One of the sucesses of Smogon IMO is the widespread formal definition of "counter". It is precise, and it is a very noteworthy concept to think about during team-building as well as during gameplay. Furthermore, the definition fits to the colliquial use, so even those who do not know the formal definition can have an idea of what a counter is.
I wish to build upon this tradition and formalize other ideas in the Pokemon game. I hope that this new definition can promote a deeper understanding of various teams and tactics...
Note: I don't think think that many definitions are needed to have a deep understanding of pokemon. Indeed, we can go very far with only the word "counter". So lets not have a sudden influx of definitions ehh?
Anyway, with these definitions, there are a good amount of implications here. First off, I explicitly mention probability. While you may lose a match because your 6x Dragon Danced Gyarados missed as he used Waterfall against a Froslass in the hail... you definitly held the advantage over the opponent.
Second, I defined everything based on the probability of winning. For example, if Gyarados has 5 dragon dances, it is unlikely that the 6th dragon dance will actually offer an advantage. That is, if you have a 100% chance of winning after 5 dragon dances, then the 6th dragon dance offers no advantage.
I should note that while it is theoretically possible to calculate the probability of winning, it is difficult to do so. So the concept of the advantage will remain abstract, as I doubt that we can ever calculate the actual numerical value of the advantage on any given turn, except in the most simple cases.
Also, note the duality of Advantage Loss vs Advantage Gain. If your opponent Dragon Dances, that is an advantage loss to you. If you rapid spin, that is an advantage gain to you. This appears to unfortunately contradict with the colloquial definition of advantage... but maybe not :-/
I feel that every good tactic can be described in these terms. For example, Stealth Rocks increases the probability that your pokemon can OHKO another pokemon, thus it increases the probability of winning. Stall teams can be described as simply having a simple and easily attainable advantage gain each turn. Sweeps can be described as having a total advantage, that is a 100% chance of winning, and obviously many teams would like to have that.
Just some thoughts. Night everyone!
I wish to build upon this tradition and formalize other ideas in the Pokemon game. I hope that this new definition can promote a deeper understanding of various teams and tactics...
Note: I don't think think that many definitions are needed to have a deep understanding of pokemon. Indeed, we can go very far with only the word "counter". So lets not have a sudden influx of definitions ehh?
That are all the definitions I wish to propose. I hope that they are precise enough for Smogon.Definition: Advantage
The probability of you winning on a given turn.
Definition: Starting Advantage
The probability of you winning based on information only in the first turn.
Definition: Advantage Gain
Any turn where you have a higher probability of winning than the previous turn.
Definition: Advantage Loss
Any turn where you opponent has an advantage gain, you have an advantage loss.
Anyway, with these definitions, there are a good amount of implications here. First off, I explicitly mention probability. While you may lose a match because your 6x Dragon Danced Gyarados missed as he used Waterfall against a Froslass in the hail... you definitly held the advantage over the opponent.
Second, I defined everything based on the probability of winning. For example, if Gyarados has 5 dragon dances, it is unlikely that the 6th dragon dance will actually offer an advantage. That is, if you have a 100% chance of winning after 5 dragon dances, then the 6th dragon dance offers no advantage.
I should note that while it is theoretically possible to calculate the probability of winning, it is difficult to do so. So the concept of the advantage will remain abstract, as I doubt that we can ever calculate the actual numerical value of the advantage on any given turn, except in the most simple cases.
Also, note the duality of Advantage Loss vs Advantage Gain. If your opponent Dragon Dances, that is an advantage loss to you. If you rapid spin, that is an advantage gain to you. This appears to unfortunately contradict with the colloquial definition of advantage... but maybe not :-/
I feel that every good tactic can be described in these terms. For example, Stealth Rocks increases the probability that your pokemon can OHKO another pokemon, thus it increases the probability of winning. Stall teams can be described as simply having a simple and easily attainable advantage gain each turn. Sweeps can be described as having a total advantage, that is a 100% chance of winning, and obviously many teams would like to have that.
Just some thoughts. Night everyone!