dancing around the level cap when i was facing the corresponding gym leader. Also in the cases i hit the cap and didnt want to drag that pokemon with me until the next gym, i simply considered it a chance to raise a new pokemon and increase my roster.

The only part in the game where the level cap came much faster than the gym, was the big battle between the "Good" and the "bad" side in "Amy and Tania's house" . Well ofc after that you could go straight to Ciel, and the battle itself was the "chapter closing boss battle" so thats a good reason for u to fight it on your level cap.

I think people just cant get the idea of wild pokemon grinding out of their heads completely, so they do some here and there, and as a result they hit the cap earlier than intended...

Edited June 8, 2016 by DemICE

[Timber Dragon]

I think the only time the level cap really, truly bugged me is during the long stretch between Shelly and Kiki, but only because it felt like wasted experience. There are a lot of major battles during then, and the experience adds up even when raising multiple Pokemon.

I actually prefer the lack of a physical cap. Like the others mentioned, sometimes there's a move or evolution you want that's past the gap. But I also like it because it places the responsibility of managing your levels on yourself. It punishes you for overleveling, and it wouldn't have the same effect if a cap was physically enforced.