darkSpyro

Title. If they used a previously done gimmick for the next game, which one do you think would be the best choice.

For me, it's Trappable Villains without a doubt. They could introduce so many new awesome villains and could also use old ones like Mesmeralda, Sheep Mage, Spellslamzer, Cluck, etc.

I feel like they should kind of reinvent parts of it, though. Like, maybe there is one or two traps per element and you can switch which villain is in it at any time. So, sorta like having the Villain Vault with you all the time. Or maybe in each level they have a Villain Vault somewhere so you can make the change if you need/want to. That way, not many traps would be needed and the focus could still be on the Skylanders.

I would say the others but SuperChargers was badly received so probably not, Swap Force would probably be kind of boring because they couldn't do much new stuff with it, and there isn't much they could add to Imaginators.

That's my idea. What about you?

Imaginators. Expand and get rid of past limitations. Maybe trappable villains too.

As much as I loved the trappable villain gimmick (<3), they'd be morons not to build further onto the custom character gimmick of Imaginators. Finish expanding the existing character body types so EVERY class can be bipedal, torsoless (Ninja) or tailed (Swashbuckler), add one or two more each of ranged and melee classes and new powers for all the existing classes and elements, and another 200+ costume parts.

However, I would like to see future games at least paying lip service to the old gimmicks -- a new Swap Zone of every type, a new (ugh) race track of every type, an arena for Pokémon/Monster Hunter-style training and battling of trapped villains, and shortcuts and secrets in levels that can be accessed by opening a path with a Giant or smashing a Traptanium Crystal with a Trap Master.

Also: bring back stat boosting hats.


And the next new gimmick should be Mario-Maker style custom levels that can be uploaded to the network and then stored on a toy figure to play offline, including the ability to create Imaginator-esque custom villains. (I may be dreaming too much of the "Mission Architect" system from the sadly defunct MMO, City of Heroes.)

Mmm, I love the Trap Team characters, but the best gimmick to me was Swap Force. With the advanced storage of modern video games, it would be easy to make 16 more Swappers. Besides, Swap Force is the game I have the most memories from, as you can tell by my username.

Same as everyone. I'd love expanding villains, but expanding Imaginators is way more replayability.

I just feel like they could just add updates to Imaginators than make a whole new game for it.

Imaginators, hands down.

Trappable Villans and make the traps useful again

Imaginators. Unless they make a level creation feature similar to DI, I don't think they'll ever top Imaginators. I like making stuff.

Quote: AmbushFan

Imaginators. Unless they make a level creation feature similar to DI, I don't think they'll ever top Imaginators. I like making stuff.

God don't even mention level creation. I'd love so much to use the Mission layouts to create dumb fun levels, mostly spooky dungeons because my aesthetic. If they ever remake SSA and SG, the easiest way to get people back would be making that chunk level building from Heroic Challenges avaliable for everyone.

Quote: Chompy-King257

I just feel like they could just add updates to Imaginators than make a whole new game for it.

Depends on what their financial goals are and what they're willing to do to promote it. The game has plenty of room for expansion, but without further advertisement (which Activision loathes to do) to drum up excitement in their target audience, they're not going to make any significant amount of money on DLC.

Sure, the few dozen regulars here on this forum would know about and lust over DLC if they did develop it, but Joe Fiveyearold and his cash-happy grandparents aren't going to have any clue.

I kinda lost hope for any future for Skylanders. Being that the market is not moving the product, the expense in manufacturing, and the only possible leaks are about a tablet game, I cannot reasonably expect much for our future.

Oooh boy. I'm tied between Trappable Villains and Imaginators.

There's a lot more I could ask for from the Imaginators, and I would love for them to expand that, but I really would like more villains to play as too. Agghhh!

I think that imaginators parts can be added every once and while they don't have to necessarily re-use the gimmick...trappable Villans on the other hand aren't around anymore and are hard to add with a patch that's why I chose them.

I'd rather the underused or bad ones be improved in another game. I like SWAP Force, and I'd like its gimmick to be in every other game (as it should be to increase value, both financially and to replay) but because it's already done well I wouldn't want it to take up another's space. So for the sake of argument let's say only one gimmick can be added to another game, which would it be?

Traps, Trap Masters or Imaginators.

Having now just finished Trap Team I can confirm it's my least favourite of the series thus far. The idea of trapping villains and reusing them is fun, but the trapping mechanic itself is not. Because you don't have to trap them. Upon defeating them you catch them automatically, and then bind them to a toy from the hub if you couldn't get them automatically. That makes it less frustrating (well, slightly less because thanks to the element gimmick we have to pay for new toys and hope the villains we put on it are fun).
What I would do to improve the Trap mechanic is have any trap you want, it's simply for cosmetic purposes when you throw it on the ground in game and lure folks to it. You can bind any and as many enemies to it as you like and you can turn them in for a bounty of gold or XP. Still keep the mini boss-like gameplay, but maybe allow characters like Jet-Vac or Gusto to suck 'em up and blow them into the trap (other characters would have to drag/knock around the villain). You don't have to trap them to take 'em home, but you'll get more gold or XP than if you were to kill them outright.

As for the Trap Masters, they're either required to trap villains or they improve your trapping skills as a Portal Master. With the latter the Portal Master has their own talent tree for such a thing; increase the XP Skylanders get from bounties, increase the instant rewards, decrease the time it takes for an enemy to be sucked into the trap, traps do AoE damage so long as villains are near it, you get the picture. The worst thing about Trap Team for me was its gimmicks - the Trap Masters are big cores that discourage buying any other figures other than their own type, and having to go back to the same level to allow a villain to redeem themselves was an annoyance. Instead I'd rather reward people for playing as villains whenever they feel.

I have less umbrage with the Imaginators - it's a cool idea, and I'm OK with having to earn Imaginite chests. But the battle classes and their physical limitations seem less practical than I had originally thought. And I'd rather Senseis teach Imaginators (because that's what a Sensei does) rather than unlock and just hand over the secret abilities of that battle class. In the next game I'd have the Senseis as NPCs (although still playable) and you need to see them for your upgrades, although doing it automatically through a menu will have spoilt many players. Maybe even make you perform that ability correctly in simulated combat with the Sensei to prove yourself.

As pointless as I feel Giants are, they do what they are supposed to do and they do it well. There's not much I can suggest other than to give them back their stashes and offer more puzzles for people who still own their figures. Same with SWAP Force - it'll do no harm to have more SWAP characters, or at the very least bring the old style of content back for people to do.

Quote: Wishblade

I kinda lost hope for any future for Skylanders. Being that the market is not moving the product, the expense in manufacturing, and the only possible leaks are about a tablet game, I cannot reasonably expect much for our future.

But this is like if they were still alive - what gimmick would you want to see?

I'd say stick with creating Imaginators, but expand the idea. Like, maybe creating a Giant or a Trap Master. That said though, I'm in the camp that still really wants Giants & Swappers for the Light & Dark elements....

Quote: ChillStealthElf

I'd say stick with creating Imaginators, but expand the idea. Like, maybe creating a Giant or a Trap Master. That said though, I'm in the camp that still really wants Giants & Swappers for the Light & Dark elements....

Couldn't agree more.

Quote: Chompy-King257

Quote: Wishblade

I kinda lost hope for any future for Skylanders. Being that the market is not moving the product, the expense in manufacturing, and the only possible leaks are about a tablet game, I cannot reasonably expect much for our future.

But this is like if they were still alive - what gimmick would you want to see?

Sorry I was being so negative.

Re-use a gimmick? i think the best gimmicks were trapping villains and creating Imaginators.

Trappable Villains.

Trappable villains are my favorite gimmick, but I don't think I want to see the repeat of that gimmick in another game. I mean, it is what makes Trap Team special and unique. I can see the expanding of the Imaginators concept working though, with new classes and some innovation it would be cool, especially if they create some non-humanoid classes. Would still be better as an expansion/DLC than a new game with an old gimmick. The best returning gimmick would be no overtly explicit gimmick like it was with SSA. Just focus on the story. Seriously, if you can't sell your characters just for them being cool and need to put in some contrived gimmick/lock content behind character purchases for people to want to buy them, you are doing something wrong.

Quote: Psychomancer

Trappable villains are my favorite gimmick, but I don't think I want to see the repeat of that gimmick in another game. I mean, it is what makes Trap Team special and unique. I can see the expanding of the Imaginators concept working though, with new classes and some innovation it would be cool, especially if they create some non-humanoid classes. Would still be better as an expansion/DLC than a new game with an old gimmick. The best returning gimmick would be no overtly explicit gimmick like it was with SSA. Just focus on the story. Seriously, if you can't sell your characters just for them being cool and need to put in some contrived gimmick/lock content behind character purchases for people to want to buy them, you are doing something wrong.

this....so much this....