Video Games at Leagues

[SteveP]

With the new 2009-10 league season, we now have the oppurtunity to earn points towards getting a DS skin by playing DS battles. Are many leagues doing this?

Due to the TRU Event Arceus this next week, I'm encouraging our video game players to dust off their old DPPt cartridges and head to TRU before the event ends on Nov 15.

To encourage Video Game matches and points, what are you guys who run these activities doing? Besides normal battles, here's some ideas I plan to try:

- Teach EV/EXP training principles:
-- Trading
-- Held item enhancers
-- IV calc
-- Move teaching
-- Breeding
- Show how to chain to:
-- get Shinys
-- "steal" wild held items
- Go Underground together:
-- Dig for treasures
-- Steal the flag

Any way, I'm fairly new at the video game side of Pokemon, so any helpful pointers from leagues that are successful at this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tyranny of Tyranitar]

Based on what I've seen so far, the fact that the TCG side of the card has a six slot-per-prize requirement versus the video game's eight deters most people from playing the video games to earn the prizes. Since no official requirement was given to me (or other League Owners) to juristic how the points are earned, I've allowed the players to have a minimal of three-versus-three singles for their matches. I do plan on raising the requirement once the video games start picking up, but even a 3-vs-3 doesn't seem to interest many. Even when I offer my help with people's teams (I know a lot about the video games btw), almost no one seems interested. Seriously, good luck.

If there is anything you'd like to know about the video game mechanics though, I'd be more than willing to help, so just ask.

 

[C-U elite]

Our LL wont let us play ds until 4 and league is over at 4:30.
So if I were you I would 1 let the kids play ds and also have a contest(like who has the coolest shiney,)

 

[SD PokeMom]

imho 'who has the coolest shiney' -type "contests" would only encourage those who use cheat devices on their teams. and i also do not let DS play occur until the last half hour of league; there are no more than half-a-dozen players who bring DSs anyway.

'mom

 

[StarrySora]

If only I had any sort of status at the league I attend, but I am a newbie to the league. I know a lot about the video games and could judge any of the matches or whatever. I know some of the people there have DS's, but I'm unsure if any of them have the games besides my sister and I...ah well.

 

[SteveP]

imho 'who has the coolest shiney' -type "contests" would only encourage those who use cheat devices on their teams. and i also do not let DS play occur until the last half hour of league; there are no more than half-a-dozen players who bring DSs anyway.

'mom

Really. Rationing DS time? While I can understand the desire to encourage TCG activity, I don't see the need to do so at the expense of restricting video game activity.

The league instructions mention nothing about limiting video game time. IMO, doing such a thing is absolutely unnecessary, UNLESS, there's a problem at your league with too much video gaming.

At our league, we have some casual TCG players who could "beat the socks off" the competitive TCG players in a video game match. You're not really a true Pokemon player until you've at least dabbled in the video game.

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Regarding cool shiny's, that's an interesting idea. At our league, we encourage trading pokemon and items. Our players are honest when asked if their shiny's or rare items are AR'd. We educate them that if they use UBER-stat-cheated Pokemon in league battles, they won't earn points, and other players will lose interest in playing them.

Anyway, it's not too hard to identify a cheated game cartridge.

Plus, for those not too familiar with how to legitmately catch shiny's, I admonish you to google "how to chain shiny pokemon." We have a few players at our league who have tons of shinys due to this catch technique. With a bit of skill, perserverance, and luck, many kinds of shiny's aren't too hard.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

If only I had any sort of status at the league I attend, but I am a newbie to the league. I know a lot about the video games and could judge any of the matches or whatever. I know some of the people there have DS's, but I'm unsure if any of them have the games besides my sister and I...ah well.

We need players like you at leagues. This is the first year that players can "officially" earn points for playing the video game. Hopefully, it will stay for a while. You'll need to "keep your foot" in the TCG realm, but there's no reason you can't encourage your fellow TCG players to bring their video games.

 

[pokeking11]

im in the same leauge as steve and i like the idea of the the VG at leauge my DS is currently at Nintendo so it can be repaired but once its back ill bring it all the time the only problem is that the VG skins take alot longer to get and i dont have the paitence to chain all the time so i dont have many shineys and that i alot of times have a issue with getting certain pokes because i dont have Wi-Fi so i cant build the teams i want to but im definitly a fan of the Vg at leauge

 

[SD PokeMom]

if there was more interest in the VG at my league i'd consider increasing the VG time. but as no more than 4-8 players even have their DSs with them at league to begin with, what we're doing works just fine for us. ymmv...

'mom

 

[EeveeLover]

I have had 1 player interested in VG since it started at League.

Even the competitive VGC players have no interest.

 

[ShadowCard]

SteveP, there are a few threads about this on the Professor forum. Team Cook Dad started a thread asking about this there.

 

[SD PokeMom]

With the new 2009-10 league season, we now have the oppurtunity to earn points towards getting a DS skin by playing DS battles.

missed this the first time: one can earn the DS skin without playing a single VG match. all one has to do is fill ONE grid...either VG or TCG...on two consecutive season's scorecards.

'mom

 

[SteveP]

missed this the first time: one can earn the DS skin without playing a single VG match. all one has to do is fill ONE grid...either VG or TCG...on two consecutive season's scorecards.

'mom

Yeah, I just read that today, after posting. I misunderstood my PTO. I thought he said you had to complete the video game side for two seasons straight. Good to know that's not the case.

On the "other side of the fence", video game players can earn all promo cards without playing a single TCG game. That's why I think League Leaders need to keep the entire league session open. It seems a bit biased to allow TCG players to play all session-long, but only allow video gamers to play for a few minutes.

I suppose there's a happy-medium for supporting both activities. Hopefully, video gamers will find the "welcome matt" into our leagues and take an interest in the TCG.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

SteveP, there are a few threads about this on the Professor forum. Team Cook Dad started a thread asking about this there.

Thanks. I'll check it out.

 

[SD PokeMom]

i don't have any players who ONLY come to league for VG. all VG players at league are TCG players first, and are perfectly content with the time allowed for VG battles.

as i stated before, should things change i'd be open to reassessing; right now this is what works for us. ymmv.

'mom

 

[EeveeLover]

One of the main reasons that I see, and use myself, it that there is so much going on between new players, existing players, trades, and VG that I can't watch everything.

At this point I allow card trading between 4p and 6p and VG between 6p and 7p. TCG is also open to play.

However, since I have had no interest in the VG from my players, I am going to open back up trading.

 

[SteveP]

I guess what I'm trying to point out is that maybe it would be a good idea to somehow invite the video gamers "into our midst" by showing them that we have an open haven for them. Some of our players were actually video gamers before they were TCGr's. It wasn't so much that they converted to the TCG, but rather that they added it to their gaming repertoire.

At our league, video gaming is open. It seems to be working for us. Gamers have to make a choice, but the choice is theirs. They can jump back-n-forth according to their impulses and desires.

I think TPCi is doing a great thing by allowing the two to co-exist side-by-side, both at Nats/Worlds and local leagues.

 

[Alakalen]

One of the main reasons really competitive vidoe game players aren't really attending league is that they think of it all as just "street pokemon." They just don't expect any skilled players to get a good match against just kids who have a limited knowledge of the game and will play with some odd collection of rules. With wi-fi (and shoddy battle even easier) players can get good matches constantly from home and so just don't bother to go to a league to get less than stellar matches for less than stellar prizes in their opinion since many don't play the cards at all and don't really care about the promos. The main obstacle that needs to be overcome is having good players attend so that other good players will attend to play them. I have no idea how one would go about achieving that, but its what needs to be achieved.

 

[SteveP]

One of the main reasons really competitive vidoe game players aren't really attending league is that they think of it all as just "street pokemon." They just don't expect any skilled players to get a good match against just kids who have a limited knowledge of the game and will play with some odd collection of rules. With wi-fi (and shoddy battle even easier) players can get good matches constantly from home and so just don't bother to go to a league to get less than stellar matches for less than stellar prizes in their opinion since many don't play the cards at all and don't really care about the promos. The main obstacle that needs to be overcome is having good players attend so that other good players will attend to play them. I have no idea how one would go about achieving that, but its what needs to be achieved.

Point taken. But, that's not too different than the TCG. Each league may have a small handleful of top-level players, but that doesn't keep them from attending.

Certainly, with WiFi, Pokemon video gaming is a different beast. But then again, many top TCG players also play online, though not to the same extent. The video game is made for WiFi, not so much so for the TCG.