A different proposal for a metagame where every pokemon is useful.

[WindScar]

Simply balancing BST is not a good idea because it gives a big punch on versability, leading to a flat metagame, while not guaranteeing balance. Many other factors are in play: moveset, types and trait, for example. I propose, instead, an automated level balancing. It would work as follows:

1. Every Pokémon receives a level tag, starting with lv.50.

2. When a battle starts, the level of every Pokémon changes accourdingly to the tag.

3. The system keeps track of the performance of every Pokémon as people battle.

4. Whenever the system detects a Pokémon is causing an (even subtle) umbalance, it dumbs down that Pokémon level-tag. The opposite is done too.

Some of the advantages of using that system are:

1. It not only makes every Pokémon usable, but encourages the use of new Pokémon. Explanation.

2. It takes in factor every possible source of umbalancing, many that would not even be noticiable by a humanbeing, without any kind of effort. It account for moves, typing, traits and even bizarre factors such as trait+items combo. Everything.

3. It allows for different BSTs. For example, you can expect Smeargle to have a very low BST.

4. It it automatic, precise, self-adjusting and fast.

5. It could be extended with slot-tags; that is, tagging certain Pokémon as consuming 2, 3 slots of your team. This would make them be automatically favoured by the system (as this is a huge handicap), allowing some pokémon (eg. Mewtwo) to actually be stronger (which is cool and natural), without giving the player who uses them an advantage.

6. Having every Pokémon to be usable is just awesome. Serioulsy.

Thoughts?

 

[vonFiedler]

This could be interesting but I think it's only gonna happen if you program it yourself.

 

[Zoul]

iron reaver... SOUL STEALER!!

sounds fun, must admit that using mewtwo on a team with farfetch'd would be interesting.

 

[WindScar]

I could do it, what language are you using to program a server? I'll google that

 

[Skyshayde]

This is interesting, I'd say the easiest, would be dropping levels every ko

 

[Professor Science]

The main problem I see with this is how to EV your pokemon properly. In particular, the speed tiers would be shifting constantly. All of a sudden, your once-reliable revenge killers are outsped an KO'd by the threats they used to counter because people started realising how great they are. Similarly, defensive EVs would need very careful consideration, especially on walls that usually split their defensive EVs like Ferrothorn. You'd have to change your EVs all the time to make sure that you're not being 2HKO'd by important threats. Yes I realise that the metagame would settle after a while, but it would still be way more chaotic than the regular OU metagame. Just look at the Smogon statistics for each month- there are always a bunch of pokemon changing places and moving up and down tiers. In a metagame where the pokemon's levels are being constantly adjusted, small changes in popularity cause the levels to change, but maybe only by one or two. But maybe those couple of levels are enough for it to get some vital 2HKOs, or to miss out on them. This would prompt other pokemon to change in popularity to accommodate for it, and then their levels will change, and so on and so forth. All in all, I don't see this metagame being very stable or practical at all.

 

[WindScar]

I believe this is a concept that will simply vanish from such metagame. That is, adjusting your IVs according to speed tiers or to 2OHKO certain treat. Not only because max values would be much less steppier, but because there would be too many pokémon to keep track. This is the whole purpose, you're not aiming particular treats anymore, you're fighting the entire pokéverse. The goal is making the best self-containing team you can.

 

[Skyshayde]

Do they start at level 50 every battle?

 

[Himanattsu]

So, you're talking about something like Challenge Cup, where you see weak Level 60 Mewtwos and OP Level 87 Oshawotts, only that you can customize your own team, rather than it being random?

 

[WindScar]

I don't know challange cup very well to judge this, but seems like it, if it does analyze each pokémon to decide the level.

Looked @ the server stuff, JavaScript, wow, this is good. I just hope it is actual JavaScript, not a shitty version like Unity3d did with their platform.

Edit: it *is* a shitty version of JS. Sigh. But way better than Unity's, at least. Maybe it can be usable.

 

[vonFiedler]

The metagame could never possibly settle Professor Science, the actual power of Pokemon might change daily. The metagame would rubber band constantly. It'd still be interesting.

 

[WindScar]

Does anyone has an idea for a name for this?

 

[LPFan]

Sounds cool, could see some future tournaments.

 

[akela]

I see a huge problem with this. People using alts to work the system. Intentionally creating sucky sets of mons they want to use, then losing to up the levels and stats of them for their main account.

 

[Mastadi]

I see a huge problem with this. People using alts to work the system. Intentionally creating sucky sets of mons they want to use, then losing to up the levels and stats of them for their main account.

We'll have to give the community some credit, especially in this sort of metagame which seems designed to be more fun than competitive, theoretically allowing the use of every single pokemon out there (other than maybe crap like unown or caterpie).

And, if it does happen, I'm sure we could work out some sort of formula or mechanism for working out extremes of bad games and somehow ignoring them - after all, even the best of pokemon could be useless in a game due to a simple player mistake, switching it in at the wrong moment or over/under predicting the opponent's move.

 

[yaya0]

Needs more love.

Also, L100 Caterpie vs L20 Arceus.

 

[Relados]

5. It could be extended with slot-tags; that is, tagging certain Pokémon as consuming 2, 3 slots of your team. This would make them be automatically favoured by the system (as this is a huge handicap), allowing some pokémon (eg. Mewtwo) to actually be stronger (which is cool and natural), without giving the player who uses them an advantage.

To me, this sounds like it would be a little unbalanced. An decent sweeper alone on a team could be extremely overpowered if it was the only one on the team or something, or even if it was 3 pokemon taking up 2 spaces each. They would be more powerful than normal and would be much more capable of devastating another team, despite level differences.

Still, the idea seems sound.

 

[Chaoswalker]

I think this is a fantastic idea... mostly because I do something very similar already with my friends. We set every Pokemon to level 50, and then increase their level depending on how low they are from OU. I see the major concern here would be a lack of stability, and I too would like to not enter a next battle with Mawile jumping 6 levels, only to have it fall 8 in the next match. (as unlikely as that is.) Therefore, here are some suggestions:
-Pick a specific increment to in/decrease levels by. The lower the number, the more precise adjustments can be. The higher the number, the more stability is created. I would go with something in the middle, like 5.
-Perhaps updates to levels don't occur every time usage stats change. Perhaps it takes 2, 5 or 7 days for levels to reflect usage stats.
-Let players easily see a list of all Pokemon and the level adjustments they get at that moment.

I hope this project goes well, and you can count on me as a future player of this epic tier.

 

[Thorhammer]

Needs more love.

Also, L100 Caterpie vs L20 Arceus.

Caterpie
LV100
Adamant
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
232 HP
174 Atk
106 Def
68 SpA
76 SpD
189 Spd

Arceus
LV20
Adamant
4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
84 HP
78 Atk
59 Def
53 SpA
59 SpD
71 Spd

If it ever gets to that point, I know who I'm rooting for.

 

[Chaoswalker]

Does anyone has an idea for a name for this?

Handicap?
Auto-Balance?

If it ever gets to that point, I know who I'm rooting for.

Dunsparce, obviously.
Oh my... a usable Dunsparce...