POKEMON+ Custom Server
While I believe the official ladder should perfectly follow in-game mechanics, an alternate ladder offering a completely deterministic game can provide be interesting alternate experience, not only because of how frustrating it is to lose to the RNG, but mostly because it promotes and rewards deeper strategy.
All the changes made also help balance the game, as countering becomes more reliable and new revenge killing options appears thanks to the altered speed tie mechanics. Here, the only cases when the game needs to call the RNG are first turn speed ties, and everything else is purely deterministic.
There is no need to download anything, you can already chose this server from PO's list. This also means that the teambuilder will still show standard move description, but no BP was altered.
In order to avoid unnecessary code bloating and to stay close from the official metagame, these luck-based moves are banned :
Acupressure, Assist, BeatUp, Double Team, DynamicPunch, GrassWhistle, Hypnosis, Inferno, Magma Storm, Magnitude, Metronome, Minimize, Present, Sing, Sleep Talk, Zap Cannon, OHKO moves
Sleep Talk is also banned for now as it's almost never seen in BW OU and any deterministic implementation would be way too potent. Magma Storm is banned for now, in later playtesting we could find a way to balance it.
Here's the mechanics changelist :
- Random critical hits can't happen anymore, but moves that always crit still do.
- No move will ever miss, no matter what.
- Damage is always be the average of min and max rolls, rounded down. Using 92 as the random multiplier.
- Protect, Detect and Endure always fail when used consecutively.
- Phazing always sends the first available pokemon in the party.
- Sleep always lasts two turns and the sleep counter does not reset upon switching (similar to 4th Gen Rest).
- Trapping moves (Bind, Magma Storm) always last 4 turns (5 with Grip Claw).
- Multi-hit moves always hit min+1 times (max with Skill Link).
- Outrage, Petal Dance and Thrash always lasts two turns and lowers the user's Atk and SpA 2 stages when it ends.
- Charge Beam always raise SpA, but every other luck-based secondary effect was scraped. A consequence is that freezing can't happen anymore. Sheer Force still boosts the moves it used to (intended).
- Full paralysis never happens and confusion was banished to the moon. Machamp is reportedly crying under a tree.
- Moves such as Scald, Lava Plume, Discharge, Body Slam and Force Palm always inflict status on the second consecutive attempt. Thunder does not. Abilities such as Flame Body activate after hitting the bearer twice consecutively with a contact move. Shed Skin always activates after three turns (including the turn when you get statused).
- Def and SpD boosts will go away after being struck 20 times (counting from when you got the first boost). It will be announced as a critical hit because the server can't send custom messages, but damage doesn't get doubled.
- Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, Thunder, Blizzard, Focus Blast, Megahorn and Gunk Shot the user's corresponding offensive stat on stage. Thunder, Hurricane and Blizzard do not under their respective weathers, but the rain moves lose half of their power under the sun. Seed Flare, Power Whip and lolMegaKick do not have downsides for now.
- If both leads tie in speed, the first pokemon to be sent will go first. After that, every tie will be determined by the previous turn :
** If both sides moved, whichever side moved last will win the tie.
** If one side switched, it will win the tie.
** If both sides switched, the outcome will be determined from the previous turn.