Pokémon Customization

Pokémon Customization

One of the things I liked best about the TCoD league was that it allowed for a lot more freedom to customize one’s pokémon (and see an actual result on the battlefield for choosing to do so) than most other ASB leagues. Ultimately, though, I felt as though that much freedom allowed for some fairly outlandish changes—a type change, a signature move, armor, and a move like counter or mirror coat from the PASBU would create quite a ferocious beast, and one perhaps a little unbalanced when pitted against pokémon with fewer bells and whistles. Therefore, I have decided to cut the customization slots in half, to one body mod and one move mod.

However, I would at the same time open the body mod up to trainer creation in the same way that one move mod could be occupied by a sig in the previous system. Therefore, players would be able to either design their own body mod or go and buy a premade one from a business. New approvers would have to be hired and current approvers tested before they could approve such mods, as they provide much more potential for abuse simply because they allow almost limitless freedom—the only qualification necessary for something to be a body mod being that it is a static alteration to a pokémon, rather than something called out by name, like an attack—and the three easiest factors to tweak while trying to balance a sig move, the accuracy, energy cost, and usage gap, would almost never apply. Incidentally, all signature moves under the new system would require a defined base energy cost to help aid in their reffing.

Besides removing customization options, though, I would also implement the use of held items for the first time. Unlike the other modification slots, though, held items would League-defined and standardized, rather than user-created. A held item wouldn’t be bound to any pokémon, but instead would go into a player’s inventory, where it could be equipped to or removed from any member of their squad at will.

That’s pretty much it for this section. Again, the primary focus was on removing money as the primary factor in building a powerful squad; all modifications, with the exception of held items, can now be made for free if a trainer is willing to invest the time in coming up with them. Additionally, there should be less disparity between an ordinary pokémon, such as one from a team where a trainer may not be able to afford a ton of mods, and a pokémon that has all its slots filled. Items do give a slight advantage to people with the funds to buy a lot of them, but I feel that there should, after all, be some reward for accruing money, and don’t feel as though they would swing the game enough in the hands of a moderate battler to cause unfairness.

Re: Pokémon Customization

Ok, I am confused. So hold items take up the body mod slot, or...?

Also, wouldn't this hurt businesses quite a bit? After all, I am sure alot of people would then rather create their own body mods and attacks instead of buying them. I know the point is to make the ASB less money reliant, but still, that does take away some of the charm of going to a business to buy the attacks and armour

*Points out one such business - my own business* For example, those attacks weren't overly powerful, and were approved as if they were sig attacks. Under this new system, though, people would almost always go for sig moves instead of prefabricated moves

Re: Pokémon Customization

I assume people who are bringing over old Pokémon that have three or four modifications (or, at least, two that take up the same type of slot) will simply have to choose one or two to hack off, right? Not that this really applies to me, as I hardly ever bothered with anything other than sigs, but still.

Re: Pokémon Customization

Nope, hold items are entirely different. They do not count towards your customization slots.

And yes, I'm afraid for a while I considered removing businesses from the system entirely. However, I feel that many people will still want to use them to fill their modifications. After all, many people already had the option of adding sigs to their pokémon, but didn't; creating a sig move is hard and can take a long time, so I think that there would still be a demand for "prefabricated" modifications, which may in fact be more powerful than signature ones in some cases--maybe even in many cases.

Edit for Kratos: Yes, you'll need to pick and choose if you have a modded pokémon that exceeds the new limits. I don't actually think there were too many of those, though.

Re: Pokémon Customization

>.< Ouch, no businesses...

Well, that is one way to take care of the customization problem, I suppose...

Thanks for clearing that up

Re: Pokémon Customization

A question:

My Togekiss at the old forums had a Type Change (which included moves added and removed from his movepool) and a Sig move... Would the moves the Type Change altered count for the movepool mod?

Re: Pokémon Customization

It counts as a body mod, so nope.

Re: Pokémon Customization

Probably a lame question but... considering this is 'animé style battling', will the trainers/ref need to count for any encumberance when considering hold items? Where would, say, a Pupitar hold a Lum Berry, Electrode hold a Magnet, etcetc, in such a way that they would still battle freely? Or would it just be disregarded except for effect, like in the games?

Re: Pokémon Customization

MidnightSaboteur said:

Probably a lame question but... considering this is 'animé style battling', will the trainers/ref need to count for any encumberance when considering hold items? Where would, say, a Pupitar hold a Lum Berry, Electrode hold a Magnet, etcetc, in such a way that they would still battle freely? Or would it just be disregarded except for effect, like in the games?

Click to expand...

And in the case of Pokemon that have difficulty holding items, if the items can get in the way in a battle, well, what happens then?

Re: Pokémon Customization

MidnightSaboteur

An interesting question; probably, for pokémon unable to actually "hold" the items, they'd be attached in some other fashion, either worn in a pouch or something or stuck directly to the pokémon with some powerful adhesive. A magnet would probably be pretty strongly attracted to an electrode as it is, incidentally.

As to whether they'd get in the way in battle--it is possible; electrode, for example, would have problems rolling in certain directions if it had anything large stuck to it. In such cases, the trainer would be wise to consider the feasibility of their equipment before committing to bringing it to battle. So, Icalasari, if an item is going to cause trouble, it could potentially hinder a pokémon's movement, but it probably wouldn't go much farther than that.

Re: Pokémon Customization

Held items rough draft. As you can see, I've yet to put in the little description of each item and decide on the precise standard syntax for the effects, but the bare bones of everything is there:

Big Root: When a pokémon holding this item uses a draining attack against the opponent, it regains health equal to 75% the damage dealt rather than 50%.

Black Sludge: If a poison-type pokémon holds this item, it will regain 1% health per action. If a steel-type pokémon or a pokémon with immunity holds this item, it will have no effect. Any other pokémon that holds this item will take 1% damage per action.

Brightpowder: All attacks made against a pokémon using this item have their accuracy reduced by 5%.

Damp Rock: Rain dance costs 2% less energy to use and lasts for a round longer than it ordinarily would.

Destiny Knot: If the pokémon holding this item becomes attracted, the pokémon that used attract on it will become likewise infatuated.

Expert Belt: When a pokémon holding this item scores a supereffective hit, it deals 2% more damage with that attack (after all other bonuses have been computed).

Focus Band: If a pokémon holding this item would faint, there is a 10% chance that it will instead hold on with either 1% health or 1% energy. This item cannot prevent fainting from conditions such as poison or sandstorm, only damage caused by direct attack.

Focus Sash: If a pokémon holding this item would be knocked out by an attack that deals over 15% damage, it instead hangs on with 1% health.

Grip Claw: Trapping attacks, such as whirlpool or sand tomb, used by a pokémon holding this item, last for a full round longer than usual (between five and eight actions total).

Heat Rock: Sunny Day costs 2% less energy for a pokémon holding this to cast and lasts for a round longer than normal.

Icy Rock: Hail costs 2% less energy for a pokémon holding this item to perform and lasts for a round longer than normal.

King's Rock, Razor Fang: When a pokémon holds this item, all its attacks that have no secondary effects gain a 10% chance of causing the foe to flinch.

Lax Incense: All attacks made against a pokémon holding this item have their accuracy reduced by 5%.

Leftovers: A pokémon holding this item recovers 1% health per action it is in battle.

Life Orb: All this pokémon's damaging attacks do 3% more damage (after all other bonuses are computed) but cause recoil damage of 1% and cost 1% more energy to use.

Light Clay: If a pokémon holding this item uses reflect or light screen, the barrier lasts for eight actions instead of five, with the final three actions requiring no additional energy to maintain.

Mental Herb: A pokémon may consume this item to cure itself of infatuation.

Metronome: For each consecutive action devoted to the same move, that move's base power is increased by ten. The bonus from this item's effect may not do more than double a move's base power.

Muscle Band: All this pokémon's phsyical attacks deal 2% more damage (after all other bonuses have been computed).

Power Herb: When a pokémon uses an attack that would ordinarily require catastrophic energy use (hyper beam, giga impact, frenzy plant, etc.), a pokémon may consume this item to use such an attack with only half the normal energy consumption.

Quick Claw: There is a 10% chance that the holder of this item will move first within its priority bracket, regardless of speed.

Scope Lens, Razor Claw: Attacks made by a pokémon holding this item start in a critical hit domain one higher than usual.

Shed Shell: A pokémon holding this item can escape from entrapping moves, such as rock tomb, sand tomb, and mean look, once without difficulty.

Shell Bell: Whenever a pokémon holding this item uses a physical contact attack, it receives 1/8th the damage dealt with that attack back as health.

Smoke Ball: Once per battle, a pokémon holding this item may use it to create an effect identical to smokescreen. The use of this item does not cost an action.

Smooth Rock: A pokémon holding this item uses 2% less energy to perform sandstorm, and the sandstorm created lasts a round longer than usual.

White Herb: When a pokémon's stats fall, it may consume this item to negate the drop. This item cannot restore status after an attack that completely resets a pokémon's statistics, such as haze or heart swap, however.

Wide Lens: The accuracy of moves used by a pokémon holding this item is increased by 10%.

Wise Glasses: All the special attacks used by a pokémon holding this item cause 2% more damage (after all other bonuses have been applied).

Zoom Lens: If the holder of this item moves after their target in an action, the accuracy of their attack is increased by 20%.

Choice Band: The base power of all physical attacks this pokémon makes is multiplied by 1.5. However, it will ignore any conditional orders it is given, and it may only make one damaging attack per round. For example, a pokémon holding this item could follow "Thunderpunch ~ Snatch ~ Thunderpunch," but if commanded to perform "Thunderpunch ~ Shadow Punch ~ Thunderpunch," the second action would fail.

Choice Scarf: The holder of this item has its base speed multiplied by 1.5. However, it will ignore any conditional orders, and it may use only one damaging attack per round. For example, a pokémon holding this item could follow "Thunderpunch ~ Snatch ~ Thunderpunch," but if commanded to perform "Thunderpunch ~ Shadow Punch ~ Thunderpunch," the second action would fail.

Choice Specs: The base power of all special attacks a pokémon holding this itme makes is multiplied by 1.5. However, it will ignore any conditional orders, and it may use only one damaging attack per round. For example, a pokémon holding this item could follow "Thunderbolt ~ Snatch ~ Thunderbolt," but if commanded to perform "Thunderbolt ~ Shadow Ball ~ Thunderbolt," the second action would fail.

Flame Orb: A pokémon holding this item will be inflicted with a burn at the end of each round. If it already has a burn (or is immune to burning), this item has no effect.

Full Incense: A pokémon holding this item always moves last within its attack's priority bracket, regardless of speed.

Iron Ball: A pokémon holding this item has its base speed cut in half. If a flying or levitating pokémon holds this item, they will be brought to earth and therefore susceptible to ground-type attacks and arena hazards such as spikes.

Lagging Tail: A pokémon holding this item always moves last within its priority bracket, regardless of speed.

Sticky Barb: The pokémon holding this item takes 1% damage per action, but if an opponent makes a contact attack against it, that opponent takes 3% in recoil damage and acquires Sticky Barb as a hold item if they are not already holding something.

Toxic Orb: A pokémon holding this item will be inflicted with bad poison at the end of each round. If it is already badly poison or immune to the poison status, this item takes no effect.

Amulet Coin, Luck Incense: For each pokémon holding this item that a trainer sent out in a single battle, they will gain $3 more in prize money when the battle ends.

EXP Share: If this item is equipped to a pokémon in a trainer's active squad that is not used in a battle, that

Soothe Bell: For the purposes of happiness evolution, a pokémon holding this item will treat every instance of being used in battle as a win, even if it failed to score a KO.

Reaper Cloth: A pokémon holding this item has the ability "Intimidate" in addition to all other abilities. It is used to evolve dusclops.

Elemental Stones: Adds a 1% damage bonus to all attacks of the type corresponding to the stone (after all other modifiers are applied) and reduces the cost to use these attacks by 1% energy.

Silverpowder, Sharp Beak, etc: Pokémon holding these items deal 2% more damage with attacks corresponding to the type that they enhance (after all other modifiers are applied).

Plates: Pokémon holding these items use 1% less energy to use damaging attacks that correspond to the type they represent. That pokémon's Hidden Power attack becomes the type corresponding to the held plate for as long as it is in their possession. If the plate should be removed, Hidden Power's type is randomized for the remainder of the battle.

Lucky Egg: When a pokémon battles holding this item, all of its KO's count for double for the purpose of evolution.

Deepseascale: When held by clamperl in battle, it reduces damage taken from special attacks by 2% after all other modifiers have been applied.

Deepseatooth: When held by clamperl in battle, it boosts the damage dealt by special attacks by 2% after all other modifiers have been applied.

Light Ball: When held by pikachu, it increases damage dealt by all attacks by 1% after all other modifiers have been applied. Volt tackle causes half the recoil damage so long as this item is held.

Lucky Punch: When held by chansey, all attacks have a base critical hit domain two greater than normal.

Stick: When held by farfetch'd, all that pokémon's attacks have a base critical hit domain two greater than normal.

Metalpowder: When held by ditto, reduces damage dealt to that pokémon by all attacks by 1%.

Quickpowder: When held by ditto, doubles the holder's base speed.

Thick Club: When held by cubone or marowak, all the holder's physical attacks deal 2% more damage after all other bonuses are applied.

Aspear Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cure freezing.

Rawst Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cure a burn.

Pecha Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cure poison.

Chesto Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to awaken itself.

Cheri Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cure paralysis.

Leppa Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to regain 10% energy.

Oran Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to regain 5% health.

Sitrus Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to regain 10% health.

Persim Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cure itself of confusion.

Lum Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cure any status conditions from which it is currently suffering.

Type-Resist Berries: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to reduce the effectiveness of the corresponding-type attacks made against it by one stage for one round. (Thus, a 4x weakness to ice would become a 2x weakness to ice for one full round after a yache berry was consumed.)

Chilan Berry: A pokémon holding this item may consume it to cut damage dealt to it by normal-type attacks in half for the duration of one round.

Stat-Booster Berries: A pokémon holding this item may, when it falls below 33% health, consume it to gain a permanent +1 boost to the corresponding stat.

Lansat Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when it falls below 33% health, consume it to raise the base critical hit rate of all its damaging attacks by two stages.

Starf Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when it falls below 33% health, consume it to gain a +2 boost to a random one of its stats.

Enigma Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when struck by a super-effective attack, consume it to regain health equal to half the damage dealt by that attack.

Micle Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when it falls below 33% health, consume it to make the next attack it makes against the opponent unmissable.

Custap Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when it falls below 33% health, consume it to move first within its priority bracket on its next action.

Jaboca Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when struck by a foe's physical attack, consume it to deal to that opponent half as much damage as it suffered from the attack.

Rowap Berry: A pokémon holding this item may, when struck by a foe's special attack, consume it to deal to that opponent half as much damage as it suffered from the attack.

Re: Pokémon Customization

Few things.

Are Brightpowder and Lax Incense supposed to have the same accuracy reduction? Why not just put them together? It looks like they were intended to have different rates, which I'm fairly sure they do ingame.

Is a consumed item consumed for good as they are ingame, or is it just until the end of the battle? If they go away permanently then even the normally-expensive rarer things (like, say Salac berries) will be less expensive, right?

Exp. Share's explanation cuts off. I know it's a rough draft, but yeah.

Looks good, though.

Re: Pokémon Customization

Are Brightpowder and Lax Incense supposed to have the same accuracy reduction? Why not just put them together? It looks like they were intended to have different rates, which I'm fairly sure they do ingame.

Click to expand...

They do, and fixed (brightpowder is the more powerful). I think the problem was that I was wondering whether 10% was too big an accuracy swing and so I set it to five and forgot to change it later. I'm still not terribly sure whether 10% is such a good idea, but I suppose we'll find out.

Is a consumed item consumed for good as they are ingame, or is it just until the end of the battle? If they go away permanently then even the normally-expensive rarer things (like, say Salac berries) will be less expensive, right?

Click to expand...

They'll be gone for good unless you do the Earth a favor and Recycle them. However, I'm going to be pricing items more based on power than rarity, so relatively innocuous stuff like the berries should in general not be too expensive.

Exp. Share's explanation cuts off. I know it's a rough draft, but yeah.

Click to expand...

I had something typically faux-witty to say about my failure to complete that one, but I find I don't have the energy for snark at the moment:

EXP Share: If this item is equipped to a pokémon in a trainer's active squad that is not used in a battle, that pokémon may count as its own the battle experience gained by pokémon used by its trainer. However, the pokémon that actually fought may not claim this battle experience themselves.

Click to expand...

Re: Pokémon Customization

EXP Share: If this item is equipped to a pokémon in a trainer's active squad that is not used in a battle, that pokémon may count as its own the battle experience gained by pokémon used by its trainer. However, the pokémon that actually fought may not claim this battle experience themselves.

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Okay, first of all, I love that this item will be in the ASB, but it, unfortunately, seems really easy to be dishonest with. Exactly how is someone supposed to prove that a particular pokemon on their team had an EXP Share equipped during a particular battle?

Re: Pokémon Customization

Light Mightyena said:

Okay, first of all, I love that this item will be in the ASB, but it, unfortunately, seems really easy to be dishonest with. Exactly how is someone supposed to prove that a particular pokemon on their team had an EXP Share equipped during a particular battle?

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State at the beginning of the battle that such and such a Pokemon has this equipped, then the referee goes and checks?

Re: Pokémon Customization

Okay, first of all, I love that this item will be in the ASB, but it, unfortunately, seems really easy to be dishonest with. Exactly how is someone supposed to prove that a particular pokemon on their team had an EXP Share equipped during a particular battle?

Click to expand...

Hmm, interesting. Probably I'll add something to the item's description stating that, if you want a pokémon to gain experience from the EXP share, you need to announce that you'll be transferring the experience for a battle and who you're transferring it to upon actually sending out your active fighter.