DarkSlay
Guess who's back? Na na na! *breakdances*
Hello fellow ASB members! DarkSlay here, providing you with another exciting State of the Game! We've come a long way since February, and we have a lot of new members! First, let's take a quick gander at our growth:
AS OF 5 / 11 / 2011
TOTAL NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 130
TOTAL NUMBER OF FORUM THREADS/POSTS: 412/13128
A special shout out to Flora, who has generously donated her time to updating the Registration Thread with all the current ASB players. If you see her on iRC or on Smogon, make sure to send her your thanks!
To give you a small idea of how much we've grown, we originally had 45 members and 1428 posts on February 20th. So congrats to all of the awesome ASB players who have either stuck through with the program since the beginning or have just signed up for the fun!
We also have elected a new committee, so please welcome the following people to the ASB Standing Committee:
Tortferngatr
Venser
smashlloyd20
GoldenKnight
Rising_Dusk
Athenodoros
Acklow
So, your committee as of 5 / 11 / 2011 will be:
DarkSlay
SevenDeadlySins
Flora
Kaxtar
Tortferngatr
Venser
smashlloyd20
GoldenKnight
Rising_Dusk
Athenodoros
Acklow
Before we get down to business, let's take some time to recap the changes that were just put into place. There were a lot of them, both automatically implemented and voted on, so take a close look at them. They have been put under Hide tags for convenience:
Okay, with that out of the way, let's get on with this SotG's open questions, brought to you by...well, yours truly!
1. Since the last SotG, the RP threads have been created and RP'ing for ASB members has started. What do you think about how the RP's have managed so far?
Things such as the Expert Belt Dojo, Acklow's Berry Pies, The Battle Subway, Pokemon Raids, and the Pokethlon have become available to the public. While it's still in the early stages and the RP's are still trying to tweak their experiences to perfection, how have RP's affected ASB life so far? Have they been enjoyable? Should ASB continue to create RP's as time goes on in this manner?
2. Some moves have been brought to the forefront of discussion for being overpowered due to ASB "standard" rules. What should be done about these moves, if anything?
To give you a few examples, let's look at Acrobatics. Acrobatics is normally a 6 BP move, but with the fact that "No Items" has been the popular playing styles, players are having instant access to a move that is 11 BP, more powerful than Flamethrower and 1 BP less than inaccurate Thunders and Hydro Pumps for the same energy cost as the 6 BP move. Even moreso is VenoShock, which normally is 7 BP. However, it becomes 14 BP after Toxic poisoning, which is similar to Draco Meteor without the Special Attack drops AND adding in Toxic damage as the match progresses. There are other moves that have been ill-defined by ASB, such as Super Fang, which also need addressing. Which moves should be addressed, and what should be done about them? We can either leave them as is, increase energy costs, or change the moves entirely. We are also open to any other ideas as well.
UPDATE:
<Deck_Knight> Aside from the energy reduction from STAB, Super Fang is a fixed damage attack
So there you have it on Super Fang, folks.
3. Should Pokemon who have stats higher than Stage 5 retain their "modified" bonuses of 1 damage instead of 1.5, or should it be changed to 1.5 per stat increase?
As it stands, a Rank 6 Pokemon attacking a Rank 3 Pokemon scores a 4 damage differential, not a 4.5 like the difference between a Rank 5 and Rank 2 Pokemon. This question was brought up during the implementation of the Long Form Calculator, so this is merely just bringing this issue to discussion. Should Pokemon with a stat that is higher than Rank 5 receive a full stat difference (1.5) for that added stat, or should it stay as the reduced number (1)?
4. Should multi-target moves in formats that are greater than Triples (which have in-game guidelines) have rules implemented as to how many Pokemon should be hit or be affected?
This was originally a problem in old Street Brawl battles, but has kind of stretched out to Quadruples and greater matches. Should moves like Rock Slide and Surf be defined as to how many targets they should hit, and in conjunction, should moves like Reflect, Light Screen, and Safeguard be defined as to how many teammates they affect? It's been brought to my attention that these moves have been translated in "hitting or affecting all Pokemon", which is seen as overpowered and somewhat illegitimate.
5. It seems that refereeing as of late has become a bit sloppy (not listing specific examples, but there's a consensus that this is happening). What should be done to remedy this problem? Should we implement a stricter "Referee Assistant to Referee" type of system?
While ASB appreciates the work that its referees have done, it's come to my attention that some referees have been ignoring standard game mechanics that should be known by all referees, including secondary effects of moves and type-arena advantages. This leads us to believe that some sort of referee training should be implemented into ASB, in order to better inform up and coming ASB referees until they are ready to take on refereeing.
Also, referees should be more carefully watched and called out (nicely) for mistakes. In conjunction, they should also be congratulated for good reffings. ASB is a friendly game first, but in order to have a tightly structured game, we need to have informed referees.
On a similar note, "speed refereeing" should be brought to light. Some matches lately have been skimping out on detail simply to get done matches in a couple of hours. This hurts the purpose of ASB and the purpose of referees, and should not be tolerated. There should be a close lookout for these matches as well.
6. On a lighter note, in order to promote battle watching for both battlers and referees, we might be instating a "Battle of the Week" type of system where ASB players vote for a certain match-up and can view it. They will be called "Highlight Matches". The match will be pinned for all to see, and the battle will have top-notch talent and referees to display ASB's battling at its finest. Is this a good idea?
Truthfully, this is my own idea, but I've gotten a bit of support for it, so I wanted to bring it up here. I think it's fun to watch battles, but I also think that it's an overlooked activity on the ASB forum. Having a highlight match will promote enthusiasm while also giving inexperienced trainers an idea of how to better their game AND inexperienced referees an idea of how to properly referee matches. What are your thoughts on this?
7. Regarding combos, if one part of a combo is prevented (say someone Taunts a combo of Mud Sport + Crush Claw), should the combo be converted to an actual attack automatically for turns 1 and 2 (or 2 and 3 alternatively), or should the combo simply be stopped and the second action be used for turn 2 (or 3 alternatively)?
It's a small detail, but a detail that definitely is important enough to address with the increasing popularity of combos. What should be done in these circumstances? Should a combo be considered one whole unique attack that can be prevented?
---
UPDATED QUESTIONS (As of 5/16/2011)
Should Pokemon be allowed to target themselves? (IE: Should a Pokemon be able to use Toxic on itself?)
This has been a pretty big question for a while, and it really hasn't been discussed a whole lot. ASB has been known for creative use of in-game moves, with self-targeting being an example. However, self-targeting moves allow the user to gain pretty large advantages that are normally unobtainable without the help of an opponent. The best example of this would be Voodoom. Voodoom has Volt Absorb, Lightningrod, and Motor Drive (DW). With the current "undeclared" rules about self-targeting, it could theoretically hit itself, giving it a semi-permanent +1 boost to Special Attack and Speed while also healing damage with Thundershock and/or Thunder Wave. This might cause some problems with Pokemon like Voodoom (including Pokemon with Guts and Poison Heal). What should be done about this?
Feel free to discuss some other topics as well, but we're mainly interested in opinions on these seven subjects first. Happy battling ASB'ers!
- DarkSlay
ps iiMKUltra is one heck of a beast.
AS OF 5 / 11 / 2011
TOTAL NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 130
TOTAL NUMBER OF FORUM THREADS/POSTS: 412/13128
A special shout out to Flora, who has generously donated her time to updating the Registration Thread with all the current ASB players. If you see her on iRC or on Smogon, make sure to send her your thanks!
To give you a small idea of how much we've grown, we originally had 45 members and 1428 posts on February 20th. So congrats to all of the awesome ASB players who have either stuck through with the program since the beginning or have just signed up for the fun!
We also have elected a new committee, so please welcome the following people to the ASB Standing Committee:
Tortferngatr
Venser
smashlloyd20
GoldenKnight
Rising_Dusk
Athenodoros
Acklow
So, your committee as of 5 / 11 / 2011 will be:
DarkSlay
SevenDeadlySins
Flora
Kaxtar
Tortferngatr
Venser
smashlloyd20
GoldenKnight
Rising_Dusk
Athenodoros
Acklow
Before we get down to business, let's take some time to recap the changes that were just put into place. There were a lot of them, both automatically implemented and voted on, so take a close look at them. They have been put under Hide tags for convenience:
Confusion Mechanics Revisted
Codifies the effect of a Pokemon hitting itself in confusion as the attack failing and expending 3 energy on the 4 Base Power, typeless self-damaging attack. The Energy Cost of the originally called move is ignored.
Codifies the effect of a Pokemon hitting itself in confusion as the attack failing and expending 3 energy on the 4 Base Power, typeless self-damaging attack. The Energy Cost of the originally called move is ignored.
Burn Mechanics Revisited
Burn will now reduce the Base Attack Power of an affected move by 2 or 3 depending on Burn severity instead of 2 or 3 final damage.
Burn will now reduce the Base Attack Power of an affected move by 2 or 3 depending on Burn severity instead of 2 or 3 final damage.
Lowered Rarity counters:
Because of changes in the stat system the following Pokemon would have their TC cost lowered:
Spinda, Plusle, Minun: 3 -> 2
Delibird, Misdreavus, Pachirisu: 4 -> 3
Because of changes in the stat system the following Pokemon would have their TC cost increased:
Cranidos 2 -> 3
Because of changes in the stat system the following Pokemon would have their TC cost lowered:
Spinda, Plusle, Minun: 3 -> 2
Delibird, Misdreavus, Pachirisu: 4 -> 3
Because of changes in the stat system the following Pokemon would have their TC cost increased:
Cranidos 2 -> 3
Weather Mechanics
Sunny Day and Rain Dance will no longer boost fire and water moves by 1.5x. They will now add +3/-3 Base Attack Power to their respective buffed and debuffed attacking types.
Sunny Day and Rain Dance will no longer boost fire and water moves by 1.5x. They will now add +3/-3 Base Attack Power to their respective buffed and debuffed attacking types.
Stat Boost Changes
+1/+1 Boosts and +1 or -1 with Damage:
Whenever a move with multiple +1 boosts are used for a state of +0/+0, those boosts/drops last for 4 actions before the boosts start deteriorating instead of 2. This makes the moves more viable (or less in the case of Close Combat/Superpower) on the first and third actions.
The summary on stat boosters will be changed to reflect this. This change buffs +1/+1 Stat Boosters and +1 Boosters with damage or other effects.
+1/+1 Boosts and +1 or -1 with Damage:
Whenever a move with multiple +1 boosts are used for a state of +0/+0, those boosts/drops last for 4 actions before the boosts start deteriorating instead of 2. This makes the moves more viable (or less in the case of Close Combat/Superpower) on the first and third actions.
The summary on stat boosters will be changed to reflect this. This change buffs +1/+1 Stat Boosters and +1 Boosters with damage or other effects.
Compensation
Ref Tokens will be increased by 1 for each stated category of battle. Street Brawls and other unlisted multiple battle formats will still follow the 1 Token per Pokemon per Side rule.
Move Counters will be increased to 2 per Pokemon release in Battle. So when a Pokemon is released, it will receive 1 EC, 2 MC, and 1 DC.
The Compensation increases shall take effect for all battles starting on May 1st or after.
The maximum number of tokens to be given for reffing in any format is 15. If you wish to ref a match with more than 15 Pokemon involved, feel free. This limit may be waived for official tournaments (Like a Grand Melee), but not for regular matches.
Ref Tokens will be increased by 1 for each stated category of battle. Street Brawls and other unlisted multiple battle formats will still follow the 1 Token per Pokemon per Side rule.
Move Counters will be increased to 2 per Pokemon release in Battle. So when a Pokemon is released, it will receive 1 EC, 2 MC, and 1 DC.
The Compensation increases shall take effect for all battles starting on May 1st or after.
The maximum number of tokens to be given for reffing in any format is 15. If you wish to ref a match with more than 15 Pokemon involved, feel free. This limit may be waived for official tournaments (Like a Grand Melee), but not for regular matches.
Codified Switching Rules
Voluntary switches occur only during a switching phase.
A Switching phase may only be initiated by the trainer moving first that round. Instead of issuing commands, the trainer may instead initiate a switch and offer their opponent a chance to switch their Pokemon. If the opposing trainer accepts and switches their Pokemon, that trainer forfeits the advantage of moving second that round.
A Switching phase has only two possible outcomes:
1. Player A Switch > Player B Declines Switch > Player A Orders > Player B Orders.
2. Player A Switch > Player B Counterswitch and Orders > Player A Orders.
Tag Team Battles operate the same with both team members on the same team switching their Pokemon first. The team which performs the most switches in the switch phase moves first. (e.g. if both trainers on a two person tag team switch, but only one of their opponents does, their opponents still move second)
Melee battles go through each trainer next in the order. Attack Order is then determined in the reverse order of trainers who switched. (eg. Trainer A initiates switch phase. Trainer B makes a switch, Trainer C declines to switch, then Trainer D makes a switch. The attack order would now be D > B > A > C. Because D was able to see the decisions of all other players, D is punished the most for deciding to switch after B switched and C declined.
Any Battle large enough to require orders via PM will automatically be set to Switch=KO
Voluntary switches occur only during a switching phase.
A Switching phase may only be initiated by the trainer moving first that round. Instead of issuing commands, the trainer may instead initiate a switch and offer their opponent a chance to switch their Pokemon. If the opposing trainer accepts and switches their Pokemon, that trainer forfeits the advantage of moving second that round.
A Switching phase has only two possible outcomes:
1. Player A Switch > Player B Declines Switch > Player A Orders > Player B Orders.
2. Player A Switch > Player B Counterswitch and Orders > Player A Orders.
Tag Team Battles operate the same with both team members on the same team switching their Pokemon first. The team which performs the most switches in the switch phase moves first. (e.g. if both trainers on a two person tag team switch, but only one of their opponents does, their opponents still move second)
Melee battles go through each trainer next in the order. Attack Order is then determined in the reverse order of trainers who switched. (eg. Trainer A initiates switch phase. Trainer B makes a switch, Trainer C declines to switch, then Trainer D makes a switch. The attack order would now be D > B > A > C. Because D was able to see the decisions of all other players, D is punished the most for deciding to switch after B switched and C declined.
Any Battle large enough to require orders via PM will automatically be set to Switch=KO
Long Form Damage Calculator Clarification
As noted, the Long Form Damage Calculator had a notation error present in it. However every iteration of the damage calculator, starting with the original one, had assumed only five ranks and treated ranks above 5 as a kind of separate bonus for extreme stats. It was my original intent that there only be five official ranks and so it shall remain that way. This becomes especially important with the implementation of some items that base their effect on the ranking system.
As such, this is how the Long Form will appear after considering the changes to ranks:
((Base Attack Power + STAB + Critical Hit + [Rank Difference 1-5] *1.5 + [Rank Difference 0 or >5] * 1 + Ability Effects + Field Effects - Reflect/Light Screen - Burn Degree) * Type Effectiveness) + (Stage Boost Difference *1.5).
Legend:
Base Attack Power: The Base Attack Power of an Attack. Most attacks in ASB have Base Attack Powers equal to their game values divided by 10 and rounded up. However a floor has been implemented on most attacks, resulting in no attack having less than 4 Base Attack Power. Check the Attack List for data on specific attacks, as they can have other effects on damage.
STAB: Same Type Attack Bonus. It provides +3 Damage and -1 Energy Cost to moves a Pokemon uses that match its type.
Critical Hit: A chance all attacks have of doing additional damage. When a critical hit lands, Base Attack Power is increased by 3.
Rank Difference 1-5: Differences in Rank between 1 and 5.
As these comprise the most Pokemon they have the strongest effect, worth 1.5 damage each.
Rank Difference 0 or >5: Differences in Rank resulting in Rank 0 or Ranks greater than 5. In the case of Rank 0 Defense, they take 1 more damage from relevant attacks, and Rank 0 Attacks do 1 less damage with all relevant attacks. In the case of Defenses Rank 6 and Above, they take one less damage from all relevant attacks for each rank above 5. Attacks Ranks 6 and Above add one damage to all relevant attacks for each rank above 5.
Ability Effects: Guts, Hustle, Sturdy, and the like, applied from both Pokemon.
Field Effects: Primarily Rain, Sun, and the Sandstorm boost to rock type special defense.
Reflect/Light Screen: These attacks reduce the Base Attack Power of incoming attacks by a flat 5 damage.
Burn Degree: This is the degree of Burn, and can reduce Base Attack Power by 2 or 3 depending on severity.
Type Effectiveness: Effectiveness based on type, with the multiplies 2.25x, 1.5x, 1x, 0.67x, and 0.44x respectively for 4x weak, 2x weak, neutral, 2x resist, and 4x resist.
Stage Boost Difference: The differences in Stage Boosts brought on by attacks like Swords Dance and Bulk Up.
As noted, the Long Form Damage Calculator had a notation error present in it. However every iteration of the damage calculator, starting with the original one, had assumed only five ranks and treated ranks above 5 as a kind of separate bonus for extreme stats. It was my original intent that there only be five official ranks and so it shall remain that way. This becomes especially important with the implementation of some items that base their effect on the ranking system.
As such, this is how the Long Form will appear after considering the changes to ranks:
((Base Attack Power + STAB + Critical Hit + [Rank Difference 1-5] *1.5 + [Rank Difference 0 or >5] * 1 + Ability Effects + Field Effects - Reflect/Light Screen - Burn Degree) * Type Effectiveness) + (Stage Boost Difference *1.5).
Legend:
Base Attack Power: The Base Attack Power of an Attack. Most attacks in ASB have Base Attack Powers equal to their game values divided by 10 and rounded up. However a floor has been implemented on most attacks, resulting in no attack having less than 4 Base Attack Power. Check the Attack List for data on specific attacks, as they can have other effects on damage.
STAB: Same Type Attack Bonus. It provides +3 Damage and -1 Energy Cost to moves a Pokemon uses that match its type.
Critical Hit: A chance all attacks have of doing additional damage. When a critical hit lands, Base Attack Power is increased by 3.
Rank Difference 1-5: Differences in Rank between 1 and 5.
As these comprise the most Pokemon they have the strongest effect, worth 1.5 damage each.
Rank Difference 0 or >5: Differences in Rank resulting in Rank 0 or Ranks greater than 5. In the case of Rank 0 Defense, they take 1 more damage from relevant attacks, and Rank 0 Attacks do 1 less damage with all relevant attacks. In the case of Defenses Rank 6 and Above, they take one less damage from all relevant attacks for each rank above 5. Attacks Ranks 6 and Above add one damage to all relevant attacks for each rank above 5.
Ability Effects: Guts, Hustle, Sturdy, and the like, applied from both Pokemon.
Field Effects: Primarily Rain, Sun, and the Sandstorm boost to rock type special defense.
Reflect/Light Screen: These attacks reduce the Base Attack Power of incoming attacks by a flat 5 damage.
Burn Degree: This is the degree of Burn, and can reduce Base Attack Power by 2 or 3 depending on severity.
Type Effectiveness: Effectiveness based on type, with the multiplies 2.25x, 1.5x, 1x, 0.67x, and 0.44x respectively for 4x weak, 2x weak, neutral, 2x resist, and 4x resist.
Stage Boost Difference: The differences in Stage Boosts brought on by attacks like Swords Dance and Bulk Up.
Street Brawls and Multiple Battle Regulations
Street Brawls as they currently exist will be banned.
As such the following regulations will be put in place:
Street Brawls as they currently exist will be banned.
As such the following regulations will be put in place:
- All battle formats with more than 3 Pokemon at once per player will be conducted with orders via private messaging to the referee.
- This will also apply in Melee battles with more than 4 players, and any Melee format outside of Singles.
- In Tag Team Matches, players on the same team may coordinate their attacks through PM.
- All battles must be conducted with the same number of Pokemon per side. No exceptions. Battles are thus functionally capped at the number of Pokemon of the player with the fewest.
Speed Modifying Natures
This has changed positive speed natures to increasing accuracy equal to (New Base Speed^2/Divisor) [Capped at 30] and negative speed natures to decreasing evasion by a flat 10, which is applied to an opponent's accuracy (e.g. 90 becomes 100).
The Divisors will be applied to keep the benefit for generally slower, lower stage Pokemon. The Divisors are as follows:
Fully Evolved: 1000
Second of Three: 700
First of Two: 500
First of Three: 350
This link provides some practical examples.
This has changed positive speed natures to increasing accuracy equal to (New Base Speed^2/Divisor) [Capped at 30] and negative speed natures to decreasing evasion by a flat 10, which is applied to an opponent's accuracy (e.g. 90 becomes 100).
The Divisors will be applied to keep the benefit for generally slower, lower stage Pokemon. The Divisors are as follows:
Fully Evolved: 1000
Second of Three: 700
First of Two: 500
First of Three: 350
This link provides some practical examples.
Critical Hits for multi-hit moves.
This has changed the mechanics of multi-hit moves to provide +2 damage for each critical hit on a two-hit attacks and Triple Kick and +1 damage for each critical hit on a two-five hit attacks.
This has changed the mechanics of multi-hit moves to provide +2 damage for each critical hit on a two-hit attacks and Triple Kick and +1 damage for each critical hit on a two-five hit attacks.
STAB Summary Changes
This has removed the additional energy cost reductions for non-STAB moves and replace the summaries with more terrain-oriented effects.
The exact effects are listed below:
New terminology:
Not Losing Focus: In addition to increase the Base Attack Power of attacks by 3 and Reducing Energy cost by one, certain STABs may allow certain moves to keep their focus in all conditions, except when struck by a multi-hit attack (which always disrupt these moves). Whenever using one of the attacks below, moves of their STAB will not break any required focus unless it would directly alter their continuance of the attack.
There are two broad categories:
Partial Trapping Moves: Pokemon will have a much easier time using commands that don't use the appendages sourced in these attacks or else will be able to maintain their mental focus while using other attacks. This effect applies to Bind, Fire Spin, Clamp, Magma Storm, Sand Tomb, Whirlpool, and Wrap.
Uncontrollable Attacks: Pokemon will not be subject to the disruption of Petal Dance, Outrage, and Thrash when hit by moves with greater than 12 Base Attack Power.
Bug:
Summary: Bug STAB; More mobility in dense brush or forest conditions. Gain an extra guaranteed attack on multi-hit moves.
Dark:
Summary: Dark STAB; Immunity to all telepathic and telekinetic attacks, better performance in all darkened and especially twilight conditions. Can use any Dark-type attack regardless of Attraction.
Dragon:
Summary: Dragon STAB; More in touch with legendary or special auras in arenas. Able to use Hyper Beam and Giga Impact without losing focus.
Electric:
Summary: Electric STAB; 50% reduction in paralysis chance from other electrical attacks, perfect accuracy and 30% chance of Protect breaking Thunder during Rain. Superior senses in power plant environments.
Fighting:
Summary: Fighting STAB; ignore weight restrictions of throwing/grappling moves. Superior reaction time in close quarters.
Fire:
Summary: Fire STAB; immune to burn, 50% reduction in freeze chance, emit a low glow in dark places, takes additional damage if active open flames are exposed to a water attack. Superior senses in volcanic or brushfire areas.
Flying:
Summary: Flying STAB; immunity to Ground attacks outside extremely odd circumstances even for ground-based flying Pokemon. Enhanced aerial mobility. Superior senses in open air arenas.
Ghost:
Summary: Ghost STAB; brief intangibility that nullifies Normal and Fighting-type attacks. Can move through walls for a brief period of time but must remain in motion. Superior senses in low light and inside dark buildings. Have no vision reduction in hazes.
Grass:
Summary: Grass STAB; Immunity to Leech Seed and Worry Seed. 50% reduction in status effect chance of oncoming "powder" attacks. More mobile in areas with strong natural light sources. Superior senses in tall grass and forest areas. Able to use Wrap and Bind without losing focus.
Ground:
Summary: Ground STAB; Immune to all electrical attacks, can Dig through almost any substance, Evasive Digging reduced from 3 per action Energy Cost to 2 per action, superior senses in darkened cave surroundings.
Ice:
Summary: Ice STAB; immune to freezing and Sheer Cold, no vision loss or damage in Hail or snowstorm conditions, perfectly accurate and 30% Protect breaking Blizzard in Hail. Superior senses and mobility in frozen caves and other frigid arenas.
Normal:
Summary: Normal STAB; adapt comfortably to any surrounding after 3 actions. Able to use Outrage without losing focus.
Poison:
Summary: Poison STAB; immunity to Poison/Toxic, see and breath through smog/smokescreens/haze uninhibited. Able to use Wrap and Bind without losing focus. Superior senses in urban settings.
Psychic:
Summary: Psychic STAB; less susceptible to blinding, more susceptible to sound-based assaults as far as locking on with Psychic attacks, can lift and throw opponents with Psychic attacks regardless of weight difference. Psychic-type attacks are not godlike and cannot be used as a catchall for Disabling, Binding, and redirecting opposing attacks.
Rock:
Summary: Rock STAB; Take 2 less damage from all special attacks during Sandstorm. Able to use Sand Tomb without losing focus.
Steel:
Summary: Steel STAB; Immune to Sandstorm, highly insusceptible to toxic attacks, but can be corroded specifically by Acid and Acid Bomb, can be magnetized. Superior senses in high-metal environments like construction sites or factories.
Water:
Summary: Water STAB; Can breathe and have excellent mobility when underwater, are less capable on land unless they are entirely amphibious.
This has removed the additional energy cost reductions for non-STAB moves and replace the summaries with more terrain-oriented effects.
The exact effects are listed below:
New terminology:
Not Losing Focus: In addition to increase the Base Attack Power of attacks by 3 and Reducing Energy cost by one, certain STABs may allow certain moves to keep their focus in all conditions, except when struck by a multi-hit attack (which always disrupt these moves). Whenever using one of the attacks below, moves of their STAB will not break any required focus unless it would directly alter their continuance of the attack.
There are two broad categories:
Partial Trapping Moves: Pokemon will have a much easier time using commands that don't use the appendages sourced in these attacks or else will be able to maintain their mental focus while using other attacks. This effect applies to Bind, Fire Spin, Clamp, Magma Storm, Sand Tomb, Whirlpool, and Wrap.
Uncontrollable Attacks: Pokemon will not be subject to the disruption of Petal Dance, Outrage, and Thrash when hit by moves with greater than 12 Base Attack Power.
Bug:
Summary: Bug STAB; More mobility in dense brush or forest conditions. Gain an extra guaranteed attack on multi-hit moves.
Dark:
Summary: Dark STAB; Immunity to all telepathic and telekinetic attacks, better performance in all darkened and especially twilight conditions. Can use any Dark-type attack regardless of Attraction.
Dragon:
Summary: Dragon STAB; More in touch with legendary or special auras in arenas. Able to use Hyper Beam and Giga Impact without losing focus.
Electric:
Summary: Electric STAB; 50% reduction in paralysis chance from other electrical attacks, perfect accuracy and 30% chance of Protect breaking Thunder during Rain. Superior senses in power plant environments.
Fighting:
Summary: Fighting STAB; ignore weight restrictions of throwing/grappling moves. Superior reaction time in close quarters.
Fire:
Summary: Fire STAB; immune to burn, 50% reduction in freeze chance, emit a low glow in dark places, takes additional damage if active open flames are exposed to a water attack. Superior senses in volcanic or brushfire areas.
Flying:
Summary: Flying STAB; immunity to Ground attacks outside extremely odd circumstances even for ground-based flying Pokemon. Enhanced aerial mobility. Superior senses in open air arenas.
Ghost:
Summary: Ghost STAB; brief intangibility that nullifies Normal and Fighting-type attacks. Can move through walls for a brief period of time but must remain in motion. Superior senses in low light and inside dark buildings. Have no vision reduction in hazes.
Grass:
Summary: Grass STAB; Immunity to Leech Seed and Worry Seed. 50% reduction in status effect chance of oncoming "powder" attacks. More mobile in areas with strong natural light sources. Superior senses in tall grass and forest areas. Able to use Wrap and Bind without losing focus.
Ground:
Summary: Ground STAB; Immune to all electrical attacks, can Dig through almost any substance, Evasive Digging reduced from 3 per action Energy Cost to 2 per action, superior senses in darkened cave surroundings.
Ice:
Summary: Ice STAB; immune to freezing and Sheer Cold, no vision loss or damage in Hail or snowstorm conditions, perfectly accurate and 30% Protect breaking Blizzard in Hail. Superior senses and mobility in frozen caves and other frigid arenas.
Normal:
Summary: Normal STAB; adapt comfortably to any surrounding after 3 actions. Able to use Outrage without losing focus.
Poison:
Summary: Poison STAB; immunity to Poison/Toxic, see and breath through smog/smokescreens/haze uninhibited. Able to use Wrap and Bind without losing focus. Superior senses in urban settings.
Psychic:
Summary: Psychic STAB; less susceptible to blinding, more susceptible to sound-based assaults as far as locking on with Psychic attacks, can lift and throw opponents with Psychic attacks regardless of weight difference. Psychic-type attacks are not godlike and cannot be used as a catchall for Disabling, Binding, and redirecting opposing attacks.
Rock:
Summary: Rock STAB; Take 2 less damage from all special attacks during Sandstorm. Able to use Sand Tomb without losing focus.
Steel:
Summary: Steel STAB; Immune to Sandstorm, highly insusceptible to toxic attacks, but can be corroded specifically by Acid and Acid Bomb, can be magnetized. Superior senses in high-metal environments like construction sites or factories.
Water:
Summary: Water STAB; Can breathe and have excellent mobility when underwater, are less capable on land unless they are entirely amphibious.
Substitution Rules
This has implemented the following Substitution rules:
Attack Substitution:
For each of their Pokemon, a Player acting first may create a substitution based on one specific Attack or Command the opponent can issue and substitute their called actions. This conditional can only be triggered by one of the opponent's actions, however it may apply to multiple consecutive actions for the trainer's Pokemon in that round.
Chance Substitution:
For each of their Pokemon, either player may create a substitution based on the success or failure of a previously ordered Attack or Attack effect. This conditional can only be triggered by the success or failure of a previous action, and as such cannot be applied to the first action of a round. A Player acting first can make either an Attack Substitution or a Chance Substitution, but not both.
KO Substitution:
For each of their Pokemon, either player in a multiple battle (doubles or more) may order an alternative set of actions based on a specific opponent fainting on a specific action. A KO Substitution can be ordered in addition to an Attack Substitution or a Chance Substitution.
This has implemented the following Substitution rules:
Attack Substitution:
For each of their Pokemon, a Player acting first may create a substitution based on one specific Attack or Command the opponent can issue and substitute their called actions. This conditional can only be triggered by one of the opponent's actions, however it may apply to multiple consecutive actions for the trainer's Pokemon in that round.
Chance Substitution:
For each of their Pokemon, either player may create a substitution based on the success or failure of a previously ordered Attack or Attack effect. This conditional can only be triggered by the success or failure of a previous action, and as such cannot be applied to the first action of a round. A Player acting first can make either an Attack Substitution or a Chance Substitution, but not both.
KO Substitution:
For each of their Pokemon, either player in a multiple battle (doubles or more) may order an alternative set of actions based on a specific opponent fainting on a specific action. A KO Substitution can be ordered in addition to an Attack Substitution or a Chance Substitution.
Combination Attacks
This has implemented the following Combination rules:
This has implemented the following Combination rules:
- 1. Combination attacks are largely at the discretion of the referee of that match as to the result of the move. There can definitely be an "intended effect", but combo moves are not guaranteed to work if the referee doesn't think the combo would or should work.
- 2. Combination attacks have an energy cost equal to (Attack A's Energy Cost + Attack B's Energy Cost) * 1.2
- 3. Combination attacks generally have the damage of both of their combined attacks, provided those attacks flow smoothly together using the same appendage (or full body assault as the case may be). Damage may be reduced slightly based on the complexity of the combo, such as comboing a multi-hit move with a stronger, more focused attack where possible.
- 4. Some combinations may change the typing of an attack, at which point STAB is applied if relevant. The ending type of dissimilar attacks is heavily influenced by player preference, however they must explain the mechanics of the change as part of their orders, such as adding the elemental attribute of an attack before they strike or directing the energy from a full body assault into a single point or points of impact if transitioning to a fighting attack for example.
- 5. Combination attacks combine two attacks into the original action's slot, but due to their complexity give that combination a lower priority bracket than regular attacks. The turn after a combination leaves the Pokemon entirely vulnerable. Because of this combination attacks can only be issued on the first or second action of a round.
Changing the TC Rarity Cost of certain Pokemon
This has lowered the TC Cost of every 5 TC Pokemon to 4 and change the formula for a single-stage Pokemon selected outside a starter to TC Cost + 3. This reduces the maximum TC Cost for a Pokemon from 10 to 7.
This has lowered the TC Cost of every 5 TC Pokemon to 4 and change the formula for a single-stage Pokemon selected outside a starter to TC Cost + 3. This reduces the maximum TC Cost for a Pokemon from 10 to 7.
Okay, with that out of the way, let's get on with this SotG's open questions, brought to you by...well, yours truly!
1. Since the last SotG, the RP threads have been created and RP'ing for ASB members has started. What do you think about how the RP's have managed so far?
Things such as the Expert Belt Dojo, Acklow's Berry Pies, The Battle Subway, Pokemon Raids, and the Pokethlon have become available to the public. While it's still in the early stages and the RP's are still trying to tweak their experiences to perfection, how have RP's affected ASB life so far? Have they been enjoyable? Should ASB continue to create RP's as time goes on in this manner?
2. Some moves have been brought to the forefront of discussion for being overpowered due to ASB "standard" rules. What should be done about these moves, if anything?
To give you a few examples, let's look at Acrobatics. Acrobatics is normally a 6 BP move, but with the fact that "No Items" has been the popular playing styles, players are having instant access to a move that is 11 BP, more powerful than Flamethrower and 1 BP less than inaccurate Thunders and Hydro Pumps for the same energy cost as the 6 BP move. Even moreso is VenoShock, which normally is 7 BP. However, it becomes 14 BP after Toxic poisoning, which is similar to Draco Meteor without the Special Attack drops AND adding in Toxic damage as the match progresses. There are other moves that have been ill-defined by ASB, such as Super Fang, which also need addressing. Which moves should be addressed, and what should be done about them? We can either leave them as is, increase energy costs, or change the moves entirely. We are also open to any other ideas as well.
UPDATE:
<Deck_Knight> Aside from the energy reduction from STAB, Super Fang is a fixed damage attack
So there you have it on Super Fang, folks.
3. Should Pokemon who have stats higher than Stage 5 retain their "modified" bonuses of 1 damage instead of 1.5, or should it be changed to 1.5 per stat increase?
As it stands, a Rank 6 Pokemon attacking a Rank 3 Pokemon scores a 4 damage differential, not a 4.5 like the difference between a Rank 5 and Rank 2 Pokemon. This question was brought up during the implementation of the Long Form Calculator, so this is merely just bringing this issue to discussion. Should Pokemon with a stat that is higher than Rank 5 receive a full stat difference (1.5) for that added stat, or should it stay as the reduced number (1)?
4. Should multi-target moves in formats that are greater than Triples (which have in-game guidelines) have rules implemented as to how many Pokemon should be hit or be affected?
This was originally a problem in old Street Brawl battles, but has kind of stretched out to Quadruples and greater matches. Should moves like Rock Slide and Surf be defined as to how many targets they should hit, and in conjunction, should moves like Reflect, Light Screen, and Safeguard be defined as to how many teammates they affect? It's been brought to my attention that these moves have been translated in "hitting or affecting all Pokemon", which is seen as overpowered and somewhat illegitimate.
5. It seems that refereeing as of late has become a bit sloppy (not listing specific examples, but there's a consensus that this is happening). What should be done to remedy this problem? Should we implement a stricter "Referee Assistant to Referee" type of system?
While ASB appreciates the work that its referees have done, it's come to my attention that some referees have been ignoring standard game mechanics that should be known by all referees, including secondary effects of moves and type-arena advantages. This leads us to believe that some sort of referee training should be implemented into ASB, in order to better inform up and coming ASB referees until they are ready to take on refereeing.
Also, referees should be more carefully watched and called out (nicely) for mistakes. In conjunction, they should also be congratulated for good reffings. ASB is a friendly game first, but in order to have a tightly structured game, we need to have informed referees.
On a similar note, "speed refereeing" should be brought to light. Some matches lately have been skimping out on detail simply to get done matches in a couple of hours. This hurts the purpose of ASB and the purpose of referees, and should not be tolerated. There should be a close lookout for these matches as well.
6. On a lighter note, in order to promote battle watching for both battlers and referees, we might be instating a "Battle of the Week" type of system where ASB players vote for a certain match-up and can view it. They will be called "Highlight Matches". The match will be pinned for all to see, and the battle will have top-notch talent and referees to display ASB's battling at its finest. Is this a good idea?
Truthfully, this is my own idea, but I've gotten a bit of support for it, so I wanted to bring it up here. I think it's fun to watch battles, but I also think that it's an overlooked activity on the ASB forum. Having a highlight match will promote enthusiasm while also giving inexperienced trainers an idea of how to better their game AND inexperienced referees an idea of how to properly referee matches. What are your thoughts on this?
7. Regarding combos, if one part of a combo is prevented (say someone Taunts a combo of Mud Sport + Crush Claw), should the combo be converted to an actual attack automatically for turns 1 and 2 (or 2 and 3 alternatively), or should the combo simply be stopped and the second action be used for turn 2 (or 3 alternatively)?
It's a small detail, but a detail that definitely is important enough to address with the increasing popularity of combos. What should be done in these circumstances? Should a combo be considered one whole unique attack that can be prevented?
---
UPDATED QUESTIONS (As of 5/16/2011)
Should Pokemon be allowed to target themselves? (IE: Should a Pokemon be able to use Toxic on itself?)
This has been a pretty big question for a while, and it really hasn't been discussed a whole lot. ASB has been known for creative use of in-game moves, with self-targeting being an example. However, self-targeting moves allow the user to gain pretty large advantages that are normally unobtainable without the help of an opponent. The best example of this would be Voodoom. Voodoom has Volt Absorb, Lightningrod, and Motor Drive (DW). With the current "undeclared" rules about self-targeting, it could theoretically hit itself, giving it a semi-permanent +1 boost to Special Attack and Speed while also healing damage with Thundershock and/or Thunder Wave. This might cause some problems with Pokemon like Voodoom (including Pokemon with Guts and Poison Heal). What should be done about this?
Feel free to discuss some other topics as well, but we're mainly interested in opinions on these seven subjects first. Happy battling ASB'ers!
- DarkSlay
ps iiMKUltra is one heck of a beast.