How to become famous on PS!
Introduction
Pokémon Showdown! is huge, hitting about 10,000 people during peak hours almost every day. It also has more than 50 different public rooms, and many more private rooms to chat in! When thinking of these numbers, PS can seem really intimidating at first. It may be hard to decide where you want to start off, since first impressions are everything, especially with this many people watching you. This guide is here to help you take that first step and to assist in teaching you how to integrate yourself into the many different communities that PS has to offer.
- Step 1: Choose a name.
- This is obviously the first step, and it's also the most subjective. Of course, if you're a good user, it doesn't really matter what your name is. However, your name is the first thing that people will see, and people tend to be quick to judge. Obviously a person named "xxCutieGirlxx" will be judged much more differently than people with most other names. In the end, it boils down to personal preference, but try to stick to a name that can uphold your dignity and people can call you with ease. The username should not be inappropriate or break any rules, and it shouldn't be something that a user in an auth position definitely should not be named.
- Step 2: Choose a room that you seem interested in.
- When a room is made on PS, a few things are considered. One of the main points is if the room has a purpose on this kind of sim, and whether it would attract enough users. With 50+ public rooms, all of them with different topics to discuss and engage in, there is bound to be a room that caters to your needs. If you want to trade, go to Wi-Fi; if you want to battle, head on over to Tournaments; if you want to talk about a specific tier, try the tier rooms. The amount of diversity that PS covers is endless, and I'm sure that there is one room that has a discussion topic that you will be interested in.
- Step 3: Familiarize yourself with room and global rules.
- This is extremely important. Once you've chosen a room, you need to realize what's not allowed within it. If you really want to get integrated into a community, it wouldn't be good if you accidentally broke a rule because of a simple oversight and then got warned/muted. Global rules are rules that apply to every single public room and cover the general stuff that all users should be following. Room rules indicate rules specific to each room, where some specific actions might be looked down upon or encouraged. For example, most rooms don't appreciate the use of the /me command, but it is integral to the Roleplaying room. In short, read the rules, and don't forget them.
- Step 4: Get involved with the room events and chat.
- Every room has its own chat and events held for it. Obviously, consistent activity in the chat is a huge plus, as people notice you as a regular in the room. Most rooms have constant events running as well, for users to interact with the staff more and to form a nice sense of community. It's good to participate in as many as these as possible, as they are normally a ton of fun for everyone and they get people to really know you.
- Step 5: Start making friends and move on from there!
- If you follow all of these steps accurately and chat actively, soon enough you should start making a few friends and get more involved with the room! Remember, becoming known is not an overnight process, it's gonna take quite some time to get the feel of PS. It's such a huge server, and with so many well-known people, it seems daunting to jump right into the community. However, there are people who are willing to help with anything at almost every corner, so whenever you're in trouble, don't be afraid to ask someone (like a global staff member) for help! Good luck, and don't forget the most important reason we all use PS: to have fun and to make the server an enjoyable place for everyone else.
