Phase I: 11 Days + Spillover
- Main Type (3 Days)
- Secondary Type (2 Days)
- Style (Offensive/Defensive/Mixed) (3 Days)
- Build (Physical/Special/Mixed) (3 Days)
Phase II: 18 Days + Spillover
- Begin Art Submission Thread
- Base Stat Total (3 Days)
- Overall Stat Spread (2 Days)
- Finalization of Art Submissions (2 Days)
- Art Selection (3 Days)
- Begin Sprite Submission Thread
- Begin Main Ability Discussion Thread (2 Days)
- Begin Name Submission Thread
- Main Ability Selection (2 Days)
- Secondary Ability Selection (2 Days)
- Begin Movepool Discussion Thread
- Name Poll (2 Days)
Phase III: 4 Days + Spillover
- Begin Pokedex Entry Submission Thread
- Movepool Specifics (2 Days)
- Begin Analysis Thread
- Sprite Poll Thread & Pokedex Poll Thread (2 Days Total, simultaneous threads)
- Etc (Pre-Evolutions, Height, Weight, Finish Analysis)
- Complete
Average time of project, not counting spillovers:
33 Days.
>> No objections at all here, everything sounds pretty reasonable.<<
Specifics:
What is the "Step [Y] Discussion Thread"?
The Discussion thread is a thread created at various points throughout the creation of a given Pokémon. It is a thread that is used to discuss any given step of a poll, before the poll is created. Multiple steps can use a discussion thread such as this, including "Overall Stats", "Ability", and "Name". These threads are used for gaining submissions, gathering ideas, and general think-tanking before a poll begins.
Before, these threads would not receive their own threads, and would instead be done in the thread of the current poll. This would make things hard to follow, and ideas could be easily overlooked. Examples of how threads such as these would be used include the previously used "Art Submission", "Movepool Discussion", "Pokedex Submissions", and "Sprite Submissions" threads.
>> I like the idea, but if we implemented this, some polls would have very little discussion on them. However, I don't see anything inherently bad on that, but I wanted to note it, just to make sure this is taken into account.<<
Why do some steps not have timetable next to them?
The steps without a timetable are generally discussion or submission threads. They're in effect until the thread they correspond to becomes active, usually a few days later after the discussion or submission thread is started.
What is Spillover, and why is it included in the timetable?
Spillover is a general term for when a conclusive result is not reached by the end of a thread's normal timetable allotment. A prime example of this would be if, during the main typing thread, two types come out to both be in the general area around 40%. Another thread would then be created to determine which result would be the final choice. This thread would be the spillover thread, and must be completed before the next step can begin.
>> Spillover could end up using a lot of time, if not managed properly. Just 3-4 polls with close results would result in at least 3-4 more days of extra polls, and most if not all the polls in the two previous projects have had extra polls. Shortening the duration of all polls to 1 or 2 days maximum could help decreasing the time total. It was stated before, and it's true: After roughly one day of voting, the results are basically the final ones.<<
What are the various polling choices?
There are 4 ways to poll.
First is the "standard poll", where you use the basic board options to set up a poll for up to 10 choices. This is the most basic, and can easily be used for the majority of polls.
Second is the "check poll", where you use the board options to set up a poll for up to 10 choices. The difference between the "check poll" and the "standard poll" is how many choices you can vote for. In a "standard poll", only one option can be voted on. In a "check poll", any number of choices can be voted on. This is mostly used on polls where the outcome has multiple options, or doesn't matter as much, such as with the Pokedex Poll thread.
Third is the "bold poll", where the voters must make a post with their votes cast in
bold font. Make sure that, in a poll based on this method to make it clear that no one is to post the current tally of votes. Only the Topic Leader is to do this, if they wish to at any point up to the end of the vote.
Fourth is the "preferential poll", where the voters must make a post with their votes cast in preferred order, in
bold font. This style of voting has the voter rank their top 25-40% of the available choices. This is then done with a weighted system. The numbers for each rank depends on the number of overall options available, and the Topic Leader chooses how many ranks the voter chooses. The voter should not have more than 4 ranks available to choose. Here's a short table for how to rank each option based on the number of choices:
The option with the most points at the end of the voting period is declared the winner.
The Topic Leader is allowed to use any voting option they desire for a poll, as long as it fits with the votable options available.
>> I'd prefer if the polling method is fixed for each poll, it would make the process clearer and faster. We could experiment in the next project with different options, but in the end there should be a method for each poll. The suitability of one polling method for a certain aspect is something that should be invariant from project to project, I don't see why different projects should have different polling methods. Is there any reason? Once we find a polling method that is ideal for each section, we should stick with it.
Also, the "check" method should never specify an amount of options to click, since we can't control that. I know you didn't mentioned this, but it was mentioned before, and I wanted to point that out.
Finally, if you're worried about counter voting in the preferential poll method, I don't think it's wise to weigh the options that much. If someone counter-votes, the counter-vote has a greater impact when the first and third options are separated by 5-7 points than when they are separated only by 2 points. I'd make every option have a number of points directly related to its position (that is, in a 3 options poll, number 1 gets 3 points, number 2 gets 2 points, and number 3 gets one point).<<
How are the Overall Stats chosen?
The Topic Leader chooses the method in which to choose the stat spreads. The TL can either create a submission thread for anyone to submit spreads, or ask specific members to create spreads. Generally, the TL will choose members to create the spreads and have them submitted by the end of the Base Stat Total poll. The option is there, however, to have the general populace create spreads if the TL chooses to.
All spreads would need to have reasons for the given stats. At least some of the stats have to have specific reasons, such as being able to live through a specific attack, OHKO/2HKO something with a generic attack (for generic, think 80BP STAB or 70BP without STAB). The other stats can have more vague reasoning, stating which stats could change if need be to fit the Base Stat Total, which would be polled on during this time as well.
The TL then chooses which spreads to use for the Overall Stats poll, or how to adjust the submitted spreads if they don't fit.
>> I think it would be convenient to let people submit their BST proposals, and let the TL decide which ones enter the polling phase, and which ones don't. That way, anyone in the community can contribute, as long as his/her proposal is well-thought and well explained, as you suggested. Handpicking certain people, however well suited for the task they are, could end in some uninspired choices from some of them. You don't always have great ideas, after all. Allowing everyone to submit BSTs would make possible to find a hidden gem of a BST that otherwise would have been ignored if not everyone could send them.<<
What are the general choices for the Base Stat Total thread?
When is the Pokemon's purpose, or concept, discussed?
This can be discussed as early as the Main typing thread, or as late as the Movepool Discussion thread. There's no set time for when people can start formulating ideas on what to do, but the purpose is cemented by the time the Movepool is complete. This means it should be discussed earlier, so that the stats, ability, and movepool can fit the theme of the Pokemon.
>> That's a good compromise, I like it. <<
What types should be included in the Main Typing Poll?
Eleven or Twelve types total. This is all the types minus those that were used in the last Pokemon created (if only one type used, or one of the other subtracted types, twelve total types will be in the poll), Dragons, Water, Flying, and Normal. These can be included in the secondary typing polls, however.
>> However, we shouldn't discard making those types appear in the first poll some day. I know there are a lot of normal and waters, but we can strive to create an original and good pokémon starting from those types. For the sake of variety, they're fine out now, but the exclusion shouldn't be permanent.<<
What should be included in the Secondary Typing Poll?
In the secondary typing poll, allow every type except for ones that are already predominant in the Pokedex. This includes combinations such as Fire/Fighting, Ground/Rock, and things of that nature. Also include a "No secondary type" option.
What do I do if the polls are close? How close is close enough for a spillover poll? How long should a spillover thread last?
This is up to the discretion of the Topic Leader. Generally, the "close enough" point would be within 10% or so of the leading vote, but this obviously cannot be the definitive statement for all polls. If it's a large optioned poll, make a spillover poll with those who were leading, and then continue until an option has at least 50% of the votes, or is a clear cut winner. Spillover threads should last between one and two days, though usually a single day will suffice.
>> Again, I think this is one point that I'd like to see regulated. Making a clear cutoff point is mandatory if we want to avoid conflicts in the future.<<
Did I forget anything, anything need to be added? I tried to take as much input as I could to make it.
