The Gossiper Returns

Smogon Tiers Possibly Based on Showdown Chat Usage

Smogon is considering changing the way that they look at how their tiers are formed and are looking into using Pokémon Showdown!'s chatrooms as one possibility.

Currently, tiers are usage-based. During tier changes, which happen every three months, if a Pokémon has roughly 3.41% usage or more in the tier above the one that it is presently in, that Pokémon moves up a tier. If a Pokémon has less than 3.41% usage in the tier that it's currently in, then it moves down a tier.

On Pokémon Showdown!, users are free to choose whatever nickname they like, as long as it's not too long and doesn't already belong to another user. Some users elect to have the names of Pokémon in their username, and this is the usage that Smogon is considering using.

The reasoning behind this is that if a Pokémon is more powerful, then more users will choose to use that Pokémon in their usernames. Therefore, instead of tracking how often a Pokémon appears in battle, Smogon will instead track how often a user with a Pokémon in his or her nickname joins a tier room on Showdown!. The tier rooms are OverUsed, UnderUsed, RarelyUsed, and NeverUsed. Although PU is not officially a tier, it is based on usage and will be considered as well.

For example, if a user by the name of "Hydreigon123" joins the UnderUsed or OverUsed chatroom on Showdown!, then Hydreigon's (the actual Pokémon) usage will increase because Hydreigon is currently in the Underused tier, so both its UnderUsed and OverUsed usage are important for deciding if it moves up down a tier.

At press time, PU Room Owner WhiteDMist, who enjoys using Haunter on his PU teams, is trying to figure out how to permanently ban Showdown! Administrator haunter from the NeverUsed room so that Haunter does not rise to NU.

Splashmons Suspect Ladder to be Implemented

An alternative metagame, Splashmons, is holding a suspect test, and the suspect ladder will be available on Showdown! after the next server reset.

Splashmons is a fan-created metagame with two rules: the only legal attack is Splash, and players are not allowed to switch their Pokémon. Splashmons has been increasing in popularity, as "the metagame is constantly adapting to new threats, which helps facilitate a gradual change in the general team structure," says Splashmons creator M4G1K4RPS.

Ever since Splashmon's inception last month, it's become clear to the players that members of one Pokémon family in particular might be too centralizing: Wynaut and Wobbuffet. Multiple accounts from top Splashmons players say that the metagame is fairly balanced, aside from these two threats.

"Shadow Tag is a powerful ability that enables the removal of a Pokémon's counters at an unparalleled level," says M4GIK4RPS. "The purpose of the suspect test is to see if Wynaut and Wobbuffet make it too easy for more dominant Pokémon such as Mega Gyarados and Mega Lopunny to sweep after their counters have been removed."

Users will be required to achieve a COIL rating of 2700 in order to vote in the suspect test. This means that the players who will qualify will have to lose approximately 80% of the last-turn Speed ties so the opposing Pokémon knocks itself out with Struggle, since that's how all Splashmons battles are decided.

After the Splashmons suspect test has finished, the Celebratemons and Hold-Handmons suspect tests will occur shortly afterwards.

Command Tester

Pokémon Showdown!'s developers have recently been producing many new commands, which allow for a more user-friendly experience.

Although nobody has spotted any errors in the code, it's important to make sure that every command works properly. Although Showdown!'s developers could test the commands themselves, they are very busy creating new commands and modifying existing ones. Therefore, a new volunteer position of a Lead Command Tester has opened up to the public.

"The role of the Lead Command Tester," explained Showdown! Administrator and Smogon Shirt Model Joim, "is to use the command with every possible combination of arguments to make sure the command works in every possible situation."

The Lead Command Tester will need a screen capture device in order to document his or her work and to provide visual evidence that the command never fails. Additionally, the developers recommend that applicants have at least a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Norwegian History, although it's not compulsory for the position.

The developers have provided a brief sample task. "We created a new command called 'coin.' The syntax is /coin [number], where accepted values for the number are any integer from 1 to 1000. The coin command flips a coin the specified number of times, defaulting on one, and the output is how many times heads was flipped. The Lead Command Tester will have to test /coin, /coin 1, /coin 2, skip a few, /coin 1000, to make sure that each iteration produces a sensible value."

Please send all résumés to MattL's Smogon wall. MattL, an active not-developer, will read through the résumés and offer the position to someone "eventually."

boTTT Named "Most Accomplished User"

A recent study found that Pokémon Showdown! user "boTTT" was named the Most Accomplished User.

The metric used to name the Most Accomplished User is a count of a user's room ranks: room Voice, room Driver, room Moderator, and room Owner. Global staff are not eligible, as they are a room Driver or higher in every room automatically.

For every room that a user is room Voice in, that user receives one point. Three points are awarded for room Driver, five for room Moderator, and ten for each room Owner position. The title of Most Accomplished User is given out to the user with the highest total number of points.

95% of the Showdown! userbase has fewer than five points. Of the remaining 5%, most have between five and ten points. There are only a couple users with 20 or more points. boTTT, however, annihilated the competition, with a mind-blowing 217 points.

One of our reporters, EpicJournalist, interviewed boTTT to gain some insight as to how this has been possible.

EpicJournalist: Hello boTTT. Hope you're doing well today. What do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to being successful on Showdown!?
(A few minutes later...)
EpicJournalist: Um, boTTT, are you there??????????
EpicJournalist was warned by boTTT. (Automated response: stretching)
EpicJournalist: EXCUSE ME? THAT WAS RUDE.
EpicJournalist was muted by boTTT for 7 minutes. (Automated response: caps)

We are currently trying to find another reporter to interview boTTT, as EpicJournalist has been banned. Please stay tuned.