I've been wondering for a while.... Why do they always do Fire-Grass-Water starters? I personally think it's getting a bit boring... For once, I wish they had a new 3-way combo. So this is the reason for this thread! If you were to start up a new generation, what types would your starters be? (within the "strong vs one and weak vs the other" rule)

I'd love to see a Dark-->Psychic-->Fighting combo. They could make things much more interesting!

What do you think?

Very balanced combo of types.
Semi-Rare types to find in the wild.
It's good to start with.

Dark-Psychic-Fighting is too... unbalanced.

Besides, they are tending toward secondary types of Grass/Ground, Water/Steel, and Fire/Fighting, which balances out the three types even more.

It's fine how it is, in my opinion.

Fire isn't exactly common in Gen 4... There are... 2 in Sinnoh? The starter, Chimchar, and Ponyta, I believe. Does that make Chimchar unbalanced? Not really...

Um... they used this trio of types exactly one time as starters, so I don't how that's "tending toward" anything. The only exception is Fire/Fighting because of Blaziken, but we've had two consecutive starters with the same typing before Blaziken/Infernape too (Blastoise/Feraligatr or Meganium/Sceptile). And the three types aren't really that balanced in Diamond and Pearl, because Empoleon's secondary typing loses to both Torterra AND Infernape's secondary typings.

Psychic, Fighting and Dark IS too unbalanced, though, because Dark has an immunity against Psychic. And there are trios of types that align perfectly the way that the current three standards match up, but they still don't work as well. Grass, Fire and Water are a classic trio of elemental matches that are straightforward for the little kids to grasp so that they can understand the rock/paper/scissor aspect of type matchups.

YAY!!! For once Frost isn't being a downer!! I like that idea!

-Ryan

Fire - Steel - Rock works
Fire melts steel, Steel breaks rock, rocks don't burn

Hmm........Note to self: Must try to burn rocks.

Rock - Ice - Grass

Pokemon is the ultimate example of "don't fix what isn't broken" The only thing that ever changes is the location and the main character (barely). That, and they add more pokemon.

Is it really much of a surprise that the starters are always Fire-Grass-Water?

Honestly, the only game that can hold a candle to the way Game Freak treats the main games of this series is the Zelda series. Only difference is they do a better job at making it look like the game is different.

Inb4 Zelda fanboys, I like the series, but come on. 8 dungeons and some random item that wasn't in any of the old games. Rivals the pokemon series in it's ability to slap on a new paint job and act like it's something entirely new.

remember, Pokemon is gearerd toward little tykes. They have evn changed the newest series oif shows and some previous ones so that meowth just about reacts witht he audience.
Pokemon, games and all is not gearedv towards 20 year old players that have the emchanics down to an art. We would love some variety, but the designers at Game Freak don't give a gnat's toot about what we think. It's pleasing to the children, and although it would add some very nice variety, isn't the same conecpt. A kid can literally visuallize the types working RL against each other as theys atnd now.
I could see the grass absorbing its water, the water putting out a fire, and the grass being burned black.
If i were still ten, i would not be able to see how a fighting type pokemon gets killed by a man with psychic powers.
It isn't that WE can't comprehend it, its that THEY don't. Also, as a little tyke, i only learned which type beat which by experience and the handy"Not very effective Tag". Today, i am still learning the final curves in that system so that things are complete.
Right now, i am trying to get the kinks out of the Bug, Rock, Flying type anomally.

I thought of this:

Rock--->Flying--->Fighting ???

empoleon99: I like that idea. But who would you choose? Remember all starters would have three evolutionary forms...I mean I guess you would just make new pokemon.

The flying types are easy, in each new generation there is another group of flying pokemon that you can acquire in the beginning. But rock and fighting would be a problem.

dyvius is so right. this game is for kids. meaning 10 year olds. they can c water putting out fire, grass absorb water and burning grass. its simple yet a perfect balance to them. yknow intruiging. for us... veterans the fire water grass idea gets repetitive. really the pokemon franchise is for little kid audiences.

I say Dragon, Normal, and Bug starters. Just cause they've never done it. I wouldn't mind a dragon starter.

to be honest, im more than happy with the three types we have now, if i cant get a fire starter in any of the future games ill be furious , a few new interesting type combinations for the starter final evos would be awesome though, oh and above, wouldnt a dragon starter be a bit ridiculous?

I like the original starter types, but if i had to choose, I'd say Rock-Flying-Grass.