Changes to the Academy

[BugCatcher6]

I know there needs to be changes. I believe this is mainly due to the fact that when the academy was first started forum knowledge was not what it is now. A lot was new to everybody.

First I wanted to start with trying to find rules for the academy. Like rules that could potentially get you kicked out. Classroom disruptions being the main concern. If someone is making it harder for others, something needs to be done. And this will also go for board members. I know I have lost my patience a few times already. It is hard for me when people question my methods, when my methods have worked before and have been acknowledged. Which is no reason for me to be rude, but this is me trying to make things right and enjoyable by all.

Second, this is a breeding class, for farmers. I can't bring myself to do events right now that introduce battling. I in no way want to try to overshadow the BA. Even though my way would be different, I don't want to take away from what the BA does. The BA does not have breeding for farmers, so I won't have battling.

Unless we can come to a compromise. I can reintroduce the Breeders & Battlers. Help people with farming and battle breeding. Then those here for the battling breeding can take their new breeding knowledge to the BA to perfect tactics and strategies.

Third, I have seen that people don't like having me tell them what to breed. O.K. I can understand that. I don't like people telling me what to do, especially when I think I know best. ;) So what can change for that? My way of telling you what to breed is a way for you to find chains and how to move certain moves. I think maybe I need to re-evaluate this method. Maybe try and set students up based on what they already know. It seems to me that most of the students this semester may have a good knowledge of breeding, but want to show off their skills and maybe find out some tricks along the way.

So the next challenge will be very different. I am going to take the wish of breeding your own projects and team that with my grading system. But this only brings the question of, what if students don't like the way their projects are being judged? Well I believe everyone knows I am pretty meticulous. I can't even impress myself. The project time-line will be increased, but my grading will be tougher. If you want to build your best, I have to grade it as such.

Feel free to post ideas or concerns here. What do you want to do at the Academy? Anyone can post, not just students or board members. Any idea is welcomed.

[cowmoo83]

But will the movesets be potentially battling movesets? Or do we have to come up with "themes?" I have to admit, this would make me content with the whole system. Great change!

[Rolytic]

I think this change would be better in later assignments. I don't feel that I'm quite up to par with some of the more complex chain breeds, and I'd rather breed fun themes right now. Obviously, I could do a fun theme anyway for a personal thing, but if the grading curve is becoming that much steeper, I'd like to have a better foundation first.

I guess one of the things I've learned in college is that I can't assume I know everything from theory. Some stuff I just need to try on my own and mess up a few times first.

That doesn't mean that you should grade us easier, I believe that the harder grading, the more you learn. Maybe part of that grading is that it's easy to compare one breeder with the next. If you change it, then how will say, a special sweeper breed be compared with a breed going for a theme of "new beginnings"? Smogon already has movesets layed out for that, so that would be easy for the sweeper, but the creativity can't be measured.

Either way, change or no, I'm going to assume that the board will decide what's best for the students. Not maybe the teachers, but the point of teaching is to help the students, not make the teacher's life easier. To do so would be counterproductive, IMO.

[BugCatcher6]

But will the movesets be potentially battling movesets? Or do we have to come up with "themes?" I have to admit, this would make me content with the whole system. Great change!

I am going to answer that with a quote.


I am going to take the wish of breeding your own projects and team that with my grading system.

By your own I would take it as you can do whatever you want, but know that the grading is completely up to the board and myself. :lol:

[Pikadude609]

And you said the next event will be a hard event. Can it not be too hard and let us decide every move and that about the pokemon because im not good at that stuff. Also can we have most of them now in augest so we have some easy ones to do in september when we all go back to school etc so we can settle in with easy things.

[rj61]

And you said the next event will be a hard event. Can it not be too hard and let us decide every move and that about the pokemon because im not good at that stuff. Also can we have most of them now in augest so we have some easy ones to do in september when we all go back to school etc so we can settle in with easy things.

I like buzz's idea about having a hard next event. I personally can't participate for atleast this project like the last one because of my schedule. If it comes down to a "hard" project like building our own movesets for pokemon and breeding them then I think it would be more beneficial to us as students.

[cowmoo83]

Yeah. We need a harder project (and this will help me breed my team (and thus care more)). This will be sweet! Plus, within reasoning, as long as we describe what our reasons for everything are, we should be fine most of the time with our movesets. I'm really looking forward to this and I can't wait for the next project. Thanks Buzz! (and the board)

[BugCatcher6]

Just a bit of info on changes and my process.

From previous semesters the only change I have made is that I am not as hands on. I don't walk students through every step, but I don't want to make them farm the way I do. I give projects and I will answer questions. The projects are aimed to show chains and move passing. Some are harder then others and are weighted that way. By weighing them I am not telling people to breed the highest credit Pokémon. I have given everyone the chance to breed at their skill level and still have a chance to win out for best grades. Someone trying to do a harder Poké when they are not skilled to do so, well it shows with low credits. Those that know their skill level and follow that credit line, can still place at the top.

This new project with the 10 categories, all are weighted to start with, but not all will have the same credits. Everything about your Pokémon will have a chance to earn a credit and not just because Buzz says so. I will do the initial grading, but the board will get to see my grading and add their comments and show what they would change.

This project can be as easy or as hard as you make it. Contest Pokés to me would be the hardest to do. Contest move effects are different and add a wide range of outcomes. Putting together 4 moves that will play well together is completely different then building a battling move-set. Some contest Pokés might not even have an attack move. Like I mentioned in the project thread, Natures will be judged differently for contest Pokés. It has to fit the contest theme and not the Pokés STAT line.

[BugCatcher6]

I would like to ask forum members to make some suggestions on changes they would like to see. I have heard good and bad about my way of doing things and would like to try to increase the fun and challenge of the Poké Academy.

One change in the future I would like to make, is a way for more people to get the Golden Combee badge. Currently there are 3 members with the badge and on guestamation I would see about maybe 2, 3, or 4 going out a year. This would make it the hardest badge for members to obtain, and would keep veteran members from getting one. Heck I created the academy and I don't get one. ;)

So how can this change? One idea I have is a Poké Academy League. That's right P.A.L. or maybe it should be known as the Poké Academy UU League, but I don't know who P.A.U.L. is. I want the league to be UU Pokés, so this does not take away from the EPFL or the BA. I thought about using a ladder, but I have seen how the ladders can be kinda manipulated. I am working on requirements for this. I am thinking that a requirement should be that you have had to be a student in the academy and atleast finished 50% of the projects during your semester.

Which yes Gouswer this would give you a chance to collect another badge.

Still many things to iron out. I have PM'd the academy board and now I am asking the forum for more ideas for new events in the academy.

[BugCatcher6]

No comments from anyone? Hmm I must be doing everything right. ;)

[cowmoo83]

maybe you could make one of the assignments breeding/Eving a pokemon so that it is completely battle ready. Just a thought...

[BugCatcher6]

maybe you could make one of the assignments breeding/Eving a pokemon so that it is completely battle ready. Just a thought...

No offense but that is what the BA is for. I don't see where EVs are a part of being a farmer.

It seems to me a lot of your ideas deal with the academy incorporating battling. I wonder why that is when you run the BA that is suppose to be teaching battling, which breeding battle ready Pokémon would fall into that category? The academy is about farming, which is what you signed up for. I cannot do events that do the same thing that the BA is suppose to be doing. Me being the main representative of the academy cannot in good conscious do anything that would make another project on PokéFarm obsolete.

[BugCatcher6]

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/29/l_7a57001f184b41a49bf472fc1fbe8755.png



Rough draft of the artwork for the Poké Academy League. Still very rough and I am not great at photoshop. ;)

[BugCatcher6]

A new position is opening up on the board.

I know it has been hard to get a board member to check your IVs, so a position is opening up for IV Inspector.

All you have to do is trade for the Pokémon to be inspected and record the stats and jot down the IVs and then give the Poké back.

For anyone wanting this position, I think the setup for how IVs are checked should be done like this.

Have a tab open to an IV calculator. Meet the student in wi-fi and conduct a trade. During the trade view the Poké and put the Poké and it's Nature into your IV Calculator. After the trade go and start a level 100 battle. The student can then challenge you and you can get the level 100 stats to input into the calculator. Then you and the student both run from battle. Then you can just trade back. No storing or waiting to return the Poké.

Then you PM me letting me know the IVs you found.

Also keep in mind there will be random audits of IVs. This is just to insure accuracy and to make sure that the calculators are all calculator the same way. I have had differences before in calculators.

If interested please post here or PM me.

[Pikadude609]

A new position is opening up on the board.

I know it has been hard to get a board member to check your IVs, so a position is opening up for IV Inspector.

All you have to do is trade for the Pokémon to be inspected and record the stats and jot down the IVs and then give the Poké back.

For anyone wanting this position, I think the setup for how IVs are checked should be done like this.

Have a tab open to an IV calculator. Meet the student in wi-fi and conduct a trade. During the trade view the Poké and put the Poké and it's Nature into your IV Calculator. After the trade go and start a level 100 battle. The student can then challenge you and you can get the level 100 stats to input into the calculator. Then you and the student both run from battle. Then you can just trade back. No storing or waiting to return the Poké.

Then you PM me letting me know the IVs you found.

Also keep in mind there will be random audits of IVs. This is just to insure accuracy and to make sure that the calculators are all calculator the same way. I have had differences before in calculators.

If interested please post here or PM me.

I could do this for a little while. Is there any payment for the job to make it a little more worthwhile? :twisted:

Btw what do you mean there will be random audits in IVs?

[BugCatcher6]

I could do this for a little while. Is there any payment for the job to make it a little more worthwhile? :twisted:

Btw what do you mean there will be random audits in IVs?

Random audits mean someone from the board will also inspect IVs just to make sure there are no backdoor services happening. Meaning we will check IVs randomly to make sure friends of the IV Inspector are not getting bonus IVs without doing the work.


Payment for this position is the joy you get from helping others and the rep you get for doing a good service for the forum.

[Pikadude609]

Random audits mean someone from the board will also inspect IVs just to make sure there are no backdoor services happening. Meaning we will check IVs randomly to make sure friends of the IV Inspector are not getting bonus IVs without doing the work.


Payment for this position is the joy you get from helping others and the rep you get for doing a good service for the forum.

Ahh. Me waz thinking of something like leftover given in projects and such.

[meeker]

Question; would one be allowed to have any connections with the competitors, like a jury not being allowed to have any connections to the case they are a part of?

[pikaluva13]

Question; would one be allowed to have any connections with the competitors, like a jury not being allowed to have any connections to the case they are a part of?
I just want to state one thing. If that were the case, most likely it'd be hard to find people that aren't connected to someone somewhat...you can't really just grab random people off the streets and ask them to do it...well i mean you could, but then it'd be kind of weird...:lol:

[BugCatcher6]

It doesn't matter if you have friends in the events, just as long as you accurate record the IVs. That is why there will be random audits, to make sure that there are no boosting of IVs for friends.

[cowmoo83]

If you were to hire a IV checker, would we still be able to give our poke to an academy member for checking?

[BugCatcher6]

If you were to hire a IV checker, would we still be able to give our poke to an academy member for checking?

Yes, but why wouldn't you want to give them to the person whose job it is to check them?

[cowmoo83]

Mostly cause I see Kurt almost every day on skype and he's always willing to help cause he's awesome ;)

But I guess it depends who is the "inspector."

[BugCatcher6]

Mostly cause I see Kurt almost every day on skype and he's always willing to help cause he's awesome ;)

But I guess it depends who is the "inspector."

That is all and good, but I only hear from board members once in awhile after I send the PMs.

[BugCatcher6]

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/29/l_7a57001f184b41a49bf472fc1fbe8755.png


So how interested would people be in starting a Poké Academy League? It would be UU Pokémon and there would be limitations so people with little battling experience would not be constantly destroyed by the cream of the battling ladder.

What I would like is like a 17 week season, 16 battles with a bye week. You would only have to do 1 battle a week and then this would also give you a week to make changes on your team if needed. At the end of the regular season there would be a playoff. I want to have the setup be an NFL style. Of course the more people that sign up the more indepth the divisions and playoffs can be.

I would love to have 24-32 teams in the league, with team names and logos.

[BlueTempest]

I would! But what would this have to do with the academy? Would we be doing this?

[BugCatcher6]

I would! But what would this have to do with the academy? Would we be doing this?


It has nothing to really do with the academy. I wanted to make a league a long time ago that only used UU Pokés and that never happened. I know we have a league, but I am not all into the format with OU and Legendaries. I want to do something more laid back and less of the diehard attitude. Beating everyone does not thrill me. I know I am not the best and I don't have to act like I am. It is Pokémon and so what if you can beat other people. I am so tired of that mentality.

I have never once went into work and was all like, dude I crushed this 12 year old 6 - 0 last night in a gym battle.

Sorry for the min rant, but I had some comments today that just irratated me. I just want to see the fun battles back on PokéFarm.

[BlueTempest]

Yeah, I get what your saying. I say the NO-stab tournament, and wanted to join but I'm in the poke academy and thats a lot on my plate already with schoolwork and all.

[Trombones13]

I am also in support of this idea, and would like to participate if I'm allowed to. *pets Cammie*

[cowmoo83]

I am also in support of this idea, and would like to participate if I'm allowed to. *pets Cammie*

is it really smart to pet Cammie... I mean wouldn't your hand get all "ewww! Gross!" with sticky stuff? lol

[BugCatcher6]

I also have an idea for a Poké Academy Mountain challenge. It would be similar to Pokémon Colosseum and XD.

Kurt I have not made any rules yet to keep people with this many badges or that many badges out. I hate telling people no you can't play because you are too good on paper. It makes it seem like the people that do get in are not as good and who am I to be the judge of who is the best. ;)

Actually I would like to find more ways to give the Goldeen Combee out. However, I don't want it to become a badge that everyone gets. I have to find a mix of keeping it an highly sot after badge.

[BugCatcher6]

I am also looking towards next semester. I ask each student to either post or PM me about their dealings with board members. Have you talked to any of them? Ask any any questions? There were not a lot of questions asked to me, I got to deal with more of the complaints he-he.

By my records the most active board member has been Kurt. Then pretty much a tie between joinred, cinder, and tani. I know tani has kinda been our late night board member.

There will be big changes for next semester. This was a learning semester for myself. A lot of issues came up that never came up in any other semester. But I think that is what makes the academy unique, we learn and grow also.

[BlueTempest]

Was this the last project for semester 3?

[BugCatcher6]

Was this the last project for semester 3?

No, there will be 2 more projects and then a final.

[BlueTempest]

Ok, sorry for my lack of listening skills buzz, this is the midterm lol.

[cowmoo83]

I've communicated with 2 board members: Kurt and Tani and I found both of them to be very helpful. Kurt explained many things and also checked some of my pokes and Tani helped to explain some of the detailed things.

[BugCatcher6]

http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/29/l_7a57001f184b41a49bf472fc1fbe8755.png



This is what I have so far for the P.A.L.



Poké Academy League Rules

Layout


6 Vs 6
Level 100

Clauses


Sleep Clause

It is NOT permitted that the status Sleep (SLP) be applied to more than one of the opponent's Pokémon at a time. The opponent's currently sleeping Pokémon must first awaken or get knocked out before Sleep may be cast on the opponent's Pokémon once again.
Applying the status Sleep while using random-selection moves (such as Assist, Metronome, Sleep Talk, etc.) does NOT violate this clause.
The move Yawn (unless used with moves such as Assist, Metronome, Sleep Talk, etc.) violates this clause.
Self-inflicted Sleep (such as Rest) does NOT count in this clause, as it is voluntarily inflicted by the user and not by the opponent.
If ability-inflicted Sleep (such as Effect Spore, etc.) is already in effect, applying Sleep to another Pokémon violates this clause. However, this clause is NOT violated if the ability takes effect after the status Sleep has already been applied.

Evasion Clause

Moves that directly increase evasion (such as Double Team and Minimize) are NOT permitted in battle.
Taking advantage of abilities such as Sand Veil and Snow Cloak are permitted. They are abilities, and do not directly affect evasion status.

O.H.K.O. Clause

·One-hit K.O. moves (such as Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, Sheer Cold, etc.) are NOT permitted, as they hugely rely on chance and not skill.

Self K.O. Clause

·When both parties are down the last Pokémon, Self-K.O. moves (such as Explosion, Destiny Bond, Perish Song, Memento, etc.) will cause an automatic loss for its user.
·Abilities such as Aftermath do not count since they are abilities and not moves.

Species Clause

·It is NOT permitted to have two or more of the exact same Pokémon in a team.
·Pokémon from the same Family are however permitted (i.e. Pichu, Pikachu, and Raichu).

Duplicate Item Clause

·No two Pokémon in the team may carry the same item.



Tournament Information


Forum Nickname:

BugCatcher6

P.A.L. Team Nickname:

The Buzz

Method of Contact:

PMs
VMs
Skype: buzz2161

Pokémon FC (to be used for P.A.L.):

Pearl FC: 2793 4412 9906

Timezone:

(GMT -05:00)



Pretty standard for battles. I want to put a few polls up to find out other information though.

Question Series #1:
Should there be a badge limit? Like anyone with 4 or more badges would not be allowed to participate? Would gym leaders, even if they were under the badge limit be able to participate? Should the P.A.L. be open for everyone or should the only requirement be, you cannot already be holding a Golden Combee Badge?

Question Series #2:
League style. I would like a a football style league. With at a max of 17 weeks, with 1 bye week. You would only be required to do 1 battle per week. Then after the last week there would be a playoff. In theory there would need to be 2 conferences, 3-4 divisions, with 3-4 teams in each division. That would equal 18-32 teams total. Ladder or bracket style league could be a possibility depending on what people would be more interested in. So I guess the series of questions here would be what style or layout would be appealing? What kinda duration would be desirable?

Question Series #3:
Pokémon would be UU of course, but should they have to be bred by the trainer or can loaners be used? Time frame, how much time would be needed for people to build their teams? I myself have a few UU ready to go, but would feel better about tweaking and breeding a better team. Is level 100 desirable?

Question Series #4:
Any rules you can think of that I missed? Anything you can think of that would make the league more fun? Any rewards to go along with the league? The badge would be for the person winning the overall championship.

[BugCatcher6]

cowmoo made a good point, yeah I am shocked also. ;)

With football having a preseason, so should the P.A.L. Having sign ups for teams, building the league, formulating teams, and preparing.

He suggested 1-1.5 months. I think with mini camps and preseason football runs at about 2 months of before the season training. Some teams go a bit longer. So before the weekend is over I will make up a sign up sheet for teams. After initial sign ups there will be a period of Poké breeding and team making, which will be followed by a few preseason battles to give you an idea of what your team is lacking. Then a season kickoff will following.

I still want to work on a logo, but it bothers me that this league idea will fall through again. Not like the EPFL, but I wanted to make an UU league in a football style format last year and it never happened.

[BugCatcher6]

cowmoo made a good point, yeah I am shocked also. ;)

I am sorry to Brady for this joke. I am also sorry to anyone else I may have offended.

[BugCatcher6]

Next semester, I know it is still a long ways off. Most likely the end of November or even the new year. Yikes we are close to another new year.

The next semester will bring a new set of rules, which our downtime will be spent making the rules. There will be some new board members, as of right now I believe atleast 1 seat will be opening up.

What will be the curriculum be for the upcoming semester? I would like to work with members new to farming again, but I believe I will be reviving an old program. When I first started the academy, I did the farmer's apprentice classes. The semester after I did a breeders & battlers program.

So this semester was geared to helping new farmers, this next semester will be Breeders & Battlers 2. People know how to breed for events, more of a collectors theme so to speak, so we can work on breeding for battling in gyms, against friends, or in tournaments. You can then use this info for breeding for events in general or take the how to breed for battle ready Poké and then go to the battling arts and practice your tactics and using your Pokémon.