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This is how I like to play Pokemon games
Aug. 21st, 2008 07:03 amPutting the ecchi factor aside, another key point of my planned Pokemon ficseries (which in fact, came first) was to reflect my style of gameplay for Pokemon games. Even though the characters are different for each generation, none of them have any personality of their own in the games (unlike their anime and manga counterparts). Ellen, Jamie, and May won't be sharing just one personality based on my own, but some assimilation will be present among them.
Anyway, here are (in no particular order) my personal rules for playing Pokemon games:
Hunting for Pokemon: If I've already done everything else there is to do in any given area with wild Pokemon, I spend time hunting for more until either I roll a double-5* or I capture all Pokemon available that I don't have yet.
(*Double-5: the object is to aim for two straight 5's. Any number above 5 requires a single re-roll (but does not cancel any other numbers landed at the same time); any number below 5 cancels the event in question. I choose a 1-in-25 chance because 25, 4, and 100 are all square roots, 25 is one quarter of 100, and 100 is the number used in percentages.)
Trainer battles: I make a point of battling every single enemy trainer in the game, so as to reap as much money as possible.
(In Crystal, I also battled anyone who wanted a rematch.)
(I did not re-battle anyone in Sapphire. In LeafGreen, the only time I ever did was when I needed to build up Dratini's happiness in order to obtain Togepi's egg.)
(In Pearl, I re-fought everyone I came across, whenever I passed them, so as to make use of the Pokemon I captured after battling the Elite Four. This was only the case until I finished everything there was to do in the main part of Sinnoh.)
Evolution: After each level-up during which a Pokemon can evolve, I roll for a double-5 to decide whether or not a Pokemon should evolve. This accounts for the fact that Pokemon learn moves earlier when less evolved. However, if the Pokemon in question learns the same set of moves just as fast after evolving, can only learn new moves after evolving, learns better moves after evolving, or has no more moves to learn, I just let them evolve automatically.
TMs, HMs, and Tutored Moves: TMs are applied if I roll a double-5 after either capturing a new Pokemon (provided that they can learn any TMs) or finding a TM somewhere. This is because most TMs in any game can only be found once and used once. With HMs (or TMs that have any use outside battle), all Pokemon able to learn the HM in question has an equal chance of learning it when I first obtain it. (Added 11/24/08: After I teach a TM, HM, or Tutored Move to a Pokemon, I roll again to see if they should learn another one.)
I should also note that most of the time, I tend to leave behind things like TMs, evolution stones, and heart scales, deciding to come back for them if I ever need to. This way, they don't take up item space (which is often limited, especially in RBY).
Added 11/24/08: Delibird is a notable exception to this rule. The only natural move it has and can learn is Present. Couple that with the fact that HMs can be used infinitely, and there is no reason not to teach it HM Fly. (In Crystal, I also had the Goldenrod City Move Tutor teach it Ice Beam after beating the Elite Four.)
Exchanging Pokemon with PCs: Whenever I come across a PokeCenter or other place housing a PC, I flip a coin to see whether or not I will exchange my current Pokemon for different ones. If heads, I roll a number equal to one more than the number of Pokemon in my party, and the number of Pokemon I deposit is equal to the number that the die lands on minus one. If the die lands on a 1, or if I got tails and then heads, I just rearrange my current team and the items each Pokemon is holding. If the number is higher than 1, all my current Pokemon have an equal chance to be deposited, and all my boxed Pokemon have an equal chance of being withdrawn. After withdrawing Pokemon, I roll a die to see which Pokemon will lead, and then rearrange whichever items each Pokemon is holding. (If there are any Pokemon I need to withdraw for any particular reason, such as to use an HM, then that Pokemon will be selected automatically.)
More specific details added 11/24/08: With Pokemon that have abilities such as Pickup or Honey Gather, I flip a coin to see whether or not they will carry an item. (Male Combees never carry an item or get stat enhancers; they can't learn new moves, naturally or artificially, and giving them items prevents them from using Honey Gather.)
Also, as soon as I have an Amulet Coin, I make sure from then on that at least one Pokemon holds it at all times. If I have Unown or any other Pokemon that can only have one move ever (save Ditto and male Combee), it automatically gets the coin.
After battles: After wild Pokemon battles, I roll one cubic die to see if I will switch the lead Pokemon (which only happens on a 6). After a trainer battle, I flip a coin to see if it comes up heads. If heads, I switch my lead Pokemon and rearrange the items being carried by all Pokemon.
Shopping: Whenever I go shopping, first, I look at how much money I have (in hundreds), and then roll dice to see how much I will spend. Then, all worthwhile items have a chance inversely proportionate to their price of being tallied. For example, Poke Balls cost $200, Antidotes cost $100, so Antidotes have twice as much of a chance of being tallied as Poke Balls. Things like X Attack and X Defend aren't worthwhile, so they have no chance of being tallied.
Added 11/24/08: I should have mentioned that I always save shopping for the last thing on my agenda in each town. Speaking of which, taking the Gym usually comes second to that, if there even is one (with certain exceptions such as in Fuchsia City).
Weak Pokemon vs Strong Pokemon: Whichever Pokemon I pit against another Pokemon depends on my Pokemon's type and moves, my opponent's Pokemon's type and moves, and the level of my Pokemon vs theirs. I make a point of leveling up any weaker ones I might be carrying whenever possible, but in some cases, I just put a Pokemon that might actually have a chance against my opponent's right up.
Elite Four: This is when I make an actual evaluation of my Pokemon and decide which ones are worth bringing into the fray. The main part of the game is just about over anyway, and this is exactly what I've been preparing for all along, so there's no point bring weaklings with me.
And, that covers most of the basic rules I go by. I believe I did bring this up half a year ago, on January 7, 2008, but I only spoke about rolling double-5's and playing "the statistical strategy" (as Brian worded it), not anything it applies to in particular. Click the following link and read the last paragraph before the bracketed section, as well as the second through fourth paragraphs in the bracketed section:
http://dmxrated.livejournal.com/148892.html#cutid1
I might have missed some things that I apply personal rules to, and will add them if I did. However, I'm also going to write a post to describe the personalities of each of the three mains later on (hopefully today). Stay tuned!
Update on 11/24/08
Here's several more things I should've mentioned on the day I posted this entry. Of course, I can't really find a place to fit them within the initial items, but here they go:
Vitamins and Rare Candies: Whenever I find a vitamin (Zinc, Carbos, Calcium, Protein, Iron, or HP Up; PP Ups are saved for before the Elite Four), I look at the respective stat of each Pokemon currently in my party to see which Pokemon has the lowest of that stat. I start with the Pokemon with the lowest stat number, but vitamins are known to fail. Each time they fail, I reset the game (having saved before consuming the item) and give it to the next Pokemon up.
Vitamins are also sold at Department Stores, but for a really high price for all they do. When I start shopping at the department store in any game, I roll for a double-5 for each vitamin, only getting one of each that a double-5 has landed for. Two or more double-5's in a row means that I buy that vitamin in a quantity equal to the number of straight double-5's rolled.
With Rare Candies, I first look at each Pokemon's level in my current party, and then look at their experience meter to see how much EXP they accumulated vs how much left they need to level up. If they're almost halfway or more towards leveling up, I make sure they do so, so that there's less of a waste with the candy.
Daycare Centers: Each time I pass one of these, I look at my current party to see which Pokemon are male and which ones are female (or if I've got a Ditto). I then look up the Player's Guide to see which of those Pokemon are compatible with each other (i.e. having the same Egg Group). If two or more of the opposite sex are compatible, I leave them at the Center and withdraw two from the PC.
Upon passing by again, I deposit three random Pokemon to pick up both my "Daycared" Pokemon and the newly laid Egg. I then flip a coin to see whether or not I should rearrange my Pokemon (see Exchanging Pokemon with PCs), and then start the cycle anew.
(The Kanto Daycare Center on Route 5 is an exception. With that one, you can only drop off one Pokemon at a time. Therefore, I just leave one Pokemon behind until I've done everything there is to do in Vermillion City, and then pick that one up and just leave it behind forever.)
The Daycare cycle stops each time a game is too close to completion.
Sevii Islands (FRLG): For this section, I roll a die to see which island I'll tackle next, and then do everything I can do there is to do there. I do understand that there are things to be done in the first three Islands before the rest of them are accessible, but I make sure to do only what I need to do there before moving to the "landed" island (and coming back to that one later. I do come back to any events unlocked for "completed" islands). By playing this way, there is no fixed order in which 2nd-gen Pokemon can be obtained.
The Daycare Center on Floe Island is notable. I only start using it when I've made my first trip to that Island. Each time I complete the events on an Island, I come back to this one to repeat the Daycare Center Process.
Cerulean Cave is saved for until I do everything there is to do on the Sevii Islands. (I should note that I didn't bother tackling the Battle Tower when I was playing LeafGreen. Since I'm currently playing FireRed, though, I might just do that when the time comes.)
Berries: Each time I pick berries in any GBA or DS game, each berry type has a chance of being planted inversly proportionate to how many I have of that berry. This ensures that I won't run out of whichever berries I have fewer of.
Post-Elite 4 quest in DPP: This is how I've played Pearl after beating the Elite Four, and will also be the case when I get that far in Platinum. I have a lot to say about this entire quest.
After beating the Elite Four, getting Dialga's image on my Pokedex, and getting Pokemon from the PAL Park, I started my second quest in Twinleaf Town. From there, I looked for Pokemon on Route 201 and at Lake Verity, using the Poke Radar and Game Paks, before moving on past Sandgem Town.
Each time the road splits, I flip a coin to see which path I'll take, unless either one of them leads to a dead end (such as Canalave City/Fullmoon Island or Sendoff Spring) or I already traveled that route. This scrambles the order in which I can obtain National Mode-only Pokemon.
If there are Pokemon that can only be obtained with a Game Pak, I just keep one Pak in the GBA slot at a time, and switch Paks as soon as I get the one I'm looking for.
Whenever I pass Sandgem Town or withdraw a Pokemon with HM Fly, I talk to my rival's sister to see which Pokemon are swarming on that day. I then either Fly there, or if I don't have the Flying Pokemon, just walk there if it's close enough. If I still have my Flyer the next day, I fly back to Sandgem town to repeat the process (if I don't already have the swarmer of the day). If the swarmer is a repeat Pokemon, I just Fly back to wherever I left off.
The Pokemon Mansion with the Trophy Garden is notable. Upon passing that place, I roll for a double-5 each time I talk to the owner (if the Pokemon of the day is a repeat), as well as each time I fight a wild Pokemon. If I get a double-5 after talking to the owner, I just move on with the game. If not, I reset the game to see which Pokemon he'll mention next.
The island with the Fight, Survival, and Resort Areas is saved for until I complete everything there is to do in mainland Sinnoh. Until then, I make use of my newly collected Pokemon by using the VS Seeker each time I pass enemy trainers. Upon tackling that island, I flip a coin to see which direction I'll go from the Fight Area, and then take on the Battle Tower upon completing everything else on the island.
Anyway, here are (in no particular order) my personal rules for playing Pokemon games:
Hunting for Pokemon: If I've already done everything else there is to do in any given area with wild Pokemon, I spend time hunting for more until either I roll a double-5* or I capture all Pokemon available that I don't have yet.
(*Double-5: the object is to aim for two straight 5's. Any number above 5 requires a single re-roll (but does not cancel any other numbers landed at the same time); any number below 5 cancels the event in question. I choose a 1-in-25 chance because 25, 4, and 100 are all square roots, 25 is one quarter of 100, and 100 is the number used in percentages.)
Trainer battles: I make a point of battling every single enemy trainer in the game, so as to reap as much money as possible.
(In Crystal, I also battled anyone who wanted a rematch.)
(I did not re-battle anyone in Sapphire. In LeafGreen, the only time I ever did was when I needed to build up Dratini's happiness in order to obtain Togepi's egg.)
(In Pearl, I re-fought everyone I came across, whenever I passed them, so as to make use of the Pokemon I captured after battling the Elite Four. This was only the case until I finished everything there was to do in the main part of Sinnoh.)
Evolution: After each level-up during which a Pokemon can evolve, I roll for a double-5 to decide whether or not a Pokemon should evolve. This accounts for the fact that Pokemon learn moves earlier when less evolved. However, if the Pokemon in question learns the same set of moves just as fast after evolving, can only learn new moves after evolving, learns better moves after evolving, or has no more moves to learn, I just let them evolve automatically.
TMs, HMs, and Tutored Moves: TMs are applied if I roll a double-5 after either capturing a new Pokemon (provided that they can learn any TMs) or finding a TM somewhere. This is because most TMs in any game can only be found once and used once. With HMs (or TMs that have any use outside battle), all Pokemon able to learn the HM in question has an equal chance of learning it when I first obtain it. (Added 11/24/08: After I teach a TM, HM, or Tutored Move to a Pokemon, I roll again to see if they should learn another one.)
I should also note that most of the time, I tend to leave behind things like TMs, evolution stones, and heart scales, deciding to come back for them if I ever need to. This way, they don't take up item space (which is often limited, especially in RBY).
Added 11/24/08: Delibird is a notable exception to this rule. The only natural move it has and can learn is Present. Couple that with the fact that HMs can be used infinitely, and there is no reason not to teach it HM Fly. (In Crystal, I also had the Goldenrod City Move Tutor teach it Ice Beam after beating the Elite Four.)
Exchanging Pokemon with PCs: Whenever I come across a PokeCenter or other place housing a PC, I flip a coin to see whether or not I will exchange my current Pokemon for different ones. If heads, I roll a number equal to one more than the number of Pokemon in my party, and the number of Pokemon I deposit is equal to the number that the die lands on minus one. If the die lands on a 1, or if I got tails and then heads, I just rearrange my current team and the items each Pokemon is holding. If the number is higher than 1, all my current Pokemon have an equal chance to be deposited, and all my boxed Pokemon have an equal chance of being withdrawn. After withdrawing Pokemon, I roll a die to see which Pokemon will lead, and then rearrange whichever items each Pokemon is holding. (If there are any Pokemon I need to withdraw for any particular reason, such as to use an HM, then that Pokemon will be selected automatically.)
More specific details added 11/24/08: With Pokemon that have abilities such as Pickup or Honey Gather, I flip a coin to see whether or not they will carry an item. (Male Combees never carry an item or get stat enhancers; they can't learn new moves, naturally or artificially, and giving them items prevents them from using Honey Gather.)
Also, as soon as I have an Amulet Coin, I make sure from then on that at least one Pokemon holds it at all times. If I have Unown or any other Pokemon that can only have one move ever (save Ditto and male Combee), it automatically gets the coin.
After battles: After wild Pokemon battles, I roll one cubic die to see if I will switch the lead Pokemon (which only happens on a 6). After a trainer battle, I flip a coin to see if it comes up heads. If heads, I switch my lead Pokemon and rearrange the items being carried by all Pokemon.
Shopping: Whenever I go shopping, first, I look at how much money I have (in hundreds), and then roll dice to see how much I will spend. Then, all worthwhile items have a chance inversely proportionate to their price of being tallied. For example, Poke Balls cost $200, Antidotes cost $100, so Antidotes have twice as much of a chance of being tallied as Poke Balls. Things like X Attack and X Defend aren't worthwhile, so they have no chance of being tallied.
Added 11/24/08: I should have mentioned that I always save shopping for the last thing on my agenda in each town. Speaking of which, taking the Gym usually comes second to that, if there even is one (with certain exceptions such as in Fuchsia City).
Weak Pokemon vs Strong Pokemon: Whichever Pokemon I pit against another Pokemon depends on my Pokemon's type and moves, my opponent's Pokemon's type and moves, and the level of my Pokemon vs theirs. I make a point of leveling up any weaker ones I might be carrying whenever possible, but in some cases, I just put a Pokemon that might actually have a chance against my opponent's right up.
Elite Four: This is when I make an actual evaluation of my Pokemon and decide which ones are worth bringing into the fray. The main part of the game is just about over anyway, and this is exactly what I've been preparing for all along, so there's no point bring weaklings with me.
And, that covers most of the basic rules I go by. I believe I did bring this up half a year ago, on January 7, 2008, but I only spoke about rolling double-5's and playing "the statistical strategy" (as Brian worded it), not anything it applies to in particular. Click the following link and read the last paragraph before the bracketed section, as well as the second through fourth paragraphs in the bracketed section:
http://dmxrated.livejournal.com/148892.html#cutid1
I might have missed some things that I apply personal rules to, and will add them if I did. However, I'm also going to write a post to describe the personalities of each of the three mains later on (hopefully today). Stay tuned!
Update on 11/24/08
Here's several more things I should've mentioned on the day I posted this entry. Of course, I can't really find a place to fit them within the initial items, but here they go:
Vitamins and Rare Candies: Whenever I find a vitamin (Zinc, Carbos, Calcium, Protein, Iron, or HP Up; PP Ups are saved for before the Elite Four), I look at the respective stat of each Pokemon currently in my party to see which Pokemon has the lowest of that stat. I start with the Pokemon with the lowest stat number, but vitamins are known to fail. Each time they fail, I reset the game (having saved before consuming the item) and give it to the next Pokemon up.
Vitamins are also sold at Department Stores, but for a really high price for all they do. When I start shopping at the department store in any game, I roll for a double-5 for each vitamin, only getting one of each that a double-5 has landed for. Two or more double-5's in a row means that I buy that vitamin in a quantity equal to the number of straight double-5's rolled.
With Rare Candies, I first look at each Pokemon's level in my current party, and then look at their experience meter to see how much EXP they accumulated vs how much left they need to level up. If they're almost halfway or more towards leveling up, I make sure they do so, so that there's less of a waste with the candy.
Daycare Centers: Each time I pass one of these, I look at my current party to see which Pokemon are male and which ones are female (or if I've got a Ditto). I then look up the Player's Guide to see which of those Pokemon are compatible with each other (i.e. having the same Egg Group). If two or more of the opposite sex are compatible, I leave them at the Center and withdraw two from the PC.
Upon passing by again, I deposit three random Pokemon to pick up both my "Daycared" Pokemon and the newly laid Egg. I then flip a coin to see whether or not I should rearrange my Pokemon (see Exchanging Pokemon with PCs), and then start the cycle anew.
(The Kanto Daycare Center on Route 5 is an exception. With that one, you can only drop off one Pokemon at a time. Therefore, I just leave one Pokemon behind until I've done everything there is to do in Vermillion City, and then pick that one up and just leave it behind forever.)
The Daycare cycle stops each time a game is too close to completion.
Sevii Islands (FRLG): For this section, I roll a die to see which island I'll tackle next, and then do everything I can do there is to do there. I do understand that there are things to be done in the first three Islands before the rest of them are accessible, but I make sure to do only what I need to do there before moving to the "landed" island (and coming back to that one later. I do come back to any events unlocked for "completed" islands). By playing this way, there is no fixed order in which 2nd-gen Pokemon can be obtained.
The Daycare Center on Floe Island is notable. I only start using it when I've made my first trip to that Island. Each time I complete the events on an Island, I come back to this one to repeat the Daycare Center Process.
Cerulean Cave is saved for until I do everything there is to do on the Sevii Islands. (I should note that I didn't bother tackling the Battle Tower when I was playing LeafGreen. Since I'm currently playing FireRed, though, I might just do that when the time comes.)
Berries: Each time I pick berries in any GBA or DS game, each berry type has a chance of being planted inversly proportionate to how many I have of that berry. This ensures that I won't run out of whichever berries I have fewer of.
Post-Elite 4 quest in DPP: This is how I've played Pearl after beating the Elite Four, and will also be the case when I get that far in Platinum. I have a lot to say about this entire quest.
After beating the Elite Four, getting Dialga's image on my Pokedex, and getting Pokemon from the PAL Park, I started my second quest in Twinleaf Town. From there, I looked for Pokemon on Route 201 and at Lake Verity, using the Poke Radar and Game Paks, before moving on past Sandgem Town.
Each time the road splits, I flip a coin to see which path I'll take, unless either one of them leads to a dead end (such as Canalave City/Fullmoon Island or Sendoff Spring) or I already traveled that route. This scrambles the order in which I can obtain National Mode-only Pokemon.
If there are Pokemon that can only be obtained with a Game Pak, I just keep one Pak in the GBA slot at a time, and switch Paks as soon as I get the one I'm looking for.
Whenever I pass Sandgem Town or withdraw a Pokemon with HM Fly, I talk to my rival's sister to see which Pokemon are swarming on that day. I then either Fly there, or if I don't have the Flying Pokemon, just walk there if it's close enough. If I still have my Flyer the next day, I fly back to Sandgem town to repeat the process (if I don't already have the swarmer of the day). If the swarmer is a repeat Pokemon, I just Fly back to wherever I left off.
The Pokemon Mansion with the Trophy Garden is notable. Upon passing that place, I roll for a double-5 each time I talk to the owner (if the Pokemon of the day is a repeat), as well as each time I fight a wild Pokemon. If I get a double-5 after talking to the owner, I just move on with the game. If not, I reset the game to see which Pokemon he'll mention next.
The island with the Fight, Survival, and Resort Areas is saved for until I complete everything there is to do in mainland Sinnoh. Until then, I make use of my newly collected Pokemon by using the VS Seeker each time I pass enemy trainers. Upon tackling that island, I flip a coin to see which direction I'll go from the Fight Area, and then take on the Battle Tower upon completing everything else on the island.
