PokeMMO Dev Blog 9000: Upcoming Content Changes for PvP

[Kyu]

Hi everyone,

The next game update will feature a wide list of changes for PvP players. This will include a general balancing patch, refinement of most PvP systems in the game, and refinement of management tasks like move tutoring.

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Automated PVP Updates

Matchmaking will see a suite of changes, including updated reward structures, a seasonal based matchmaking ELO system, and features to encourage more tier participation.

For reward structures, we have shifted the BP-based rewards to a streak-based approach. Over the years, we've been hesitant to include an automated Forfeit function in structured PvP due to the potential of encouraging poor quality matches where people forfeit while a match is still winnable. To counter this, players are now more encouraged to stay in a match at risk of losing their streak bonus, and additional bonuses are given if you're fighting an especially well ranked player.

Matchmaking ELO decay has been another problem which we let stagnate over the years, which will be resolved by a season system for ELO. Seasons will last 3 months (the first season after the update's deployment will be slightly shorter due to updating in the middle of a season) and will perform a hard reset of ELO once over. Each Season will be capped off by an automated tournament exclusive to the top players of each tier's leaderboard, winners of which will receive exclusive items.

To encourage UU/NU tier participation, we've introduced exclusive rewards for all tiers. Players may now also queue for multiple tiers in Matchmaking simultaneously, with a battle box assigned to each tier.

Automated Tournaments have seen some attention. Tournament rewards will be more versatile in their choices, allowing for Gender selection & selectable IVs with any value (0~31). PokeMMO's Game Masters may also choose to give stacks of items, vanity items, or BP in future tournaments too. (Note that these changes only apply to future tournaments, not ones which have already been scheduled, or rewards which have been already mailed to players).

On the small side, players will now be able to spectate others while queueing for matchmaking & tournaments with no fear of missing their queue. We'll now automatically shift from Spectate mode to Battle mode when a match is found. Battle Boxes are now also less terrible to manage, and can be assigned and changed more easily in the PC UI.

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Generation 8 Updates

With the introduction of Gen 8, many moves have had updated functionality increasing their versatility. Move changes will be included where applicable (Teleport, Rapid Spin, Healing Wish, Fling, and Howl), as well as ability changes (Intimidate, Moody) and egg group updates for a few species trees.

This changeset also introduces Gens 1 & 2 TM moves to the relevant species, and Gen 7 changes which we'd omitted until now, including Gen7-3 (LGPE) movepools and missing mechanical changes to Gengar's ability, and the Prankster ability.

Movepools for all species have been updated in some way or another, and the changes are far too numerous to note. In general, Gen 8 has priority over all other changes, then additional moves are processed from there.

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Movepool Management Updates

Those knowledgeable with earlier Gens & Gen 8 will notice that we are introducing a slew of new TMs- over 100, actually. This large bulk of items necessitated that we look at how we can better the move learning systems, and we've focused on streamlining the gain of renewable moves.

Each region will now host an NPC in every healing center you come across, which will offer to teach you all of the Tutor moves that a region can offer, if you've acquired 8 badges in that region. 4 Shard-based "Regional Move Master" tutors are present in the game, 1 for each region, allowing you to learn regional-exclusive moves for a Shard+Item-based feed.

Each of them is also accompanied by a Move Deleter & Relearner NPC. Prices for Relearners will also now more properly reflect the value of the move being relearned. All regions now have a store which will sell every TM in the game in their respective department stores, after you've completed its storyline.

Redundant tutor data for all tutors has been removed, meaning no more TM / Tutor overlap. For GBA areas, NPCs with single-move move tutor scripts (e.g. Dream Eater) will now simply give untradeable TMs. Older Shard tutors have been removed entirely, and their moves redistributed as either TMs or into the newer Shard tutors.

Overall, we feel it should be much easier to keep track of and learn.

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This overview is not comprehensive, but covers the most important things we'll be changing this update. We're currently finalizing everything and expect to release it in early July. We hope you'll enjoy.

Thanks for reading