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The 2012 Metronome Contest

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Can I decorate the stage with traditional chinese lanterns, paper cut-outs, dragons and lions(the ones used in dragon dances and lion dances)? If that's too much, how about chinese lanterns and paper cut-outs only?
Yeah, I'd say stick to the lanterns and paper cut-outs.
 
Is it permisable for me to go onto the stage myself and interact with my pokemon as part of the appeal?

Also, I need to know if any of the following non-move actions would take up a move slot, or if they would be "free actions" so to speak:

- A short bit of play-acting before and after the actual usage of metronome moves, to set the tone/tell a story.

- Grabbing hold of a small prop and putting it in a specific location.

- A ghost-type going briefly incorporeal.
 
Is it permisable for me to go onto the stage myself and interact with my pokemon as part of the appeal?

Also, I need to know if any of the following non-move actions would take up a move slot, or if they would be "free actions" so to speak:

- A short bit of play-acting before and after the actual usage of metronome moves, to set the tone/tell a story.

- Grabbing hold of a small prop and putting it in a specific location.

- A ghost-type going briefly incorporeal.
Yes.

- Free action
- Free action, unless the location is significantly far out of reach and/or the prop is heavy
- I don't recall whether phasing requires an action or not; if it does, than it isn't a free action, but if it doesn't, it is
 
Negrek said ages ago in the ASB Rules thread that turning invisible doesn't take an action. I could also dig up a few examples where turning invisible didn't take an action, most notably my tourney battle against Negrek, where my Froslass turned invisible.
 
Negrek said ages ago in the ASB Rules thread that turning invisible doesn't take an action. I could also dig up a few examples where turning invisible didn't take an action, most notably my tourney battle against Negrek, where my Froslass turned invisible.
it doesn't; I asked the question in that thread (no I didn't, here it is) Negrek has reffed battles for me where invisibilty does not take an action. Pretty sure phasing does, though.
 
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I'm guessing your Pokémon doesn't get an experience point for participating anymore?
 
I'm guessing your Pokémon doesn't get an experience point for participating anymore?
They still do. While this is still Metronome, this is also still a contest.

Not to mention that, most likely, the reason why Metronome Battles stopped giving experience is that one doesn't need to do anything beyond make occasional posts in it. The Metronome Contest, on the other hand, still requires the players to make the best of what they're dealt.
 
Well, it's been nine days, and I gave a ten-day limit for appeals unless justifiably delayed. I forgot to make this warning yesterday, at the eight-day mark, so, I'm giving out an extra day of extension, but still, I would like for those who haven't posted their appeals yet to either do so, or provide an explanation as to why they can't just yet.
 
Alright, there's a matter I didn't think through well enough.

All brackets are currently undergoing judgement. I expect that some will be done faster than others. But then, should we wait for every bracket to be complete before advancing to the next round, or should the first to finish up go first?
 
I agree that they should go up all at once. It's better to know who won and lost all at the same time, rather than getting spattered results.
 
In the next round, will there be seedings based on scores in this round? (Only applies for those who qualify for the next round)
 
In the next round, will there be seedings based on scores in this round? (Only applies for those who qualify for the next round)
Nope; advance rolls might be arranged so that ending up in a specific position will give you specific rolls, but, these aren't guaranteed to be any better or worse.
 
The results are in.

Sunflower, Chiropter, bulbasaur, Crazy Linoone and I Liek Squirtles from Group One; blazheirio889, Coloursfall, sreservoir, HighMoon and Windyragon from Group Two; allitersonance, Blastoise Fortooate, Shadow Serenity, Pathos and ole_schooler from Group Three. Congratulations! You have advanced to the second round of the 2012 Metronome Contest!

The next rolls are underway. No guarantee on whether they'll be done any quickly, though.
 
The bar has definitely been raised. One would have thought it hard to make appeals that good with only four moves, and yet, it's been done left and right. That said, much of this change likely owes to the spike in prop usage.

Be warned that these little toys will be handled with much more restriction from now on, though. Not that I disliked the effect they had on the appeals, but, now you guys get to play around with settings that are much more alive and breathing than a standard-issue presentation hall where you can't even fuck the audience's shit up without getting points docked from your score (although some might still be kind of deady). I don't think you'll need props at all from this point ownards. Even moreso considering that this is the round with the double appeals. Need a dummy to beat up? Send one out! And the judges who didn't like dummies might be more willing to indulge it, if you pull it off well.

Well, rules drill. This will be just like the second round in the original Metronome Contest. Each brave contestant will be dealt two sets of Metronomized moves, and also a setting on which their appeal will be taking place. The moves have to stay within the sets -- which is to say, if one set has Fake Tears and other has Rage, then you can by all means have one Pokémon be sad and other angry, but you can't have a single Pokémon use both of the moves. And by the way, do note that you have to use two Pokémon for the appeal.

The appeals will be taped by a mostly if not completely destruction-proof camera which doesn't seem to be manned. You can mess around with where it's placed, and it even supports heights without necessarily needing to be propped on something tall, but trying to break the camera or harm the nonexistant cameraman won't get you anywhere. As before, items held by the Pokémon or modifications will not have any effect, even if purely aesthetic. And as before, Pokémon can be chosen without regards for whether they're in your active squad or not.

In the last edition, we had twelve stages. It made sense -- eight were imposed on the second round, and four more were optional in the third. This time around, things make less sense, because we have thirty-six stages, and only fifteen of them are seeing forced use. Because of that, I decided to leave the ones that had legendaries in them off the roll for this round. You'll definitely have a shot at poking Giratina with a stick next round if that's your thing, though! Just make sure you actually make the grade. Easier said than done, I know.

It's also worth mentioning that, often, the stages are quite open-ended, with more of a theme than a proper landscape. You're allowed to work with what you would assume to find in these places -- just make sure you don't stretch it too far, of course.

Without further ado, the rolls!

GROUP ONE - MAGMA STORM BRACKET
Judges: Metallica Fanboy, Byrus, RespectTheBlade
Sunflower
A: Mist Ball, Future Sight, Waterfall, Flatter
B: Shadow Ball, Mirror Coat, Dragon Claw, Cotton Spore
Stage: Shady Laboratory
This corporate research room was forcefully kindly lended to the Metronome Contest by big business. All over the place, one will find rather suspicious studies and experiments going on, often of questionable morality.

Chiropter
A: Fissure, Endeavor, Fire Blast, Magic Room
B: Fury Cutter, Flame Burst, Fake Tears, Mirror Shot
Stage: Advanced Ironworks
This refinery works with iron ore mined from Mt. Coronet, making all sorts of metallic objects. Watch out for containers of molten iron -- it's extremely hot! Humans and Pokémon alike could get burns just from standing near that.

bulbasaur
A: Head Smash, Present, Razor Wind, Power Trick
B: Vacuum Wave, Perish Song, Flame Burst, Earthquake
Stage: Dragon's Den
At the bottom of one already elusive Blackthorn City, lies the super-secret training grounds of the Dragon User Clan. Their Master inhabits a shrine built over the waters of the deepest chamber in the den. Dratini and Magikarp lurk the extensive underground lake, with Dragonair swimming at the bottom. Disturbing the peace and quiet of this place might anger the dragon tamers -- and who knows what they can do with this kind of underling friend!

Crazy Linoone
A: Focus Punch, Mud-Slap, Rock Wrecker, Switcheroo
B: Metal Sound, Thunderbolt, Splash, Recycle
Stage: Biker Revolution
Oh, no! A roving band of lawless motorbike-riding rogues is threatening to take over the streets of this peaceful, but busy town! Will it be possible to make an appeal amidst this madness?

I Liek Squirtles
A: Quick Guard, Telekinesis, Double-Edge, Bubble
B: Shift Gear, Acid Spray, ExtremeSpeed, Counter
Stage: Volcanic Mountains
A thin, unsafe, badly kept road weaves around several active, black volcanoes, close to their mouthes. The lava is visible; the smoke obscures the sky (rendering Sunny Day ineffective if used), but people traveling on the road are distanced from it enough to breathe properly. There is a hot spring in the vicinty for water-dwelling Pokémon and water-based attacks.

GROUP TWO - DRACO METEOR BRACKET
Judges: Crazy Linoone, pathos, Blastoise Fortooate
blazheirio889
A: Seed Bomb, Pay Day, Luster Purge, Water Sport
B: Present, Fiery Dance, Iron Head, Volt Switch
Stage: Bug-Catching Contest
A contest within a contest? We might have to go deeper. Anyways, every Tuesday, Thurdsay and Saturday, insect-loving trainers such as Bug Catcher Benny and CoolTrainer Nick gather at Johto's National Park for a Bug Pokémon catching frenzy, with valuable evolutionary stones being awarded for those who caught the one insect judged most valuable by the officials -- not only for their species, but also for their individual strength and other such factors. Metronome Contestants should be careful about using Bug-types in this stage, lest somebody hurls a Sport Ball their way carelessly.

Coloursfall
A: Sleep Powder, Protect, Psycho Shift, Thrash
B: Sandstorm, Rock Polish, Scary Face, Ember
Stage: Magnet Train
FUCKIN' MAGNETS, HOW DO THEY WORK??? Regardless, somehow, they make these trams go really fast, from Goldenrod to Saffron and back. And what better place to make an appeal? Not only is it very hazardous for any Pokémon placed atop, but also likely to end up injuring more than a few random citizens within the train!

sreservoir
A: Hex, Rest, Wring Out, Haze
B: Nature Power, Fling, Twister, Horn Attack
Stage: Sandstorm Valley
A large chasm with several cliffsides along the steep sides. One of them is wide enough to be stepped on safely. Strong winds blow in the area, carrying sand with them (Sandstorm is considered in effect unless another weather move is used). A river can be added to the bottom if there is need for a water-dwelling Pokémon to make an appearance.

HighMoon
A: Toxic Spikes, Mach Punch, Sheer Cold, Relic Song
B: Assurance, Power Trick, Acid Spray, Follow Me
Stage: Creepy Woods
The tallest trees provide a perfect coverage from external light -- it's always dark in this forest. Naturally, those who enter always use either flashlights or Pokémon capable of using Flash (some have brought torches, but there have since been governmental measures about it). Even then, the place feels harrowing, with a heavy atmosphere, strange noises, sightings that make no sense and the occasional feeling that one is being pursued.

Windyragon
A: Wing Attack, Rock Blast, Stun Spore, Giga Drain
B: Protect, Headbutt, Spikes, Charge
Stage: Water Park
An amusement park where most if not all rides employ water, be it to make the riders go faster, be it to soak them, be it for more creative purposes. It combines the natural pleasure of swimming with the sheer thrill of roller coasters and other such rides. Of course, it would ruin everybody's fun if somebody decided to make an appeal that culminated with tearing the place apart.

GROUP THREE - DOOM DESIRE BRACKET
Judges: Mai, blazheirio889, sreservoir
allitersonance
A: Disable, Mud-Slap, Body Slam, Worry Seed
B: Head Charge, Guard Swap, Haze, Sketch
Stage: Fancy Restaurant
The smell of money reeks from everything in this restaurant -- from the groomed floor, to the soft chairs, to the gourmet menu, to the artsy decor, to the sort of people that frequents the place. There is a fountain on one of the walls, sized enough for small water-dwelling Pokémon and to supply water-based attacks. Destructive potential is high. Any other additions needed by the dealt moves will be added in.

Blastoise Fortooate
A: Mud-Slap, Punishment, Blaze Kick, Roar
B: Taunt, Hypnosis, Fusion Bolt, Silver Wind
Stage: Thick Forest
A tight trail amidst wild woods. Pokémon cries ocasionally interrupt the natural quiet of the area. Any additions needed by the dealt moves will be added in.

Shadow Serenity
A: Iron Defense, Flamethrower, Mist, Telekinesis
B: Poison Jab, Triple Kick, Glaciate, Defog
Stage: Rural Gulch
An unsophisticated town along grassy hills, dotted with wide farms, pens and simple, wooden homes. Often, there will be a hillbilly in a straw hat passing along. A river passes along the village, allowing water-dwelling Pokémon and water-based attacks to be used. Destructive potential is high. Any other additions needed by the dealt moves will be added in.

Pathos
A: Psywave, Twister, Embargo, Magnitude
B: Revenge, Shadow Force, Sleep Talk, Toxic
Stage: Snowboard Slope
A snow-covered, highly slanted hill, highly favoured by skiers, snowboarders, lovers of slipping up and other such extreme sportists. Those using this terrain for appeals should be careful, lest their Pokémon gets sent tumbling away (unless that was always the plan, of course). Any additions needed by the dealt moves will be added in.

ole_schooler
A: Wring Out, Hail, Toxic, FeatherDance
B: ThunderShock, Gust, Psyshock, Fury Swipes
Stage: Wildfire Jungle
Just this once, it wasn't a reckless ASB trainer who caused the disaster. Nonetheless, a reckless ASB trainer is planning to record a contest appeal during the disaster. As the name makes rather clear, these woods are being consumed by a rapidly spreading blaze, threatening all species inhabiting it. Any additions needed by the dealt moves will be added in, although any bodies of water might be already in use by a firefighting effort (not that this sort of thing has ever stopped an Asberian).

In each of the brackets, three of the five contestants will emerge victorious. Don't get complacent just because there will be more winners than losers -- the last two spots are still bound to be occupied. Again, the deadline for appeals is 10 days, unless the contestant has posted in the Absence Sheet or would otherwise like to have a time extension if need be.
 
Quick question -

How much can we utilize abilities? Such as Illusion or Cloud Nine for examples. Could a 'mon with these abilities create an illusionary item/creature or change its appearance, or clear weather effects?
 
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