The Magazine Q&A Thread - Mark 2

***RBG**** · Oct 18th, 2009, 2:49:48 PM

Alright, lets get a new batch of questions!

In each issue, the Smogon Magazine will be publishing some of the questions asked in this thread, along with in-depth responses. These should not be simple questions that can be answered in one or two sentences; they should be complex and though provoking questions that require at least a single paragraph to be answered and these are not "fact finding" questions that we can answer with a google search either.

Rules

Only one question per person.
Do not ask a question that has already been asked.
If you wish to change your question then that is fine, but do not create a new post. Simply edit your old one.
Do not respond to anyone else's question. Even if you think a question is too simple, leave it to the mods to decide.
Only ask questions related to Competitive Pokemon.

So feel free to pose your complex questions here!

EDIT: Anyone who obviously has not read the OP will be infracted

Erazor · Oct 31st, 2009, 2:29:23 AM

Smogon's tiers are followed by a vast majority of Competitive Battlers around the world. Is it really fair to let only ~100 people decide on the status of a pokemon such as Garchomp, when the decision is so far-reaching? Is there any alternative way to ensure that more people get to vote on the tiering of suspects?

KnightoftheWind · Mar 31st, 2010, 4:01:20 AM

What should be taken into consideration when attempting to counter the metagame?

Destiny Warrior · May 14th, 2010, 4:06:23 AM

When attempting to build a team around a forgotten threat(other than beating its checks), what else will the team have to worry about in today's metagame?

Alan · May 14th, 2010, 10:17:56 AM

Too add on to KoTW's question, is it ever worth countering the metagame, or is it better to make a team that can check the "big" threats, but still keep up with it?

GamerRay · Jun 20th, 2010, 9:38:39 AM

In any competitive scene, there is always something special that separates the great players from everyone else. No matter how much theory a person memorizes, they may never be great because there is always something missing. In the world of competitive Pokemon, what is it that makes the greats... great?

Smith · Aug 8th, 2010, 1:28:32 PM

Many players feel they have a distinct playing style; that is, they will lean towards offense or stall or anywhere in the middle or on the sides. Do you think a great battler should be able to use any playing style as the metagame suits them, or do you think it is more important to be able to master their chosen style?

AuhsojSivart · Aug 12th, 2010, 3:57:39 PM

Instead of banning a Pokemon entirely from the standard OU metagame, is there a chance of ever banning just a specific set or a Pokemon with a certain hold item?

While I'm not exactly advocating this exact example: Something like Choice Scarf Jirachi. Or maybe Jirachi with either Thunder Wave / Body Slam or Iron Head, but not both attacks. I think stuff like this has been done in NU or UU, but why not OU?

Aura Guardian · Aug 12th, 2010, 11:14:53 PM

based on KOTW's question...

What is a good way to defend against anti-metagame? Is it your own anti-metagame, using Pokemon that resist anti-metagame decently, or something else?

(I know that's two questions, but the second is just a clarification of the first.)

JSND · Aug 13th, 2010, 11:11:18 AM

How to efficiently control the tempo of the game and use it to our advantage,and what
are the actual advantage we got when we control the game's tempo and flowing the tempo itself with the team ?

Venser · Aug 22nd, 2010, 8:30:12 PM

Why is Gravity so under-used? Starmie @ Life Orb with 252 Spa, 252 Spe and Gravity, Blizzard, Thunder, Hydro Pump wreaks havoc just as an example.

manav95 · Aug 22nd, 2010, 8:57:55 PM

What would be some ways to predict better and not over predict?

Ericcc · Aug 23rd, 2010, 5:18:26 AM

There is obviously a very thick, yet at the same time thin, line when it comes to views coming from users who play only on Shoddy, versus those of users who play solely on wifi. Obviously on Shoddy there is no breeding, or time to be sacrificed when creating a new team, so that is a pro in itself. However, there's still a myriad of users who play on wifi, spending time to breed and trying to get good Pokemon with decent IV's, etc.; while on Shoddy none of this is necessary. Their opinions on pretty much everything pertaining competitive Pokemon differ to some extent. It seems that someone who plays solely on Shoddy just can't have a conversation about competitive Pokemon with someone who plays exclusively on Wifi. Why do these differing opinions exist?

This question is pertaining to the community, as well as the competitive aspect of Pokemon

Kindrindra · Aug 28th, 2010, 6:12:37 AM

Is there any particular stat that has/had significant importance in the DPPt metagame? Or did the prevalence of such a stat help to shape the metagame?

For clarification of what I mean, here's a (bad) example: Did prevalence of the Special Attack stat bring on more usage of Blissey, or did the prevalence of Blissey bring on more usage of physical attackers?

Marionic · Aug 29th, 2010, 3:50:15 PM

NU is a tier that consists of some of the worst Pokemon (that are either fully-evolved or one-stage like Seviper) that Game Freak has ever created. However, out of all of those, there has got to be one that is at the center of the bottom part of the barrel; the one whose proper home lies in the core of the very earth. This Pokemon is perhaps the worst of the worst of the worst. Which one do you think it is?

lordkira · Sep 12th, 2010, 3:09:58 PM

How would the introduction of Arceus change the UBER metagame?
Which set would be the most used/"dominant"?

I'm curious as to what kind of effects Arceus would bring to the meta environment especially since some of the UBER players have been writing the Arceus analysis.

cayr · Oct 12th, 2010, 9:02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Marionic

NU is a tier that consists of some of the worst Pokemon (that are either fully-evolved or one-stage like Seviper) that Game Freak has ever created. However, out of all of those, there has got to be one that is at the center of the bottom part of the barrel; the one whose proper home lies in the core of the very earth. This Pokemon is perhaps the worst of the worst of the worst. Which one do you think it is?

ledian

NatGeo · Oct 18th, 2010, 7:53:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat Marionic

NU is a tier that consists of some of the worst Pokemon (that are either fully-evolved or one-stage like Seviper) that Game Freak has ever created. However, out of all of those, there has got to be one that is at the center of the bottom part of the barrel; the one whose proper home lies in the core of the very earth. This Pokemon is perhaps the worst of the worst of the worst. Which one do you think it is?

In a kind of opposite question to this, is it possible for a Pokemon to be NU all the way and still be a monster in OU? (P2 Comes to mind, as well as Lopunny.)

cayr · Oct 21st, 2010, 1:03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat NatGeo

In a kind of opposite question to this, is it possible for a Pokemon to be NU all the way and still be a monster in OU? (P2 Comes to mind, as well as Lopunny.)

all pokemon are in some way viable, the thing is some are more than others ore need less for a sweep or something like that, that's why P2 can wall, rhyperior can wall, and a bunch of other pokes, mostly uu tough there are very few NU that are viable in ou, there are many that are viable in ubers tough, shedinja and primeape come to mind

Xav · Nov 1st, 2010, 5:12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat cayr

all pokemon are in some way viable, the thing is some are more than others ore need less for a sweep or something like that, that's why P2 can wall, rhyperior can wall, and a bunch of other pokes, mostly uu tough there are very few NU that are viable in ou, there are many that are viable in ubers tough, shedinja and primeape come to mind

Luvdisc. But seriously, I agree many NU can be used effectively in the OU metagame. P2 is a fine example as he is a reliable Heatran/Jolteon counter and can set up and utilise TR well.

Siegrin · Dec 9th, 2010, 5:48:28 AM

Is there a certain style of predicting? When you see pros battling, you see them switching, switching and switching some more, what is the certain style that we should do to achieve this, as predicting is very important in the current metagame, especially with offensive players.

Siegrin · Dec 9th, 2010, 8:45:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat cayr

ledian

Are you kidding, so unown man, it can only learn hidden power and it's base stats are shit, it's analysis on site is a joke, something about a chaos mother and rape...

GatoDelFuego · Jun 7th, 2011, 11:21:13 PM

You can't say that unknown is the worst, because it can do something better than...at least weedle can do. It can attack specially. That makes it better at beating steelix than half of the pokemon in the game. Every pokemon is usable in some way, and nothing is "bottom of the barrel"

Lady Salamence · Jun 10th, 2011, 3:58:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat NatGeo

In a kind of opposite question to this, is it possible for a Pokemon to be NU all the way and still be a monster in OU? (P2 Comes to mind, as well as Lopunny.)

Walrein comes quickly to mind.

Olijolly · Jun 10th, 2011, 9:57:31 AM

What is the general effect of the weather (or at least one of them)?

Also, would you mind making garchomp the next featured pokemon? If you don't mind of course.

Oct 18th, 2009, 2:49:48 PM	#1
*RBG It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. Super Moderator** Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 3,229 Home: Goshen Scout Reservation	The Magazine Q&A Thread - Mark 2 Alright, lets get a new batch of questions! In each issue, the Smogon Magazine will be publishing some of the questions asked in this thread, along with in-depth responses. These should not be simple questions that can be answered in one or two sentences; they should be complex and though provoking questions that require at least a single paragraph to be answered and these are not "fact finding" questions that we can answer with a google search either. Rules Only one question per person. Do not ask a question that has already been asked. If you wish to change your question then that is fine, but do not create a new post. Simply edit your old one. Do not respond to anyone else's question. Even if you think a question is too simple, leave it to the mods to decide. Only ask questions related to Competitive Pokemon. So feel free to pose your complex questions here! EDIT: Anyone who obviously has not read the OP will be infracted __________________ Alder: N, even if we don't understand each other, that's not a reason to reject each other. There are two sides to an argument. Is there one point of view that has all the answers? Give it some thought. Last edited by RBG; Aug 12th, 2010 at 3:18:54 PM.

Oct 31st, 2009, 2:29:23 AM	#2
Erazor ✓ Just Doug It Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,657 Never never land	Smogon's tiers are followed by a vast majority of Competitive Battlers around the world. Is it really fair to let only ~100 people decide on the status of a pokemon such as Garchomp, when the decision is so far-reaching? Is there any alternative way to ensure that more people get to vote on the tiering of suspects? __________________ Credit to Legacy Raider for the awesome Avatar. Check out my Archived Warstory between me and Lemmiwinks MkII

Mar 31st, 2010, 4:01:20 AM	#3
KnightoftheWind Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,062 Way past cool	What should be taken into consideration when attempting to counter the metagame? __________________ To live a life of power, you must have faith that what you believe is right, even if others tell you you're wrong. The first thing you must do to live a life of power is to find courage. You must be ready to reach beyond the boundaries of Time itself. And to do that, all you need is the will to take that first step....

May 14th, 2010, 4:06:23 AM	#4
Destiny Warrior also known as Darkwing_Duck Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 3,043 Location: Andromeda Galaxy	When attempting to build a team around a forgotten threat(other than beating its checks), what else will the team have to worry about in today's metagame? __________________ CAP ASB and Battle Arcade

May 14th, 2010, 10:17:56 AM	#5
Alan Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 2,716 get the reptile to me	Too add on to KoTW's question, is it ever worth countering the metagame, or is it better to make a team that can check the "big" threats, but still keep up with it? __________________ music youtube Lorem ipsum id est oculis

Jun 20th, 2010, 9:38:39 AM	#6
GamerRay Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 6	In any competitive scene, there is always something special that separates the great players from everyone else. No matter how much theory a person memorizes, they may never be great because there is always something missing. In the world of competitive Pokemon, what is it that makes the greats... great?

Aug 8th, 2010, 1:28:32 PM	#7
Smith ☆:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:☆ Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1,342 Denton, Texas, USA	Many players feel they have a distinct playing style; that is, they will lean towards offense or stall or anywhere in the middle or on the sides. Do you think a great battler should be able to use any playing style as the metagame suits them, or do you think it is more important to be able to master their chosen style? __________________ [20:44] <@DrFidget> Am I the only one who still uses the internet strictly for porn and videogames?

Aug 12th, 2010, 3:57:39 PM	#8
AuhsojSivart Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 9	Instead of banning a Pokemon entirely from the standard OU metagame, is there a chance of ever banning just a specific set or a Pokemon with a certain hold item? While I'm not exactly advocating this exact example: Something like Choice Scarf Jirachi. Or maybe Jirachi with either Thunder Wave / Body Slam or Iron Head, but not both attacks. I think stuff like this has been done in NU or UU, but why not OU?

Aug 13th, 2010, 11:11:18 AM	#10
JSND Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 877 Indonesia	How to efficiently control the tempo of the game and use it to our advantage,and what are the actual advantage we got when we control the game's tempo and flowing the tempo itself with the team ?

Aug 22nd, 2010, 8:30:12 PM	#11
Venser Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,590 #capasb	Why is Gravity so under-used? Starmie @ Life Orb with 252 Spa, 252 Spe and Gravity, Blizzard, Thunder, Hydro Pump wreaks havoc just as an example. __________________ last.fm

Aug 22nd, 2010, 8:57:55 PM	#12
manav95 Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 385 i live in uhhhh somewhere	What would be some ways to predict better and not over predict?

Aug 23rd, 2010, 5:18:26 AM	#13
Ericcc Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,696 hyperbolic	There is obviously a very thick, yet at the same time thin, line when it comes to views coming from users who play only on Shoddy, versus those of users who play solely on wifi. Obviously on Shoddy there is no breeding, or time to be sacrificed when creating a new team, so that is a pro in itself. However, there's still a myriad of users who play on wifi, spending time to breed and trying to get good Pokemon with decent IV's, etc.; while on Shoddy none of this is necessary. Their opinions on pretty much everything pertaining competitive Pokemon differ to some extent. It seems that someone who plays solely on Shoddy just can't have a conversation about competitive Pokemon with someone who plays exclusively on Wifi. Why do these differing opinions exist? This question is pertaining to the community, as well as the competitive aspect of Pokemon __________________ 3611 6828 3317 cmt!

Aug 28th, 2010, 6:12:37 AM	#14
Kindrindra Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 228	Is there any particular stat that has/had significant importance in the DPPt metagame? Or did the prevalence of such a stat help to shape the metagame? For clarification of what I mean, here's a (bad) example: Did prevalence of the Special Attack stat bring on more usage of Blissey, or did the prevalence of Blissey bring on more usage of physical attackers?

Aug 29th, 2010, 3:50:15 PM	#15
Marionic Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 31	NU is a tier that consists of some of the worst Pokemon (that are either fully-evolved or one-stage like Seviper) that Game Freak has ever created. However, out of all of those, there has got to be one that is at the center of the bottom part of the barrel; the one whose proper home lies in the core of the very earth. This Pokemon is perhaps the worst of the worst of the worst. Which one do you think it is?

Sep 12th, 2010, 3:09:58 PM	#16
lordkira Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 994 won't	How would the introduction of Arceus change the UBER metagame? Which set would be the most used/"dominant"? I'm curious as to what kind of effects Arceus would bring to the meta environment especially since some of the UBER players have been writing the Arceus analysis.

Dec 9th, 2010, 5:48:28 AM	#21
Siegrin Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 271 Ex- Ballsfaggot (Belphagor)	Is there a certain style of predicting? When you see pros battling, you see them switching, switching and switching some more, what is the certain style that we should do to achieve this, as predicting is very important in the current metagame, especially with offensive players. __________________ Leaving to Tibet, from March 4- March 11, ciao!

Jun 7th, 2011, 11:21:13 PM	#23
GatoDelFuego U HAVIN A FOKIN GIGGLE THER M8 ILL BASH YE HEAD IN I SWEAR ON ME MUM Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,081 The University of Alabama Mentor	You can't say that unknown is the worst, because it can do something better than...at least weedle can do. It can attack specially. That makes it better at beating steelix than half of the pokemon in the game. Every pokemon is usable in some way, and nothing is "bottom of the barrel" __________________ Part of the GP team, message me for a check! Sharpen your skills as a GP checker in the GRAMMAR DOJO!

Jun 10th, 2011, 9:57:31 AM	#25
Olijolly Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 139	What is the general effect of the weather (or at least one of them)? Also, would you mind making garchomp the next featured pokemon? If you don't mind of course.