Tournament PUPL V Preamble Thread

MZ · Apr 28, 2019

PUPL V

This thread will be for format discussion and manager signups, and will close in one week. Post here if you want to manage during PUPL V or if you would like to give input on the format of the tournament.

First thing's first, I will be the main host this year instead of Akir. He was simply too busy IRL to host PUPL whether it came now or in a few months, and hopes to be back hosting next year. Also this is a bit earlier than our projected starting time in the upcoming tours post but I don't think anyone is going to be complaining about PUPL coming early.

There will be 6 teams in this PUPL, so 6 managers will be chosen from this thread. If we see a lot of strong manager turnout we may consider opening up to 8 teams, but we are strongly expecting to still stick with 6 this year. If you want to manage, all you have to do is post and explain why you are fit to manage a team. Managers will be selected based on PU experience / Smogon experience / PUPL experience / PS as well so convince me (Megazard) and Akir that you have what it takes. Managers will be given the opportunity to buy themselves from the auction for ~10k credits (this will be subject to change based on who manages but announced with the format and managers when this thread closes) so they can play as well. Additionally, managers will be expected to:

Send in a roster every week
PICK A GOOD TEAM NAME
Keep activity high in your team / make subs when required

Example sign-up (note that doing a better job is expected):

Hello, my name is Akir and I would like to be the manager for the team Wang-Bang Wobbuffets. I am a PU council member and blatantly stole the DPP PU idea from multiple people before me. Additionally I have placed ok-ish in previous PU tournaments and I topped the illustrious GSC STABmons ladder. I would be a good manager because I too can put 8 people in a list and send it to the host.

On continuing from last year's PUPL- we are not planning to implement any kind of retains. However, managers wishing to bring back their old team are encouraged to do so, and new managers are encouraged to take over teams from last year if their manager is not managing again. This promotes team continuity over the subsequent editions of PUPL, which tends to be pretty good based on when other PLs do it. Obviously new team names are still allowed, especially when it comes to replacing last year's winners, and you should talk to a manager before you try to take over their team. To start, the Driftveil Drampas are open to new management since I'm hosting and not managing this year.

There will be 6 teams with 8 starting slots each. However, we would like to get community opinions on the exact format this year, specifically about the inclusion about BW PU. Last year it was a controversial inclusion, but since then the tier has gone through multiple bans in order to attempt to rebalance. It's an important part of PU's history, and as host and TL I'd like to see it return. While the meta may not be the most developed since the changes, I dislike the idea of dropping BW PU by the wayside, and the Combusken and Rotom-Frost bans have left it in a better state. However, the community's opinion of BW matters, which is why I'm putting it up for discussion. The main formats I am considering right now are:
USUM PU / USUM PU / USUM PU / USUM PU / ORAS PU / ORAS PU / BW PU / DPP PU
or
USUM PU / USUM PU / USUM PU / USUM PU / USUM PU / ORAS PU / ORAS PU / DPP PU

Specifically tagging some people who played BW last PUPL or have been a part of the BW revamp just to see if you have any strong thoughts about its inclusion or current state, sorry if you're relevant to BW and I missed you Finchinator ggggd amber lamps GeneralAnnoyance cb aaron judge EviGaro LordST

Finchinator · Apr 28, 2019

No interest in managing, but... with USUM PU being included in Grand Slam and likely being included in Smogon Snake Draft, it makes the most sense to include as many slots of it as possible, in my opinion. This coupled with BW PU proving to be consistently problematic makes me feel that you should not include it and instead include another USUM PU.

HJAD · Apr 28, 2019

will be returning with the DESTRUCTIVE DEDENNES 3 (ELECTRIC BOOGALOO) for this PUPL.
as for the format id prefer to see BW stay as I believe now its in the best state possible thanks to Akirs hard work, that being said im not too invested on this side and i think an extra usum pu slot would be cool also
also i think 8 managers would be fine!

up the lads

UberSkitty · Apr 28, 2019

I know I'd make a great manager, but I thought I'd let some other people stand out and take that job. I shall instead speak about my opinion on BW PU, in which I do think it should be included. As Mr. HJAD sad, BW is in a pretty good place with Mr. Akir working so hard. Furthermore, it being in the PUPL potentially will give it even more progress on unknown sets and whatnot. Finally, it allows us to further the diversity of those who can play, since there are some players who specialize in oldgens, so the more slots for that the merrier. My one recommendation would be to take a closer look at and potentially ban Vigoroth ~~and Bronzor~~ before this starts, which would not only make the meta more healthy IMO, but also give more creativity. Sorry if none of this made any sense, my sleepy time pills are kicking in.

EviGaro · Apr 28, 2019

Against the removal of BW PU.

For one obvious reason, it makes the revamp almost entirely pointless and is kinda a slap to the face to the work that's been done, largely due to Akir's push and desire to make it work. Following on that... how do we know if the revamp works if we actually remove it? We've already pushed it back because no real classic, now we want to remove the one occasion to see if it worked? That seems very weird to me honestly. And the inclusion of more usum pu slot... like it's already four. which means every week at least 12 usum pu games will be played, which is honestly a lot on top of all the tours that have been going around, if you don't have an idea before Slam it's kind of your own fault. If you need to add another... why not make one slot a bo3 over another oras pu slot? It would ensure that you get another usum game, and most likely an oras game too, with the choice of whatever old gen people want to play with.

I wouldn't mind managing the Misdreavus again, but like as a whole I'm aware I haven't really been super involved this year besides some light work on bw pu so if someone more deserving wants in give them a spot bop

Akir · Apr 28, 2019

Not going to state an opinion on BW PU, nor am I managing, but I would like to give some extra info so people can make the most informed decision possible.

What has changed since last PUPL?

Combusken and Rotom-Frost were banned. The loss of such big players eased teambuilding, but the general feel is still fairly similar to last PUPL.

How are the resources?

I am currently working on revamping the samples to provide a better view of the metagame, but I'm not 100% done yet. On top of that, the VR has been updated to reflect the metagame. You can also click on the names and have a pastebin open to have a set thrown at you, so the chances of an illegal set or not knowing what a mon does is severely shrunk now...so long as you do a bit of homework.

What does the metagame look like now?

There was unfortunately no proper Classic last year, so I don't have "many" replays. In the hide is all that was done in the Mini-Classic we did, where Combusken and Rotom-Frost were gone:

No I'm not expecting everyone to thumb through all of these. But, if you were curious, there they are.

Should also be noted that a lot of the problems come from people just...not checking their team. The resources have been there, open to everyone and up to date, for a while. Just check your team and you are fine. There have been genuine problems in the past, but some of them were due to laziness and shouldn't be held against the format.

Anyway, as I said, I'm not casting a vote. I can see this going either way, but I still wanted to supply the most info possible. Have fun!

TJ · Apr 28, 2019

hello, I would like to try my hand at managing a new team called the Hearthome Haunters. As many of you know, im a pu council member, esteemed room mod™, and longtime contributor that has been involved with pretty much every aspect of pu. I have been able to achieve strong results in both individual and team tours over the years and believe that I can put together a winning team.

re format: I think that 8 manager slots would be fine considering how much pu's playerbase has grown. and fwiw, im against the removal of BW as it has been significantly revamped by akir.

yogi · Apr 29, 2019

here we go again bois. hi my name is yogibera and i will ofc be managing the BWAHAHAHA Bewears, the best team ever. i once peaked in like alpha and i dont play tours except pupl ig but ive won a few times so im fucking amazing at this game, BAM! if im manager i will only draft either cute ppl like mah boi dibs and good user Chloe and total fucking weeb asses like LordST. HJAD is a weak ass manager and doesn't show the true power of the british flag ffs. BWAHAHAHA

lax · Apr 29, 2019

Echoing what finch said, more SM slots makes sense because of PU’s inclusion into slam and (potentially) snake and future SPLs. I think BW PU should be axed if people are already having huge doubts on it.

I’d like to manage PUPL. I know I haven’t made the best impressions, but I think I know exactly how to build and maintain a good team.

I helped manage SPL as a retain, managed like 4 times in Monotype team tours to reach playoffs every time I managed (ok Mono WC doesn’t really count cuz we didn’t draft for that), and am currently managing an NUPL team. I’ve also won two PUPLs back to back. I helped galbia draft the winning team 2 years ago but I’ll admit I wasn’t very involved in fagtron’s winning team besides providing a few wins. However, I think 2 consecutive wins show that I should have a solid understanding and view of the player base and I know what a winning team looks like. If I was trusted enough to be given an NUPL team and NU council, I think there may be a factor that outweighs my trollish behavior during team tours.

ManOfMany · Apr 29, 2019

we back with the Kind-hearted Kinglers

PUPL has always been my favorite tournament and I just love team tours in general. At their best, they have such a great atmosphere where everyone is competing hard towards a common goal and fostering creativity. However, I've also seen team tours fall apart and players lose interest midway through. The difference is made through a good manager who picks players who will give their best effort and energizes the team when they are feeling low-- I think I could be that type of manager. The last two PUPLs I've participated in had great team environments and it was a real worthwhile experience for me. Despite my average records, galbia and EviGaro can confirm how involved I was in trying to help the team out in various tiers, and I'd like another chance to prove myself in a manager position.
tldr: this is my absolute favorite tournament and I love the tier. If you give me a chance to manage I'd be 100% committed.

EDIT: also keep BW please, lots of hard work has been put into making this tier competitive and there's not a huge difference between 4 USUM slots and 5 anyway

TONE · Apr 29, 2019

TONE here and I'd like to throw my hat in to be the manager of the Olivine Octilleries (yep Octilleries are coming back). Despite the lack of tournaments played, my knowledge of the meta more than makes up for this. Not only am I able to send a list of 8 people, but I'm the only person to draft 18 people in an auction and look good doing it. And I'm also easy to get along with and I took part in all previous PUPLs, manager or player bar last year, including being on the first PUPL champion Great Gastlys (s/o Raiza).

idk how much merit this will hold since I last managed in PUPL 2 and after playing in PUPL 3, but I wouldn't mind 8 managers for this if it means more people get to take part.

This time I made sure not to do this at the deadline.

majority · Apr 29, 2019

Hello, my name is majority and I would like to be the manager for the team Roly-Poly Poliwraths. I would like to
manage because I am very skilled, but never have managed before. I always try to but never get the chance.
I really want a managing history in a annual premier league like this one and really want to
feel the experience while managing. I want to make a better change to myself and prove I am good at
hosting, managing, and playing competitively. I have tried PU and I felt like It was the right tier that
I should be playing so every time I was on Smogon or PS! since now that I quit NU for some time,
But I want to manage in this tour to prove to other
managers in the future that I am a good, competitively, organizing, and
active player/manager. PU and NU makes me happy in a way that I have kind of stopped playing OU
and other upper tiers and I want to continue it for a long time to be happy.

Also, I'm good with an 8-manager PUPL because I get a higher chance of becoming manager and would like to have 2 DPP PU slots leaving just 2 PU slots. If I become a manager, make sure to explain why I should draft you as an oldgens slot because I joined PU in SM so I am not very familiar with oldgens PU, but I like DPP and don't have enough info about oldgens players.

Thanks for reading, and I wish the best of luck to other managers who really wants to make this PUPL great!

Please. Megazard. I will show the requirements I need to be a successful team leader and player. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!

MZ · Apr 29, 2019

Where we're at so far on format- finch's and lax's posts are the p much the only people I've seen against BW and its inclusion is looking pretty good at the moment. People have also brought up dropping an ORAS slot for a 5th SM which is definitely being considered. We had 2 ORAS last year but like, it was fine but not really amazing. ORAS is relatively not touched compared to old gens for other tiers and that would also split the difference with getting the 5th SM slot that some people were interested in.
Also since people have asked about a Bo3 slot, I don't see that working at all. The DPP playerbase is noticeably different from SM/ORAS, if you look at the people that would likely play Bo3 or the people who played DPP last PUPL, there's very little overlap. I can name like, 2 users who are actually decent at all 3 gens (not counting tour players who would just get passed DPP teams). BW in Bo3 is hard no considering its already questionable status.
Thanks for all the feedback so far.

Wigglytuff · Apr 30, 2019

majority said:
I go to the PU Community and see what is going on, so I can be the best NU player I can be.

say what?

majority · Apr 30, 2019

Smoochyena said:
say what?

lol, I kind of copied of my NUPL post but made some changes

ShuckleDeath · Apr 30, 2019

Shuckly Dooth is here to say he wants there to be two ORAS slots instead of five USUM slots. While I realize there will be more of an emphasis on USUM PU, being the current generation, I feel there is merit in keeping two ORAS slots. ORAS will undoubtfully be looked upon as the most cherished generation of PU as it has a lot of history. It was the current generation when PU became official so down the road, I feel players will be invested in learning it. To have two slots in tours like this will be very beneficial in keeping ORAS up to date and alive.

As for BW PU, I would say to scrap it, but I think after all the work people put into it it would be very disrespectful to not give it another chance. I think if it is a problem with this PUPl we should really consider dropping it from further installments and save it for tours like Classic.

Ktütverde · May 1, 2019

Hi! I would like to be the manager of the Quick Claw Claydol Club :]

I think I would be a good manager because I'm open-minded, outgoing and know most PU players very well. Besides I have a solid PU knowledge and am now used to smogon tournaments after having played in almost all 2018-2019 PU tournaments, and won the 2018 PU circuit and the 2019 PU winter ssnl. Also, I have already played in most tiers (OU, UU, PU and LC mainly) which gives me a better general Pokémon knowledge. I will draft people who play PU on a regular basis in order to improve the quality of teambuilding, but also players who don't main PU but have shown interest in the tier in the past months at least and have good playing skills. I'll give everyone in my team a chance to play, and won't favour any player among players of same value. I will also go out of the standard path and carefully choose players who might otherwise be overlooked because they aren't known or are thought to be less solid choices than non-PU mains veterans.

I might not join PUPL as a player so I truly want to enhance the quality of this PU tournament as a manager, and will make sure my team is as enjoyable as possible.

Also I'm fine with an 8-manager PUPL and would like to have 5 SM slots. I'm not a big fan of PU oldgens, especially the BW one. If I become a manager, make sure to explain why I should draft you as an oldgens slot because I joined PU in mid-SM and don't have enough info about oldgens players (if you have played SM ZU before the stoutland/frostom rise, I will accept it as a relevant argument too).

Lastly, my experience in Team Tournaments is limited to my time as a PU slot in the Smogon Exhibition II team called the Victory Road Elites (we won the tour!), however I have learned a lot from my managers and teammates and now know how teamtours work.

Thanks for reading, and I wish the best of luck to other managers who wholeheartedly want to make this PUPL as great as possible!

termi · May 1, 2019

megazard said i couldnt call my team the Cum Guzzlords (bully) so instead i intend to manage the Voracious Victreebels. i managed in this tournament twice before and won the last iteration with Team Boku no Pika which was quite an achievement. ive been playing this tier since like the start of xy and have been a consistent presence in tournaments, playing PU in the first two iterations of smogon exhibition and like, doing well in some seasonals and all that. im, like, totally dedicated to the community and stuff, love these people, great times and stuff. i pop in the PU discord server every now and again to harass our venerable tier leader overlord megazard and generally be a suboptimal presence. that doesnt sound like much of a positive but i think it is. all joking aside tho i really look forward to managing again, drafting people is fun and im dedicated to get my players to get their games done which is about as much as you can ask of a manager really.

i think keeping bw is definitely fine for now, some effort has gone into making that meta slightly more playable and honestly 4 SM slots is more than enough. for the same reason i would say keeping 2 oras slots is fine. idk if i'll still support keeping bw around once the next gen rolls around since tbh if we're dropping bw or dpp i know which one gets the boot if it's up to me but for now the first proposal in the OP is perfectly fine by me.

cb aaron judge · May 4, 2019

i still managed to have fun playing bw pu in pupl last year despite how stupidly centralizing/broken the refrigerator & fiery chicken were. i cant remember the last time i played it or if ive done so after they got banned but those 2 mons being gone definitely makes it a better metagame. with that in mind, i say to keep bw pu in pupl

Tournament PUPL V Preamble Thread

MZ

And now for something completely different

Finchinator

-OUTL

HJAD

UberSkitty

Nyan Skitty

EviGaro

Akir

A true villain!

TJ

yogi

I did not succumb...

lax

cloutimus maximus

ManOfMany

I can make anything real

TONE

I don't have to take this. I'm going for a walk.

majority

MZ

And now for something completely different

Wigglytuff

mad @ redacted in redacted

majority

ShuckleDeath

They call me the kign of typos

Ktütverde

of course

termi

bike is short for bichael

cb aaron judge

ALL RISE