@DrumminBeard
Hm, all very good questions, Drummin. I don't actually think I've ever answered these on the site before, and I've been a mod over a year now. No time like the present!
1.) What method(s) did you originally use to find people to play Pokémon with?
Honestly, I was a bit of a shameless tot. I didn't have a problem going up to people and just outright asking them if they played the same games I did, Pokémon or otherwise. If they did, great! If not and they thought I was weird, eh. Whatever. I was called many names growing up, 'weird' was FAR from the worst. Other times, I just played in public places like the playground or bus and waited to see if anyone noticed. If they talked to you first, that was usually a good sign they were serious.
2.) How long did it take for you to transition from treating the games as single-player JRPGs to multi-player competitive battle strategy games?
To that I say, why choose? I still play Pokémon as both a multi-player strategy game AND a single-player JRPG. There's more than one way to play the games, and I'm happy to indulge in either one. If you couldn't tell by my tag, I'm a rather devout pokémon breeder. So I'd say I enjoy the single-player aspect more. In terms of when I started exploring the competitive side, I'd say I really got into competitive play in 2013 after former World Champ Arash Ommati won Worlds that year with a Mamoswine, one of my [then] all-time favorite mons. It inspired me to try and go out and win with some of my own favorites, hence my history with Emolga in Gen 7's VGC 2017 season. Since then I've been bouncing in and out of competitive play, but mostly I enjoy battling in recs (i.e. recreationals). Which bring me to...
3.) When you build your teams, how much emphasis do you out on whether or not each Pokémon appeals to you personally?
Oh, almost 100%. If I do not like a pokémon, I will not use it. Plain and simple. Pokémon is filled with so many interesting creatures that having all 800+ narrowed down to the same 20 - 30 per season drove me near insane. Some of them I outright hated because of how frequently they were used. Landorus-T being the chief target. Over time however, I've come to appreciate various aspects of popular VGC pokémon. I've learned what makes them good, and I've used them on teams just to give them a fair shot. I don't hate Landorus-T with a burning passion anymore, but other popular mons like the Tapus, Celesteela, Xerneas, Amoonguss, and Incineroar have grown on me as I've learned to respect their battle prowess. That said though, if I want to use a personal favorite, like Mantyke, in a meta where you wouldn't think it'd fit, I'll be damned if I don't MAKE it fit! I firmly believe Pokémon is meant to be fun, and if you aren't playing with the ones you love most, then what's even the point of playing at all? Besides, every mon has a potential niche. It's just a matter of agonizing over them long enough to find it.
Whew, hope that answered all your questions, and I think I'll go ahead and tag some of the other users on the site for these same questions!
Hey, @PerchPond, @AverageJoe, @Bendytheinkdemon37", and @Sithogryph, share with us your answers to the same three questions Drummin just asked me!
- 0kamii
Hm, all very good questions, Drummin. I don't actually think I've ever answered these on the site before, and I've been a mod over a year now. No time like the present!
1.) What method(s) did you originally use to find people to play Pokémon with?
Honestly, I was a bit of a shameless tot. I didn't have a problem going up to people and just outright asking them if they played the same games I did, Pokémon or otherwise. If they did, great! If not and they thought I was weird, eh. Whatever. I was called many names growing up, 'weird' was FAR from the worst. Other times, I just played in public places like the playground or bus and waited to see if anyone noticed. If they talked to you first, that was usually a good sign they were serious.
2.) How long did it take for you to transition from treating the games as single-player JRPGs to multi-player competitive battle strategy games?
To that I say, why choose? I still play Pokémon as both a multi-player strategy game AND a single-player JRPG. There's more than one way to play the games, and I'm happy to indulge in either one. If you couldn't tell by my tag, I'm a rather devout pokémon breeder. So I'd say I enjoy the single-player aspect more. In terms of when I started exploring the competitive side, I'd say I really got into competitive play in 2013 after former World Champ Arash Ommati won Worlds that year with a Mamoswine, one of my [then] all-time favorite mons. It inspired me to try and go out and win with some of my own favorites, hence my history with Emolga in Gen 7's VGC 2017 season. Since then I've been bouncing in and out of competitive play, but mostly I enjoy battling in recs (i.e. recreationals). Which bring me to...
3.) When you build your teams, how much emphasis do you out on whether or not each Pokémon appeals to you personally?
Oh, almost 100%. If I do not like a pokémon, I will not use it. Plain and simple. Pokémon is filled with so many interesting creatures that having all 800+ narrowed down to the same 20 - 30 per season drove me near insane. Some of them I outright hated because of how frequently they were used. Landorus-T being the chief target. Over time however, I've come to appreciate various aspects of popular VGC pokémon. I've learned what makes them good, and I've used them on teams just to give them a fair shot. I don't hate Landorus-T with a burning passion anymore, but other popular mons like the Tapus, Celesteela, Xerneas, Amoonguss, and Incineroar have grown on me as I've learned to respect their battle prowess. That said though, if I want to use a personal favorite, like Mantyke, in a meta where you wouldn't think it'd fit, I'll be damned if I don't MAKE it fit! I firmly believe Pokémon is meant to be fun, and if you aren't playing with the ones you love most, then what's even the point of playing at all? Besides, every mon has a potential niche. It's just a matter of agonizing over them long enough to find it.
Whew, hope that answered all your questions, and I think I'll go ahead and tag some of the other users on the site for these same questions!
Hey, @PerchPond, @AverageJoe, @Bendytheinkdemon37", and @Sithogryph, share with us your answers to the same three questions Drummin just asked me!
- 0kamii
Amethyst Ωmega - Guild Leader/Founder
