The Magazine Q&A Thread

TAY · Mar 4th, 2009, 10:57:42 PM

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.

So feel free to pose your complex questions here!

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

Xia · Mar 5th, 2009, 4:01:19 PM

How does battling pokemon competitively compare to playing it in-game?

Objection · Mar 5th, 2009, 4:10:08 PM

There are several items that can be put on a sweeper to boost their capabilities: choice band/specs, choice scarf, life orb and expert belt are the most notable. What determines the best item to put on a pokemon meant to sweep?

Lord Blood · Mar 5th, 2009, 9:30:52 PM

PHazing. There are many responses as to exactly what PHazing is. Some say it's forcing a Pokemon out with Roar, losing all stat boosts. Some say it's preventing a Pokemon from racking up bonuses with Taunt, while others say that it's just a move that decreases the stat boosts with Haze. What exactly is PHazing to you? Is it just Roaring, Taunting or using Haze? Or is it something more in-depth? Like preventing your opponent from ever setting up on you? Or rather out smarting and out predicting them? How do you prevent PHazing?

Dogfish44 · Mar 7th, 2009, 8:46:26 AM

Which type forms the best monotype team in the OU enviroment?

YTP · Mar 8th, 2009, 6:41:24 PM

What pokemon is considered to be "Anti-Metagame" in OU?

MetaNite · Mar 8th, 2009, 7:43:30 PM

How has the metagame changed with the introduction of Latias (and by the time the magazine rolls around, possibly Latios)?

Fuzznip · Mar 8th, 2009, 7:52:30 PM

What does every team need to have to be successful?

TPM · Mar 8th, 2009, 10:41:06 PM

What justifies the needs of a wall on any team in OU? Why can't I just put 6 sweepers together and do good?

Solstice · Mar 9th, 2009, 12:01:11 AM

During the transition from RSE to DP, what was the biggest major change in the metagame?

cpt.aizen · Mar 9th, 2009, 9:02:23 PM

How can a person become better at predicting the opponents moves?

**Elevator Music** · Mar 9th, 2009, 9:32:37 PM

Eh if I had to pick one it'd be something along the lines of, "Why is the suspect test important to do, and what are we doing right/wrong with it as participants and as policy makers", but that's got it's obvious flaws. Perhaps it is too intentionally biased towards the viewpoint of whoever is writing the article, aka we'd have a much different article if someone like Chrisisme wrote it as opposed to someone like Jumpman because they have very different views about it. Maybe this is good, maybe it isn't, I don't know. I still think it'd be important to tell people exactly why we are doing what we are doing though and maybe this is a good place to touch base on it...

PS: I really like this one. That's not against the rules to say right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat timw06

How has the release of Platinum affected the standard metagame, how does it play differently from standard D/P?

lenihanman · Mar 9th, 2009, 11:53:39 PM

what are the most effective and innovative ways for new people to become productive members of the community ?

reachzero · Mar 11th, 2009, 10:42:49 AM

"What are the advantages of using a stall team, and how would I go about building one?"

Most new players seem to have a strong bias against stall, and prefer easier to use offensive teams. Stall is one of the most misunderstood aspects of competitive battling, so I would like to see more written publicly about it.

animenagai · Mar 13th, 2009, 12:16:30 AM

I'm gonna asking a tougher question based off one of our discussions here at smogon.

"How does adopting the use of double switches change how you would build a team? How much do you think you should change your team building to fit your play style?'

Erazor · Mar 14th, 2009, 6:22:30 AM

Swords Dance versus Dragon Dance Rayquaza: What are the advantages of using one over the other in today's Uber Metagame?

wooooood · Mar 14th, 2009, 7:40:06 PM

In the generation IV metagame, does the old adage "a best offense is a good defense" still hold true, or are stall teams on the way out?

Veedrock · Mar 14th, 2009, 11:20:54 PM

"How can one overcome stall?"

I've heard the expression "a good stall team cannot be beat." No doubt that most higher leaderboard spots are primarily held by stallers, but surely not everyone has to resort to stall to go far. The quick and obnoxious answer is "use Infernape," but who the hell are they kidding? Infernape isn't enough to get through stall single handedly, nor does he make a significant impact against [good] stall. So (again) how can non-stall players to get past stall?

Staraptor Call · Mar 15th, 2009, 2:42:51 PM

How can you stop your opponent's lead and also set up something useful? What leads do best in the current OU "lead metagame?"

Shigen · Mar 27th, 2009, 11:46:12 AM

How do you create synergy in your teams? Do you have pairs of pokemon the work well together, such as GyaraVire, CeleTran, or JiraMence? Do you put together teams whose main attacks cover all types? Or do you set up for one strong sweeper in the lategame?

Thorns · Mar 28th, 2009, 6:36:47 PM

In the current UU metagame, with a distinct lack of high powered sweepers such as Staraptor and Raikou, do stall teams fare well? Could they be the 'best' team type in UU?

TVboyCanti · Apr 5th, 2009, 8:21:44 AM

How has Rotom's "evolution" affected the OU metagame? What pokemon have become less viable because of Rotom's presence, and what are the best ways to stop/kill Rotom without one of your teammates being crippled, factoring in it's most popular movesets.

Unownasofyet · Apr 11th, 2009, 8:15:59 PM

From a chess player's perspective:

How important are personal playing styles in Pokemon? Should it be reflected by your choices in teams, movesets and EVs?

General Tso · Apr 13th, 2009, 6:10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fat chaos

Since the advent of WiFi, Smogon's tiers have been misunderstood in every conceivable manner by outsiders to the competitive community. Do you believe some sort of cross-forum education program would be worthwhile to clear up misconceptions, and if so, how would you go about implementing it?

Related to this. Why are the tiers named as they are? Why is it about the "overused" pokemon not the "high-stats" pokemon. Why do people confuse overused pokemon and the "strongest" pokemon? What is the purpose of a BL when you can just put them in UU?

GB_Packers_Ftw · May 2nd, 2009, 11:58:17 AM

How did Smogon become one of the most popular, organized, and well designed competative Pokemon sites on the web? How was it started and how do you keep the drive for Pokemon alive within the community?

Mar 4th, 2009, 10:57:42 PM	#1
TAY You and I Know Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,542 San Diego, CA	The Magazine Q&A Thread 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. So feel free to pose your complex questions here! EDIT: Anyone who obviously has not read the OP will be infracted __________________ ...said the Mock Turtle, "why, if a fish came to me, and told me he was going a journey, I should say 'With what porpoise?'" "Don't you mean 'purpose'?" said Alice. "I mean what I say," the Mock Turtle replied in an offended tone. And the Gryphon added `Come, let's hear some of your adventures.' Last edited by Tangerine; Mar 6th, 2009 at 3:16:46 AM.

Mar 5th, 2009, 4:10:08 PM	#3
Objection Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 5,157 Kingdom of the Pedants, of which I am the king.	There are several items that can be put on a sweeper to boost their capabilities: choice band/specs, choice scarf, life orb and expert belt are the most notable. What determines the best item to put on a pokemon meant to sweep? __________________ <dogfish44> I got a suprise KFC ^.^ <Glacier> kinky fat chick? ASB profile, ASB pokemon, arena collection, unwritten ASB rulings (collected by Dogfish44), in-game effect order, and new CAP sprites

Mar 5th, 2009, 9:30:52 PM	#4
Lord Blood Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 652 NJ	PHazing. There are many responses as to exactly what PHazing is. Some say it's forcing a Pokemon out with Roar, losing all stat boosts. Some say it's preventing a Pokemon from racking up bonuses with Taunt, while others say that it's just a move that decreases the stat boosts with Haze. What exactly is PHazing to you? Is it just Roaring, Taunting or using Haze? Or is it something more in-depth? Like preventing your opponent from ever setting up on you? Or rather out smarting and out predicting them? How do you prevent PHazing? __________________ I'm Back! Message me if you want me to rate your teams. Wifi/BW OU only! Last edited by Lord Blood; Mar 5th, 2009 at 9:33:16 PM. Reason: Added another question towards the end.

Mar 7th, 2009, 8:46:26 AM	#5
Dogfish44 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 4,422 Deity of Misfortune	Which type forms the best monotype team in the OU enviroment? __________________ CAPASB Team & Reffing Profile ASB Ruling? It might be here! 02:47:37 AM ~ <%Objection> i'm neutral on boobs

Mar 9th, 2009, 9:02:23 PM	#11
cpt.aizen Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 70 Heco Mundo	How can a person become better at predicting the opponents moves? __________________ http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...248653-925.jpg FC:3179 3700 6155 Shoddy: cpt.aizen

Mar 5th, 2009, 4:01:19 PM	#2
Xia I am your big brother Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,464	How does battling pokemon competitively compare to playing it in-game?

Mar 8th, 2009, 6:41:24 PM	#6
YTP Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,301 . . . . . . . . . . . . .	What pokemon is considered to be "Anti-Metagame" in OU?

Mar 8th, 2009, 7:43:30 PM	#7
MetaNite Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,510 NJ-	How has the metagame changed with the introduction of Latias (and by the time the magazine rolls around, possibly Latios)?

Mar 8th, 2009, 7:52:30 PM	#8
Fuzznip Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,243 Calgary, Alberta	What does every team need to have to be successful?

Mar 8th, 2009, 10:41:06 PM	#9
TPM Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 473 Soemwhere north of the states	What justifies the needs of a wall on any team in OU? Why can't I just put 6 sweepers together and do good?

Mar 9th, 2009, 12:01:11 AM	#10
Solstice Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,222 In a cold pizza induced euphoria	During the transition from RSE to DP, what was the biggest major change in the metagame?

Mar 9th, 2009, 11:53:39 PM	#13
lenihanman Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 525 on vacation for the few weeks	what are the most effective and innovative ways for new people to become productive members of the community ?

Mar 13th, 2009, 12:16:30 AM	#15
animenagai Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,204 I make it rain silver points!	I'm gonna asking a tougher question based off one of our discussions here at smogon. "How does adopting the use of double switches change how you would build a team? How much do you think you should change your team building to fit your play style?' __________________ http://i.imgur.com/YHkSQ.png

Mar 14th, 2009, 6:22:30 AM	#16
Erazor ✓ Just Doug It Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,663 Never never land	Swords Dance versus Dragon Dance Rayquaza: What are the advantages of using one over the other in today's Uber Metagame? __________________ Credit to Legacy Raider for the awesome Avatar. Check out my Archived Warstory between me and Lemmiwinks MkII

Mar 14th, 2009, 7:40:06 PM	#17
wooooood Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 68 ATL	In the generation IV metagame, does the old adage "a best offense is a good defense" still hold true, or are stall teams on the way out?

Mar 14th, 2009, 11:20:54 PM	#18
Veedrock Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 2,780 Location: Alaska, USA Occupation: Gamer Gamerscore: 84319	"How can one overcome stall?" I've heard the expression "a good stall team cannot be beat." No doubt that most higher leaderboard spots are primarily held by stallers, but surely not everyone has to resort to stall to go far. The quick and obnoxious answer is "use Infernape," but who the hell are they kidding? Infernape isn't enough to get through stall single handedly, nor does he make a significant impact against [good] stall. So (again) how can non-stall players to get past stall? __________________ Now playing: Minecraft, Street Fighter x Tekken

Mar 15th, 2009, 2:42:51 PM	#19
Staraptor Call Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,422 Avatar by Lorak	How can you stop your opponent's lead and also set up something useful? What leads do best in the current OU "lead metagame?" __________________ ∩_∩ ¼_¼ φ_φ

Mar 27th, 2009, 11:46:12 AM	#20
Shigen Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 110	How do you create synergy in your teams? Do you have pairs of pokemon the work well together, such as GyaraVire, CeleTran, or JiraMence? Do you put together teams whose main attacks cover all types? Or do you set up for one strong sweeper in the lategame? __________________ Never look a gift horse in the mouth, unless you're a horse dentist I'd tip my hat, but it appears to have been devoured

Mar 28th, 2009, 6:36:47 PM	#21
Thorns Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4,316 outrun my gun	In the current UU metagame, with a distinct lack of high powered sweepers such as Staraptor and Raikou, do stall teams fare well? Could they be the 'best' team type in UU? __________________ [19:01:02] <pookar> can u go 30/12/20 with karthus? fuckhead [19:01:26] <@LonelyNess> I can die more than that if I put my mind to it [19:01:43] <@LonelyNess> in fact I can die more than that even if I don't put my mind to it

Apr 5th, 2009, 8:21:44 AM	#22
TVboyCanti Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,285 808 state.	How has Rotom's "evolution" affected the OU metagame? What pokemon have become less viable because of Rotom's presence, and what are the best ways to stop/kill Rotom without one of your teammates being crippled, factoring in it's most popular movesets. __________________ ...

Apr 11th, 2009, 8:15:59 PM	#23
Unownasofyet Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 128 at Warp 10	From a chess player's perspective: How important are personal playing styles in Pokemon? Should it be reflected by your choices in teams, movesets and EVs? __________________ I have accepted Rachel's Challenge. Help Start a Chain Reaction! Chess League pairings for round 1 are up, but you can still sign up! Check the games forum for news. Last edited by Unownasofyet; Apr 19th, 2009 at 3:22:10 PM.

May 2nd, 2009, 11:58:17 AM	#25
GB_Packers_Ftw LOOKS LIKE FAVRE GOT SHUT DOWN Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 668 Green Bay-> TITLETOWN	How did Smogon become one of the most popular, organized, and well designed competative Pokemon sites on the web? How was it started and how do you keep the drive for Pokemon alive within the community? __________________ I love Rating OU teams drop me a PM and ill check in