Pokémon Standards Initiative

[eric the espeon]

As I see it the greatest thing to come out of this project initially would be the setting up of a place for a group of sites to communicate at a high level. This would allow us to standardize more than just tool outputs, and aid co-operation (possibly making things like metalkid's proposed global Pokemon database possible). Having a standard for displaying information about Pokemon would be fairly handy though, for example being able to transfer teams from one simulator to another.

We do need to decide some goals, and what wants to be standardized, however we should do that on the UEPC forum once we're underway. I envision a place where any of the sites can bring up an issue or something which there is inconsistency on, everyone would debate for a while and either reach a consensus or vote. It would not have to be a short term all goals set at the start type project.

If not all major sites buy into it that would not make it a failure. Really, I'm impressed by how many major sites have shown interest already. If the project works then the rest, or at least a vast majority, will almost certainly end up adopting the standards or getting involved. Not all will, and this is to be expected, but having an "official" standard is still a good way to go.

 

[Arty2]

I think eric covered it perfectly.

If not all major sites buy into it that would not make it a failure. Really, I'm impressed by how many major sites have shown interest already. If the project works then the rest, or at least a vast majority, will almost certainly end up adopting the standards or getting involved. Not all will, and this is to be expected, but having an "official" standard is still a good way to go.

And that exactly how standards in every other field work. Take web standards for example, just because the major player doesn't conform to them doesn't mean they don't work. Most importantly, we just have to look into the future, and how this will help future generations of fans.

P.S. Jiggz = Jigglypuff of psypoke I presume? :)

 

[MetalKid]

I think the big thing this initiative is trying to solve is standardizing the data that can be shared throughout the community. Lets say some site lets you design your team. You choose the moves, nature, etc and save it on that website's server. You then want to take that team and import it into another website (they have some special tool you want to take advantage of) or even like Shoddy Battle or something. If there were standards in place, you can take your data with you where ever you go. If all the output is synchronized, it will be easier to help newbies understand the output since they all end up being the same.

 

[Arty2]

I think the big thing this initiative is trying to solve is standardizing the data that can be shared throughout the community.

Thank you. For a couple of weeks after I posted that, I was wondering if perhaps for some reason it only made sense in my head, presuming I was the illogical or whether the whole idea was absurd. Then again English isn't my mother tongue, thus I may have had some trouble communicating it.

 

[MetalKid]

It would be good to get started on this sooner than later, at least for me. I'm redoing my site anyway, so I can apply the standards as they become approved. If we can't get a subforum there very quickly, we could always just create some forum specific to this purpose at zetaboards or something.

 

[Arty2]

There it goes, just opened: http://www.uepc.eu/viewforum.php?f=508
Since no one seems to disagree, we can move it all there, for now at least.