Hi! This is something that was definitely brought up years ago and I’m reiterating it because it’s still an issue and I don’t think it would take a lot to fix if the system is not being rehauled.
Currently, late game meta revolves a lot around Crystals and Gems which are highly coveted items - and some of these weathers are thematic but not functional, due to being based on PMD sky’s mechanics for these items. But, PMD sky is not a perfect product and is not free of balance oversights - and - it does not necessarily synergise with PMU as a game either (we see this in a lot of the family items that cannot function such as ones that rely on Kecleon shops etc).
Rather than staying selectively loyal to PMD sky (many other items and aspects of the game are changed to fit PMU better), I believe some changes should be made to the weather effects and/or which weather activates certain items because as it currently stands, these items make some types worse to use than others just because of how their weather conditions interact with the typing.
Cloudy is a weather condition that outright reduces damage of every type except Normal type - and it makes no sense that any other type’s item requires it to be used. Rain is currently only used with Water types, and I think would make more sense to synergise with the use of Thunder for electric types. Alternatively, Cloudy’s damage reduction should exclude the types that rely on it to activate their items - which also includes Poison. This has been brought up before, and I’d hoped it’d have been addressed by now. If it has been and the Wiki is wrong about cloudy weather, I apologise! But I think it’s pretty unfair when these items perform worse for these types due to that weather, but cost the exact same amount and are supposed to have the same value - Electric and Poison types are otherwise not overpowered in a way that deserves this set-back from their items.
Agree that electric should be in rain.
As for cloudy, if using type enhancing items, usually the rock will be used and the only way to set the weather is with an orb otherwise. As far as I know, the cloudy rock doesn’t affect damage, so most of the time it won’t be a problem for crystal/gem usage.
Regardless, it is weird for the types that use this weather to get weakened by it in its natural state.
Gonna add that I do think the cloudy/foggy items shouldn’t be held at the same value as other crystals and gems because of another reason… weather spawn-in abilities… with the only way to change it being orbs… but that’s another can of worms lol
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Ah I didn’t realise the weather rocks didn’t effect damage! Still, it’s definitely worth reconsidering it, even if it isn’t as pressing of an issue as I’d imagined.
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Let’s also not forget that Electric types get completely stripped of their STAB discharge when a Pokemon with Lightningrod is nearby, which is fairly widely distributed. Them having to rely on cloudy rock to activate gems and crystals is only pouring salt on their wound.
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Honestly I think Crystals, Gems, and Globes should not be limited to weather at all. It was like that in Sky, but PMU is hugely multiplayer and optimized, Sky was never meant to be a game where people played together in the same dungeon, nor was it made to be a game where someone would try to optimize getting 4x speed to grind out late-game dungeons over and over again as fast as possible. Since Sky works in turn-based mode, 4x Speed is not as optimal or useful as it is in a real-time game like PMU.
Some of the core aspects of the Pokemon Series is being able to use whatever Pokemon you want. Not only Pokemon that fall under the 4x Speed Categories in the same weather. Arbitrarily splitting up types like this is super weird, and makes absolutely zero sense.
The current meta is extremely screwed by wallrunning, 4x speed healers that can perpetually heal off hunger damage - Like Noivern.
If we’re talking about weather interactions with type boosting items, then all items should work under all weather conditions. Setting up clear weather or running a rock should be optional. You’re already spending a ton of time or effort or both on getting your hands on these items, they should just work.
What we need is-
1: 0 Belly makes you unable to sprint, effectively eliminating the wallrunning problem.
2: Crystals/Gems/Globes work under all weather.
3: Rebalancing of the shiny system to account for the lack of wallrunning.
4: Allowing multiple copies of one crystal in the bag to work twice, so single-type Pokemon are not left out of the mix.
This provides a fair, balanced environment for all Pokemon that would be viable, to be able to be used. If we aren’t staying loyal to Sky because the balance of its weathers and crystals were wack, then we should consider why we’re limiting Crystals to types at all, outside of loyalty to the baseline.