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This thread is intended to contain intelligent discussion and commentary by experienced members of the CAP project regarding CAP policy, process, and rules. As such, the content of this thread will be moderated more strictly than other threads on the forum. The posting rules for Policy Review threads are contained here: http://www.smogon.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1412586&postcount=2
I have been worried about the "accessibility" of the CAP metagame to normal competitive pokemon battlers. Our mission is to experiment with the current metagame -- not to create a new metagame entirely. I realize that with every new creation, we are inevitably creating a new metagame. There's no way around that. However, I would like to make sure that the CAP metagame never diverges so far from the normal metagame, that it becomes unplayable by normal metagame players without an inordinate amount of training.
Because this project seeks to leverage the experience of Smogon battlers, we need to ensure that the CAP metagame remains somewhat closely aligned with the metagame that most Smogoners play. Otherwise, this community will get smaller and smaller, less and less relevant within Smogon -- and eventually it will dwindle and die. I don't want to see that happen. And now that we are on the precipice of implementing our fourth CAP pokemon, I think it is time to take some steps to ensure that the CAP metagame remains playable by all experienced battlers with a minimum of advance preparation and education.
As such, I propose that we implement a new clause on the CAP server that will be enforced on the new ladder: No team can have more than one CAP pokemon in the team lineup.
It's a simple rule, with big consequences. Essentially, it ensures that any time you are battling on the CAP server, you will never be blindsided by a wildly different metagame. This is assuming that we do not ever create a single pokemon that shifts the metagame that greatly.
For all the complaints about the overpowered-ness of Syclant and Revenankh, I don't think anyone ever accused them of making the metagame unrecognizable. Basically the same general battle strategies that are used in normal play can work against those two. One is a powerful sweeper, the other is an awesome tank. Yes, it helps to have a flying attack to stop Revvy from setting up and mowing you down -- but it's not a requirement. You can bring any good team to the CAP server, and assuming you know a few basics about the CAP pokes (typing, key moves and abilities, etc) -- you can play with your team and strategy and likely succeed.
You cannot play regular teams on the servers with truly modified metagames. If you don't believe me, head over to Captain's server or AA's server and you'll see what I mean. Those servers have intentionally created a completely new metagame, and that is what makes those servers great. The CAP server is not that. We will never be that. I don't want to try. Guys like Captain and AA have done a great job in that area, and I don't want to compete with them.
We have our own niche -- our metagame is different, but not too different. That's one of the keys to the CAP project's success. If you love the current metagame but always wished that...
there was a great Ice type that could sweep, OR
there was a pokemon that could really make use of Bulk Up, OR
you could run a Fire-type that could actually take a hit
then the CAP project is the place to be! The lure of this project (not the goal actually) is the pokemon we create. That's what people want to play -- the pokemon! But if the combinatorial effect of all these pokemon makes a completely new metagame, then we are in trouble. Because, as new metagames go, ours isn't very good. Places like Captain's and AA's do it much better. there was a pokemon that could really make use of Bulk Up, OR
you could run a Fire-type that could actually take a hit
For all the work that goes into our pokemon, we have absolutely no process for designing the metagame around it. I don't think we should try. I think we should try to limit the effect of new pokemon, so that they never create a vastly different metagame from the Smogon standard.
We are already experiencing a metagame shift with the three pokemon we have already created. Although it was not intentional, we made three pokemon weak to Flying. As such, Togekiss is much better on the CAP server, than in the standard metagame. This sort of shift is inevitable, but needs to be limited if possible. For example, I'm a little worried about the combined effect of a Persistent Trick Room Fidgit with Revenankh. What will Revenankh do if, in addition to Bulk Up, he effectively gets a speed boost under Trick Room with every Hammer Arm? Imagine if Rev can run Shadow Punch instead of Shadow Sneak, since he will be the fastest Pokemon on the field under Trick Room and one or two Hammer Arms. I may be wrong, and the Figit+Revenankh combo is not the reason I am proposing this clause. I'm using it as an example.
We are not designing or controlling the combinations of our pokemon. Therefore, I think they should not be allowed to be combined. That ensures that each pokemon will be used as they were designed -- as a singular addition to the standard competitive metagame.
I don't want any accomplished competitive battler to ever come to the CAP server with a good team and get thrashed 6-0.
I know I'm exaggerrating, but it's not that inconceivable in the future. If there is, at most, one CAP pokemon on a team, it is highly unlikely that good standard teams won't work on the CAP server. You may be surprised by a new wrinkle or two, but not overwhelmed. In fact, I would like to institute some new playtesting programs to encourage people to play on the CAP server as the "control group" -- intentionally NOT using CAP pokemon, to ensure that our game remains accessible."Lol, what an idiot. He lead off with Gyarados -- what a noob. He also used Gengar and Garchomp, can you believe it? I was giggling when he tried to pull that Yache Swords Dance bullshit on me -- like that's gonna do ANY good here. Doesn't he know that those pokemon are totally shitty here on the CAP server....
I've already checked the programming, and it is suprisingly easy to implement a "CAP Clause" on the server. I think this is a necessary step we should take to ensure the relevance of our metagame and our project as a whole.