Pokemon Umbral Theatre 12: On a Very Special Episode of Pokemon Umbral...

[Astral Harmony]

Shizuka: "Pierce is mine!"
Violet: "But I love Pierce and I've having his baby!"
Shizuka: "And I'm having a lot more than you are!"
Chizuru: "Which is curious considering I'm the one he's actually trying to get with."

Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Impact's the father."
Renny: "That sonuva-"
Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Burkmont's the father."
Renny: "But we're still debating whether or not he's your father. So you did your own dad?"
Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Togekiss is the father."
Renny: "Incidentally, Lola, I heard that a delivery of fine Mollesk vintage wine came in the mail yesterday but couldn't find it. Any idea what might've happened to it?"
Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Sophia is the father."
Renny: "...'Kay, I think I know where the wine went."

Anyways, pictures. Yeah.

http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a469/PokemonUmbral/PokemonUmbral112.jpg

http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a469/PokemonUmbral/PokemonUmbral132.jpg

http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a469/PokemonUmbral/PokemonUmbral120.gif

Yeah, I've clearly lost my mind.

[Dracorion]

Shizuka: "Pierce is mine!"
Violet: "But I love Pierce and I've having his baby!"
Shizuka: "And I'm having a lot more than you are!"
Chizuru: "Which is curious considering I'm the one he's actually trying to get with."

Damrite.

Though, I'm curious, who's Violet and how did Pierce bone her without having met her?

Oh, wait. She's the Beautifly, isn't she?

Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Impact's the father."
Renny: "That sonuva-"
Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Burkmont's the father."
Renny: "But we're still debating whether or not he's your father. So you did your own dad?"
Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Togekiss is the father."
Renny: "Incidentally, Lola, I heard that a delivery of fine Mollesk vintage wine came in the mail yesterday but couldn't find it. Any idea what might've happened to it?"
Lola: "Renny, I think I'm pregnant, and Sophia is the father."
Renny: "...'Kay, I think I know where the wine went."

I'll admit it, I laughed at that last one.

http://i1038.photobucket.com/albums/a469/PokemonUmbral/PokemonUmbral120.gif

Now why can't we get a game like this?

Yeah, I've clearly lost my mind.

Oh AB, you lost your mind long ago.

EDIT: Also, Mudkip.

I don't know how that little bastard became so hated.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I had to go into the quote to find that, but the last image was worth it.

Yeah, I've clearly lost my mind.

Its why we love you.

[Menarker]

*Winch at the Lola omake* Ok, that made me chuckle a little, but geez everyone is lining up at her door ever since Mollesk way way back! ^^; Of course, she's drunk as heck and is probably only hallucinating the entire thing. :3


EDIT: Also, Mudkip.

I don't know how that little bastard became so hated.

He's just a victim of over-meme-ization. That said, he's awesome. ^^ Mudkip family FOREVER!

And yes, Violet is the Beautifly pokebrid. AB said that once already.


Yeah, I've clearly lost my mind.

And yet, it's an overwhelming success!



EDIT:
Also, editing my last post of the previous thread here since I made the post mere minutes before AB made this new thread.

Just a little reminder Bard that Medics can use two items a turn. So she could put both X Attack on Kyrie. Also, you might want to have Kyrie buffed before she attacks. That and you'd want Super Fang to hit first so to take out the biggest chuck as possible.

Proposed revision of your plan, changing nothing but the order and giving Kirie an extra X attack.


Melanie: Two X-attack on Kirie
Charlotte: Spits to use Super Fang on Pulverot A. Hammond to use Dragon Claw on Narcham B
Kirie: Morphstrike (dragon) on Pulverot A. Entei to use extrsensory on Pulverot A.
Matt: Psychic on Pulverot A
Cassus: Dragonite to use Dragon Rush on Pulverot A. Scizorto use x-scissor on Narcham B.

Gem, reposting the battle plan for our side here. Also, I edited it slightly because I did a little rereading the past discussions and apparently Engineer constructions count as free actions according to AB.

Lola: Chimecho form. Use Gravity. X attack on Kurika? (X defense items would be useless against Almighty Type attacks)
Whitney: Shedninja and Armaldo both use X-Scissor on Kill dolls A and B for STAB damage, while keeping herself out of combat for the time being.
Kurika: Nerve Strike (Electric type despite kill dolls not having any nerves) for super effective damage on Kill Doll C.
Mirror: Build Fire Evolith. Bone Breaker on Kill Doll F
Fire Evolith: Casts Heat Wave, hitting kill dolls D and E with slayer-ish power.

Alternatively, if you want to risk getting knocked out, Impact is out instead of Kurika and Sweeps 2 side by side Kill dolls with water or electric weapon and Lola uses either X Attack or Special Attack (depending on what attack stat you're attacking with). Accuracy won't be an issue, courtesy of Gravity.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Yea, the way I posted it isn't meant to be the actual order of the attacks. I just sorta figured they get automatically placed in proper order.

Melanie: Two X-attack on Kirie
Charlotte: Spits to use Super Fang on Pulverot A. Hammond to use Dragon Claw on Narcham B
Kirie: Morphstrike (psychic) on Pulverot A. Entei to use extrsensory on Pulverot A.
Matt: Psychic on Pulverot A
Cassus: Dragonite to use Dragon Rush on Pulverot A. Scizorto use x-scissor on Narcham B.

If Any enemy dies, shift all remaining attacks meant for that target to Narcham I

This is what I was intending order-wise.

[Menarker]

Yeah, that's pretty good. Although for the sake of being nit-picky, Scizor could use Iron Head for STAB super effective damage on that Narcham. It's also a wee bit stronger and has a 30% flinch chance.

Also, Pulverot is quad weak to Psychic, so maybe Kirie should be attacking with psychic type, not dragon.

Might also want to say whom you want the group to attack if Pulverot gets defeated before everyone gets the chance. I mean, Super Fang, +2 attack boosted quad effective Kirie, and a few other psychic attacks would probably bring him down fast.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Actually, in my previous post I indictated that I want all other attacks shifted to Narcham I if Pulverot A dies. Forgot to add it into the revised though.

Forgot Pulverot was part fighting though. Mixed its type up with Gendom. Thanks for the reminder.

And I may have mentioned it earlier, but Arceus is going psychic type for this mission.

[Geminex]

Y'know, I can't help noticing that that plan really hasn't changed very much at all. I thought I made suggestions? I'm sure I made suggestions.

I've stated that Mirror really shouldn't be constucting. If he does construct, it should be an aplifier. Evoliths just don't pay off in this situation. But we hardly need any more attack power than we already have. And defensive amplfiers won't pay off. So just let him wait for now.

Shedninja's gonna go down in a single killdoll blow. Really not worth it. Armaldo's fine, but there's no reason not to use Whitney. She can't get knocked out, and our opponents can't do status. She's safe, she can attack quite powerfully. What's the problem?

I'll think about Kurika or Impact. Although, why on earth would we use two sweeps? I mean honestly! Rage isn't free anymore, we're gonna have to work for it! Sweep gives you one extra attack for 25 rage. We have way better deals than that.

This battle's not gonna be easy, of course! But it's really, really not a good use of resources to go all-in like this.
I'm all in favor of all-ins, mind you. As long as the odds are right. But here? Nah.
Gotta know when to hold em, gotta know when to fold em. Gotta know when to walk away, gotta know when to run. I just decided that Impact's an awesome poker player.

Anyway, let's hold for now. See what they've got, how strong they really are. Then we can go all-in, if the situation warrants it.

And in regards to that last comment, look, antagonizing me with that kind of comment is Drac's job not yours. Unless you've actually forgotten about the whole 'weather effects' discusion? I don't think you have. If gravity's a weather effect, it'll get balanced along with all the other weather effects. If it isn't, it should get restricted to three targets.


Do we really want to see the bottom of the barrel? I mean, I'm usually the first one to go for something like that, but in this case it has the potential to go disasterous. And not fun disaster, either.
Y'know what? Let's do this. Let's go all-out, over-the-top. Let's jump Jaws.
Because heh, y'know what's a disaster? Trying to keep this logical and respectable. And y'know what'd be an even bigger disaster? If we succeeded.

I said a while ago that my goal when role-playing is to write a good story. There's more than one way to do that. And over-the-top? That's certainly a way. TTGL did it. Homestuck is doing it. Why not try to follow in their footsteps?

Mind you, all-out doesn't mean uncontrolled, or shit. If we do it this way, it'll probably take more thought than it used to, since we'd be on a fine line of awesome above a gorge of ridiculousness. Let's retain some basic logic, make the characters, the conflicts believable. It's very easy to justify things, and it's easy to hand-wave stuff if they're uninteresting compared to the boobs and explosions. This would take rather a lot of coordination. But heh, if we put effort into it, I'd be surprised if we didn't pull it off. I mean, come to think of it, AB's been writing it this way since the second mission. If we support him, come up with our own wacky stuff, justify each others things...

we could do this man
we cuold make this hapen

[Dracorion]

I've stated that Mirror really shouldn't be constucting. If he does construct, it should be an aplifier. Evoliths just don't pay off in this situation. But we hardly need any more attack power than we already have. And defensive amplfiers won't pay off. So just let him wait for now.

Mirror's a girl.

I hope you're thinking about Moon.

And in regards to that last comment, look, antagonizing me with that kind of comment is Drac's job not yours. Unless you've actually forgotten about the whole 'weather effects' discusion? I don't think you have. If gravity's a weather effect, it'll get balanced along with all the other weather effects. If it isn't, it should get restricted to three targets.

If I remember correctly, the only one here who thinks weather effects are unbalanced is you.

Menarker and I honestly believe they're fine as is.

I mean, hell, who uses weather effects in the game? There are a rare few situations where weather effects are actually viable instead of the ever popular "spam most powerful move" strategy. And in those situations, you're probably not going to use weather effects because you've been killing shit without them so far and you're not going to waste time or money giving a pokemon a stupid weather move for one freakin' battle when you're just going to go right back to killing shit the usual way anyway.

So yeah, compared to how useless they are in the games, I'm definitely okay with weather effects in this RP. They're, y'know, useful.

Y'know what? Let's do this. Let's go all-out, over-the-top. Let's jump Jaws.
Because heh, y'know what's a disaster? Trying to keep this logical and respectable. And y'know what'd be an even bigger disaster? If we succeeded.

I said a while ago that my goal when role-playing is to write a good story. There's more than one way to do that. And over-the-top? That's certainly a way. TTGL did it. Homestuck is doing it. Why not try to follow in their footsteps?

Mind you, all-out doesn't mean uncontrolled, or shit. If we do it this way, it'll probably take more thought than it used to, since we'd be on a fine line of awesome above a gorge of ridiculousness. Let's retain some basic logic, make the characters, the conflicts believable. It's very easy to justify things, and it's easy to hand-wave stuff if they're uninteresting compared to the boobs and explosions. This would take rather a lot of coordination. But heh, if we put effort into it, I'd be surprised if we didn't pull it off. I mean, come to think of it, AB's been writing it this way since the second mission. If we support him, come up with our own wacky stuff, justify each others things...

we could do this man
we cuold make this hapen

Why are you making a big speech about bands?

And sure, what the hell, let's do it.

But why are you making a speech?

[Menarker]

Y'know, I can't help noticing that that plan really hasn't changed very much at all. I thought I made suggestions? I'm sure I made suggestions.

I've stated that Mirror really shouldn't be constucting. If he does construct, it should be an aplifier. Evoliths just don't pay off in this situation. But we hardly need any more attack power than we already have. And defensive amplfiers won't pay off. So just let him wait for now.

Shedninja's gonna go down in a single killdoll blow. Really not worth it. Armaldo's fine, but there's no reason not to use Whitney. She can't get knocked out, and our opponents can't do status. She's safe, she can attack quite powerfully. What's the problem?

I'll think about Kurika or Impact. Although, why on earth would we use two sweeps? I mean honestly! Rage isn't free anymore, we're gonna have to work for it! Sweep gives you one extra attack for 25 rage. We have way better deals than that.

This battle's not gonna be easy, of course! But it's really, really not a good use of resources to go all-in like this.
I'm all in favor of all-ins, mind you. As long as the odds are right. But here? Nah.
Gotta know when to hold em, gotta know when to fold em. Gotta know when to walk away, gotta know when to run. I just decided that Impact's an awesome poker player.

Anyway, let's hold for now. See what they've got, how strong they really are. Then we can go all-in, if the situation warrants it.

And in regards to that last comment, look, antagonizing me with that kind of comment is Drac's job not yours. Unless you've actually forgotten about the whole 'weather effects' discusion? I don't think you have. If gravity's a weather effect, it'll get balanced along with all the other weather effects. If it isn't, it should get restricted to three targets.


I was not trying to be antagonistic in any manner or fashion. I'm saying that Sweep would not miss and thus waste rage because of Gravity reducing evasion. Unless you're talking about some other comment, but I assure you I had no intention in being antogonistic in any of my recent past posts. But like I said before and Drac said, we don't think weather is overpowered, especially since there is heavy potential to be used against us when AB feels like it. >_> For that matter, maybe that was what AB meant the evoliths to be for, since they can change the weather. But I did suggest in the future that AB could have certain conditions preset before the battle start so as to make them balanced in the foe's favor (Weather and foes that can use them, spikes and other skills that can be prepared in advance) as examples of the foe's preperations for intruders.

The reason why I had Mirror put an Evolith is because the Killdolls have a low total amount of hitpoints and they hit hard especially in large numbers. An Evolith is not only an extra attacker (this one can practically knock out 2 foes per turn) but also an extra target that can take blows, spreading the damage out. Also, as AB said and I said in my previous post, constructing is a free action and thus Mirror can attack during the same turn. The killdolls main advantage is their double attacking, their Almighty type attacks, and their evasion to make up for their low stamina. Now, stamina is not an issue.

As for Whitney and Shedninja, I figured that it would be best for Whitney to stay in the backline and be perfectly untouched until she gains rage to do Paradigm Shift. Then she can go in the front line with enhanced stats, defensively and offensively. Shedninja being knocked out helps this, since when he gets revived, Whitney will gain a Rage Rocket courtesy of her leader pokemon being revived. Thus, we hold her back for one turn until she can get 60 rage (easy since she'll reach that with both pokemons attacking and giving her 10 rage on top of the 50 she has already), then we send her out next turn with doubled stats and thus able to sweep with Swift and such.
Also, I'm pretty sure AB said in a past thread there was restrictions on how rogue pokemons attack. Like 2 at a time or something?

AB: Can you clarify in more details exactly what happens and the rules and restrictions for how rogue pokemons under dead/fainted trainers act? Is it free for all or are there any specific rules?

EDIT: Also, the foes we're facing are all robotic and might not realize that defeating Whitney could unleash her pokemons.

And yes, Mirror is a girl. In particular, she's one of the girls latched onto Moon.

Also, the entire gist of my plan is to reduce the numbers ASAP before they start overwhelming with 20+ attacks and being able to do so reliably. All of this is supported by Gravity, powering up Whitney by keeping her healthy and giving her the turn she needs to get rage for Paradigm Shift the next turn, and that sort of thing.

[Geminex]

If I remember correctly, the only one here who thinks weather effects are unbalanced is you.

Menarker and I honestly believe they're fine as is.

I mean, hell, who uses weather effects in the game? There are a rare few situations where weather effects are actually viable instead of the ever popular "spam most powerful move" strategy. And in those situations, you're probably not going to use weather effects because you've been killing shit without them so far and you're not going to waste time or money giving a pokemon a stupid weather move for one freakin' battle when you're just going to go right back to killing shit the usual way anyway.

So yeah, compared to how useless they are in the games, I'm definitely okay with weather effects in this RP. They're, y'know, useful.
Well, weather does have a major impact, even in 1-on-1. I mean, yes, it's a global effect. It hits everyone. But thing is, you can choose when to initiate it. And you can initiate it in situations when it will greatly help you, or greatly harm your opponents. And a lot of those situations will pop up, even in a 1-on-1. Not really commonly, but even there it's usually feasible to base a tem around weather manipulation.
And that goes way further in the larger-scale battles we're doing. Sure, again. Weather affects everyone. But we're choosing when to change the weather. We change it when we benefit from it. And there's lots of situations when we benefit from it, and benefit greatly. There's tons of situations. If we're fighting humanoids, we sunny day and burn them away. If we're fighting mechanical units, rain and water or lightning attacks. If we're going defensive, rock pokemon plus sandstorm will do the trick easily. Ice is super effective against lots of shit, bring out 4 ice users, use one hailstorm, and bam. Plus 50% times 4, gives us an extra 200% damage, -100% for the use of the storm. And that's just a few examples.

My problem isn't with the inherent power of weather moves. But with the fact that, with the battles we're fighting, we're really likely to come across situations where a weather move will be massively more valuable than a damage-dealing attack. And while I'm all for encouraging the use of stuff other than damage-dealers, I don't think that the support moves should be that much more powerful than the damage moves. There's a discrepancy, one which really wasn't there in the games, and one that's placing rather too much of an emphasis on weather moves.

Like I said, they can really power us up. Even if our opponents cancel our weather stuff out as soon as it's their turn, they'll have taken some hits, it'll have been well, well worth our while.

Look, Menarker already outlined how all the weather moves are really powerful. I agree with what he wrote. Either we leave weather moves really strong, or we do something to weaken them. And there's really not much of a reason to leave them really strong.


Why are you making a big speech about bands?

And sure, what the hell, let's do it.

But why are you making a speech?
It was less just the bands thing, and more the entire 'ridiculously, awesomely over the top' aspect of this RP. I am embracing it! And will perpetuate it! AB mentioned logic, and he's right. There's no logic to be found here. But story-wise, we can make it great anyway.

And we'll do that best by embracing the crazy and then forcing it into the shape of a jetpack-wearing Pierce leading a squadron of RDPA-wearing aerial snipers to support Charlotte's and Impacts ground assault against the defensive fortifications of a mutant pokebrid colony that's been trying to revive the first Megabrid, an ancient, almost godlike, super-pokebrid with the DNA of over 800 pokemon, some of them not even known. Needless to say, we'll be betrayed, and though our attack will crush the enemy's forces after an intense battle, we'll be delayed just long enough for the ceremony to finish and the Megabrid to rise again from its mountain grave, under the mental control of an ultra-powerful but insane alakazam mutant, cast out for society for his flaws and desperate to use his newfound servant for just one thing: Revenge.

We fight to sever the link between the two, but our physical force can't match the megabrid's, and our mental assaults wither under the medically-augmented Alakazamutant's Mind-Wrath. Irene warns us that Burkmont's launched a tactical nuclear strike against our position, and all seems lost until Charlotte reveals Phantomere's spirit-techniques. Despite our shock, she maintains control of the situation and gives us a do-or-die option, and we choose to do. More precisely, we choose to leave our bodies and attack/possess the Alakazamutant's (goes by the name of Wrath) mind directly, bypassing his augmentations, going straight for the soul. We enter the dark, broken depths of his mind, confront him as he truly is, and our sanity wavers. We fight, we think (though we can't be sure), a dark, seemingly endless fight, as much horriffic violence as is it deathly silence and fear, we confront his insanity, the darkness inside him directly, and we come so close to falling. But we persevere, we hold on, we find out strengths and throw them against him and scream our defiance and eventually he withers and falls, the cracks in his mind widen to swallow him whole, the darkness flees him as he shakes himself apart, and just before he dies, truly, and finally, and we're letting go of his mind, leaving it, we hear one barely-percievable mental 'thank-you', look over our shoulders to see a bright figure, eyes shining with wisdom and intelligence, as he should have been. And we realize that Wrath's been made whole again, has found peace, that whatever else happens, this was worth it.

We return to our bodies to find that just a moment's passed. Wrath is dead, the Megabrid's disturbed, though. He was never meant to be awoken again, and however great his power, his mind is that of a child. A wise, divine child, but a child nonetheless. He wants to go back to sleep, but can't, wants to be away from all this. He tells us of the times past, of creation, of early life, beautiful stories, beautiful songs. And so he remains as we strap on our jet-packs and get on our pokemon and fly the fuck out of there, his songs still echoing through the mountains, and in our hearts, provoking emotion, such powerful emotion. And a few minutes after we've left, we see a few specks fly over the horizon and we hover, transfixed in shock and rage as the screams of a dying god echo from the nuclear fires in our wake, and we weep.

...

That's why I'm making a speech. Because fuck yeah, let's do this thing.

I was not trying to be antagonistic in any manner or fashion. I'm saying that Sweep would not miss and thus waste rage because of Gravity reducing evasion. Unless you're talking about some other comment, but I assure you I had no intention in being antogonistic in any of my recent past posts.
I'd say something along the lines of 'I accept your apology', but that'd be encroaching on Drac's territory (DOUCHEBAG). I wasn't actually serious when I wrote that last bit. Well, kinda. But I sounded way more stern than I actually way. And I wouldn't have been mad if you'd ignored it. Not that you should worry about me being mad, after all, I'M NOT NEARLY AS SMART AS I SEEM TO THINK I AM ISNT THAT RIGHT DRAC WHY YES IT IS AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME.

I like one thought, though. You're saying something about evoliths changing the weather...

Part of my problem with the weather thing is that its's so easily accessible for us. Between pokebrids and pokemon and engineers, whenever an opportunity pops up (and they have and will be popping up plentifully), we can take advantage of it. We don't really need to weaken weather moves. We can just reduce the amount of combatants that can use them. That'd keep it strong, but make it way harder to use, and make us really invest in using the weather to our advantage. Not sure how to limit them, but it's more favorable than weakening them, I think.

But I'll think about it. Think about the plan as well. We'll find some way to compromise on the former, and we can finalize the latter tomorrow.

[Dracorion]

It was less just the bands thing, and more the entire 'ridiculously, awesomely over the top' aspect of this RP. I am embracing it! And will perpetuate it! AB mentioned logic, and he's right. There's no logic to be found here. But story-wise, we can make it great anyway.

I guess I'm hesitant on making the RP crazier because I really wanted to make Sophia a rationalist hero.

Pokemon Umbral is where logic goes to die!

Sigh.

And we'll do that best by embracing the crazy and then forcing it into the shape of a jetpack-wearing Pierce leading a squadron of RDPA-wearing aerial snipers to support Charlotte's and Impacts ground assault against the defensive fortifications of a mutant pokebrid colony that's been trying to revive the first Megabrid, an ancient, almost godlike, super-pokebrid with the DNA of over 800 pokemon, some of them not even known. Needless to say, we'll be betrayed, and though our attack will crush the enemy's forces after an intense battle, we'll be delayed just long enough for the ceremony to finish and the Megabrid to rise again from its mountain grave, under the mental control of an ultra-powerful but insane alakazam mutant, cast out for society for his flaws and desperate to use his newfound servant for just one thing: Revenge.

We fight to sever the link between the two, but our physical force can't match the megabrid's, and our mental assaults wither under the medically-augmented Alakazamutant's Mind-Wrath. Irene warns us that Burkmont's launched a tactical nuclear strike against our position, and all seems lost until Charlotte reveals Phantomere's spirit-techniques. Despite our shock, she maintains control of the situation and gives us a do-or-die option, and we choose to do. More precisely, we choose to leave our bodies and attack/possess the Alakazamutant's (goes by the name of Wrath) mind directly, bypassing his augmentations, going straight for the soul. We enter the dark, broken depths of his mind, confront him as he truly is, and our sanity wavers. We fight, we think (though we can't be sure), a dark, seemingly endless fight, as much horriffic violence as is it deathly silence and fear, we confront his insanity, the darkness inside him directly, and we come so close to falling. But we persevere, we hold on, we find out strengths and throw them against him and scream our defiance and eventually he withers and falls, the cracks in his mind widen to swallow him whole, the darkness flees him as he shakes himself apart, and just before he dies, truly, and finally, and we're letting go of his mind, leaving it, we hear one barely-percievable mental 'thank-you', look over our shoulders to see a bright figure, eyes shining with wisdom and intelligence, as he should have been. And we realize that Wrath's been made whole again, has found peace, that whatever else happens, this was worth it.

We return to our bodies to find that just a moment's passed. Wrath is dead, the Megabrid's disturbed, though. He was never meant to be awoken again, and however great his power, his mind is that of a child. A wise, divine child, but a child nonetheless. He wants to go back to sleep, but can't, wants to be away from all this. He tells us of the times past, of creation, of early life, beautiful stories, beautiful songs. And so he remains as we strap on our jet-packs and get on our pokemon and fly the fuck out of there, his songs still echoing through the mountains, and in our hearts, provoking emotion, such powerful emotion. And a few minutes after we've left, we see a few specks fly over the horizon and we hover, transfixed in shock and rage as the screams of a dying god echo from the nuclear fires in our wake, and we weep.

...

That's why I'm making a speech. Because fuck yeah, let's do this thing.

No.

Seriously, no.

That was horrible.

I'd say something along the lines of 'I accept your apology', but that'd be encroaching on Drac's territory (DOUCHEBAG). I wasn't actually serious when I wrote that last bit. Well, kinda. But I sounded way more stern than I actually way. And I wouldn't have been mad if you'd ignored it. Not that you should worry about me being mad, after all, I'M NOT NEARLY AS SMART AS I SEEM TO THINK I AM ISNT THAT RIGHT DRAC WHY YES IT IS AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME.

If you're really that grateful, I can think of plenty of ways you can repay me.

I like one thought, though. You're saying something about evoliths changing the weather...

Part of my problem with the weather thing is that its's so easily accessible for us. Between pokebrids and pokemon and engineers, whenever an opportunity pops up (and they have and will be popping up plentifully), we can take advantage of it. We don't really need to weaken weather moves. We can just reduce the amount of combatants that can use them. That'd keep it strong, but make it way harder to use, and make us really invest in using the weather to our advantage. Not sure how to limit them, but it's more favorable than weakening them, I think.

But I'll think about it. Think about the plan as well. We'll find some way to compromise on the former, and we can finalize the latter tomorrow.

Maybe limit weather moves to only be available to pokemon of the type associated with it?

Y'know, only Rock pokemon can use Sandstorm, only Ice can use Hail and so on.

[Geminex]

No.

Seriously, no.

That was horrible.
Oh come on, that was great. It had everything a story needs, and it still ignored logic with wild abandon! Did you even read it all?
But okay, show me if you can do better. And no, I was the one who thought up your sidequest, that doesn't count.

Maybe limit weather moves to only be available to pokemon of the type associated with it?
It's a start. Pokebrids are my main problem, though. Let's see...

If you're really that grateful, I can think of plenty of ways you can repay me.
Repay you, what do you mean, how-?
...
Oh god, you're not wearing any pants, are you?

I guess I'm hesitant on making the RP crazier because I really wanted to make Sophia a rationalist hero.
I think Impact is about at rationalist as you can get without being completely insane in this RP.

[Menarker]

Ice is super effective against lots of shit, bring out 4 ice users, use one hailstorm, and bam. Plus 50% times 4, gives us an extra 200% damage, -100% for the use of the storm. And that's just a few examples.

My problem isn't with the inherent power of weather moves. But with the fact that, with the battles we're fighting, we're really likely to come across situations where a weather move will be massively more valuable than a damage-dealing attack. And while I'm all for encouraging the use of stuff other than damage-dealers, I don't think that the support moves should be that much more powerful than the damage moves. There's a discrepancy, one which really wasn't there in the games, and one that's placing rather too much of an emphasis on weather moves.


You might want to be re-read all the specific arguments I made before regarding weather. Hail does NOT have a helping hand effect to Ice type moves. In fact, Hail is possibly the weakest weather condition. Only Sunny Day and Rain Dance have helping hand effects, and only for fire and water type respectively.

Weather conditions are actually a huge deal in competitive online play in the games. It's not as important in typical story mode due to having to fight several foes in a row. But in competitive online play, being able to use or deal with weather is vital.

Maybe limit weather moves to only be available to pokemon of the type associated with it?

Y'know, only Rock pokemon can use Sandstorm, only Ice can use Hail and so on.

No. Unfair. Especially so for Matthias who has Castform who is normal type but depends on the weather for his abilities. I already suggested limiting it so it only last for 2 turns or 3.

Both of you are making your arguments on the premise that it has been onesided so far. That's only because AB hasn't decided to use them in favor of the foes yet and because we always ambush the foes and gain initiative. If we didn't ambush all the foes, then thus foes could set up with all sort of favorable conditions, then it would be balanced without having to alter the moves at all.

[Geminex]

No. Unfair. Especially so for Matthias who has Castform who is normal type but depends on the weather for his abilities.
Not unfair. Castform'd get special arrangements, obviously. Though we'd have to see of what sort. And well, it's unfair already, what with how strong weather moves are now. We need to find a...
Balance.

Weather conditions are actually a huge deal in competitive online play in the games. It's not as important in typical story mode due to having to fight several foes in a row. But in competitive online play, being able to use or deal with weather is vital.
Exactly. Weather is already really important in 1v1. Its influence is even more massive in multi-battles. We should limit that.
And fair enough on hail. Still does pretty good damge, though.

[Menarker]

It is unfair. Period. What about Grass pokemons? They aren't fire type, but they use Sunny Day to good effect and some of them use rain dance too. Toxicroak benefits from Rain Dance with its ability despite not being water or electric type. Electric pokemons may want to use Rain Dance for Thunder. That's what it's there for. Pokemons are meant to be diverse in variety and in being able to pull tactics of various types. Lucario is a special attacker primarily, but it can also serve as a good pysical attacker if given the chance such as with Sword Dance. Same with weather. The combination and freedom of moves are essential to the entire premise of the franchise of pokemon. Otherwise, types and base stats would be all that matter.

You fail OVER and OVER to consider that weather is double ended and all that is needed to balance it is for the enemy teams to be built to take advantage of weather. Give them weapons that can take advantage of sunny day or rain dance, so if we try to use it, they can use it right back at us. Have the Watchmen come into combat where the weather is already preset. Easily done, balancing without changing any rules.

But taking away moves from pokemons and pokebrids IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. This is not something that should be allowed half way through the series after several levels have passed and we have pretty much invested in our levels. This inconviences Drac, myself, Bard and Dante who have invested in levels of pokebrid or trainers where weather is a benefit of some of the pokemons we choose. I will bring this up to AB and protest if I have to, but I'm adamant that you have gone overboard in this. Your balance sense is utterly aschewed. Heck, you are the only one who doesn't suffer because you don't lose any moves or abilities with what you are proposing.

Mind you, I think one of the biggest reasons why you think weather is unfair is because switching pokemons is a free action and thus we could switch pokemons to match the weather and attack for the best element in the same turn. Increased flexibility that wasn't present in the games. Normally in the games, pokemons being switched wasted a turn and thus caused delays in the offense which result in danger of being attacked. That isn't present here.


Seriously, play several rounds of Battle Frontier in the Pokemon Factory in the games. You'll see that pokemons are built using so many variety of builds and tactics, some of them seemingly counterintutive but useful in the right hand. Your sense of balance threathens a huge part of the entire point of the entire theme of Pokemon.

[Geminex]

You fail OVER and OVER to consider that weather is double ended and all that is needed to balance it is for the enemy teams to be built to take advantage of weather. Give them weapons that can take advantage of sunny day or rain dance, so if we try to use it, they can use it right back at us. Have the Watchmen come into combat where the weather is already preset. Easily done, balancing without changing any rules.
Look, AB doesn't have that much time to begin with. You're honestly saying he should spend even more time thinking about the enemy team composition and modifying it so that it can effectively counter dozens of our strategies? Seriously?
That's your definition of 'easily done'? 'Making the Dm do more work'? Nice.

And I I understand what you mean. You're not getting my point. Yes, weather is double-ended. But we will be definition only use weather when we benefit more from it than the enemy. And since weather is so abundant, whenever there is an opportunity to use weather to our advantage, we can take it. That's the whole problem. Sure, there'll be opportunities when using the weather would be a really bad idea. But in that situation, we just won't use weather.

But taking away moves from pokemons IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Uhm...
Why not?

It is unfair. Period. What about Grass pokemons? They aren't fire type, but they use Sunny Day to good effect and some of them use rain dance too. Toxicroak benefits from Rain Dance with its ability despite not being water or electric type. Electric pokemons may want to use Rain Dance for Thunder. That's what it's there for. Pokemons are meant to be diverse in variety and in being able to pull tactics of various types. Lucario is a special attacker primarily, but it can also serve as a good pysical attacker if given the chance such as with Sword Dance. Same with weather. The combination and freedom of moves are essential to the entire premise of the franchise of pokemon. Otherwise, types and base stats would be all that matter.
This relies on outliers and hyperbola. Sure, it'll weaken a couple of pokemon a bit. But that's, like, 10 or 20 out of 500. And we don't even use most, if any, of those. Sure, it gets imbalanced in some ways again, but on the whole, the situation would improve.

And yeah, sure. Pokemon is based on variety. And we're not saying that henceforth only moves of the same type as the attacking pokemon can be used. We're talking about weather moves. A tiny subset of the precious variety. Taking that away won't really, y'know, do much to variety.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I believe that weather is fine as it is.

When I said I supported the band thing, I was not being serious.

[Dracorion]

Yeah, Menarker, I didn't mean that Matthias's Castform should get shafted.

Hell, the Castform pokemon itself should still have access to weather moves.

I was just proposing as a general rule that weather moves should only be available to pokemon of their corresponding type. Exceptions would be permitted.

That said, I really only proposed it to shut Geminex up. I still think they're fine.

Because fuck you Gem that's why.

Oh come on, that was great. It had everything a story needs, and it still ignored logic with wild abandon! Did you even read it all?
But okay, show me if you can do better. And no, I was the one who thought up your sidequest, that doesn't count.

You didn't actually do that much for this sidequest.

I'm not saying you didn't do anything, but yeah.

I believe what you said was "Pierce was actually working for Faynoc! Gets pissed, goes to their secret base." But the details, stuff like characterization? The stuff that makes a story a STORY? That's all me.

Repay you, what do you mean, how-?
...
Oh god, you're not wearing any pants, are you?

I'm sayin'.

Quit with the thanking. Or to put it another way, don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash.

I think Impact is about at rationalist as you can get without being completely insane in this RP.

Impact is horrible.

I meant, Sophia would've been a real rationalist.

She could still be one, theoretically, except she'd have to conveniently turn it off whenever something happens that AB has no explanation for.

So she'd be a horrible rationalist.

Also, if Impact is a rationalist then Pierce is a marmot.

Or a Dewgong. I think that's as close to a Marmot as you can get in pokemon.



AB, have you considered incorporating weather effects into future enemies' strategies? Doesn't have to be anything overly complicated, mind you.

Also, this isn't a request, just a question.

[Menarker]

It does! Especially in the setting where double pokemon battles means pokemons work as a team. I could have Togekiss use Rain Dance so Swampert who is fighting alongside Togekiss could use Waterfall for increased damage.

Teamwork aspect is a huge part of it. Pokemons have options of using moves outside their elements because trainers choose to capture and raise 6 pokemons to co-exist and fight together using moves to supplement a tactic which takes in consideration their strengths and weaknesses!

As for AB, I'd be willing to propose or write up battle set-ups if he really wanted to, make it balanced and tough on you guys. But seriously, it's not like he needs to builds teams that counters all the plans all the time. But most of the battles have been unique. Weapon X, Pokemercs, swarms, huge foes, that sort of thing. And how hard is it to have a few slayers or pokemons have Fire or water type moves and declare that *insert weather* is up on the field when battle started? Maybe have a semi-sniper like character who is playing weather support to screw us over.

I'm not using Hyperbole since that is the REALITY. And Outliners are constantly present in the RP. Togekiss? A special attacker flyer in a world where those are ULTRA RARE. Electric pokemon with slow speed stat? Magnezone and Luxray, despite how electric pokemons are almost all speed types. Offensive psychic pokemons like Metagross? There ya go!

Seriously, think outside your character. Pierce has two pokemons who summons weather. Matthias has a character that relies on weather and is a total outlier. Renny as I pointed out has several outliners and pokemons that operate as a team. You're advocating a nerf that drastically effects everyone's character but your own negatively after we have invested several levels in the classes where weather is supposed to be one of the offered benefits and thus one of the reasons we may have chosen the class in the first place.

Seriously, weathers may be a subset of variety. but that is what VARIETY MEANS. Different types. Different effects. Taking it away takes away from variety.

But look... shall we drop the topic? Bard thinks its fine, Drac thinks its fine, I insist it's fine. I dunno about Matthias, but given how his character has a character and a signature technique that focuses on weather, I think he would be fine with not nerfing it too. You are the only one who thinks it needs editing.

[Dracorion]

To be honest if Tyranitar didn't come with Sand Stream, and I hadn't come up with that neat fun fact for Nagarai, I wouldn't have bothered with weather at all.

Weather-inducing abilities are just marginally better than most of the others, that's all.

I guess I didn't help by abusing Tyranitar's, though.

[Bard The 5th LW]

And we'll do that best by embracing the crazy and then forcing it into the shape of a jetpack-wearing Pierce leading a squadron of RDPA-wearing aerial snipers to support Charlotte's and Impacts ground assault against the defensive fortifications of a mutant pokebrid colony that's been trying to revive the first Megabrid, an ancient, almost godlike, super-pokebrid with the DNA of over 800 pokemon, some of them not even known. Needless to say, we'll be betrayed, and though our attack will crush the enemy's forces after an intense battle, we'll be delayed just long enough for the ceremony to finish and the Megabrid to rise again from its mountain grave, under the mental control of an ultra-powerful but insane alakazam mutant, cast out for society for his flaws and desperate to use his newfound servant for just one thing: Revenge.

We fight to sever the link between the two, but our physical force can't match the megabrid's, and our mental assaults wither under the medically-augmented Alakazamutant's Mind-Wrath. Irene warns us that Burkmont's launched a tactical nuclear strike against our position, and all seems lost until Charlotte reveals Phantomere's spirit-techniques. Despite our shock, she maintains control of the situation and gives us a do-or-die option, and we choose to do. More precisely, we choose to leave our bodies and attack/possess the Alakazamutant's (goes by the name of Wrath) mind directly, bypassing his augmentations, going straight for the soul. We enter the dark, broken depths of his mind, confront him as he truly is, and our sanity wavers. We fight, we think (though we can't be sure), a dark, seemingly endless fight, as much horriffic violence as is it deathly silence and fear, we confront his insanity, the darkness inside him directly, and we come so close to falling. But we persevere, we hold on, we find out strengths and throw them against him and scream our defiance and eventually he withers and falls, the cracks in his mind widen to swallow him whole, the darkness flees him as he shakes himself apart, and just before he dies, truly, and finally, and we're letting go of his mind, leaving it, we hear one barely-percievable mental 'thank-you', look over our shoulders to see a bright figure, eyes shining with wisdom and intelligence, as he should have been. And we realize that Wrath's been made whole again, has found peace, that whatever else happens, this was worth it.

We return to our bodies to find that just a moment's passed. Wrath is dead, the Megabrid's disturbed, though. He was never meant to be awoken again, and however great his power, his mind is that of a child. A wise, divine child, but a child nonetheless. He wants to go back to sleep, but can't, wants to be away from all this. He tells us of the times past, of creation, of early life, beautiful stories, beautiful songs. And so he remains as we strap on our jet-packs and get on our pokemon and fly the fuck out of there, his songs still echoing through the mountains, and in our hearts, provoking emotion, such powerful emotion. And a few minutes after we've left, we see a few specks fly over the horizon and we hover, transfixed in shock and rage as the screams of a dying god echo from the nuclear fires in our wake, and we weep.


lolwut

But seriously, when reading this, I couldn't tell if you were against this or for this.

But either way, why the god-damn would you write that?

[Dracorion]

See, Gem?

[Astral Harmony]

AB: Can you clarify in more details exactly what happens and the rules and restrictions for how rogue pokemons under dead/fainted trainers act? Is it free for all or are there any specific rules?

Rogue Pokemon use moves depending on their conditions and current HP values. If a Pokemon is health, expect it to spam attack moves, particularly its most powerful ones. Most Rogues would ignore status effects until they get serious, like when Bad Poisoning really builds up. They'll heal if they can when their health past the 50% mark, but otherwise they'll just spam attacks, particularly their toughest attacks, usually taking STAB and foe weaknesses into account.

AB, have you considered incorporating weather effects into future enemies' strategies? Doesn't have to be anything overly complicated, mind you.

Also, this isn't a request, just a question.

Yes. The Poison Ruin General, Gransrax, has two different weather skills of his own, one you can defog and one that you cannot. I'll warn you. A handful of characters stand to be BadPois'd each and every turn. Impact will wanna bring his Counter Injector armor which will help his survivability immensely.

Rachel will also help as a Medic because of her Immunity Extension Character Skill, so I'll allow you to switch her in.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Don't know why, but I just felt like mentioning that for the first time, Charlotte is not wearing her hammer-space coat. Due to being ruined by oil last mission, the beloved long-coat will be out of commission until her sidequest. Possibly never to return actually.

Still thinking of the costume change. And before Drac says anything, she will be wearing clothes.

[Astral Harmony]

...

...

...A Megabrid, eh?

[Bard The 5th LW]

BRB, going to kill AB with a spoon.

[Astral Harmony]

Like this? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VDvgL58h_Y)

The Mudkip hate came from some Internet meme entitled "so i herd u liek mudkipz" which came about from a post on some forum.

...

I dunno why that exploded into hundreds of Mudkip videos, either.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Just for that link, I'll spare you.

[Astral Harmony]

Glad you like it. Could you imagine Charlotte chasing me down with a spoon?

Anyways, those band positions will usually be held by the single classers, specialists or not (Enforcers), though some dual classers like Rachel will possess the musical aptitude to rock out with their respective midgets out.

It's mostly to cover for the fact that I'm certain I'll run out of Character Skills before too long. Got keep them worthy of keeping around, y'dig?

Actually, in hindsight, that movie premier would be epic for the ultimate battle between Pierce and Impact. I won't say who is who simply because one of them won't accept being the guy who gets his ass kicked by a spoon wielding supernatural murderer.

EPIC: Oh, and Backup Dancer! That would be cool for when the situation prevents the use of a band, though I generally consider the band to play in a metaphysical sense. Like if they're on a battlefield, their music reaches you despite the fact that artillery shells are tearing the ground asunder and explosions are popping off everywhere.

And just so you know, enemy bands will also exist. It wouldn't be ridiculously badass otherwise.

[Menarker]

Glad you like it. Could you imagine Charlotte chasing me down with a spoon?


Hehe, Spoony Bard.

The Mudkip thing actually existed as early as 2005 which was some sort of 4chan trollish fan-fic about it, but mainly picked up in 2007 especially as a April Fools Day prank by DeviantArt where all the member's avatars were forced locked into mudkips for the day. :3


AB, what you said about rogue pokemons is helpful, but I kinda wanted to know if they would be attacking all at once or if they are limited by any space restrictions or if such like that. Because Gem's argument for the battle plan is that foes wouldn't want to attack a trainer directly because it would unleash the rogue pokemons if they did knock them out.

Let's make it more specific. If Whitney was sent to fight alongside one of her pokemons, and she DID get knocked out, would her pokemons go rogue, how many of them and will they behave in any particular manner different to what you said before? Or is it mainly free for all?

Although I would imagine that mechanical foes do not possess the intelligence or the fear needed to comprehend how bad an idea it would be to cause a trainer's pokemon to go rogue from the start.

Actually, in hindsight, that movie premier would be epic for the ultimate battle between Pierce and Impact. I won't say who is who simply because one of them won't accept being the guy who gets his ass kicked by a spoon wielding supernatural murderer.

Really? I thought it was because neither want to be the same guy who accidently buzz-saw their own testicles to extinction as a result of one of several botched revenge attempts.

[Dracorion]

Still thinking of the costume change. And before Drac says anything, she will be wearing clothes.

I wasn't going to say that!

I was going to ask if she would be wearing only a coat, though.

...A Megabrid, eh?

No.

I swear to God, I'll murder you with a spoon.

Just for that link, I'll spare you.

I haven't spared him.

Actually, in hindsight, that movie premier would be epic for the ultimate battle between Pierce and Impact. I won't say who is who simply because one of them won't accept being the guy who gets his ass kicked by a spoon wielding supernatural murderer.

The answer is clearly the beat the supernatural murdered to death with your own spoon first.

Also, yikes for driving a buzz-saw into your nuts.

[Menarker]

The answer is clearly the beat the supernatural murdered to death with your own spoon first.



The guy tried that in the sequel spin-off. The murderer snatched the offending spoon away and suddenly mastered Dual-wielding on the spot, using that same hopeful weapon against his victim while being twice as dangerous... >_>

^^; I was just thinking how much like Final Fantasy that murderer was. In one of the FF games, there was one spoon you could get in the game, and when you had a ninja character throw it, it would ALWAYS deal 9999 damage, no matter what foe or boss you were fighting.
The one time the murderer threw his spoon, the buzzsaw/testicle incident occurred, which would definately count as a 9999 damage attack!

[Dracorion]

The answer is clearly to dual-wield your own spoons.

And if he snatches those away, then keep pulling out spoons until the dude can't carry anymore, pull out another one and spoon him to death while his hands are busy.

Also, which FF? The first one?

Why am I asking? I don't care.

[Menarker]

The one with Yang and his wife (who gives the spoon). Where the lead is Cecil. Final Fantasy 4.

Also, said murderer has infinite spoons under his hoodie according to "Word of God"

[Dracorion]

... Huh.

I don't remember a spoon in FF4.

[Menarker]

It's late in the game, after you lose Yang and find him in the underworld but before you go into "space". You visit his widowed wife to pass the bad news (and nothing else DRAC), and she gives you THE spoon, hoping it would be of some use. Basically, she really wants to help as much as her husband the martial artist did, but since she's only a house-wife she can only give you the one single item she can spare, a spoon with an oddly sharp round end (which admittably would be a crappy spoon in real life). It's easily missable if you just jump straight into the end game without thinking of visiting Yang's wife.

Against that absurdly hard last boss though, that spoon is a god-send. More than Yang ever would have been if he was still alive. I honestly never felt he was that strong a character.

As for why it was a spoon and not something like a Kitchen Knife or something, I dunno. But it's the same game that has the quote "Spoony Bard", so there must be something there...

EDIT: Apparently some versions of the game call it a spoon and another a knife.

[Dracorion]

Dude.

No, seriously. I wouldn't say that Cecil banged Yang's wife or anything like that. You'd have to be a moron to believe that from a SNES-era game, especially if I'm the one who said it.

And Bard. I didn't joke about Charlotte's new outfit being her birthday suit the first time, and I wasn't going to this time.

Fuck you.

Both of you.

All of you.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I believe in the original translation, the spoon she gave you actually was a knife.

The translators just changed it for lulz.

@Drac: Sorry I'm not interested.

[Dracorion]

Shit list

Bard
AB

[Bard The 5th LW]

http://www.mspmentor.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/msp_success_key.jpg

[Menarker]

Also, if Impact is a rationalist then Pierce is a marmot.

Or a Dewgong. I think that's as close to a Marmot as you can get in pokemon.

I just realized there is a Marmot pokemon in the Black and White version. It's Generation 5's version of Rattata.

http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/504.shtml
http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-bw/505.shtml

[Astral Harmony]

AB, what you said about rogue pokemons is helpful, but I kinda wanted to know if they would be attacking all at once or if they are limited by any space restrictions or if such like that. Because Gem's argument for the battle plan is that foes wouldn't want to attack a trainer directly because it would unleash the rogue pokemons if they did knock them out.

Let's make it more specific. If Whitney was sent to fight alongside one of her pokemons, and she DID get knocked out, would her pokemons go rogue, how many of them and will they behave in any particular manner different to what you said before? Or is it mainly free for all?

Although I would imagine that mechanical foes do not possess the intelligence or the fear needed to comprehend how bad an idea it would be to cause a trainer's pokemon to go rogue from the start.

All Rogue Pokemon attack at once. Remember? It was mostly to deter Charlotte and you other bastards from simply killing Trainers and Snaggers instead of being forced to battle all of their Pokemon until they were down to three or two.

Enemies would never KO a Trainer unless they had two Pokemon remaining, and they usually wouldn't do it even then. However, that raises another question, the question about Whitney being a Sniper specialist. Just like any other Pokemon Trainer, she absolutely must deploy Pokemon, even if she doesn't use them to engage foes.

If an enemy needs to down a Trainer before they've taken on said Trainer's Pokemon, then it's time to break out status effects. A Trainer can be sleep'd, frozen, flinched, all kinds of shit without rendering their Pokemon rogue, just like what Matthias did to Regina during the battle against Pokegeddon.

Though there are exemptions. Really powerful bosses tends to be rather egotistical, and might KO a Trainer before a single Pokemon is defeated. Expect your formation to get a little fucked up because the Trainer's previous spot will be split to house all six Pokemon in no specific order. They'll be afflicted by the status effect "Rogue" and will not be under your control.

[Dracorion]

I'm suddenly tempted to take out Regina first thing the next time we fight Pokegeddon.

She has like 18 pokemon right? It'll be awesome!

[Menarker]

OK then. Thanks AB.

Drac, if you do that, I'll knock you unconscious and offer you to the Pokegeddon as a peace offering.

Gem, I still think that we'll need Mirror to use the Evoliths. Unless you can clarify what you think she'll need the rage for?

Anyhow, due to what AB said, changing plan to suit what you said about Whitney.


Lola: Chimecho form. Use Gravity. X Special Attack on Whitney?
Whitney: Ledian and Armaldo are out on the field with Whitney (Frolass form). Armaldo use X-Scissor on Kill dolls A and B for STAB damage, while keeping herself out of combat for the time being. Whitney uses Blizzard to hit for item boosted STAB damage on both Kill Doll O and P.
Mirror: Build Fire Evolith. Bone Breaker on Kill Doll F
Fire Evolith: Casts Heat Wave, hitting kill dolls D and E with slayer-ish power.
Kurika: Nerve Strike (Electric type despite kill dolls not having any nerves) for super effective damage on Kill Doll C.


If you think Impact can do something better with his rage this turn, feel free to mention what he can do in Kurika's place.

Anyhow, I gotta head for work. See you later.

[Dracorion]

I think Gem intended for Mirror to save her Rage this turn.

You know, in case you guys really needed her to build an Amplifier later.

As for why not now, because there are far too many enemies, and they have far too many attacks, and an Amplifier would be toast before you could get any use out of it.

That said, Gem, with Mirror gaining 10 Rage per turn, she could feasibly construct three times before the fight is over.

I don't know if you shouldn't have Mirror construct an Evolith now, I haven't really been listening to your discussion with Menarker, I'm just sayin', Mirror's hoarded Rage would be wasted if you wait too long to get her constructing.

And Evoliths are probably more durable than Amplifiers.

Also, Menarker, I think it's cute that you think Renny could overpower Pierce.

[Menarker]

Well, I figured that since construction is a free action and building a device which does a powerful slayerish AOE attack, thus reducing the number of foes who would attack us/it and potentially destroy the evolith is a worthwhile investment.

And yes, cuteness was what I was aiming for. That's one of Renny's trademark. I don't care if you don't actually believe it. :3 Just watch your back if you actually do something really stupid like that.

Well, maybe you might have to watch out for Impact and Charlotte already since it WAS pretty stupid of Pierce to invade Millennium House byhimself thus alerting the enemies and forcing the group to jumpstart their mission before they were prepared.

[Dracorion]

Phhhbbtttt.

Fuck 'em.

[Menarker]

Just out of curiousity, the costs of engineers making evoliths are the same as making amplifiers, 50 rage, right?

It just seems odd because the evoliths don't have as strong an effect as the amplifiers do and I figured their cost is normally too expensive for their effect. The amplifiers tend to boost the entire party, so in a big group (which is fairly frequent, especially for boss fights) the effect is immense, so the cost of 50 rage is quite justified. (It becomes even more potent when Gem uses CC&C.)

In comparision though, the evoliths only attack once per turn, limited to their one element, and don't contribute to the party's abilities aside from specific moves like weather moves. They are basically an extra attacker that sticks around for a bit longer. If we were to use Gem's CC&C ability as a comparision, the cost is definately inflated. (15 rage per enforcer compared to 50 for the evolith)
I'd personally would think that if Evolith's would be more fairly costed if they were cheaper, since the only reason why I suggested Evoliths this time is because we have a small party and defensive amplifiers are useless against Almighty type attacks. I'd suggest maybe 30 rage? Maybe make the same cost apply to the other devices that are not amplifiers such as Anti-weather devices.
Otherwise, the benefits of an amplifer seems to be practically superior to every other option in nearly all situations.

[Dracorion]

Ah, fuck.

For some reason I'm still thinking that devices only cost 25 Rage.

So I guess Mirror would probably only be able to construct twice.

[Menarker]

Well, the Battle System Tutorial sheet that AB made said that the costs for any and all the devices that engineers can make is set at 50. Which seems honestly too high for anything that isn't an amplifier.

[Astral Harmony]

What I think Menarker actually wants is for me to nerf the other Specialists just like I did the Medics.

*maniacal laughter with booms of thunder and flashes of lightning*

Expect details before Mission 4. For now, just go like you usually do.

[Dracorion]

Goddammit Menarker, I'm going to punch you in the dick.

[Astral Harmony]

That's my Dracorian! *wacky musical jingle with slidewhistles*

Enslaved is such a beautiful game. And that new Pokemon Ranger game is really good, too. Kinda sucks that there isn't any Pokemon from Black and White. It's just a different combination of the previous four generations.

[Menarker]

I wasn't saying that AB! If anything, I was thinking that Engineers could use a little buff by making the other options a bit more appealing because all we use so far are the amplifiers. We never think of using the Evoliths because they would end up doing so little for so much rage.

You know, like keep the amplifiers as 50 rage and make Evoliths 30 or something. The amplifiers are immensely powerful in a huge group, so the cost is fine, but Evoliths could stand to be a bit cheaper.

Anyhow, things are kinda slow to proceed since neither Gem or Bard are posting in the thread due to real life business and what not. ^^; Drac is waiting patiently, I can't respond since Renny isn't there yet supposably, and Dante passed for the round.

[Dracorion]

Thanks for reminding me that I have to get you back for mispronouncing my name all the freakin' time, AB.

I mean, you don't get to bitch about Menarker mispronouncing Harliette's name when you keep calling me Dracorian.

Dick.

[Menarker]

Well, Harliette said way back in Renny's Sidequest that she doesn't actually care how someone pronounces her name. :3 AB is probably doing the same thing.

[Astral Harmony]

I take it Dracorion is in a foul mood...

[Bard The 5th LW]

Goddammit Menarker, I'm going to punch you in the dick.

Eh? Whats all this then?

I believe I originally proposed to name Nagarai Dracorianne.

[Dracorion]

I take it Dracorion is in a foul mood...

Ghhkkkttt!

[Menarker]

Ah, Bard. Good to see you on. Two things I want to bring up.

Firstly, in regards to your plan, did you want to have Charlotte use one of her Trainer Actions? Probably Kick the Dog one on Hammond, since Ruin types don't seem to suffer morale problems and thus makes Caught on Camera a poor choice.

Afterwards, is there anything else you need to consider before posting? Just reminding that Dante passed on posting for the round, so the battle post for your side, is up to you.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Sure.

Melanie: Two X-attack on Kirie
Charlotte: Spits to use Super Fang on Pulverot A. Charlotte uses Kick the Dog on Hammond. Hammond to use Dragon Claw on Narcham B
Kirie: Morphstrike (psychic) on Pulverot A. Entei to use extrsensory on Pulverot A.
Matt: Psychic on Pulverot A
Cassus: Dragonite to use Dragon Rush on Pulverot A. Scizorto use x-scissor on Narcham B.

Not much to post about really. I might pass this one time.

And AB, is Phantomere present? Just out of curiosity.

[Astral Harmony]

You can talk to him, but right now, he's pretty useless.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Figured as much. Just curious.

[Dracorion]

Not necessarily.

I say Phantomere should be able to possess the shells on Charlotte's shotgun so she could shoot straight through enemies' hearts.

Or at least change her shotgun's typing from Normal to Almighty. Since the shells would be able to bypass defenses and whatnot.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I thought I was on your shitlist?

Why would you propose awesome stuff?

[Dracorion]

Whoever's on top on my shitlist is whoever I'm actively trying to shit on at the time.

And you and AB alternate that spot a lot.

[Geminex]

A-HEM.

I mean, what am I? Chopped liver? I thought you hated me!

And all those posts will be responded to in due time. 'In due time' being about 8 hours, when I've slept a little. Nighty-night.

[Dracorion]

Oh, you haven't quite done anything to insult me like Bard and AB.

So get work.

[Bard The 5th LW]

He has a higher rep than you in less time.

[Dracorion]

He's a big bag of dicks.

So obviously everyone likes him.

[Astral Harmony]

Dracorion, if you like big bags of dicks, that's entirely your business.

But don't speak for anyone else on that issue. Seriously, a big bag of dicks? I'd rather be stuck playing a shitty video game like "Leisure Suit Pierce: Anime Chicks or GTFO".

[Menarker]

Seconded! I mean, shit, that imagery is horrible.

[Geminex]

Oh come on, I belittle you as a matter of course, insult your intelligence regularly, screw you over as often as I can, screw your mother over as often as I can and basically troll you in 80% of my posts.

And you return the favor!

How am I not on your shitlist?

Mind you, we interact reasonably sometimes, you're being real good about the balancing (mind you, you all are, totally commend you guys for that), but hey, cut me some slack. I can't be a dick all the time.

And yes. I I have more rep than you. I am more popular. In fact, I am your only friend.

...

No, wait. Bard's your friend too. Still. THE CLOSEST THING YOU HAVE TO FRIENDSHIP IS MUTUAL DISDAIN AND HATRED. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE EMULATING KARKAT.

Also, you're adopted.

[Dracorion]

Heh.

That was actually kind of funny, AB.

Maybe you could teach Geminex a thing or two.

Oh, and what I meant by "big bag of dicks" was, well. It's like calling Geminex a dick, except he's so much of a dick that he's not even a Double Dick. Or a Triple Dick. A giant bag filled with dicks is the only imagery that can properly describe his dickishness.

[Geminex]

Oh, and what I meant by "big bag of dicks" was, well. It's like calling Geminex a dick, except he's so much of a dick that he's not even a Double Dick. Or a Triple Dick. A giant bag filled with dicks is the only imagery that can properly describe his dickishness.

How about Dicktator?

[Dracorion]

That's just stupid.

[Bard The 5th LW]

How about we just say that you're both stupid and be done with it.

[Dracorion]

You're stupid and so's your mom.

Also, you're back on top.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Hah!

Suck it AB!

He hates me most.

[Astral Harmony]

And when Geminex gathers enough dicks, he'll finally complete his Dickship and return to Dick Planet.

I'd continue on with this reference, but I think I'm the only one out of us who watches Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I watch it when I can.

[Geminex]

You are the only one who thinks it needs editing.
True. But none of your counter-arguments have seemed all that valid.

My point is, once again, this: Weather moves, as they are now, are extremely strong. The existence of them, as they are now, benefits us greatly. Makes us a lot more powerful in combat. Don't even question this. It's situational, but come on. It has a massive effect, 50% damage bonuses to 2-4 allies at least, plus the morale effects, plus we weaken the enemy's counter-attacks, and it lasts for a while! Seriously. It's really strong.

This can be cancelled out in two ways:

We could weaken weather moves

Our opponents start exploiting weather moves as much as us

In the first case:
Depending on how we balance it, sure, some pokemon are gonna be hit harder than others. What you said about variety didn't really make very much sense, but whatever you meant, we can compensate for that. And 'some things aren't as strong as they used to be' is a small price to pay for 'this shit is no longer massively overpowered'. Which it currently is. I'm not even insisting on a specific way of nerfing them! Just bring them down to the strength they'd have in 1 v 1. Or 2v2, at the least. That was fair.

Second case...
Well, you all remember the BR? Yep...
abusing the existing ruleset to a degree that changes the face of Combat As We Know It, also out
If we continue using weather the way we are, and our opponents do too, that's gonna mean quite a struggle over who gets to decide what's coming from the sky. I mean, it's a really important. And it'd be worth it for a team to devote a lot of its resources to gaining control over said factor. I think if both teams started trying to use the weather, that'd mean quite a strong change in combat. So yeah. That's sorta out.

And I mean, yeah, our enemies could start organizing and getting deploying in a way that makes them less vulnerable to the weather, but come on. That'd limit them massively.

And finally, before any of you say 'OR! we could just leave it as it is!'.
Yes.
We could, I guess.
But honestly. Are you really saying that weather moves, as used by pokemon or pokebrids, are balanced? Really? They're not stronger than other moves?

As for the plan...
Okay. Menarker, I really don't think your way uses resources effectively. But I have to pack and to clean up some dishes, I really don't have the time to discuss it some more. Let's do this your way. Just have Renny join up to us ASAP.

Cause see, I prolly won't be posting a lot in the next 5 days. This is fairly short-term, which is why you guys don't know about it yet. Though I guess I could have mentioned it on Friday or something. Sorry.

Anyway, gonna be gone. Renny can give orders, we can resume the weather discussion when I get back, try not to post too much.

Bye.

[Dracorion]

My point is, once again, this: Weather moves, as they are now, are extremely strong. The existence of them, as they are now, benefits us greatly. Makes us a lot more powerful in combat. Don't even question this. It's situational, but come on. It has a massive effect, 50% damage bonuses to 2-4 allies at least, plus the morale effects, plus we weaken the enemy's counter-attacks, and it lasts for a while! Seriously. It's really strong.

Actually, if I remember correctly we're not taking morale effects from weather into account anymore.

This can be cancelled out in two ways:

We could weaken weather moves

Our opponents start exploiting weather moves as much as us

In the first case:
Depending on how we balance it, sure, some pokemon are gonna be hit harder than others. What you said about variety didn't really make very much sense, but whatever you meant, we can compensate for that. And 'some things aren't as strong as they used to be' is a small price to pay for 'this shit is no longer massively overpowered'. Which it currently is. I'm not even insisting on a specific way of nerfing them! Just bring them down to the strength they'd have in 1 v 1. Or 2v2, at the least. That was fair.

The strength they had in 1v1 or 2v2 was bullshit.

The only people that used weather moves were min-maxers like, y'know, Menarker, in competitive play.

And no one should ever have to take competitive pokemon play into account. After all, aren't you the one who was berating Menarker for being competitive with the rest of us?

So yes. Weather moves are stronger than in the games. I've already said I'm of the belief that that's good, that they're fine as is. They were fucking useless in the games. Unless, again, you were a competitive player.

Second case...
Well, you all remember the BR? Yep...

abusing the existing ruleset to a degree that changes the face of Combat As We Know It, also out

If we continue using weather the way we are, and our opponents do too, that's gonna mean quite a struggle over who gets to decide what's coming from the sky. I mean, it's a really important. And it'd be worth it for a team to devote a lot of its resources to gaining control over said factor. I think if both teams started trying to use the weather, that'd mean quite a strong change in combat. So yeah. That's sorta out.

And I mean, yeah, our enemies could start organizing and getting deploying in a way that makes them less vulnerable to the weather, but come on. That'd limit them massively.

Oh now that's just...

I wouldn't really qualify the enemies getting to use weather moves as well as abusing.

Can I propose an addendum to that particular rule?

"Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement is a change."

I don't know how it would turn out, but we certainly don't know it would go bad. We should certainly be wary of radical changes like that, but we shouldn't dismiss them right off the bat.

This could change "the face of Combat As We Know It" for the better, and you wanna throw it out? We have nothing to lose by trying.

And finally, before any of you say 'OR! we could just leave it as it is!'.
Yes.
We could, I guess.
But honestly. Are you really saying that weather moves, as used by pokemon or pokebrids, are balanced? Really? They're not stronger than other moves?

Yes. They are.

And that's okay.

If we have to nerf weather moves, go with Menarker's suggestion to reduce their duration, or go with mine to reduce the number of pokemon that have access to them.

Here's my proposal:

A) Weather moves are available to every pokemon of their corresponding type, so long as they are in that pokemon's moveset.
B) Specific weather moves are available to any pokemon that learns them by leveling up, regardless of type.
C) Castform has access to all the weather moves, including Sandstorm.

B is there pretty much to ensure that some Grass-types have access to Sunny Day and Electric-types have access to Rain Dance and so on.

Thoughts?

[Menarker]

Drac, I already strongly objected to reducing the number of pokemons that have them because of several of the reasons I listed before and will only sum up a bit now.

Several pokemons have benefits that fall outside the norm despite not sharing the typing like Toxicroak with Dry Skin (which makes that Rain dance is a benefit to him despite not being water type or lightning type).
And what about weathers like Gravity that doesn't have a set typing?

Pokemons were created under the implication that they would act as a team under the lead of the trainer.
For that matter, why stop at weather? Why not remove moves that don't belong to a pokemon's type? No more Solarbeam for fire types, no more ice moves for pure water types, no more psychic moves for bug/poison types. More than half the moves that don't belong to a pokemon's type come from TMs, let's remove them all! Weather is such a small part compared to those! (Note my immense sarcasm and that I would be most ticked off if you take it seriously.).


Look, I don't know about the rest of you guys, I chose the pokemons I did with a great deal of care assuming the information that was given at the start, especially because they not only work effectively by themselves, but I felt they would work great as a team, including with weather if I wanted to. It's not fair to make such changes after all of us have invested several levels in the characters and do not get anything to make up for that.

My point is, once again, this: Weather moves, as they are now, are extremely strong. The existence of them, as they are now, benefits us greatly. Makes us a lot more powerful in combat. Don't even question this. It's situational, but come on. It has a massive effect, 50% damage bonuses to 2-4 allies at least, plus the morale effects, plus we weaken the enemy's counter-attacks, and it lasts for a while! Seriously. It's really strong.

See the underlined part? Your argument died a little there. The foes COULD be weakened, but only if they attacked with that specific element, and most foes have several types. And only ONE element for either Rain Dance (Fire) or Sunny Day (Water) is effected. This does NOT effect any of the other attacks. You're painting weathers being MUCH stronger than it actually is, since in none of the situations we been in, has the foe attacked the entire group with the same attack types or close to that.

And once again and again, you're only looking at two specific weathers! Seriously, I'm going to show how ignorant the argument sounds in its attempt to treat them as if they were all the same!


Rain Dance:
* The power of Water-type moves is boosted by 50%.
* The power of Fire-type moves is reduced by 50%.
* The move Thunder has 100% accuracy and can hit through Protect and Detect 30% of the time. Note that this only occurs in Diamond and Pearl versions - Protect always blocks Thunder even in the rain in Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon Battle Revolution, and Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
* The move SolarBeam has a base power of 60.
* The move Weather Ball becomes the Water-type and has a base power of 100.
* The moves Moonlight, Morning Sun, and Synthesis heal only 25% of the users full health.
* Pokémon with the ability Dry Skin heal 12.5% of their max HP every turn.
* Pokémon with the Forecast ability change their type to Water.
* Pokémon with the Hydration ability heal themselves of status effects at the end of every turn.
* Pokémon with the Rain Dish ability heal 6.25% of their max HP every turn.
* Pokémon with the Swift Swim ability double their Speed.

Sunny Day:
Sunny Day raises Fire-type moves' damage by 50% and causes Water-type moves to do half of their original damage.
The healing moves Synthesis, Moonlight, and Morning Sun heal 2/3 of the user's maximum HP.
Sunny Day also decreases Thunder's accuracy from 70% to 50%, making Thunder a very poor option to utilize while Sunny Day is in play.
It lasts 5 turns (8 with the use of a Heat Rock).
No Pokémon can be frozen while Sunny Day is in effect, meaning Ice-type moves like Ice Beam cannot induce a freeze.
Sunny Day's most important effect is probably the aptitude to double the Speed of Pokémon with the ability Chlorophyll, which can make them potential sweepers.
While you will generally find them lacking in Speed, Pokémon with the ability Solar Power can become much more powerful sweepers, gaining a 50% power boost in their Special Attack in return for being sapped 10% of their HP every turn when the sun is shining.

Hail:
First is the sandstorm-like residual damage effect. Like sandstorm, hail takes away 6.25% of both Pokémon's health each turn. This means that if the opponent's Pokémon is not an Ice-type, it takes only 16 to 17 turns for them to die due to hail and hail alone. From this fact comes the first primary strategy of hail teams: stalling. It should be noted that while Leftovers cancels out hail in the long run, it is applied after hail damage, meaning that even if the opponent carries it, you essentially only have to deal 93.75% damage to them to KO.

The second advantage is a 100% accurate Blizzard with a small chance (30%) to hit through Protect. Blizzard is a flexible attack with no immunities and few 4x resists. Over the standard Ice Beam, you will be doing about 26% extra damage. The disadvantage of Blizzard is, of course, its inaccuracy if and when hail goes away and the little PP it has. Beware of Pressure Pokémon.

Sandstorm:
As with most other weather variations, sandstorm can be brought to the field via two methods. The first way is through use of the move Sandstorm, which will summon a sandstorm for five turns, unless the user holds a Smooth Rock, which extends the duration to eight turns. The other way is through the ability Sand Stream, which summons a sandstorm permanently unless the weather is changed again through a move or an ability.

The following effects occur in a sandstorm:

* Rock-type Pokémon's Special Defense is boosted by 50%
* All non-Rock-, Steel-, and Ground-type Pokémon and Pokémon without the ability Magic Guard or Sand Veil take 1/16 damage at the end of every turn.
* The evasion of a Pokémon with the Sand Veil ability is increased by 20%.
* SolarBeam's Base Power is reduced from 120 to 60.
* Synthesis, Moonlight, and Morning Sun only recover 25% of the user's HP, as opposed to 50%.
* Weather Ball's Base Power is doubled to 100, and becomes a Rock-type move.



Gravity:
All Pokemon become vulnerable to Ground-type moves.
Flying-types and Pokemon with the Levitate ability, who usually enjoy an immunity to Ground attacks, suddenly find themselves being damaged by them. This effect is not only limited to attacks, i.e. moves with a Base Power. Spikes, a Ground-type entry hazard, will do damage to Flying-type and Levitating Pokemon under Gravity. Also, Toxic Spikes will poison all bar Steel- and Poison-type Pokemon while Gravity is in effect, even if they are Flying-type or have Levitate. This also means that Poison-type Pokemon who normally have an immunity to Ground-type moves, such as Gengar and Crobat, will absorb and remove Toxic Spikes from the field upon entry while Gravity is active. Finally, the ability Arena Trap will prevent Flying-type and Levitating Pokemon from switching for Gravity's duration. There is a common misconception that the Flying-type is removed while Gravity is in effect, somewhat like the effects that the move Roost has on a Pokemon's type. This is not strictly true. Even under Gravity, Skarmory is still neutral to Fighting-type moves and weak to Electric-type moves. The only difference that occurs in terms of type effectiveness is that it is now 2x weak to Ground-type attacks (because of its Steel typing), and is damaged by Spikes upon entry. Similarly, a Bug / Flying Pokemon such as Yanmega, while normally immune to Ground-type attacks, will take 0.5x damage from them under Gravity (because of its Bug typing, which resists Ground-type moves), but will retain a 4x resistance to Fighting-type attacks.

The use of the moves Bounce, Fly, Hi Jump Kick, Jump Kick, Magnet Rise, and Splash is prevented.
This isn't of much significance as the only moves in the list that really see any use at all are Bounce, Hi Jump Kick, and Magnet Rise, and those only see use sporadically. If Fly or Bounce are on their 'charge turn' when Gravity is used, then these moves are instantly cancelled and the users drop to the ground.

The Evasion of all Pokemon is lowered to 3/5.
This is quite a significant component of Gravity's effect. Essentially, all move accuracies are boosted by 1.67x while Gravity is in play. This makes all moves with 60% or more accuracy always hit during Gravity (60 x 1.67 = 100), and is quite a large factor in offensive Gravity teams' success, as they can now use moves such as Hydro Pump and Blizzard (high power but poor accuracy) to devastating effect. Although irrelevant for most matches as they are played with the OHKO clause, Gravity's accuracy boost does not affect the accuracy of OHKO moves.

And of course, Trick Room which only switches speeds (and thus who gets Crit bonus for speed in this RP).

So, you can see how the weathers should be be treated with so broad a stroke because their powers are not equal and you treat them as if all of them have the effects of nukes! The only two weathers you seem willing to talk about is Rain Dance and Sunny Day while insisting the other weathers are just as bad and having the same abilities. In reality? THEY DO NOT.



The way I see best for weather is not to change it directly(or at least just the duration) or alter any of our characters but allow foes to prepare beforehand. I mean, we're invading the enemy stronghold for one and many times the foes are going to know we are coming. Surely they have time to prep up.

A simple way to do that is for AB to create the teams assuming that foes can buff themselves up before with moves like Sword Dance, Belly Drum, Agility, Substitute, Iron Defense, Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes, weather moves and that sort of thing.

Let's use a weather one for an example: An enemy team several floors down has received the alarm that enemy forces (The Watchmen) are approaching. The foes consist of the following...

2 Medics.
1 Engineer. One of their machines is to create a Fire Evolith.
2 Slayers, both with fire type weapons to take advantage of Sunny Day.
2 Trainer. One trainer sends out a Charizard with Belly Drum and a Cherim with Flower Gift ability and SolarBeam (Gives attack boost defense boost to allies when Sunny). The other sends out a Rhyperior with Stealth Rock (Being a rock type helps against fighting any of our fire pokemons that tries to use their Sunny Day) and send out a Fearow with Tailwind to boost some allies Speed (also taking advantage of any grass types on our side that tries to use their sunny day).

The Charizard uses Belly Drum, a medic heals it up, the other medic buffs a party member with an X attack or something, the engineer builds a fire evolith that casts Sunny Day in advance thus boosting Charizard and the Slayers with fire weapons, while the other pokemons use their moves that can be used ahead of time like Tailwind to buff, Stealth Rock to lay traps, and that sort of thing. Maybe have a custom merc pokemon or device that prevents any of us from changing the weather.



Basically, since frequently our foes don't live long enough to use all their moves before hand, AB can just decide that some of the moves can be dedicated to buff/debuff moves that those pokemons have accessible and have them use them in preperation before our group even encounters them or at the very start of combat. (IE: The foes get the ambush phase meaning they get a round to prepare status moves or use items/construct)

Rayleen: Oh shoot. Watchmen, it seems they ambushed us. Sunny Day is already active, Stealth Rocks ready to lay the hurting, and they are pre-powered up already. Be careful!

Of course, the "upside" about this is that they have less offensive moves since they only have 4 moves (6 with leader pokemons) and for every buff move they have, they have one less attack. However, since precious few of our foes live that long, that is more of a unseen benefit especially since their remaining moves would be pumped to a dangerous degree. Example would be something like...

Charizard: Fire Fang / Belly Drum/ Rock Slide / Earthquake

Charizard gets Belly Drumed, healed by medic so it's at full health before actual combat, and a boost to his physical Fire type move in addition to STAB. Any foe could be more dangerous just by allowing this option of giving them the free round of buffing.

Plus, the theme can be just about anything. One team can be tons of traps like Toxic Spikes, Stealth Rock. Another can be a huge baton pass team giving a whole group a shit load of benefits that can't normally be gained otherwise. Other weathers like Gravity, Trick Room, Rain Dance. Maybe the Watchmen arrive but they all get ambushed by moves like Screech, Tickle or other debuffs.

This is a simple way to change combat but make things immensely more balance without removing components from any of our pokemons or pokebrid forms. It might also encourage us to choose moves that help deal with statuses like Roar, Haze, Rapid Spin and other such tactics.

[Dracorion]

Well, I didn't say my proposal had to be set in stone.

But seriously, Toxicroak? You're bitching about the few pokemon that benefit from weather moves because of their abilities?

Are you even using any of those?

As for Gravity, it could easily be qualified as a Psychic-type weather effect.

Also, we're not removing moves other than weather moves because, according to Geminex, weather moves are the only ones that are overpowered.

I would like it on record for realz that I completely disagree with Geminex and I think weather moves are fine as is, no change is necessary. And I'm only proposing changes to get Gem to shut the fuck up.

No, seriously, three out of five players have already voted against you, Gem. Quit it.

I'll also agree that this reeks incredibly of Gem's penis envy about Trainers.

As for Gem's "we weaken the enemy's counter-attacks" argument, I sort of assumed that he meant that by having increased firepower thanks to weather moves we'd be taking out more of them than if we didn't have weather benefits, thereby weakening their counter-attacks because they have more men down.

But you're right. Geminex isn't that smart.

I will agree with Geminex, however, that suggesting more work for AB isn't exactly an ideal solution. You can do it, but you'd have to make sure he's not doing it just to make you happy. Because AB's a people-pleaser like that.

That said, it's really up to him. On one hand, pre-buffing enemies would make it so that he doesn't have to spring seventeen baddies on us just to make a fair fight.

AB, have you considered applying strategies like what Menarker said in red in the post above? (pre-buffed foes, weather effects already in place and so on.)

[Menarker]

It's not actually more work but different work. Instead of having to make so many foes each with their own moveset, he'd just have to choose a few that work together a tiny bit. And if he knows how he wants them buffed, then that makes it easier to choose which moves to give to them. Since if he decides that he wants said pokemon to have a buff, he just has to choose the move that said pokemon can use that can give the buff and make that one of the moves. Does he wants a pokemon to have higher attack than normal? Give them Sword Dance or Belly Drum. Does he want them to be speedy? Agility. A bit of both? Dragon Dance. Offense and Defense? Curse or Bulk Up. Does he want to put the group on a timer? Perish Song and Ghost type Curse.

Then AB has less moves to have to decide which ones to give because by choosing what sort of buffs he want them to have, he has in effect chosen some of their moves. And for slayers, just have the right weapon type to take advantage of the weather or have a medic buff them or something.

And if he wants to create a situation that is challenging, but doesn't want us to destroy the mooks before they can create the situation? Solve that by making them capable of setting up the trap or boosts in advance.

So really, it's less work on choosing moves that they might not end up using, but rather him choosing how he wants them boosted and then justifying it with having said boosting move in their move list and saying they had a turn or two to prepare. And by choosing said moves, he only has to think about the remaining slots for attacking moves, which can made easier by choosing one STAB move or something like that.


Also, I was going to say that just because none of us use Toxicroak or any of the other pokemons right now doesn't mean that someone won't in the future. Whether it be because of taking levels in snagger, pokebrid or what not. So I object on the basis that nerfing pokemons out of their rightful moves now will make them much less appealing later on for our characters and other characters if the choice comes to that. This might also make them less appealing for future players way down the line when the sequel start (if any)

[Astral Harmony]

AB, have you considered applying strategies like what Menarker said in red in the post above? (pre-buffed foes, weather effects already in place and so on.)

Yeah.

Anyways, here's the latest on me. Turns out that I'm leaving tonight. And at some point during my three-months of doing nothing on a different island, there's going to be a thirty day period of no Internet. Not sure when it happens but when it feels like I've fallen off the face of the earth, rest assured that I've only just fallen out of the range of any satellites.

It doesn't seem to sound as bad as it is, considering how slow the RP is going as is. Might not even miss me. Plus, that'd be a perfect time to do sprite comics since I won't be able to do anything else. Not even watch Youtube Poops. *sniff*

If need be, I'll type up some data and hopefully get it to one of you once I'm on the other island so you can GM yourselves and keep the RP going up to a certain point (post Pierce's sidequest, 'cause I'm definitely GMing the beach mission) without any supervision from me.

[Menarker]

Well, if you want, you can pass the data to me, but I'd personally wait a month for you to get back into things. Rather like your style of GMing and we handled the Forum disappearance before. We'll handle it this time too. Besides, there is a chance you might come back sooner than 30 days.

[Astral Harmony]

God willing, but the ship I'm going to is in far better physical condition than the one I'm coming from. In other words, it floats.

[Dracorion]

Sure, you can hand the reins over to Menarker.

If you want to find Renny strung up by his ankles with a stake through his chest and High Overlord Impact declaring all pokemon a menace and banning them forever.

I think Bard might be your best choice for a replacement GM.

I'd nominate myself, but I don't think you'd ever give me GM-status.

[Menarker]

Considering yourself admit that you suck at balancing, I'd sure don't want you being GM. :3

Bard... I dunno. I think there is that lack of balancing thing too and that he doesn't post as often as we do. Same thing for Dante.

I and Gem have a bit of a clash going on and choosing one over the other might be an issue if we have have debates on balance since one might use their GM abilities to try to end it. Hence why I'd rather wait for AB to come back. Doesn't help that Gem is going to be busy with University and he said he'll be less able to post timely.

[Dracorion]

... What does balance have to do with anything?

Whoever's a replacement would just have to follow the script. Keep in mind that the replacement-GM would only be in charge of Pierce's sidequest and the intermission.

Hence, me. Seeing as how I already know almost half of what's going on anyway.

Also, I'm fairly certain if we asked Gem that he'd say I've been slightly better with balancing than you throughout the RP.

Or he'd say he can't decide. One of the two.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I'd be willing to temp GM.

I've had experience off-site, and I can squeeze in time to make post centering around results.

[Menarker]

Drac: You said you were no good with balancing yourself. And I was the one who came up with most of the recent balancings such as Gem's proposed character and Bard's Trainer Action. Also, AB said before that he'd leave balancing to "Geminex and Menarker".

I also don't want anyone else to be GM because that would mean that AB would have to share all sorts of details about my character including his new form to you, and I just know they'll blab, PM or publicly.

I personally don't want any other GM but AB and would gladly wait until he came back. Also, we don't know when the 30 blank is.It could be immediately or it could be quite some time later. Plus, AB might get some warning about when that blank period will be.

I rather wait than give the GM status to anyone else. (And I don't care much about GMing since AB is much better at it than I am.)

[Bard The 5th LW]

Menarker's right on the fact we should at least wait. I wouldn't want to hold back completely though, I'd like to pick a temp replacement.

Honestly, I think Menarker would be the best replacement.

[Dracorion]

Goddammit Menarker, I'm going to punch you in the dick.

No one gives a rat's fucking ass about your stupid Pokebrid form.

And you're a moron for depriving your team of a PC just to keep it secret a little longer.

And the worst part? No one would blab.

Also, of course AB said that. He doesn't think a lot of me.

Also, Bard, Menarker could only temp-GM if we could convince Geminex to behave. And if I could stop myself from debasing him every three seconds.

[DanteFalcon]

Note. I do intend to post this round. I'm just waiting to see if Charlotte is gonna yell out orders or if I just know them (though that was the attack I was intending anyway just wasn't sure which Pulverot).

Also currently I don't have a problem with weather moves. Except maybe that I am confused as ever as to why Castform has no rock/ground for for Sandstorm. Not that it matters since I don't particularly like Sandstorm but just something I thought about.

Edit: If its necessary I can live with duration reduction. If it gets a huge nerf I will be upset since I picked Castform for the express purpose of weather manipulation. And then there will be more posting from me as I fight back against it.

[Dracorion]

Because GameFreak are dicks?

[DanteFalcon]

This is possible and perhaps even quite likely.

[Menarker]

Actually, Weather Ball does change into a Rock type during Sandstorm and get increased power. However, it IS true that Castform doesn't get a Rock form and thus doesn't get STAB like it would during Sunny Day, Rain Dance or Hail. Which is honestly unfair.

I personally wouldn't mind if we house-ruled in a rock form for Castform, since his stats don't change in any of his forms... well, not directly. He would get a bonus to Special Defense as a result of rock types getting the benefit of sandstorm. However, Sandstorm does lack some of the benefits such as Sunny Day boost or Rain Dance boost that his Castform form would have gotten from his attack being fire or water type. So it's basically trading off an offensive boost that his fire or water form would have for a defensive boost that a Rock type form could offer.

[Astral Harmony]

And why stop at just a Rock type Castform? I think Castform could and should get even more forum-brewed type buffs. Definitely Poison. As long as there exists a weather type that Castform cannot take advantage of, we should at least have a small debate about whether Matthias actually can, here in Pokemon Umbral.

[Menarker]

Well, Matthias does have the least fleshed out character sheet of us all, so there is some room for something like that perhaps.

That of course, is assuming you weren't being sarcastic and joking around with us, right? ^^;

[Dracorion]

Well, I guess it depends on how many weather effects you want to invent and how available they're going to be.

[Menarker]

And of course, if Matthias is able to summon these at will or if he's just able to adjust to them as we encounter them.

[Astral Harmony]

Of course I wasn't joking. We can have a lot of cool shit for Matthias and all we need is a little imagination.

Any replacement GM wouldn't need to know about Renny's new Pokebrid form. All a replacement GM would need to continue the story is stuff like...okay, after this battle, this group goes here and fights this. Here's the tactical data and the formations for these encounters. Here are the bosses. Here's the major plot twist. Here's the order in which it comes.

Dracorion would be the best replacement GM because he can look at what you guys are fighting and work it around so that you all join up at the same time. Thus he can decide stuff like "okay, maybe a couple of reinforcements over here" while leaving it up to Menarker to decide when Renny joins and how exactly he makes it inside, coming up with his own little misadventure in that regard.

[Dracorion]

Gnehehehehehe!

Your reign of terror is over, but mine's only just begun!

Fanservice quotient is multiplied by ten! All the girls (Charlotte optional) must now wear skimpy uniforms! All the guys except Pierce get shot in the head.

And Impact is senteced to be Nurse Joy's assistant for the rest of life.

[Menarker]

while leaving it up to Menarker to decide when Renny joins and how exactly he makes it inside, coming up with his own little misadventure in that regard.

Oh? I thought you were going to take care of that stuff. ^^; You had some particular details in mind after all.

*Reads Drac's post*

DON'T LEAVE US, AB! :ohdear:

[Astral Harmony]

How bad could "Dracorion is the GM for a little while" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLF6S3U0eW4) possibly get?

[Menarker]

Well, at least Roy doesn't try to kill off his subordinates so he could have all the fanservice for himself!

>_>