Pokémon's Wild Encounters are ESSENTIALLY Annoying - Dissecting Pokemon Game Mechanics - Tama Hero 

If this Byte left you hungry for more, please, enjoy the entrée and feast yourself on this playlist of all my in-depth Pokemon reviews! ru-vid.com/group/PLz5XeL444xPATlw8IQd082Xy2ow7bzGiD I'll be streaming later today on my Twitch, so follow here if you don't wanna miss it www.twitch.tv/tamashiihiroka

Effortlessly elaborating on how Game Freak used a common JRPG trope to magnify the theme of their game is one of many reasons why I tune into these videos. Very informative!

Tama’s 2022 arc has been low key one of the best this year. Really enjoyed this video!

I’ve always appreciated how you explain the underlying intentions/subtle storytelling done in Pokémon. People give early Pokémon flack for being simple games, but you’re the first person I’ve seen point out the environmental themes present by the way encounters and the overworld are designed. I look forward to more videos in the future!

I didn't consciously realize how much random encounters added to the realism and world-building of the game. Awesome video!

I love how understated the urbanization narrative is in Pokemon Red & Blue. I would love it if the games returned to telling a story through the environment as opposed to exposition and cutscenes.

I would love to see you talk about Ribbons! They once felt like a huge part of the game (the extra side content part of the game, at least) and added a ton to a Pokémon's personality and nowadays they've just been pushed to the side and have been completely forgotten. Also, your hair looks really really good!

YES MORE OF THIS

I always feel weird because I prefer random encounters to overworld encounters in not just Pokemon but games that used turn-based combat in general. Even outside of the thematic reasons for having them in Pokemon, it always takes me out of a game to see overworld encounters just sort of stand around and pop into existence instead of letting my imagination fill the gaps. That and I don't like being chased. SwSh love to put you in narrow areas and have Pokemon chase you down, which I would rather just experience as a random encounter. You could say that helps make Pokemon seem more like wild animals, but it does so in a way that makes my animal brain say "you're going to get eaten" and I don't like that.

Random encounters basically dying out has always made me incredibly sad and I wish that I wasn't always argued with on that front as I feel like it's a more nuanced topic than just "seeing them is better" because it's deeper than that.

Glad to see you back at it and just as thoughtful and informative in ten minutes just as much as an hour! Kudos.

The bird you have a video of is a red tail hawk! They're big for hawks but not as big as turkeys lol Cool to see one up close and wading around in the water like that! Fun fact: the call of a red tail hawk is often dubbed over bald eagles in film (because an actual bald eagle cry is squeaky and unpleasant kind of like a gull)

Very cool discussion! The random encounters mechanic faded out of focus for me because most rpgs have them but your points were thoughtful and inspired curiosity to think more critically about these things. Great video as always! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the fade-out of HMs and also changes to TMs

I also think random encounters were harmonious with the gotta catch em all slogan of early Pokemon. They were exciting to see what kind of new critter you may find. I appreciate the connection to nature. Im glad they’ve changed random encounters as an older pokemon audience member, the hype of finding a new pokemon is taken up by nintendo directs et. Thank you Tama that was a good video! This series is really worth everything i am excited.

Always hyped when I see a new vid from you! Hope to see more like these. Also can’t wait for the long form videos too.

Awesome video! Really excited to see more of this series. I’d be intrigued to hear you unpack evolution methods - from the simple (Evo stones) to the absurd (Runerigus lol). Pumped for the Colosseum video!

Super informative! I knew vaguely about the theme of urbanisation affecting wildlife being in thr games but this tied everything together really well

I love this new format of videos, it is nice to have little bytes of info in between your larger releases! Not that I have a bias or anything... >_>

loved getting a smaller episode of your banger content, this was a real treat and further evidence of why you're one of my favorite youtubers - even when we disagree, you still give me a lot to think about and consider. i've always been pretty negative towards random encounters, and i still do think i feel this way because a lot of the time, the problem with them is that they're constantly intrusive which isn't always a bad thing, but in instances where you're going through a low-level area or backtracking in any capacity, this tends to make things even more frustrating than they already were. i'll always prefer when games provide more purposeful overworld encounters where interacting with the environment or going to certain areas causes battles, and engaging with those at a reasonable rate will be enough to help you get through the game. a lot of the time, random encounters seem to just be there because they absolutely had to be in the older games, and this feels like a way to call back to that era or something along those lines. although that being said, keeping that strictly to tall grass or caves has been a big reason as to why i don't mind they're inclusion as much in pokemon, since here it feels like they found that middle ground of including them, while also making the encounters feel as purposeful as they would've if they had just been overworld encounters. although i'm happy with what we have now - the overworld and tall grass working together, because they maintain that unpredictability, we can see the pokemon behave in unique ways outside of battle, and backtracking becomes a lot less of a pain than it would've been otherwise. while a lot of modern pokemon's game design gets a lot of flack, i do think that this area is one that was given a lot of thought, especially after viewing it through the lens i am now after watching this great video. sorry for the really long comment, but like i said, you gave me a lot to think about. again, great work as always, ya don't miss

Been watching you since 2014, I'm so happy you've grown with us! I'm 29 and it's rare to see RU-vidrs grow with their audience and understand their audience. Your video essays are always pleasant to watch. Much Love, Ameerah 💖

This was a really well-written piece. It’s been great to see your development as a content creator. Thank you for all the work you put into making videos for us.

Its really cool that your still doing these video Tama :) . been watching your vids on and off since 2012, so keep it up man :)

Can I just say, your hair looks FANTASTIC! Such a cute length! I also love the concept of Tama Bytes. This video was great - it made me think more about WHY certain Pokemon appear in certain places of various regions, and I enjoyed that - and I'm excited for more. Also, I was today years old when I learned that the ability to run from an encounter is based mainly on your Pokemon's speed. I'm 33! I've been playing Pokemon since I was, like, eight! You can learn something new every day.

1:57 "You don't have any say in the frequency of battles" Repels: Am I a joke to you?

Would love to see a breakdown of DexNav from ORAS! Great way to get hidden abilities, egg moves, and shinies. Lots of DexNav exclusives on mirage islands and after getting the national dex. Great method / gimmick

Love your analysis on game machanics, they are so well written. I too have always defended the random encounters and I'm happy that you brought it up with this video. The thrill of not knowing who's gonna come out of the patch of grass is a staple of the Pokémon game for me and it felt so weird and off to see them go after LGPE.

this is soooooo good!! I've watched too much pokecontent over the years and genuinely nobody is more thoughtful in their analysis than you. Like the way that you framed wild encounters as tying into the themes of the games was mind-blowing and you mentioned a ton of examples I had never considered. Thank you, Tama!

It's always a pleasant surprise when I get reminded that you exist. Always relaxing to hear you talk about random pokemon trivia

Great talk, your points about what Pokemon is overall trying to teach fans implicitly is amazing to hear, I'm always getting a new perspective from your videos!

This was awesome! I’d love to hear more about game design in smaller snippets like this. When it comes to Pokémon, your analysis can’t be beat!

You don't upload often but when you do it is always great stuff. Wheather you upload frequently with small videos or not often with big ones I will watch them and have done for a LONG time now.

I love the idea of this new little series. Maybe next time Tama, you could give your thoughts on abilities or the inspiration for certain pokémon designs, kinda like in your old Japanese monster/yokai video.

fantastic video, and a great idea for a series. your in depth reviews and analyses about pokemon games and mechanics is always great. also that was a really cool ass bird

Love the insight! Gained a sub. The nostalgia of the old games, and the reflection of our own world and advancements is great

Great video as always! You're one of my favorite RU-vidrs to watch precisely because you take the time to analyse ideas that people tend to take for granted. As for topic ideas, I'd love to hear what you have to say about TMs and how they've changed over the years

Welcome back! Great video as always~

Thank you for the content!! I needed something to watch before I had lunch lol missed you as well

Hey Tama, great video! I never realized the deep connection and subtle storytelling the wild encounters provide. I used be generally annoyed by the sudden encounters but after this video, I will always look at them through a different lens.

Wow I love when a video gives me new perspective on why I like something. I did recognize the environmental connections in each area, but I didn't connect that to the theme's expansion. If you're taking requests, I'd love a byte on any of the decisions for the combat mechanics. I'm particularly interested in how typing replaces classes from other JRPGS

awesome video! it's cool to see you back in the swing of things working on content. i loved that you mentioned litleo appearing in the route before the first gym in kalos, that's one of the things i picked up on (only recently somehow) from a youtube video - this is the case with almost every gym in every pokemon game, and it gives me more of a feeling that wild encounters are teaching you how to play the game without being formal tutorials.

Always ready for Tama Hero content, looking forward for the Colosseum game video!!! I never had a problem with running into every Pokémon, I always put the fattest in my party in the lead for that reason. So I can see every Pokémon in the area

Another great video as always Tama. Really looking forward to the colo video!

You've been one of my favourite youtubers and my all-time favourite Poketuber since I was a kid. I've been playing these games since I was a toddler yet you always manage to teach me something new anout them. Love your insight, can't wait to see more

Happy to see a new video, I hope you're doing well!

Loved the video! can't wait for the Colosseum one thoooo 👀

I really like when you talk about lore in your videos! thx for another great video!

I haven't been on your channel in years. Glad to see you're doing well.

What a lovely appetizer before the 12 course meal that will be the colosseum video, looking forward to it!

this is a great format and a really interesting video, keep up the great work :) been watching since the hack days

This is a really cool analysis of random encounters. The hawk footage in the middle alone made this worth the watch, but I love the overall thesis too!

Always happy to see a new Tamashii video.

love your channel. brings back amazing memories

The first half of this video was something I've been talking about since I first saw your vids on the matter, but of course I wouldn't have gotten half as far as you. Really enjoyed the video. Thanks for the amazing video. On a similar vein, I think looking at pokemon learnsets (specially early gens) and seeing how the worldbuilding is conveyed through little elements like that might be something you can look into. ps: don't know if you're still doing the colosseum vid but if you haven't lost your mind bc of it I'm really looking forward to it

Oooo, definitely looking forward to more videos in this series, I love this kinda stuff. And I feel like it really doesn't get appreciated enough just how much Pokemon weaves the meta-narrative into the very fabric of the game design, and it's something I believe the series has always been great at

Great watch as usual, luv ur vids Tama :)

Hey Tama, I want to say I really appreciate your content. I've been watching you for like maybe 12 years and I appreciate how much you're able to iterate/evolve/grow while creating rich content that's true to yourself. I think you're a great example of someone who's found a very positive space in RU-vid and grown. It should be talked about more. That aside , please more of this.

This was an awesome idea for a video!! Would like to see you talk about HMs!!

Tama Hero Your back, you're really really back! I haven't watched you in a very long time.

Love your Videos. Loved them way back in 2011 when I first found your Videos on RU-vid. The first Video I saw was your Pokémon Green Myth Video which I believe is your first Video in general. Didn't lost interest in your Videos, but eventually forgot your Name and never found it again. Found you again a few months ago and I'm so happy about it, even though you do not upload frequently. :D

Honestly, I love random emcounters as someone who likes suprise in thier gameplay. It can be a little annoying sometimes, but exploring an area and seeing whats available randomly always seemed really engaging to me. I would love to see random encounters return

Good to see you again hope you've been well!

Wow your name just randomly popped into my head. Loved your glitch series back in the day, came back to school everyday to watch you and the jwittz. Your older videos are sweet nostalgia for me. Hope all is well, and that you keep making videos.

Tama I'm so happy to see you back with a new pokemon video 🙏🏻🥳 Also I never realized the themes you mentioned in the video while playing the games for the story. Feels very odd ngl

I would love for you to dive into evolution mechanics and the ways they’ve added to the diverse ecology of pokemon, player-player interaction, and player-pokemon interaction!

You really put wild encounters into perspective w the themes of the region. Great video!!

Eh yo, good to see more of you! I liked this video a lot, especially the more in-depth discussions of environmental stuff near the beginning. Looking forward to the Coliseum video later this month! Oh, and the Drowzee eating your dreams thing if you try to comment before watching the video, very funny. I didnt even know that was a feature you could implement

Great video! One other example to add: In the Isle or Armor DLC, Sharpedo will chase you down while you traverse the open sea and they are FAST and OUT TO GET YOU. While technically “annoying,” it fits because speed is one of Sharpedo’s best stats and its dex entries call it “the bully of the sea.” It fits with the themes you describe of how random encounters force players to interact with the environment, to remind you that these are living creatures.

Always a pleasure to get a notification from you. Cheers!

Great insight into wild encounters in past and present games. I quite like the personality added to wild Pokemon in the newer games.

Great video as always!!

It's exciting to see you do small things like this as I really liked your segments like this in your bigger ones. Also I cannot get over the Liz Lemon comparison.

Dope vid Tama Looking forward to Colosseum vid

I haven't seen you in years. Good to see you are doing well keep up the great work you do

This is outstanding, it baffles me when I think you could stretch the script by adding pauses for emphasis or just talking slightly slower... However that's why there's so much highly-concentrated substance. I feel like this vid is a future classic already. Once again, good job!

I love this analysis. Clever as always and inspiring. Makes me appreciative of older gens

Loved the style of video! Great analysis of how encounters enhance the game!

Great stuff, Tama. I like hearing your perspective. I like a lot of your points and feel like this is a great way to start a conversation, whether you agree or disagree. Well put together and concise.

Always a treat when one of your videos pops up into my feed! This was a great look at catching mechanics and made me think about them (especially in gen 1, which I'm now playing for the first time) as random being like, good! What a concept I hadn't considered LOL If you're looking at mechanics this might be a bit too big of an ask (and it had been covered in smaller chunks in your Diamond/Pearl and Red/Green videos) but I would love to see your full thoughts on the transition of legendaries from hidden extras to vital components of the story and how that changes the way players expect to play the game. I always stash my legendary in the PC to make my elite 4 run more challenging (and have done so since I first picked up a Pokemon game) but I'm curious how game freak intended their inclusion to change the way players tackled the last third of the game or so after they became integral in Ruby/Sapphire!

Tama's uploads always make me smile, and weirdly nostalgic. Superb analysis as always!

Great video, Tama! Also, it's really great to see you again! You look all grown up now! This isn't fully related to Pokemon, but maybe you should talk about the process of levelling up/grinding in RPG's, acquiring abilities overtime, and/or ability "skill trees" in video games, as well as how the stuff is usually paced out in games and how you personally feel about it. In games like the Paper Mario series, Kingdom Hearts, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Spider-Man PS4, level-grinding for abilities that are BLATANTLY UNAVAILABLE early on has a tendency to REALLY ANNOY ME, and it always makes me wonder if the developers want me to play the games in a very specific way early on. It DOES help not to be overwhelmed with too many options early on in games, and some games even reward the player for their "from-the-ground-up" level-grinding with a "New Game Plus" feature (that allows you to restart a game with all your acquired abilities), but... Doesn't it bother you if you can't roll dodge to save your life for most of a game if you don't know how to unlock the ability as soon as possible without internet help? Looking at you and your Drive Forms, Kingdom Hearts II! Please consider talking about this! Again, it's really great to see you again, Tama!

I'd be curious to see a Byte with your opinions on the camping and cooking mechanics featured in the eighth generation, because for it helped to build a bond with my team that I've rarely encountered in the franchise. I loved making at least one to two stops between cities, even as many as four where the larger Wild Areas were concerned, and got to see friendships between the Pokémon themselves. Then I talked to some of my friends who were less enthralled with Shield/Sword then I was, and nearly all of them had the same answer when I brought up the camping: "I didn't really do that stuff". (Also loved that when I tried commenting as the credits rolled there was a message involving Drowzee waiting for me,

Oooh I like this idea! I'd like you to tackle the concept of how Pokémon is more minimalist in its story and characters from other RPGs, when it works and doesn't work with your thoughts on that, would be really cool to find out what you think

have to say, i absolutely LOVE how your hair looks in this video. the curls are absolutely gorgeous 😌

Love the video and keep up the great work tama

I think this format (video-per-concept instead of video-per-game) is perfect for you! You have a great analytical mind

As of right now the first thing that comes to mind is maybe a Tama Byte about the elemental types? Like "why so many compared to other rpgs" and "what's even the point of having so many" and what that really does to the combat system?

Great video Tama, looking forward to more!

Would love to see one of these new Byte videos on breeding. Keep up the amazing work Tama!

Another out of the park hit, Tama! I'm especially excited for your Colosseum upload, cheers

A new Tama series? What a great way to start my day!

TAMA!!!! Glad you uploaded! Missed you!!

I'd love to see you go over Abilities and how this one mechanic completely revolutionized how Pokemon plays as a franchise! These passives opened up entirely new strategies and playstyles, and they shook up the ways we can build teams even today!

Love the intro! Reminds me of my childhood!

Welcome back and these are good so they take less time to edit

Great vids like this are why you're my absolute favorite Poketuber

never thought of the random encounters in pokemon like this before props to this video for helping me see things from a new angle

I fully agree that random encounters can be frustrating, but I appreciate the argument that Pokemon's enhances the narrative. We are exploring the wild, some surprises popping up make sense.

Oh cool, a new video! Hello! I love the intro!

I have to disagree about Viola’s gym. If you pick Chespin, you can spam Rollout and win easily, even if you’re under-leveled. The video in-general is great though! It’s always a good day when you upload, and we can never have too many videos about game design :D

Great video!!! :D