Pokemon League

[mad30]

Someone bumped a topic concerning pokemon league which was locked soon after. This has me thinking however and I want to explore more about what could and/or should be done with the pokemon league.

These ideas and thoughts represents my own beliefs and not of the PWO staff.

The look and feel of PWO is very much that of the game boy games. Because of this it is easy to confuse the need to have every single game boy game aspect introduced into PWO. However PWO is not a single player game, it is a MMO so we have to approach things differently. One such thing is the pokemon league.

The pokemon league is often to be thought of as the elite 4. The elite 4 was introduced in the first pokemon games and have became a expected component of all the games on the handhelds (not including the likes of mystery dungeon). However in a MMO environment this would not work because if everyone beats the elite 4, they are no longer what their name suggests... elite.

Other ideas about how a pokemon league has been passed around and none of them have stood out to me.

My question to you is, do you believe the elite 4 should be implemented in PWO, and if so why? Or do you simply think something needs to be implemented that takes the place of an elite 4/pokemon league?

 

[Naero]

I believe other NPCs could be implemented to substitute the role of the Elite Four, only that they do not propose the same prize as the Elite Four (i.e. the player would be declared the "champion" for defeating them). Aside from declaring the player as a champion in the handheld games, the bigger picture of the reward was to gain access to Cerulean Cave; regarding that, I viewed the Cerulean Cave quest as PWO's own interpretation for a post-gym leader quest, which granted access to a more potent training area.

However, regardless that quest, I believe a use could be made for the Pokemon league building, as well as a different reward. Since these quests I mentioned, namely Cerulean Cave and the Dragon's Den quests, are only available after obtaining 16 badges, that leaves the player with virtually no storyline obstacle after they obtain 8 badges in their starting region - just conserving enough money for the surfboard, and surfing directly to the other region and embarking on another gym leader run in the other region instantly.

Whether it's an equivalent of the Elite Four or a custom quest exclusive to PWO, I believe a quest could be added to the reception building (the Pokemon league building); the completion of the quest would be a prerequisite for participating in the Johto gyms, if not requiring it as a qualification for complete Johto access. The quest could entail defeating the Elite Four or an equivalent group, of which outcome could make the player eminent enough to be recognized by the Johto league for example, inviting the player participate in their league (as well as the gyms of course). Otherwise, for a more general idea, it could be a more custom PWO quest that is compulsory to permit/enable a player to proceed through the Tohjo Falls cave, or any preceding routes, en route to Johto.

I do not have a very detailed on concept on what quest would be required for players to advance to another region, but I do highly believe that the Elite Four or a PWO custom quest (preferably the latter) would be better required for a player to advance to a new region, rather than traveling to a region instantly upon obtaining 8 badges from their starting region + a surfboard.

 

[mad30]

The elite 4/pokemon league, was the reason behind doing the badges. When you beat the elite 4 and have to do another region of gyms either you would have to do the elite 4 again, or the purpose for doing the badges is absent.

All that there needs to be is a story behind why a person have to battle the gyms and obtain badges, this so far has been in order to enter the elite 4/pokemon league. However we can expand on what could be done and not limit ourselves on what has already been done.

 

[HitmonFonty]

I don't see a problem with keeping the reason as it is, just changing it for this game and making it 16 badges needed before facing the elite 4. But the elite 4 themselves could originate from four separate tournaments. One tournament for each 'type' which the staff decide the PWO elite four should be made up of. So, using the first gen as an example only, you could have one tournament where players compete with ice only pokemon (or variations of ice), another for rock/ground/fighting like Bruno, who was a bit of a mix really, one for ghost and one for dragon. The winners of each tournament have their 6 pokemon immortalised as the PWO elite four.

Then get these four players to battle off vs. each other with any combination of pokemon they choose and the winner's ultimate team gets to be the elite four champion.

I think it would be great if there was also a quest you must complete to get through Victory Road to the Elite Four, not just defeating the NPC's along the way.

I don't see a problem with the Elite 4 not really being the pinnacle of pokemon trainers as in Sinnoh and especially now Unova there is a plethora of trainers post Elite 4 that could wipe the floor with them. Though here the actual pokemon would have to be 90+ if not right up to level 99/100 for the Champion, considering re-battles of the final gyms in each region are already 90+. (On that note possibly not allow access to Victory Road/Elite Four until they have re-battled all the gyms at least once? )

I also don't see any reason why the Pokemon League itself shouldn't be a once off quest, instead of something we get to re-do every two weeks. That way you really could make it the ultimate extended quest and something really special.

 

[Merse]

I'm full with ideas on this topic

1. The Elite Four could be implemented into the game with a little twist. Simply the Elite Four could be the Admins/Devs/CGs/GMs/Etc. I have several arguments supporting this idea.
- Staff sometimes want to play and I heard that some of them regret that they can't PVP with players. This would give them an opportunity.
- Players want to fill their Pokedex with data. As the staff uses shiny legendaries too, battling them would make it possible to have data of legendaries too.
- Staff can have any Pokemon they want, so they can make them super strong and a real challenge for any player. Fighting them and beating them would be really an honor.
It could work like this: Every staff member would post a 10-12 Pokemon pool from which they choose 6 for battling. Once a week 4 staff members who has the time would wait the challengers (16 badges required) and fight them. Fun for them, fun for us. At least I think so.

Pokemon Leagues should be available once you got 8 badges, so there should be different rules for the Jotho League and for the Indigo League. Here I would consider using the rules set in the anime.
Pokemon Leagues would be held once in every month or in every two or three months and they could be automated championships with no entry fee (you earned the right by getting 8 badges) and with 200+ available places to fill. If there are not enough players who want to participate, the game would fill the places with random NPCs with random teams (or NPCs form a preset pool, if random is not possible). Players have one week to play all the matches before the league ends. Devs could remove players (only players as NPCs are always ready to fight) after 1-2 days of inactivity from the League if they refuse to battle, so the others can continue. If In the end there could be some money prize and an item: a League Trophy for the winner.
As an addition idea there could be to challenges: One with level 50 at maximum and one with no limit.

 

[Professor.Oak]

I like all the ideas above, so to add on to the topic, here's my own idea.

A completely Player run Elite 4.
There could be a one time tournament where 1st Place winner becomes #1 Elite, 2nd place 2nd Elite, so on and so on to 4.
After the tournament the #1 Elite can only be challenged by the number 2, number 2 by 3 and 3 by 4.
Number 4 could get challenged to by anyone with certain requirements, like all 16 badges + 150 hours game time.

To make sure everyone kept their positions, fees would have to be paid by the challenger to battle one of the elites, maybe 200k for the Elite #4, 500k for E#3, 1M for E#2, and 2M for E#1. That way, players are encouraged to become a higher rank and battle against the Elite but also the Elite are encouraged to stay and battle.

Also if possible, one of the perks to being one of The 4 Elites could also (idk how, but if possible) be, that they are given special sprites to identify that they are the Elite 4, such as having a white headband and white robes with a number on them like 1 or 2 depending on which member they are, the robes would be passed down (possibly thru NPC's?) from the loser to the winner. I think it would be cool to have something like that as its a very unique thing.

 

[CheckeredZebra]

Gonna be honest, I tl;dr'd most of this, and am just posting my idea on how this should work. This requires:

1. Fixed Battle system
2. Nearly all regions traversable

Not sure what I am allowed to say or not, but my idea is that there should be one "Elite 4" group per region, but a player cannot challenge any Elite 4 until all regions are completed. (And regional travel is a different can of worms.)

Kanto = 1 group of 4 (will have to be changed due to PWO's historical timeline)
Johto = 1 group of 4 (will also have to be edited to reflect PWO's history)
Hoenn = 1 group of 4
Sinnoh = 1 group of 4
Unova (if we want it) = 1 group of 4

When players challenge the Elite 4, the battles will work in a sort of "stamina" system. Players cannot leave or heal their team until they have reached a "break room" that is placed after every 4 battles. They only allowed to switch around pokemon every two Elite 4 Rounds. (In other words, 8 battles).
In other words, you have to defeat Kanto's Elite 4 straight up without using items or healing. Afterward, you have access to a Nurse Joy, who heals your pokemon. You then defeat Johto/Hoenn/whoever and can switch your team around for the next challenge. This would all be based upon MAPS, ofc.)

Anyway, once they've passed this challenge, there is a FINAL champion who is extremely difficult to beat. This requires the fixed battle system for it to be a legit challenge.
Upon winning, player gets their name added to the public PWO "Hall of Fame" for x amount of time. Reviving your name on there requires some sort of challenge involving battling as well. The times your name has been "revived" will also be noted.

If you want, you could have the names show up from "Most" to "least" name revives.

-----
HALL OF FAME
-----
CheckeredZebra (14)
Mad30 (13)
Hitmonfonty (12)

etc.

In all, getting your name in there requires:
Defeating all 8 gyms of every region. (Total of 40 gyms)
Each regional string of Elite 4 in "stamina" challenge (Total of 20 members, with breaks every 4 battles)
Champion (One tough dude)

plus any regional travel ideas I had which would require starting regions "anew" and challenging from the top. Note that no REAL person would be an elite 4 member. I find that system would be difficult to keep up with and people in opposite timezones would be screwed.

I'm also very sure this would need tweaking, cause it's just a rough idea. It also does not favor the present situation of PWO much at all.

At the same time, I think it makes this a challenge for all players who have reached that point, and once implemented will generally stand the test of time without the concept being "Cheapened."

 

[Merse]

Unova (if we want it) = 1 group of 4

No

 

[Jinji]

I don't think Unova Pokémon are even existent in PWO's database right now - let alone functional - so discussing implementing NPCs from Unova seems a moot point.

 

[Stank]

honestly TO ME it seems the best route would be (using kanto for example) defeat gyms blah blah blah challenge elite 4 (no heals or team changes till you either beat all 4 or die)

Die: same as gym leader 24 hour cool down time

Win: gain access to johto + enough money to buy a surfboard which would be conveniently sold by an NPC before Tohjo Falls

so basically NO johto OR surfboard before beating Elite 4 the prize isn't being super grand omega master of the universe, its just simply a pass to travel saying hey your decent here move on

as for hoenn by then I'm sure we could create some other sort of "prize" to go along with access to beating the new region and moving on to the next.

for this to work properly though once implemented you would have to start kanto (with choice of all (available) regions starters) and progress onward.

 

[psychosamm]

I personally like Merse's idea. Making a tournament out of it instead of going through a whole programming dilemma out of it would certainly be easier. And like Merse said, being able to battle against staff and winning would be a huge honor, and if you won the tournament you could be put into a "Hall of Fame" of sorts. And it would be a win-win since staff would get to enjoy PVP.

At the same time there could be something more simplistic like Stank said, beat elite 4, get enough cash for a surfboard, the end. So you could have the in-game easy version, and the forum based "Ultra Pokemon League" Of sorts, which is designed for much more experienced players due to the staff being the opponents.

 

[CheckeredZebra]

honestly TO ME it seems the best route would be (using kanto for example) defeat gyms blah blah blah challenge elite 4 (no heals or team changes till you either beat all 4 or die)

Die: same as gym leader 24 hour cool down time

Win: gain access to johto + enough money to buy a surfboard which would be conveniently sold by an NPC before Tohjo Falls

so basically NO johto OR surfboard before beating Elite 4 the prize isn't being super grand omega master of the universe, its just simply a pass to travel saying hey your decent here move on

as for hoenn by then I'm sure we could create some other sort of "prize" to go along with access to beating the new region and moving on to the next.

for this to work properly though once implemented you would have to start kanto (with choice of all (available) regions starters) and progress onward.

...Huh. That'd be pretty cool, actually.

Kanto: Surf
Johto: Idk, rock smash/waterfall or something
Hoenn: Dive
Sinnoh: Defog or Rock Climb
Unova: Whatever Unova had

Also it'd stop the problem of "the more regions there are the harder the elite 4 get overall" problem.
At the same time, though, the last of the Elite 4 would have like...level 70s/80s while the next gym would have 40s.
This would mean regional travel would have to require starting over again each region. xD

Plus for completion, have a final challenge that can only be done after everything is defeated. (Or an area unlocked).

I don't think Unova Pokémon are even existent in PWO's database right now - let alone functional - so discussing implementing NPCs from Unova seems a moot point.

Well yes, but we have to think about the future as well. We can't just keep duct taping what's already here and expect things to come out nicely.
We're basically making a house that's constantly expanding. It's nice if we already have some rooms built, right?

 

[Cleveland]

Thank you OP, I was the one that bumped my thread from a few months ago.

I think the Elite 4 should simply be like it is in the gameboy games. Just have the typical Elite 4 NPC trainers. I actually really like Hitmonfonty's idea of a quest to get through Victory Road to be able to access the Elite 4. Obviously you'd have to have all 16 badges. Maybe also make it necessary to have accessed the Dragon's Den, to show you are truly worthy of challenging the Elite 4. Clearly would need to make the NPC's incredibly difficult to beat, probably having most of their pokemon in the 90's.

Maybe even make the wait time longer than 24 hours if you lose. Maybe make it 48, or even a week depending on how difficult you want to make it.

As for what reward you should get for defeating the Elite 4, the possibilities are endless. Obviously some sort of recognition on your trainer card that says you're a Champion or whatever. Maybe give free membership or some free tokens or something like that. Or access to be able to catch a certain very powerful pokemon...or access to a place with very high leveled and rare pokemon in general.

 

[Chocobo7]

Any idea of what our version of the Elite 4 should be should be based on the fact that PWO is set after gold/silver/crystal, maybe something like a more modern version of them or a former gym leader set up a final test for trainers. Something that is unique to PWO and our own lore would be a lot more interesting than porting over the same old idea. The using them to be gateways to the next region is also something that would be an improvement on the current way things are

 

[sad-trainer]

nvm

 

[Cleveland]

Thank you OP, I was the one that bumped my thread from a few months ago.

I think the Elite 4 should simply be like it is in the gameboy games. Just have the typical Elite 4 NPC trainers. I actually really like Hitmonfonty's idea of a quest to get through Victory Road to be able to access the Elite 4. Obviously you'd have to have all 16 badges. Maybe also make it necessary to have accessed the Dragon's Den, to show you are truly worthy of challenging the Elite 4. Clearly would need to make the NPC's incredibly difficult to beat, probably having most of their pokemon in the 90's.

Maybe even make the wait time longer than 24 hours if you lose. Maybe make it 48, or even a week depending on how difficult you want to make it.

As for what reward you should get for defeating the Elite 4, the possibilities are endless. Obviously some sort of recognition on your trainer card that says you're a Champion or whatever. Maybe give free membership or some free tokens or something like that. Or access to be able to catch a certain very powerful pokemon...or access to a place with very high leveled and rare pokemon in general.

Just thought of a great idea for what you should get for beating the Pokemon League.

Access to Silver Cave, just like in Generation II games. Make the pokemon in there really really high, with Larvitar being catchable. Maybe you could even pull a Heartgold/Soul Silver twist and put a legendary in there

And of course, make the epic Red battle available.

 

[Saric]

Thank you OP, I was the one that bumped my thread from a few months ago.

I think the Elite 4 should simply be like it is in the gameboy games. Just have the typical Elite 4 NPC trainers. I actually really like Hitmonfonty's idea of a quest to get through Victory Road to be able to access the Elite 4. Obviously you'd have to have all 16 badges. Maybe also make it necessary to have accessed the Dragon's Den, to show you are truly worthy of challenging the Elite 4. Clearly would need to make the NPC's incredibly difficult to beat, probably having most of their pokemon in the 90's.

Maybe even make the wait time longer than 24 hours if you lose. Maybe make it 48, or even a week depending on how difficult you want to make it.

As for what reward you should get for defeating the Elite 4, the possibilities are endless. Obviously some sort of recognition on your trainer card that says you're a Champion or whatever. Maybe give free membership or some free tokens or something like that. Or access to be able to catch a certain very powerful pokemon...or access to a place with very high leveled and rare pokemon in general.

Just thought of a great idea for what you should get for beating the Pokemon League.

Access to Silver Cave, just like in Generation II games. Make the pokemon in there really really high, with Larvitar being catchable. Maybe you could even pull a Heartgold/Soul Silver twist and put a legendary in there

And of course, make the epic Red battle available.

Mt silver cave is already being done. There's a post about it in the announcement section.

 

[Cleveland]

Thank you OP, I was the one that bumped my thread from a few months ago.

I think the Elite 4 should simply be like it is in the gameboy games. Just have the typical Elite 4 NPC trainers. I actually really like Hitmonfonty's idea of a quest to get through Victory Road to be able to access the Elite 4. Obviously you'd have to have all 16 badges. Maybe also make it necessary to have accessed the Dragon's Den, to show you are truly worthy of challenging the Elite 4. Clearly would need to make the NPC's incredibly difficult to beat, probably having most of their pokemon in the 90's.

Maybe even make the wait time longer than 24 hours if you lose. Maybe make it 48, or even a week depending on how difficult you want to make it.

As for what reward you should get for defeating the Elite 4, the possibilities are endless. Obviously some sort of recognition on your trainer card that says you're a Champion or whatever. Maybe give free membership or some free tokens or something like that. Or access to be able to catch a certain very powerful pokemon...or access to a place with very high leveled and rare pokemon in general.

Just thought of a great idea for what you should get for beating the Pokemon League.

Access to Silver Cave, just like in Generation II games. Make the pokemon in there really really high, with Larvitar being catchable. Maybe you could even pull a Heartgold/Soul Silver twist and put a legendary in there

And of course, make the epic Red battle available.

Mt silver cave is already being done. There's a post about it in the announcement section.

That is good news!!

 

[Guest]

You could always add the Orange League leader in it, you have 4 gyms + the champion.

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Orange_League