Do you have any self-imposed rules?

Winterdaze

Winterdaze

fight me
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All the advantages offered to the player character can make the game pretty easy, and in my opinion a challenging game is a fun game. Some players impose restrictions on themselves to make the games more of a challenge, level the playing field and make the competition seem more fair, or emulate the battle rules of the anime. After all, you never see Ash spamming Revives against a tough opponent!

These are my rules, or as I call it, my battling code. Most of them pertain to fighting bosses, such as Gym Leaders, Elite Four or evil team leaders.
-Only use the same number of Pokemon as the boss, and none of them are allowed to be at a higher level than their strongest Pokemon.
-You are only allowed to use the same number and type of healing items as the boss. This means no Revives!
-Pokemon that are considered overpowered for a point in the game (such as Scyther early in HGSS) cannot be used until you reach a point in the game where they would no longer be considered overpowered.
-Legendaries are not allowed to be used in the main story.
-All main team members must be caught in a regular Poke Ball.

So what rules do you follow, if any?
 
My rules are:
-You must use 6 different Pokemon types
-You must carry at least 10-20 Pokeballs at all times
-You must never use Repels unless Chaining, KOing Audino, or something like that
-You must catch every Pokemon in an area before moving on.
-Use the Master Ball only on a roaming legendary or a shiny which can self destruct or flee
 
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-No repeating types. Even secondary types count. In Emerald, I gave up on Camerupt because I already had Swampert, and they're both Ground-types.
-All Pokémon must be caught in standard Poké Balls.
-No using legendaries.
-All Pokémon must be at the same level at all times.
-Water, Fire, Electric and Psychic typed Pokémon must be present in my team. The other two Pokémon can be of any other type.

Cool thread, by the way!
 
My only real "rule" is no HM Slaves. I spread HM moves throughout my team, I don't care if they're useless. I decide on one team per game, one "Main Team", and it would make no sense for them to not be with me at all times. I can always visit the HM Move Remover after I become Champion.
 
1) No HM Slaves.
2) Don't nickname Pokémon (but in my next playthrough of either Black or White I plan on nicknaming)

That's about it really! ;)
 
Lucilla said:
1) No HM Slaves.
2) Don't nickname Pokémon (but in my next playthrough of either Black or White I plan on nicknaming)

That's about it really! ;)
Click to expand...

Ah, yes, these two apply to my games as well. I always spread the HMs throughout my whole team. I've always found nicknaming too stupid, but that's just me.
 
Mine are mostly to do with how I see honour and good manners xD

I try, whenever possible to have my Pokemon avoid fighting Pokemon of the same species.

I never let my male Pokemon fight a female of the same species. If this is going to happen (eg, fighting the Elite Four or a Gym Boss) I switch out the male for a different Pokemon.

I had to do it of course but I felt horrible fighting N and wished that I somehow could have avoided it xD
 
I have this:
No teaching my starter HMs unless nothing else in my party can learn it.
 
- Never use healing items in a battle. I just consider it cheap.
- No same types on a team (unless it's a mono-type run or I absolutely have to).
- No legendaries because they're really boring.

And that's about it really.
 
My rules:

- EV train your team during and after the storyline
- Make sure your team is diverse and doesn't repeat the same type unless they have different weaknesses
- Capture legendaries with their most recommended natures by competitive players
- Do not use ubers listed on Smogon's ban list on your team for they are OP
- Do not use event Pokemon if you're planning to go to Random Matchups for they are banned by GF
 
Very cool thread :D

Mine are:
- Always choose a different starter (if I'm playing same gen games)
- Always choose new pokémon for my team throughout the game, and only capture 5 (beside my starter)
- Always ensure the team is balanced and has no more than two pokémon with the same weakness
- Never use legendaries
- Never use healing items against gym leaders/elite four/champion
- Never use more pokémon than my opponent
- No HMs
- Beat the Champion fair and square with a slightly under-levelled team: no healing items, no held items, no overly strong pokémon (no legendaries or pseudo legendaries), usually be about 5 to 10 Lv below the champion, otherwise it can get easy.


To be honest after my 13 game, the "Always use new pokémon" rule is becoming a little difficult. Because The list of pokémon I choose is a bit restricted: I have to like them (so no beartic or driflblim for example), I have to never have used them before, they have to be readily available in the game I am playing, they have to balance each other out offensively and defensively, they have to become available as I progress through the game (for instance by my 3rd badge I usually have to have about 3 or 4 and by my 6th badge, I usually have them all. I can't have all 6 straight from the beginning, nor can I wait for my 7th badge to capture the last 4 pokémon of my team) and I have to capture them in their earliest form (no evolved pokémon, I have to capture a budew if I want a roserade- made me feel pretty good when I got myself a Milotic :D). Now the list is becoming really short, after those 13 games I have used all the pokémon I ever wanted to use, now all Im left with are pokémon I don't like (darmanitan, stout land, etc.) or not strong enough (dustox, azumarill, etc.).

Don't know what to do.....
 
- I cannot use a Pokémon other than a starter Pokémon that I have used before. The only time I can remember breaking this rule was when I used Vaporeon in both XD and White 2.
- I also won't use legendary Pokémon.
- I must always use 2 out of Fire, Water and Grass (used to be all 3 until the Sinnoh Dex) and one Flying type.
- No EV training until after the main story.
 
I remembered a few more rules I have.

Nickname Every Pokemon. It's not hard to summon a small bit of creative effort to make your Pokemon stand out. You really can't say you care for your Pokemon if you don't name them. It's the same with pets in real life, I never call my cat "Cat". There's no reason for me to call my Tepig "Tepig" when I can call him Flambe instead. I always get miffed when NPCs rave about how much they looooove their Pokemon, but they're not nicknamed. I know it's to save space or whatnot, but it comes off as awfully hypocritical. "You're my special partner, but you get no name". Really now...

I also never use the bike, unless I'm in a hurry. Maybe it's because I don't like riding bikes in real life, but I don't like going anywhere on a bike in the games, I prefer to walk/run there. Take things at a leisurely pace.
 
Speaking off bikes, I have one rule about them. If I'm already riding one, never get off when trying to enter a building even if takes me a long time to get in due to the bike's wonly controls.
 
- No bike.
- Use only the favorites, unless I am playing the game for the first time.
- Never use more Pokémon than the Gym Leader.
- Never catch a Pokémon just to have advantage in a battle. Example: Catching a Sandile just to make the battle against Elesa easier.
- Never use a legendary before the post-game. I broke this self-imposed rule in White 2 because Keldeo is just too awesome for not to use.
 
- Always use a team with Grass, Fire, Water, Flying and Electric types (spreading the other types as secondary types and one sixth Pokémon). I can combine some of the 5 necessary types if I want to such as Water/Flying, Electric/Flying, Grass/Flying, Water/Electric or Water/Grass which will make space for a second Pokémon which is not one of the 5 required types.
- Never use the same Pokémon in my team for different versions expect starter Pokémon. The only Pokémon I have broken this rule for are Golduck, Dragonite, Gardevoir and Luxray.
- Never use a Master Ball. I introduced this rule in Emerald version.

I also try not to use legendary Pokémon but I have used Mew in Blue version, Latios in Sapphire version (by the Eon Ticket), the Legendary Beasts in Colosseum, Articuno in LeafGreen version and Giratina in SoulSilver version (from Sinjoh Ruins).
 
- Assemble your ideal party. No matter how late in the game they appear and even if your stuck with a party of 1-3 Pokemon for more than half of the game, only the chosen ones can grant your fulfillment.
- Even if said chosen ones aren't up to what you'd hoped they be, stick it out with them till the end and MAKE them work.
- As of Platinum, hunt down the exact nature of said ideal monsters. You may have your chosen set, but using them to their fullest also counts.
- Try to avoid type redundancy. This of course, requires advanced knowledge of the Pokemon within the game but sometimes you have those moments where you go: "Oh [insert] is a [type]/secondary but [insert 2] is also [type] but I had him for much longer." situations.
- Try to make sure someone has access to electric and fire moves. Those types are versatile like nobodies business.
- Enjoy your adventure. Take your time and explore as much as you possible can within within the restraints of the main game. This rule however, ended shooting me in the foot due to the nonsense centering around Black City but I regret NOTHING!
 
Please note: The thread is from 13 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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