Posting here on the recommendation of the smogon draft staff.
I would like to see an "unrestricted" NatDex Draft format in addition to the current NatDex Draft we have.
As of this week, NatDex Draft now doesn't validate gems, mail, totem Pokémon, Floette-Eternal, Cosplay-Pikachu, etc.
I understand this is to align with the rulesets used by Smogon Draft in Natdex which make sense.
However, with the arrival of smogon draft and death of draft servers like sports, draft.psim etc. almost all non-smogon leagues also use the NatDex Draft format.
For leagues which want to allow the previously mentioned Pokémon and items, they must now use custom commands to specifically unban them. Firstly the syntax for commands is a pain to work out, secondly people often don't want to use custom commands and most importantly there's no way to legality check a custom format.
Speaking from experience, 3 leagues with several hundred people that allow cut items like gems and mail have had the legality change go through mid season and had to scramble for a custom challenge code.
I think it would be great for the wider draft scene that doesn't necessarily follow smogon drafts rules or legality to have like a "NatDex Draft Unrestricted" metagame. Allow all the cut items to validate, allow all the cut Pokémon to validate. Basically the legality that NatDex Draft had a week ago.
In addition, removing bans on things like BrightPowder, Moody, and potentially even removing OHKO clause would allow leagues to experiment with rulesets however they like.
A less restrictive format is better imo because to ban stuff, a league just needs to write it in their rules and players just need to abide by the rules of their league.
It's only unbanning things that requires a challenge code.
I think adding this format would be a positive change for the wider draft league community while still keeping the "NatDex Draft" format for smogon draft. It also would allow NatDex Draft to be tailored specifically for smogon draft by adding stuff like bans to baton pass (which is allowed in almost all other leagues as dry pass only).
Thanks for reading!
I would like to see an "unrestricted" NatDex Draft format in addition to the current NatDex Draft we have.
As of this week, NatDex Draft now doesn't validate gems, mail, totem Pokémon, Floette-Eternal, Cosplay-Pikachu, etc.
I understand this is to align with the rulesets used by Smogon Draft in Natdex which make sense.
However, with the arrival of smogon draft and death of draft servers like sports, draft.psim etc. almost all non-smogon leagues also use the NatDex Draft format.
For leagues which want to allow the previously mentioned Pokémon and items, they must now use custom commands to specifically unban them. Firstly the syntax for commands is a pain to work out, secondly people often don't want to use custom commands and most importantly there's no way to legality check a custom format.
Speaking from experience, 3 leagues with several hundred people that allow cut items like gems and mail have had the legality change go through mid season and had to scramble for a custom challenge code.
I think it would be great for the wider draft scene that doesn't necessarily follow smogon drafts rules or legality to have like a "NatDex Draft Unrestricted" metagame. Allow all the cut items to validate, allow all the cut Pokémon to validate. Basically the legality that NatDex Draft had a week ago.
In addition, removing bans on things like BrightPowder, Moody, and potentially even removing OHKO clause would allow leagues to experiment with rulesets however they like.
A less restrictive format is better imo because to ban stuff, a league just needs to write it in their rules and players just need to abide by the rules of their league.
It's only unbanning things that requires a challenge code.
I think adding this format would be a positive change for the wider draft league community while still keeping the "NatDex Draft" format for smogon draft. It also would allow NatDex Draft to be tailored specifically for smogon draft by adding stuff like bans to baton pass (which is allowed in almost all other leagues as dry pass only).
Thanks for reading!
