Hello
I would like to propose that the Rands Slam (Random Battles Circuit) receives the yellow ribbon currently awarded to BSS, VGC, OM, Draft and National Dex. Currently, the prize for the circuit is a banner which disappears after a year, which feels very ephemeral and disappointing for the commitment and playing ability that winning the circuit requires.
Random Battles is the most popular format on PS!, and despite being perceived as more casual, it is robustly balanced and played extremely skillfully at a top level, with many players finding and achieving consistent success. RBTT is the most popular teamtour on the site (afaik), and when randbats players have migrated to official formats, they've often done very well (for example, Sylveon used CM has had notable OU success and won LC Open last year). It's very difficult to argue that the top players in randbats are worse than the top players of something like PU or Battle Spot Singles, for example. Rands Slam isn't much easier to qualify for than any other circuit, despite having more spots in playoffs to account for the playerbase, and I know several good players in SPL/SCL/WCoP who attempted to qualify but couldn't make it.
Obviously the primary concern would be the RNG elements of randbats, but I don't think it's a major concern, especially in the context of the yellow ribbon. Not to disrespect any other tier, and I say this with love as someone who mained the format for 5 years and had decent tournament results back in the day, but Monotype is not much better, if better at all in terms of how matchup influences games. For example, back in USUM it was pretty common for people using Fairy to just forfeit against Grass unless they were using the sub-optimal Togekiss, since Ferro and Mega Venusaur was just not breakable. Other MU's were similar. Like I said earlier, the consistent success of players like pokeblade101 or MichaelderBeste2 proves that the format has a very significant amount of competitive integrity and skill involved.
Other tiers, like OMs and Natdex also receive the yellow ribbon despite being completely non-replicable on cartridge, so that shouldn't be an issue. Really the only difference randbats has is that you don't need to prep, and I don't think prep, a completely optional process that most people don't even do outside of extremely high stakes games in indivs, should disqualify a format from being recognised with something as low stakes as a yellow ribbon. It would just serve as a permanent reminder of someone's accomplishment, which is all that's needed.
If this were implemented, it would be retroactively applied to Elgino Clementine and Michielleus
Thank you.
I would like to propose that the Rands Slam (Random Battles Circuit) receives the yellow ribbon currently awarded to BSS, VGC, OM, Draft and National Dex. Currently, the prize for the circuit is a banner which disappears after a year, which feels very ephemeral and disappointing for the commitment and playing ability that winning the circuit requires.
Random Battles is the most popular format on PS!, and despite being perceived as more casual, it is robustly balanced and played extremely skillfully at a top level, with many players finding and achieving consistent success. RBTT is the most popular teamtour on the site (afaik), and when randbats players have migrated to official formats, they've often done very well (for example, Sylveon used CM has had notable OU success and won LC Open last year). It's very difficult to argue that the top players in randbats are worse than the top players of something like PU or Battle Spot Singles, for example. Rands Slam isn't much easier to qualify for than any other circuit, despite having more spots in playoffs to account for the playerbase, and I know several good players in SPL/SCL/WCoP who attempted to qualify but couldn't make it.
Obviously the primary concern would be the RNG elements of randbats, but I don't think it's a major concern, especially in the context of the yellow ribbon. Not to disrespect any other tier, and I say this with love as someone who mained the format for 5 years and had decent tournament results back in the day, but Monotype is not much better, if better at all in terms of how matchup influences games. For example, back in USUM it was pretty common for people using Fairy to just forfeit against Grass unless they were using the sub-optimal Togekiss, since Ferro and Mega Venusaur was just not breakable. Other MU's were similar. Like I said earlier, the consistent success of players like pokeblade101 or MichaelderBeste2 proves that the format has a very significant amount of competitive integrity and skill involved.
Other tiers, like OMs and Natdex also receive the yellow ribbon despite being completely non-replicable on cartridge, so that shouldn't be an issue. Really the only difference randbats has is that you don't need to prep, and I don't think prep, a completely optional process that most people don't even do outside of extremely high stakes games in indivs, should disqualify a format from being recognised with something as low stakes as a yellow ribbon. It would just serve as a permanent reminder of someone's accomplishment, which is all that's needed.
If this were implemented, it would be retroactively applied to Elgino Clementine and Michielleus
Thank you.
