★ Issue #44 Released!

[Spy]

Issue 44
​

Welcome to another exciting issue of The Smog! This time around, we've got tons of insightful strategy and metagame-related articles, including four fantastic Spotlight articles for OU, UU, RU, and NU. We've also got a fun interview with newly-promoted Super Mod Jirachee, alongside many more great reads. Special thanks to Cretacerus, who illustrated the cover image this time, and to all our contributors. Enjoy!

- The Smog Staff

 

[Goatee McGee]

Great work. Love this issue so far; Probably the best this generation.

 

[Lukethehedgehog]

Nice job on raising the quality! The last few issues have been kinda uninteresting to me. I especially love all the focus that went into non-OU non-LC Metagames. The only way this could have been better is if it had an OM-Spotlight and the finale of Where Are They Now?

Also, in the Ubers article, it says Aegislash has 50 HP and Spe, but it actually has 60.

 

[DarkNostalgia]

I'd like to extend my thanks to everyone who helped me complete my first ever article, and judging from the positive reviews I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be n_n. I'll definitely stick around, and special shoutouts to xzern for getting me into this :)

 

[AM]

I talked with Spy about this article a bit yesterday while I was gazing through the articles as he wanted my opinion on some stuff..... Ok I sort of lied here I just so happened to be asking who's a smog mod or writer in a convo before I say my opinion and inevitable offend someone and he was open to hear criticism lol. Not gonna copy/paste the entire convo for obvious and not so obvious reasons such as my explicit cursing with personal messages but it was a pretty interesting experience from an outside perspective. He said he could change some stuff through cms but I told him I never implied any changes to the article that just a heads up for future writers, mods, w/e. This post is long to address everything.

(1) First off in regards to the DarkNostlagia's thread, it was good so props Dark Nostalgia, but there was a huge problem I think in my eyes that is really underlying and was overlooked tremendously by its staff and I know is going to happen for future stuff. OU Viability Rankings: Best of The Best is an extremely subjective article for something that's supposed to be what I assume is an information resource? I have something about that so I'll comment later about it but I digress. This portion of the convo I can convey since it's pertinent to the point I'm trying to establish.

[7/7/15, 10:16:07 PM] AM: The most crippling flaw of Mega Altaria is perhaps its average base 80 Speed, which leaves Mega Altaria susceptible to being outsped and KOed by the likes of Weavile, Tornadus-T, and Mega Metagross before using Dragon Dance, even more so for sets not using Dragon Dance. Furthermore, Mega Altaria occasionally suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, as if it chooses a certain coverage move, it can be checked by certain Pokémon; for example, if Mega Altaria chooses to forgo Fire Blast, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Amoonguss suffice for checking it.
[7/7/15, 10:16:16 PM] AM: people want this thing suspected
[7/7/15, 10:16:22 PM] AM: and we have a section on why it isn't borked
[7/7/15, 10:16:38 PM] AM: and I can blow this reasoning back with practical scenarios that I use a bunch

[7/7/15, 10:17:40 PM] AM: "All is not well for Mega Charizard X, as its titanic power and defensive utility come with a price. For Dragon Dance sets, if the last moveslot is dedicated to Roost, then its coverage is limited to only Flare Blitz and Dragon Claw, leaving the likes of Mega Altaria, Slowbro, and Hippowdon viable answers to Mega Charizard X, and if running Earthquake instead of Roost, then Mega Charizard X lacks longevity. Flare Blitz also has a nasty side effect, as it deals a lot of recoil damage, especially with the immense damage Mega Charizard X gives out, meaning it lacks longevity somewhat. Lastly, Mega Charizard X has a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which heavily limits its opportunities to switch in." **repeat last line of mega altaria**

Another one which is open to way too much interpretation to be a resource. It touches upon a generic concept established by the larger community but overlooks that with all the fine intricate details in place it becomes all opinion and explaining why something isn't borked is opening a can of worms. This specific example for Char-X I can probably take each sentence and counter argue it, implying that none of this is actually fact more so opinion, as would my critique would be for this.

My point being here is that yes, I know it's suppose to be a webzine for a general userbase but I also think it's a bad idea to make articles that explain traits that are too subjective to call itself a valuable resource. It's fine if you implement a best of the best but then adding in an element such as "why it isn't broken" I forgot the exact wording of it, isn't too bright. Basically more objectivity > subjectivity if you're gonna go along with these type of articles. Stuff you can't really argue cause it's set in stone perfectly is what I think you want. We know both of the Dragon Dancers are monsters not much to argue there.

(2) What's the point of Stealth Rock articles? By issue 44 I would think it's sort of ran its course. Maybe I'm wrong here since spy didn't specifically elaborate how many articles you've done that are SR related but why does it feel like I've seen this a lot?

(3)
[7/7/15, 10:25:25 PM] AM: I'm on the next one with Albas
[7/7/15, 10:25:28 PM] AM: entry hazards
[7/7/15, 10:25:37 PM] AM: do writers decide what gets emphasized?
[7/7/15, 10:26:14 PM] AM: cause Idk why he put Mew as a defogger when it's horse caca as a defogger when he could've put like Zapdos or even Empoleon instead
[7/7/15, 10:27:42 PM] AM: this entry hazard article was ok
[7/7/15, 10:27:56 PM] AM: I think alba writes well, kind of overlooks stuff I personally wouldn't emphasize
[7/7/15, 10:28:03 PM] AM: like what I mentioned earlier
[7/7/15, 10:28:07 PM] AM: but eh that's small

My question here is the third line. I'm assuming it's just the writers choice as to placement of what goes where and then some QC guys check it or w/e from what I've been told?

(4) "how about you don't have people writing articles who are gonna get banned within every 5 minutes he says something" times and dates went away but this was referring to piexplode "disaster area" who gets banned literally every 10 minutes on the forum. I don't think this is a concern more so seems like you're gonna end up in an issue if you have to contact someone who is known to troll or say something stupid and offend the wrong person and he's banned so hard to get responses outside of irc.

(5)
[7/7/15, 10:36:22 PM] AM: jirachee interview was boring
[7/7/15, 10:36:36 PM] AM: jellicent asks boring questions
[7/7/15, 10:37:02 PM] AM: have the questions be asked by whitequeen
[7/7/15, 10:37:12 PM] AM: keep me entertained through the use of literature and text

Yeah I kind of know interviews aren't the most exciting thing in the world but you do have to realize coming from the outside in, which is going to be new users seeing this, I don't want to fall asleep on my keyboard. Keep me hooked and entertained nobody wants to read a boring interview. The whitequeen context is cause interviewers have the potential to make it entertaining not just ask the same old generic questions that I can tell my little brother to type up.

My only last question that I asked Spy is who actually is the demographic for this that it's suppose to appeal to? It seems like new people won't catch on to this and by the time they do the information is kind of moot cause it's just generic stuff that's sort of a given. So anyways those are things I told Spy in our convo and thought I would share here.

 

[jireh the provider]

Now that I think about the aftermath of this Article, not only is it one of the best so far, but I think I might have find my specialty for this. The fact that I get to write something from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon makes it feel so rewarding in the end. Perhaps if there are a few tings that I could look up on these spin-off games, it could be a neat balance of something for the middle-of-the-pack players (somewhat hardcore and somewhat casual). Of course it won't be on every article, but if there is an opportunity t do so, I might cover about it in other future articles I might possibly do.

 

[Cretacerus]

I talked with Spy about this article a bit yesterday while I was gazing through the articles as he wanted my opinion on some stuff..... Ok I sort of lied here I just so happened to be asking who's a smog mod or writer in a convo before I say my opinion and inevitable offend someone and he was open to hear criticism lol. Not gonna copy/paste the entire convo for obvious and not so obvious reasons such as my explicit cursing with personal messages but it was a pretty interesting experience from an outside perspective. He said he could change some stuff through cms but I told him I never implied any changes to the article that just a heads up for future writers, mods, w/e. This post is long to address everything.

(1) First off in regards to the DarkNostlagia's thread, it was good so props Dark Nostalgia, but there was a huge problem I think in my eyes that is really underlying and was overlooked tremendously by its staff and I know is going to happen for future stuff. OU Viability Rankings: Best of The Best is an extremely subjective article for something that's supposed to be what I assume is an information resource? I have something about that so I'll comment later about it but I digress. This portion of the convo I can convey since it's pertinent to the point I'm trying to establish.

[7/7/15, 10:16:07 PM] AM: The most crippling flaw of Mega Altaria is perhaps its average base 80 Speed, which leaves Mega Altaria susceptible to being outsped and KOed by the likes of Weavile, Tornadus-T, and Mega Metagross before using Dragon Dance, even more so for sets not using Dragon Dance. Furthermore, Mega Altaria occasionally suffers from four-moveslot syndrome, as if it chooses a certain coverage move, it can be checked by certain Pokémon; for example, if Mega Altaria chooses to forgo Fire Blast, Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and Amoonguss suffice for checking it.
[7/7/15, 10:16:16 PM] AM: people want this thing suspected
[7/7/15, 10:16:22 PM] AM: and we have a section on why it isn't borked
[7/7/15, 10:16:38 PM] AM: and I can blow this reasoning back with practical scenarios that I use a bunch

[7/7/15, 10:17:40 PM] AM: "All is not well for Mega Charizard X, as its titanic power and defensive utility come with a price. For Dragon Dance sets, if the last moveslot is dedicated to Roost, then its coverage is limited to only Flare Blitz and Dragon Claw, leaving the likes of Mega Altaria, Slowbro, and Hippowdon viable answers to Mega Charizard X, and if running Earthquake instead of Roost, then Mega Charizard X lacks longevity. Flare Blitz also has a nasty side effect, as it deals a lot of recoil damage, especially with the immense damage Mega Charizard X gives out, meaning it lacks longevity somewhat. Lastly, Mega Charizard X has a crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, which heavily limits its opportunities to switch in." **repeat last line of mega altaria**

Another one which is open to way too much interpretation to be a resource. It touches upon a generic concept established by the larger community but overlooks that with all the fine intricate details in place it becomes all opinion and explaining why something isn't borked is opening a can of worms. This specific example for Char-X I can probably take each sentence and counter argue it, implying that none of this is actually fact more so opinion, as would my critique would be for this.

My point being here is that yes, I know it's suppose to be a webzine for a general userbase but I also think it's a bad idea to make articles that explain traits that are too subjective to call itself a valuable resource. It's fine if you implement a best of the best but then adding in an element such as "why it isn't broken" I forgot the exact wording of it, isn't too bright. Basically more objectivity > subjectivity if you're gonna go along with these type of articles. Stuff you can't really argue cause it's set in stone perfectly is what I think you want. We know both of the Dragon Dancers are monsters not much to argue there.

I have to say, I actually enjoyed the articles about the S-Rank Pokemon and the recently banned Pokemon in OU a lot, not least because they presented arguments from both sides when discussing each Pokemon.
Of course the positive traits of these particular Pokemon will outshine their few flaws by far, but even though minor those mentioned flaws are still existent, and its interesting to read what actually keeps those S-Rank threads manageable in the metagame. Same thing with the banned Pokemon, where it was nice to hear the counterarguments that prevented most of them from being suspected instantly. I do think it's important for an objective article to look at both sides of the coin, even though you might be right that a final sentence emphasizing the insignificance of the flaws wouldn't have hurt, as seen in the OU bans article. ;)

Overall, I have to say this was one great issue indeed, and I really enjoyed the larger focus on competitive aspects this time!

 

[PK Gaming]

I have to say, I actually enjoyed the articles about the S-Rank Pokemon and the recently banned Pokemon in OU a lot, not least because they presented arguments from both sides when discussing each Pokemon.
Of course the positive traits of these particular Pokemon will outshine their few flaws by far, but even though minor those mentioned flaws are still existent, and its interesting to read what actually keeps those S-Rank threads manageable in the metagame. Same thing with the banned Pokemon, where it was nice to hear the counterarguments that prevented most of them from being suspected instantly. I do think it's important for an objective article to look at both sides of the coin, even though you might be right that a final sentence emphasizing the insignificance of the flaws wouldn't have hurt, as seen in the OU bans article. ;)

Overall, I have to say this was one great issue indeed, and I really enjoyed the larger focus on competitive aspects this time!

It was a good article and a fun read, but I have to agree with AM on this one; the sections that try to downplay some of the S-rank Pokemon comes across as somewhat cringeworthy and a tad disingenuous. I mean, there are counterarguments to some of those pokemon potentially being broken, it's just that, the ones presented in the article were rather... basic. Being outsped and KO'd (can Tornadus-T even OHKO Altaria?) by a select few Pokemon and 4MSS aren't actually flaws that prevent it from being broken. Same deal with Mega Charizard-X. What's written just comes across as too convenient, and far too subjective for my liking. Everything else is definitely good, but I think it would have been better if those sections weren't present altogether, or written in a way that's as objective as possible. (Perhaps consulting with a few experienced ORAS players would have made that particular section more cogent as well)

 

[Lukethehedgehog]

After re-reading the AAA Article, I noticed it says that "Water-types can add an Ability to boost their attacks under the rain". However, the author never explains exactly which Abilities are used.

 

[MK]

After re-reading the AAA Article, I noticed it says that "Water-types can add an Ability to boost their attacks under the rain". However, the author never explains exactly which Abilities are used.

That would be Primordial Sea in most cases, and rarely Drizzle for team support. However, in the context on the article, Drizzle is primarily used, so that is what I assume is being talked about (it is also mentioned earlier in the paragraph).

 

[Lukethehedgehog]

That would be Primordial Sea in most cases, and rarely Drizzle for team support. However, in the context on the article, Drizzle is primarily used, so that is what I assume is being talked about (it is also mentioned earlier in the paragraph).

But it says "a rain-boosted, item-boosted, and ability-boosted Hydro Pump", so it can't be Drizzle or Primordial Sea.

 

[MK]

Rain has gotten a lot of buffs in this metagame. First off, any Pokémon can be given Drizzle now, and it's viable on nearly anything that is decent on a rain team and doesn't need a specific other ability. This helps rain teams easily acquire their rain turns, since they can easily run two Pokémon with Drizzle and a Damp Rock, which enables the team to get rain up for most of the match and easily reset it after it's been broken by an ability like Delta Stream or Desolate Land. In addition to this, it also got easier to utilize. The most important ability for these teams is obviously Swift Swim, but now it can be slapped on anything in order to get more speed on rain teams, instead of on a limited number of Pokémon. This causes a lot of Pokémon to basically get a free Speed boost, allowing them to sweep the opponent's team, even if they don't benefit from rain directly. Besides these, Gale Wings is useful as well for Hurricane users such as Tornadus and Moltres, allowing them to break the opponent's team with powerful Hurricanes that won't miss in the rain. Finally, the last boost rain teams have gotten is rather indirect, but Water-types can now add an ability to boost their power so that they can wallbreak even better for the team, since a rain-boosted, item-boosted, and ability-boosted Hydro Pump will definitely damage most Pokémon.

Well it's not going to be the same pokemon. I can understand where the last sentence draws confusion, but it says rain teams, not individual pokemon. It's saying that another boost rain teams get from AAA is the rain, Life Orb (or another item), and something like Swift Swim.

 

[Oglemi]

After re-reading the AAA Article, I noticed it says that "Water-types can add an Ability to boost their attacks under the rain". However, the author never explains exactly which Abilities are used.

Let it be known that I as the GPer made a note to the author to explain this part, apparently I was ignored sigh

 

[Albacore]

Rhythms just pointed out that my Weavile article is missing a line : at the beginning of the "Playing with Weavile" paragraph, I forgot to put "Weavile @ Life Orb" at the top of the set export.

 

[Empress]

Rhythms just pointed out that my Weavile article is missing a line : at the beginning of the "Playing with Weavile" paragraph, I forgot to put "Weavile @ Life Orb" at the top of the set export.

K, I made the edit in the SCMS. Once someone caches it we're good to go.

 

[antemortem]

sucks that sneasel was banned from nu just after this went live ;__; rip

 

[teal6]

(5)
[7/7/15, 10:36:22 PM] AM: jirachee interview was boring
[7/7/15, 10:36:36 PM] AM: jellicent asks boring questions
[7/7/15, 10:37:02 PM] AM: have the questions be asked by whitequeen
[7/7/15, 10:37:12 PM] AM: keep me entertained through the use of literature and text

Yeah I kind of know interviews aren't the most exciting thing in the world but you do have to realize coming from the outside in, which is going to be new users seeing this, I don't want to fall asleep on my keyboard. Keep me hooked and entertained nobody wants to read a boring interview. The whitequeen context is cause interviewers have the potential to make it entertaining not just ask the same old generic questions that I can tell my little brother to type up.

I agree with this a lot. For me, the interviews have the highest potential because I'm a relatively serious player who missed a bunch of years where the "top" players (who are often the ones interviewed) made their names. Additionally, as someone who is not in with the "in crowd" (again, where a lot of interviewed players come from) it's interesting to hear about them.

I think the interview articles kind of forget that not everybody is a pokemon robot. The community is so full of drama and dramatic people, it'd be cool if it were more gonzo journalism type writing where we get a feel for the person as opposed to just stock answers and vague shoutouts to other people they know. Sure, someone's favorite mon is Tyranitar or whatever, but what's your biggest achievement? What's the worst moment you've had in high school? What do you want to do for a career, and how are you going about that? I'm just spitballing but I feel like there is a lot to mine in these interviews, and interviewees will probably be relatively open because they're sort of anonymous, behind a username or moniker.