Trainer Payout Formula

[notacat]

Heya. I'm kinda new here, although Ive decided to join mostly because me and a friend of mine are working on developing a joint pokemon project. I'd explain more but thats not the point of this topic.

We were studying various trainers in firered and leafgreen when my partner noticed something involving the payout of various trainers. He noticed that all trainers of the same type (bugcatchers, youngsters, hikers, etc.) have a number attached to them that influences their payout. He noticed this when looking at the first two trainers in FR/LG you battle (aside from gary):

*Bug Catcher Rick
*Weedle * Lv. 6
*Caterpie * Lv. 6
*Money:$72

*Bug Catcher Doug
*Weedle * Lv. 7
*Weedle * Lv. 7
*Kakuna * Lv. 7
*Money:$84

What he noticed was that there was an increase of $12 in between the first and second bug catcher, and the second bugcatchers pokemon was a level higher. This of course is obvious, but what wasn't was that 72/6=12, and 84/7=12 as well. Together, we postulated that maybe each trainer type has a data value attached to it, in which the money generated is equal to the average level of the pokemon in the trainers party times this base value. In this case, the Base Value (which for the rest of this story I'll call mBASE) for Bug Catchers equals 12.

The next trainer after the first two was another bug catcher, this time, he has two pokemon with different levels.

*Bug Catcher Anthony
*Caterpie * Lv. 7
*Caterpie * Lv. 8
*Money:$96

Alright, whip out your calculators and lets check this: mBASE=12,Average Pokemon level =7.5, 7.5*12=90.

Alright, so we were a bit off. But if we divide Bug Catcher Anthony's $96 by 12, we get 8.

Our postulate is that Every Trainer Type has an attached value that determines the payout of the battle, where the value multiplied by the trainers highest level pokemon equals the payout money of the battle.

This says that all trainers of the same type have the same mBASE. Considering all gym leaders are the same trainer type (LEADER), is this true for them as well?

*LEADER Brock
*Geodude * Lv. 12
*Onix * Lv. 14
*Money:$1400

$1400 / 14 = mBASE of 100 for leaders. lets check it.

*Gym Leader Misty
*Staryu * Lv. 18
*Starmie * Lv. 21
*Money:$2100

YES! it works for misty too!

I'd show some more, but it seems to work for all the leaders. I have taken a look at the mBASE of a number of trainer types. Here are my findings:

• BEAUTY = 72
• BIKER= 20
• BIRD KEEPER = 24
• BLACKBELT = 24
• BUG CATCHER = 12
• BURGLAR = 88
• CHANNELER = 32
• CUEBALL = 24
• ELITE FOUR = 100
• ENGINEER = 48
• FISHERMAN = 36
• GAMBLER = 72
• GENTLEMAN = 72
• HIKER = 36
• CAMPER = 20
• PICNICKER = 20
• JUGGLER = 40
• LASS = 16
• LEADER = 100
• POKEMANIAC = 48
• PSYCHIC = 20
• ROCKER = 24
• ROCKET GRUNT = 32
• SAILOR = 32
• SCIENTIST = 48
• SUPER NERD = 24
• SWIMMER = 4
• YOUNGSTER = 16

These numbers might be a bit off and I think I missed a few trainer types in FR/LG, but otherwise these seem to be the applied values to the trainer type. Im also not sure if mBASE is the correct name for the value, although I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this. I checked bulbapedia for the trainer information, and I can't find any references to a formula for generating the payout of trainers. Have we stumbled across something new?

Glad to join, and hope this impresses!

 

[Politoed666]

Blargh... I don't get it. Looks promising, though! Good work!

 

[Nando]

Blargh... I don't get it. Looks promising, though! Good work!

I think he's saying that each trainer class has a number that will determine the prize money by being multiplied with the highest-level Pokémon the individual trainer holds.

 

[tokillachatot]

ive never heard of anything like that sounds pretty good

 

[notacat]

I think he's saying that each trainer class has a number that will determine the prize money by being multiplied with the highest-level Pokémon the individual trainer holds.

Bingo. Thats exactly what we're thinking. Ive only noticed it in Firered and Leafgreen, although I think it may apply to R/S/E and D/P/Pt as well. There have been a few cases where either the listed money is wrong (Im checking it with a wiki, after all) or the formula is wrong, or the formula could just be a method the developers used to determine a good amount of money for each trainer to drop, without actually making it a formula of the game.

So far, the trainer type with the highest mBASE Ive found is the Rich Boy from R/S/E. he has a mBASE of 200.

 

[Mr. Charlie]

These numbers might be a bit off and I think I missed a few trainer types in FR/LG, but otherwise these seem to be the applied values to the trainer type. Im also not sure if mBASE is the correct name for the value, although I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this. I checked bulbapedia for the trainer information, and I can't find any references to a formula for generating the payout of trainers. Have we stumbled across something new?

I noticed that too, but never put myself to the effort of calculating anything. It's specially easy to notice with Gym Leaders. It's a good effort, I would create a page on Bulbapedia with this info (before someone else steals it).
By the way, what kinda of project are you talking about? I would like to know more...

 

[Zekurom]

Sorry to necro this, but I have some important information to add.

Bingo. Thats exactly what we're thinking. Ive only noticed it in Firered and Leafgreen, although I think it may apply to R/S/E and D/P/Pt as well. There have been a few cases where either the listed money is wrong (Im checking it with a wiki, after all) or the formula is wrong, or the formula could just be a method the developers used to determine a good amount of money for each trainer to drop, without actually making it a formula of the game.

So far, the trainer type with the highest mBASE Ive found is the Rich Boy from R/S/E. he has a mBASE of 200.

It actually applies to all the games. Even from Red and Blue. I have a whole subpage on it.

It's not the highest level, actually - it's the last one stored in memory. For example, in Gold and Silver, even though Red has a Level 81 Pikachu, he still pays out P7700 because the last one stored in memory is the Level 77 Blastoise.

It's definitely a programmed formula, at least in Gold and Silver. The trainer data has nothing on payout in it.

Also, shouldn't this be in the Bulbapedia forum?

I noticed that too, but never put myself to the effort of calculating anything. It's specially easy to notice with Gym Leaders. It's a good effort, I would create a page on Bulbapedia with this info (before someone else steals it).

Too late.

 

[Melaugh]

This is really interesting.

You are always learning when it comes to Pokemon. C:

 

[Mr. Slowpoke]

It's really surprising that the programmers even made a formula for something simple as the amount of prize money.

 

[Zekurom]

Okay, I confirmed (for sure, this time) that it's calculated. In Gold I changed the Rival's Pokemon to Level 3 in the first battle, and the payout dropped from P300 to P180.

Now to confirm whether it's the highest level, or last one in memory.

 

[Luna Tiger]

The pay is different per level, per trainer, from game to game, though.

Take the Twins in Azalea Gym. In GSC, they pay 200 for two level tens. In HGSS, they pay 320 for the same two level tens. At the same time, the Bug Catchers of Generations II and IV pay the same.

Even Bugsy's pay is apparently at odds if GSC's Bugsy pays 1600 off a level 16, whereas HGSS's Bugsy pays 1800 off a level 17.

I don't think you can base it all on one formula, unless you can find the variances between games.

 

[Zekurom]

The pay is different per level, per trainer, from game to game, though.

It's the same formula - only the base payouts are different from trainer class to trainer class.

Some of the base payouts changed between generations - that's normal, and can be accounted for.

*bump* Also, I've listed all the Gen.1 trainer payouts in a table: http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/User:Ztobor/Payout

I'm currently watching an LP of Gold to get the Gen.2 ones. Could somebody help me with the other 2 gens.? Those are a little tricky because sometimes the trainers will send out their Pokemon out of order.

Or, you know what, screw the LP. I have an emulator that can play it at 60x speed, so it's faster to play it myself.