NU Alpha FAQ

NU Alpha FAQ:

Read this thread before asking any questions: http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/timetable-for-sm-lower-tier-development.3592871/

Why is Alpha being delayed till April?

The main reason is that basing an Alpha Tier off of another Alpha Tier will skew usage stats and create an Alpha Tier that isnt going to be reflective of the eventual NU Official Tier or even NU Beta. Since RU Alpha won't have any bans / tiering the tier is dominated by threats that will skew usage and let a lot of potential RU Pokemon drop into our Alpha Tier. By waiting to make Alpha off of RU Beta Stats we create a metagame that at least will have some reflection of our eventual tier.

Well then why did RU get an Alpha ladder so early?

This was mainly a miscommunication from Smogon and PS as nobody on Smogon explicitly said to create the ladder or not, so it was just created the day after Usage Stats came out. This was a mistake and should never have happened, and RU will have to remain in Alpha for another month anyway so there is no huge loss.

Was this a decision only made by Smogon Higher Ups or was there a consensus from the Tier Leaders as well?

This was a conclusion reached by a consensus that included both Kiyo and rozes, the current NU Tier Leaders. They chose this option because they believed it would be the healthiest for the tier as a whole and speeding up the process could potentially hurt the tiering in the Beta / Official stages of the tier.

What can we do in the meantime?

Well one recommendation is to play other Sun and Moon Tiers like, OU or UU since they can give you a taste of some of the new Gen 7 Mechanics in Z-Moves and new pokemon. You can also come and join us in Febraury when we will have a "Pre-Pre-Alpha" of sorts as we will have the Ladder Usage from the "RU Pre-Alpha" Ladder. However it is recommended not to become to attached to this tier as it will be largely volatile as it is based on the RU-Pre-Alpha Ladder and won't be a reflection of the eventual NU metagame. Also feel free to just speculate in chat or contribute to whatever conversation is at hand as we are not too worried about keeping on topic over the next few months while we wait for Alpha.

Any other questions can be directed to any Auth Member as they can explain it more in depth if needed, also feel free to PM rozes and Kiyo if you see them online and have any specific questions for them regarding this decision.