I intend to vote for
action (via restriction) on Tera. I believe that the current metagame has too much to account for and the ceiling for consistency is at a low point. I do not think we are particularly far from a metagame where we can both integrate the mechanic and prioritize competitiveness and strategy though. There are likely some Pokemon bans needed in the aftermath of this suspect that will help matters as well. Ultimately, I respect that this generation is like no other thus far and we must proceed with an open mind and perhaps entertain creative solutions in order to handle unique circumstances rather than risking extremism on either side of the spectrum.
I think that there are a lot of redeeming qualities about Tera that add to the game and can be aligned with strategy and creativity rather than sheer guesswork and overly emphasized singular turns/sequences, but it remaining fully intact amounts to a lot of weighted hypothesizing that is not my favorite dynamic. In particular, I find that dynamic to not always be the most competitive or conducive to consistent gameplay environments. Obviously there’s an element of “get good kid” to it where you can bridge knowledge gaps and expect specific interactions, but there are also more layers to this at certain levels and specific hesitancies and mannerisms that can magnify the effect of a timely Tera or a timely bluff of Tera both as a beneficiary and as a deterrent depending on your game state. Accountability in the holder is no walk on the park either, but I find this aspect to be more manageable and Pokemon reliant (as opposed to Tera reliant) than the gameplay component as it stands.
In a sense, I love the prospect of having an intrinsic game feature that offers a novel mode within the context of our metagames, making them more differentiated this generation than any prior and rich in strategy as well, but I also accept that this can create some scary quality-of-life consequences for our product and not every strategy comes devoid of its downsides. And the end-product of our metagames is what matters most for us and our playerbase, who seek a competitively stimulating landscape above all else.
Variance is obviously part of our game and how we police it has drastically shifted over the years, but it’s novel seeing it tied to a core mechanic and how we handle this should be very calculated rather than with reckless abandon. The suspect coming after the survey and with the contingency for potential future suspects allowed us to fit this mold, but even then I acknowledge that this isn’t a perfect practice and there is no outright optimal solution here. A lot of people wanted a different set of options or us to look into Pokémon first. Some wanted us to act on this quicker while others thought it was too prompt. There are plenty of other well-cited critiques of our ultimate decisions as well. At the end of the day, we, as a tiering council, did the best we could and I’m proud of the process that went into it regardless of the result. I have been working tirelessly since release to the point that this has become almost as time consuming as my full-time job, but I also am having a lot of fun both interacting with our vast playerbase and playing the game.
There are certain philosophical contingencies surrounding how different options are perceived and there is no true “right answer” here no matter how much I bang my head into the wall, hoping one ultimately comes to me. It’s impossible to please everyone when the community is more polarized than ever either, so I expect there to be fallout no matter what happens here or in the future. But I also think that we are going to have a stepping stone towards a better SV OU at the end of this and that’s all I care about. I hope everyone understands this.
In terms of my specific opinion on Tera and the evolution of it: Initially, I wanted more severe action to be taken as I found the tier to be very unstable, but it’s been growing on me the last few weeks. Through greater experience with building and playing, deduction of what’s likely coming via Tera is feasible and this has made Tera go from outright broken to more manageable in my eyes, but I still find it to be overbearing in the current landscape. I prefer a restriction rather than an outright ban at this moment because it feels more appropriate and I think if we make an active effort to normalize Tera rather than dismiss it, community perception may shift as time elapses. We can always investigate the topic again in the future with a long generation lying ahead, too. In terms of the specific restrictions, I do dislike the restriction about limiting it to STAB as that’s the most arbitrary and least effective. I used to like this option more and the survey received it decently well, but I feel it would lead to a very uneven metagame and it wouldn’t solve the full scope of the issue. It feels like an incomplete solution essentially.
1 per team and Team Preview are both acceptable to me. Team Preview is a very common pick and I foresee this being the most likely verdict. I think it will help a bit with gameplay, but it does still leave a bit to be desired as there are still so many Tera prospects out there, not solving the full issue either. I’m ok with this to see if the concept continues to normalize and become more manageable with the option to look into it more down the line, but I also think 1 per team may be a more immediate solution. 1 per team is a bit more arbitrary as it lacks the official backing that Team Preview Tera gets, but it would provide users with more vital information while preserving the mechanic, solving a lot of the problems I alluded to above. There are valid grievances with this option stated about it limiting the intention of the mechanic and dwarfing it beyond the point of being salvageable. I don’t really align with that too much as “the spirit of X” arguments never held too much water, but I also respect that many people feel this way and am not going to push for it too hard over the more lenient team preview option given this.
I hope everyone is enjoying the suspect and has a happy New Year.