Hey PokeBattle Beta Testers!

We're blown away by the response we've gotten since PokeBattle was first announced. We've seen many of you post about us on your favorite websites to spread the word, and we can't thank you enough for that. With over 8,000 of you expressing interest, we're feeling pretty inspired at this point!

Over the last month, we've received a ton of great questions, so we thought it might be helpful to put together a FAQ. Hopefully this answers most (if not all) of the questions you have about PokeBattle!


Q: What is PokeBattle?
A: PokeBattle is a new website dedicated to competitive Pokemon. At launch, the site will consist of a battle simulator, a strategy-based Pokedex, gadgets to assist in team building and damage calculations, and a forum to host discussions and house our community - all fully integrated with one another to provide a seamless experience.


Q: Why should I play on PokeBattle instead of other existing competitive Pokemon sites and/or simulators?
A: Our approach to competitive Pokemon is very unique - we place a heavy focus on laddering, and we will be making changes to the metagame on a seasonal basis. We also firmly believe in promoting creativity in team building to foster a fresh, diverse metagame. This is an opportunity for us to explore competitive Pokemon from a different angle, and we'll be gathering feedback from our users as we go.

With that said, nobody's asking you to pick between PokeBattle and any other site. If you're open-minded and want to help us refine our approach to competitive Pokemon, then we look forward to meeting you! If you'd prefer not to partake in our official metagame, that's fine too - you may still find the tools we come out with interesting.


Q: Can you tell me more about these "seasons"?
A: Sure! Seasons on PokeBattle last for three months and are broken down like this:

First two months:

Ladder on the simulator to unlock achievements and get a high rank
Discuss how the metagame is shaping up on the forums and start thinking about potential changes for next season
Third month:

Play in the season's Championship Tournament (seeded based on ladder ranking)
Nominate metagame changes for the following season
Vote on metagame changes for the following season
Fourth month:

Start the next season!
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Q: What's this I keep hearing about a point value system?
A: PokeBattle Values (which is what we're calling this - or PBV for short) is a brand new system of tiering that is designed to promote creativity and diversity in the metagame. Instead of focusing solely on banning specific Pokemon from play, we will be assigning a PBV to each Pokemon and enforce a PBV cap on your team.

In other words, if you want to use a powerful Pokemon with a high PBV, you will have to balance it out by using weaker Pokemon with lower PBVs in order to stay within the max values allowed. Now you'll have to get creative with your team building instead of just picking the 6 most powerful Pokemon available to you!


Q: How will PokeBattle Values be determined for each Pokemon?
A: For the very first season, we will use an equation factoring in base stats, learnsets, abilities, and typing to give us an unbiased PBV for each Pokemon. After season one, PBV changes will be determined by nominations and voting at the end of each season. Stay tuned for an initial PBV list so you can start building your teams before we launch Beta!


Q: Wouldn't Pokemon like Arceus and Mega Mewtwo-X/Y just dominate the metagame in this system?
A: The PBV for such overpowered Pokemon would be too high to be allowed on a team, so they will not create an unbalanced metagame.


Q: When will PokeBattle's Beta launch?
A: We're currently aiming to launch the Beta in early February.


Q: How do I get my Beta access when it launches?
A: Due to the high volume of signups, we will be granting Beta access in phases on a first-come-first-served basis. We're taking this approach to make sure our servers hold up during busy periods. The aim is to be as lag-free as possible before completely opening the flood gates, but don't worry too much if you were late. We'll be giving you all chances to win wildcard entries to the early stages of the Beta via our Twitter page.


Q: What features will be available in the PokeBattle Beta?
A: At launch, we're planning to have release our battle simulator. You'll be able to battle X&Y Pokemon and chat just like you'd expect, and we think you'll like how easily everything ties together. Your account will give you full access to the rest of the site too, which means no signing up for separate simulator and site accounts! On the site, you can expect to find:

Our community-driven competitive Pokedex, where you'll be able to submit and vote on your favourite sets
Our take on the holy grail of competitive Pokemon gadgets, the damage calculator
User profiles driven by data pulled in real-time from the simulator, complete with achievements to show off what you've been up to
Discussion forums

Q: Can you implement this feature that I really want?

A: We're a pretty small team at the moment, and in the short-term especially we need to allocate our time wisely. We welcome suggestions and fully encourage you to share them with us, but please understand that our number one priority is getting the features we've described up and running smoothly. When we're comfortable with how everything functions together, we'll start implementing your best suggestions too!


Q: What's the best way to contact the PokeBattle team and stay up-to-date with progress on the site?
A: Hit us up on Twitter @PokeBattleTeam! We actively check our messages and try to respond whenever we can. We are also known to post updates there before anywhere else, so make sure you're up to date on the latest developments as they happen!


The Beta launch is rapidly approaching, and we can't wait to show you what we've been working so hard on. See you guys soon!

Cheers,
The PokeBattle Team