A Different Type of RPG: An Intro to the Battle Dome Room

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Introduction

Most people come on Pokémon Showdown! to play Pokémon. In its purest form, competitive Pokémon is just an RPG, so Pokémon Showdown! has not one, but two RPGs to offer. Battle Dome is the second of these. It has the same combination of strategy, customizability, and sense of progress as Pokémon or other RPGs. You can also play with and against your friends, and there is a map during battles as well as a lot more customization. While it may not look or feel like Pokémon, Battle Dome is more similar to Pokémon than you might think at first, and it is even more fun.

Pokémon Showdown!'s Text-Based RPGs: A Short History

Despite Pokémon being the main RPG that is played on PS!, many other RPGs have sprung up throughout Showdown's existence. There are not too many differences between Battle Dome and Pokémon, but one of the big differences is that you can work together with your friends in Battle Dome or play with many more friends at once. RPGames, Table Top, and Text Quest have been popular text RPGs on PS! in the past. While Battle Dome is similar to these, and it is especially inspired by Table Top and Text Quest, it is the first to introduce features such as a map and the most customizable RPG yet!

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Signing Up for Battle Dome

When you enter Battle Dome for the first time, the first thing you will want to do is sign up. There are a few things you have to do in order to sign up for Battle Dome.

1. Battlesignup is a very important word in Battle Dome. It alerts players when signups for a new game are open. As a result, it is a necessary word to have on your highlight list. If you don't know how to do this, copy and paste the following into the chat: /highlight add, battlesignup There is even a button in the Battle Dome you can press to do the same thing as copying the words. If you are not hosting a game, don't say battlesignup. It's rude because it highlights everyone and can even be punished if it happens multiple times.
2. Read the How to Play. The How to Play, which can be found here, guides players through the rules of the game. It covers everything you need to know about Battle Dome in order to play, and you should try to read the whole thing; it is not as long as it looks.
3. PM an Auth Member (anyone with +, %, @, or # next to their name) with your chosen class and weapon branch and they will sign you up! Now, you can sign up for battles when somebody says Battlesignup by saying "/me in!"

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The Rules: A Brief Breakdown

One of the most intimidating aspects of Battle Dome for new players is learning the rules. However, our friendly staff members will answer any questions you have regarding how to play or any other aspects of the game. The rules of the game can be found here.

Here are some of the basics of the rules:

The Map

One of the most innovative additions to Pokémon Showdown!'s text RPGs that came with the most recent large Battle Dome update was the map. On your turn, you can move on the map a number of spaces equal to your Movement, one of your stats. When you are close enough to someone, you can attack them! Each one of your abilities has a different range, such as melee, where you must be next to the person to execute the attack. There are even obstacles that cannot be moved over! Use the map to your advantage in order to maximize the amount of attacks made on others while minimizing the amount made on you.

Your Character: Class, Weapon, and Stats

When you join the game, you get to select one of eighteen weapons, sorted into six branches, and one of six classes. The different branches are Dueler, Heavy, Archer, Fighter, Sorcerer, and Clairvoyant, and your choices for classes are Cryokinetic, Pyrokinetic, Skirmisher, Guardian, Bard, and Rifter. These two items together determine your stats and what abilities you can use.

Some of the stats it determines are: your HP, which is the same as it is in Pokémon; your Attack and Magic, which like in Pokémon, partially determine the power of your Physical and Magical abilities (in this case, they are added to the abilities roll); your Physical and Magical evasion, which increases your chance to dodge an attack; and your Movement, also known as MP, which determines how many spaces you can move on the map per turn. There are a lot of options for customization, so choose a weapon and class that give you the abilities and stats that fit your personal playstyle.

Abilities

Abilities are like the moves of the Pokémon games; the main portion of your turn encompasses using one, or sometimes more, of them. Abilities are mostly determined by which class and weapon you choose, but there are a few generic abilities that everyone has access to, such as Basic Attack. Most abilities are used on your turn, but some special ones are "passive" and are similar to abilities in Pokémon or are used in response to another player's abilities. As you can see, abilities have a lot of different effects and qualities; once you learn these qualities, you will be able to get the most of them. All abilities are listed on this document.

Leveling Up and Hosting

At the end of every battle, you earn XP, which is very similar to experience points in Pokémon and other RPGs. You can use a certain amount of this to level up either your class or your weapon. Like in these games, as you gain levels, you can use abilities that were inaccessible before and your stats get higher. You can change weapons or classes if you want, but you will have to start back from level 1. You can always change back, though; you will retain your level from before.

You can also host battles yourself; it is not required, but we love people who host! Simply get acquainted with the game first by playing a few battles and soon, hosting will not be difficult! You can read the hosting guide here for more info.

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Game Modes

There are a couple different ways to play Battle Dome in order to make the game more interesting.

Free-For-All (FFA)

Free-for-all is the bread and butter of Player vs. Player battling. Everyone for themselves, and the last one alive wins. This is the most popular game mode due to its simplicity.

Teams

This is very similar to FFA, except groups of two or three players duel against each other; they can use their abilities to help each other or take out the opposing team!

Nowhere To Run (NTR)

NTR is a free-for-all game with a twist. In all other modes, the map is 10 squares by 10 squares. In Nowhere To Run, the map is only 5 by 5, and you only have three turns to try deal as much damage as you can! Use the lack of space to your advantage so you can pummel your opponents with powerful attacks. The longer you survive and the more players you defeat, the more experience you get!

Juggernaut

In Juggernaut, multiple players team up to battle a player with increased HP, buffed abilities, and other improved qualities. In order to defeat the Juggernaut, the players must work with one another.

PvE

Unlike the Player vs. Player game modes, in PvE, the players team up to take on a powerful, randomly generated monster. Occasionally, there are events called raids where a larger group of people get together and attempt to defeat a much more powerful monster with devastating attacks. One of these raids is happening soon, so it is a great time to join Battle Dome!

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Interview: Former Hope

Former Hope is a former Battle Dome Room Owner, and he was the mastermind behind much of the current Battle Dome update, 4.2. I sat down with him to talk about some of his experiences in the room.

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