Pre-emptive Update on Dynamaxing

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Sn0wfa11
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Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2014 5:51 pm
MC name: Sn0wfa11

Pre-emptive Update on Dynamaxing

Post: # 14579Post Sn0wfa11 »

Hey all! Today we have an announcement on a subject that may not actually end up mattering, but which we wanted to get way ahead of to avoid disappointment: Dynamax (and Gigantamax). After lengthy consideration we have decided that if these mechanics come to Pixelmon they will not be implemented on our server. Because this is a big step we wanted to explain why.

There are three overarching reasons for this. The first is that it is unsuitable for roleplay. Event builds and battles cannot easily support Dynamaxing, and if it were allowed it couldn't be everyone at once, which would create a situation where some people would be sidelined. There are many other rp issues too. "Large Pokemon" is already a tool in the DM toolbox, one that this would mess with. Environmental damage would be catastrophic. Dynamaxing is not well-suited to RP.

Second, Dynamaxing would create a divide between battles like you find in gyms and RP battles. ICly, as we have mentioned before, mechanical vs RP battles are just different ways of OOCly resolving the same thing. The Champion is not someone who can't do "real" street battles, and Pokemon don't hold back in gyms.

If we were to keep Dynamaxing out of rp battles and events for the reasons mentioned above, but keep them in gyms (justifying this via Power Spots) we would be creating a new gulf. Dynamaxing is central to any battles it's in (unlike Megas and Z-moves). Toro's gyms, tournaments, and Championship would all become a different type of battle centering on a mechanic not used elsewhere. This makes the League in Toro League seem like an odd sideshow rather than exciting top-tier battling.

Third and finally- this is the most subjective point but an important one- Dynamaxing reduces variety. One of the best things about Toro is how much it doesn't have a "meta." You can become Champion with a Gourgeist! Dynamaxing takes us in the opposite direction. Not just because some Pokemon can become unbalanced with it- after all that doesn't mean any of you would abuse it! Rather, Dynamax itself renders many strategies moot. Weight moves, disable, flinch, things that force switches, and ability swaps are all directly broken by Dynamax. They just don't work. Without even meaning to, your opponent can prevent Disable, Skill Swap, Heat Crash, Red Card / Roar and more.

Meanwhile, unlike with Megas, any Pokemon can Dynamax at any time. A world where Pokemon can instantly double their health is one where the careful Hidden Power on your character's normal monotype team goes from a clever counter to being useless. Weaker Pokemon and more unusual team compositions suffer immensely. In short, Dynamaxing hurts variety: it means fewer viable options for battling.

There are other issues too (for example, how it could work with Megas and Z-moves, which are much better suited to rp and more balanced mechanically), but these are the big ones. We recognize this will disappoint some of you and wanted to break it to you early.

On a potentially big disappointment: with Gigantamax forms, if they ever are implemented and we can find some other way to use the models, we will consider doing so. Given how hypothetical this all is, and the difficulties that would certainly arise in repurposing them if they did exist, I can make no promises.

As always, we thank you for your patience and understanding. We are confident this is the best decision for Toro and are committed to ensuring Gen 8- all of its wonderful Pokemon and Grimmsnarl, exciting new moves- comes to Toro in the best and most fun ways possible.
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