did they change pokemon move/stat mechanics?

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
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I used to be all big into pokemon during the RBY/GSC stage, but I sort of lost track of it after RSE/PDE. I just got Soul Silver, though, and was doing a little reading when I realized that people were recommending boosting ATTACK to use a move of a traditionally special type (e.g. using swords dance, then ice fang on Sneasel). Used to be types were associated with physical or special attacks (i.e. normal and ground were based off ATK, ice and electric were based off SPATK). Is that still the case? Is that what these "physical" and "special" move descriptions (as opposed to physical and special TYPE descriptions) are?

so in other words, a traditionally physical attacker like, say, machamp, would be able to use a special move if it was a physical attack? am i getting this right?
 
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gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,741
456
126
It's a game for children... if you don't get it then there's no hope for you at all.

/wrists
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
It's a game for children... if you don't get it then there's no hope for you at all.

/wrists

right, because stat and move mathematics and mechanics are totally meant for children... sorry, but pokemon is only a children's RPG if you take it at face value. go deeper and you'll find a ridiculously extensive strategy game. but that's not the point of this thread. anyone know what I am talking about? =\
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
right, because stat and move mathematics and mechanics are totally meant for children... sorry, but pokemon is only a children's RPG if you take it at face value. go deeper and you'll find a ridiculously extensive strategy game. but that's not the point of this thread. anyone know what I am talking about? =\

afraid not o_O
 

uhohs

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2005
7,660
44
91
i haven't played the pokemon games in years. :(

slowpoke-pokemon.gif
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
Guess I found what I was looking for.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Damage_category
this changes a lot. a LOT...

for those of you hung up on how pokemon is a children's game, I was 9 years old when they released the original pokemon. I played the games to death as a kid, then as I got older I got into the strategy aspect of it. i read RJone's Treatise on Pokemon Strategy at least three times over probably, and got obsessed with the competitive side of pokemon (given my obsession with the math statistics in japanese RPGs, this was not unexpected).

if you're not convinced or don't care then move on, nothing for you to see here.
 
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MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
Guess I found what I was looking for.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Damage_category
this changes a lot. a LOT...

for those of you hung up on how pokemon is a children's game, I was 9 years old when they released the original pokemon. I played the games to death as a kid, then as I got older I got into the strategy aspect of it. i read RJone's Treatise on Pokemon Strategy at least three times over probably, and got obsessed with the competitive side of pokemon (given my obsession with the math statistics in japanese RPGs, this was not unexpected).

if you're not convinced or don't care then move on, nothing for you to see here.

I absolutely loved Pokemon as a kid, and even played the card games (which were real strategy games) as a Teen for a while... but Pokemon is definitely not a deep strategy game, there is extremely limited battle mechanics, moves and pokemon are certainly not at all balanced...
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
I absolutely loved Pokemon as a kid, and even played the card games (which were real strategy games) as a Teen for a while... but Pokemon is definitely not a deep strategy game, there is extremely limited battle mechanics, moves and pokemon are certainly not at all balanced...

if you take the pokemon, the stats, the moves, and the items out of the context of the games and into the context of a customized fighting game, it becomes much more like a strategy game. Consider this - there's a total of 493 pokemon, each with four move slots, an item slot, and a special ability slot. There's 467 moves, 17 types, and two types of attacks (physical and special). sure, some pokemon and some moves may be much more preferential to others, but still - the staggering variety when placed in a competitive environment leads to an awesome strategy game. there's absolutely no way to get a legal team that can beat everything - every team, every pokemon, has a counter; nothing is absolutely unstoppable.

but I digress - ATOT's probably the second worst place I could come to try to convince people that pokemon is actually a deep strategy game (the worst being 4chan).
 

MJinZ

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 2009
8,192
0
0
if you take the pokemon, the stats, the moves, and the items out of the context of the games and into the context of a customized fighting game, it becomes much more like a strategy game. Consider this - there's a total of 493 pokemon, each with four move slots, an item slot, and a special ability slot. There's 467 moves, 17 types, and two types of attacks (physical and special). sure, some pokemon and some moves may be much more preferential to others, but still - the staggering variety when placed in a competitive environment leads to an awesome strategy game. there's absolutely no way to get a legal team that can beat everything - every team, every pokemon, has a counter; nothing is absolutely unstoppable.

but I digress - ATOT's probably the second worst place I could come to try to convince people that pokemon is actually a deep strategy game (the worst being 4chan).

Most of those 493 pokemon are useless, since they are either precursors of themselves or their moves and statistics are too inferior.

You're left with like a few dozen useful moves, useful pokemon, and maxed out stats.

Yes, it was indeed a deep strategy game when you are battling other 12 year olds.
 

Saint Nick

Lifer
Jan 21, 2005
17,722
6
81
I only played Red and Blue. After that it got too damn confusing with all of the Greens, Silvers, Golds, etc. The damn game was way too big. 500 pokemon? fuck.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
Most of those 493 pokemon are useless, since they are either precursors of themselves or their moves and statistics are too inferior.

You're left with like a few dozen useful moves, useful pokemon, and maxed out stats.

Yes, it was indeed a deep strategy game when you are battling other 12 year olds.

the entire competitive pokemon battling scene would disagree with you ;) i tried briefly to compete and got my ass handed to me, several times.

there's quite a few more than a dozen useful moves, and a lot of what moves you use depends on type and the stats of the pokemon you're using them on. also, did you ever think Haze was useful in-game? probably not, but haze was probably the single most important move to have on a team if you didn't want to get steamrolled.

but if you don't believe me, there's not much i can do to convince you besides to tell you to go try it yourself (which is not likely to happen considering the time it takes to learn everything you need to).
 

Hacp

Lifer
Jun 8, 2005
13,923
2
81
Yes, it used to be that certain types(eg grass,ice,water,fire,electricity,etc) used to be special and others used to be attack(ground,rock,fighting,normal,etc). Now they changed the whole system. Whether your move is governed by special attack or attack is assigned arbitrarily. That is, the type of the move(ground,ice,etc) does not matter in determining if its a special attack or not anymore.
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
Guess I found what I was looking for.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Damage_category
this changes a lot. a LOT...

for those of you hung up on how pokemon is a children's game, I was 9 years old when they released the original pokemon. I played the games to death as a kid, then as I got older I got into the strategy aspect of it. i read RJone's Treatise on Pokemon Strategy at least three times over probably, and got obsessed with the competitive side of pokemon (given my obsession with the math statistics in japanese RPGs, this was not unexpected).

if you're not convinced or don't care then move on, nothing for you to see here.

For whatever it's worth, I believe you. It's just a bit... esoteric.
 

Possessed Freak

Diamond Member
Nov 4, 1999
6,045
1
0
but I digress - ATOT's probably the second worst place I could come to try to convince people that pokemon is actually a deep strategy game (the worst being 4chan).
I think the worst would be at the World Boardgaming Championships (yes even a few card games make it on their schedule).
 

invidia

Platinum Member
Oct 8, 2006
2,151
1
0
Should of posted in the Gaming section, it would make more sense than 80% of ATOTers