OT Pokemon-Type Tournament

[Jolt]

So I had an idea of creating a Rock, Paper, Scissors-like forum game revolving Pokemon, where the catch is that instead of those simple three-way decision, they would be replaced by the more complex Pokemon-types strengths and weaknesses.

Rules:

Pokemon Battles
The method of deciding which pokemon wins is simple, we check both pokemons types, and add values to each of them depending on their comparative offensive strengths or weaknesses, where no offensive weakness or strength towards the opponent's type adds 1, offensive weakness adds only 0.50, and offensive strength adds 2 and being immune to a type nothing (0).

If there's a tie in the total value of both Pokemons, both are withdrawn still undefeated, and the next pokemon on the list of each player is sent forth. If after all 6 on each side have been sent and withdrawn due to ties, and there's still a tie between opposing pokemons, a simple coin toss will decide which pokemon wins.

Example 1:
Say Player 1 uses an Emolga (Electric/Flying Pokemon) first, and Player 2 uses Pidgey (Flying Pokemon).
As per the chart I showed, Electric-type has an offensive strength towards Flying. So 2 is added to the Electric/Flying Pokemon. And Flying has no offensive strength or weakness towards Flying, so it adds 1. So the Electric/Flying Pokemon gets a total value of 3. Then the same calculation is done with Pidgey's Flying-Type offensive Strengths or weakenesses towards both Electric and Flying. Flying has an offensive weakness towards Electric-type, so Pidgey gets 0.50, and Flying has neither strength nor weakness towards Flying, so Pidgey ends with a total value of 1.50. And that means that Emolga defeats Pidgey.

Example 2:
Then the second pokemon on the other player's list is Geodude (Rock/Ground-type Pokemon), which is then paired off against Emolga.
Using the same calculation:
Emolga - Electric vs Rock = 1; Electric vs Ground = 0; Flying vs Rock = 0.50; Flying vs Ground = 1; For a total value of 2.50
Geodude - Rock vs Electric = 1; Rock vs Flying = 2; Ground vs Electric = 2; Ground vs Flying = 0; For a total value of 5

So Geodude would then defeat Emolga, and the second Pokemon in the first player's list would then be paired up with Geodude for the same confrontation. Besides Pokemon-type and Legendary nothing else affects confrontations.

Starting the game
After the game is full, I'll send a PM to each player with 10 different Pokemon, along with their Each player gets to choose 6 pokemon out of a pool of 10 randomly chosen pokemon (Where each Pokemon in the pool has at least one type that the other pokemons in the choosing pool don't have). After players choose their 6 pokemon, they will then choose the order of the pokemon for the fight.
I will also post in this first post the rankings, results and next day's matchups.

Each game day players can:
1. Restructure the order in which their pokemons will fight
2. Can trade one of their pokemons with another from another player if both players want.
3. Can swap one of their six fighting pokemon with one from the pool that they didn't pick.

Flavour rules
1. Pokemon evolution: Pokemons evolve if they can, after defeating 3 Pokemons (Which can have ramifications as some Pokemon change Pokemon-types when they evolve), and I'll state it in the game day write-up, which pokemon is evolving and to which, and the evolution's Pokemon-types. If the player doesn't want the Pokemon to evolve, he'll have to send me a PM saying so.
2. Legendary Pokemons: Legendary Pokemons are the most powerful Pokemon in the world. Some players might be blessed with having a Legendary Pokemon in their pool. Legendary Pokemon will be a mixed blessing; They fundamentally alter the way a fight can happen. If the Legendary Pokemon were to tie with the opposing Pokemon, it actually defeats him, and if the Legendary Pokemon were to lose, it will tie, and be withdrawn along with the opposing Pokemon. But this shield ability only happens once per match (Or doesn't happen at all if he is also facing another Legendary Pokemon), and if your Legendary Pokemon is defeated, you lose him permanently.

Tournament Structure
Tournament structure will be a single round robin which will determine seeding. The knockout round will be your standard seeded ladder structure, with the top four seeds facing the bottom four seeds. In the round robin, players get 1 point per defeated Pokemon.

Player List (8/8):
marty99
Ithvan
Tonkatoy5
nachopontmercy
Dr. Livingstone
aedran777
Thandros
Plank of Wood

 

[marty99]

Cool idea! I'd be interested in playing, but I only know the original 151 pokemon, so I'll probably just watch.

 

[Jolt]

Cool idea! I'd be interested in playing, but I only know the first 151 pokemon, so I'll probably just watch.

You don't have to know anything about Pokemons. Their names don't even matter. What matters is their pokemon-types, and what their strengths and weakenesses are, as the graph shows. This is a bit more complex best-of-6 Rock, Papers, Scissors. You pick the Pokemons to try to cover as many weaknesses as possible, and then just put the order that strikes your fancy, or see which pokemon-types your next opponent has, and plan accordingly.

 

[marty99]

You don't have to know anything about Pokemons. Their names don't even matter. What matters is their pokemon-types, and what their strengths and weakenesses are, as the graph shows. This is a bit more complex best-of-6 Rock, Papers, Scissors. You pick the Pokemons to try to cover as many weaknesses as possible, and then just put the order that strikes your fancy, or see which pokemon-types your next opponent has, and plan accordingly.

Fine, put me down!

 

[Ithvan]

Delightful idea. Sign me up.

 

[marty99]

After players choose their 6 pokemon, they will then choose the order of the pokemon for the fight.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that whoever chooses first is at 'an immediate disadvantage', if done publicly, as the opponent can then simply tailor his line-up accordingly.

 

[Jolt]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that whoever chooses first is at 'an immediate disadvantage', if done publicly, as the opponent can then simply tailor his line-up accordingly.

The pools aren't public. Each player gets a PM showing his 10 Pokemon. Those will be his Pokemon. Other players will only see the Pokemon that are brought out to fight.

 

[marty99]

The pools aren't public. Each player gets a PM showing his 10 Pokemon. Those will be his Pokemon. Other players will only see the Pokemon that are brought out to fight.

Thanks, just wanted to make sure.

 

[tonkatoy5]

I'll give this a try

 

[nachopontmercy]

I´m in!

 

[Dr.Livingstone]

Eh, why not. I'm in.

 

[Jolt]

Ok, just 3 more and we're ready to go.

 

[aedan777]

Sure, I'll play.

 

[Thandros]

Sounds interesting count me in

 

[nachopontmercy]

If this goes OK, we could even add some new features as Pokemon Hunting and Gyms, don´t you think?

 

[Jolt]

If this goes OK, we could even add some new features as Pokemon Hunting and Gyms, don´t you think?

Well, since this is a simple tourney, those two don't fit in. Regardless my plan has always been to keep this simple. What I did thought about in order to complexify and turn it a bit more complex would be to allow each pokemon to pick 4 attacking moves (Which could be of types different to their own), but that would be a much larger hassle in terms of running this game, so I cut it out and sticked to the pokemons' types only.

But if you guys want to make the OT Pokemon Tournament II after this is over, you're more than welcome to.

 

[nachopontmercy]

Well, since this is a simple tourney, those two don't fit in. Regardless my plan has always been to keep this simple. What I did thought about in order to complexify and turn it a bit more complex would be to allow each pokemon to pick 4 attacking moves (Which could be of types different to their own), but that would be a much larger hassle in terms of running this game, so I cut it out and sticked to the pokemons' types only.

But if you guys want to make the OT Pokemon Tournament II after this is over, you're more than welcome to.

That is ok. Keeping it simple is not a bad idea, and sometimes it´s easier to propose ideas as a player that has not to worry about implementing them. o

 

[Thandros]

Did you consider combining types for defence so a Bug/Steel type would only be hit for normal damage against a rock type instead of 2.5 which make little sense or a better example why should an electric type allowed to get 2 points against a water ground type when it would in reality do nothing at all against it. Also allow mono type pokemon to make two attacks against enemies to balance up single type pokemon if you do it. This shouldn't add any complexity to the game really but just makes it better or at least I think it does.

 

[Jolt]

Did you consider combining types for defence so a Bug/Steel type would only be hit for normal damage against a rock type instead of 2.5 which make little sense or a better example why should an electric type allowed to get 2 points against a water ground type when it would in reality do nothing at all against it.

The damage model is already widely implemented and turned into graphs and in several sites, so its much easier to use an easily accessible model than one I'm making up from scratch.

Also allow mono type pokemon to make two attacks against enemies to balance up single type pokemon if you do it. This shouldn't add any complexity to the game really but just makes it better or at least I think it does.

Yeah, when there's a pokemon with 2 types involved, there are always two attacks by each pokemon.

In your first case it would be
Pokemon 1: Bug vs Rock = 1; Steel vs Rock = 2; Total 1+2 = 3
Pokemon 2: Rock vs Bug = 2; Rock vs Steel = 0.5; Total 2+0.5 = 2.5

 

[Thandros]

The second suggestion was only to be implemented in the event of the first being accepted and I find your reasons for rejection of the first proposal weak. It's not rocket science I could do it in my head with just the type table or for much of it without the type table at all. Half of the table is completely intuitive and the other half is equally easy. There are also plenty of examples of when your system would create bad results. Sableye (Ghost/Dark) versus Timburr (fighting) you have Timburr win when it shouldn't even be able to hit Sableye with it's fighting type attacks. You make a game using Pokemon types but ignore one of the core battle mechanics that both types matter on defence. It equally makes it mroe interesting since it forces to you to think about two types acting in sync rather than as individual types.