Trainer Rework

[Shizeria]

Hello everyone!

 

The Trainer Rework is live on Kanto! This means, every NPC Trainer that you can fight during Kanto Story has been reworked. Here's the details on the update.

 

 

Before the update:

• The level progression curve for Kanto was broken, being very easy in the second half of the story, but suddenly becoming very difficult starting at the Cinnabar Gym.
• Every trainer gained 3 levels everytime you fought against them, capping at 12 levels.
• The movesets of their Pokemon were simply the last 4 moves they learn by level up. This often resulted into poor movesets, such as a level 60 Clefable using Spotlight or Double Slap.
• If you lost against a trainer, the trainer would enter cooldown immediately, and did not need to be refought.

 

After the update:

• The level progression curve for Kanto has been balanced for a more smooth playthrough. The balance has been determined based on a player that would use a full team of 6 Pokemon and evolve them whenever possible.
• The variety of the trainers has been widened. Certain trainers will bring Pokemon from further generations, up to generation 6.
• Every trainer gain +5% +1 level everytime you fight them, capping at +20% +4 levels. For example, a level 5 Pokemon caps at level 10, while a level 50 Pokemon caps at level 64. This level cannot go over 100.
• After every battle, trainers now gain EV points. Once capped out, they will have spent all of their 510 EV points equally in all of their stats.
• A few trainers also have specific properties added to their Pokemon, such as held item, starting with higher EVs, and determined ability.
• After specific battles, trainers can add new Pokemon to their team and evolve some of their Pokemon.
• Their movesets are carefully controlled, so you can expect the trainers to use the best moves they learn through level up. Some may also use TM, Egg or Move Tutor moves, either from the very beginning or learned after a specific amount of wins.
• If you lose against a trainer, the trainer does not enter cooldown or lose its Line of Sight. This means you will need to rebattle the trainer if it's blocking the path. The next battle after a lost one will also not yield any experience, so be careful!

 

 

The rework is currently applied to all NPC trainers that can be fought within the Kanto Story, including Cerulean Cave, but excluding story-only NPCs (rocket hideout and Sylph Co) and gym trainer NPCs. It is planned to apply the rework to all other NPC trainers.

 

Reworked trainers have their win count and cooldowns reset. Their Line of Sight is not reset however, so they will not fight you if you enter the sight of a trainer that you have already fought before the update.

 

 

 

August 18th 2020 Update:

 

Johto trainers have now been reworked according to the points above from the Kanto Rework. In additions, the following extra changes have been made:

• All Johto trainers now have a title and a name, making it easier to tell who will fight and who won't.
• A few new trainers were added throughout the region. None of them are mandatory to fight.
• Ecruteak City's Dance Theater is now home to many new trainers, meant to be fought before challenging the Ghost gym leader, Morty.

 

 

December 13rd 2021 Update:

 

Sinnoh trainers have now been reworked according to the points above from the Kanto Rework. Some of the trainer names have also been replaced to be less immersion-breaking.

 

 

September 25th 2022 Update:

 

Hoenn trainers have now been reworked according to the points above from the Kanto Rework, concluding the rework for all the main story areas, leaving only side areas like the Sevii Islands remaining. Note that the level balance has been done with the assumption that you don't fight the trainers in the optional water routes

Edited September 26, 2022 by Shizeria
Hoenn rework update.

[Fildc]

what about money gained? is it progressive? and is it still double for ms?

[Shizeria]

Money gains have not been touched, and should continue to follow the old formula. While I personally don't know the formula, trainers should in theory yield more money as their Pokemon grow in level and add Pokemon to their team, and Membership should still double the amount of money earned from these trainer battles.

[Algerie31]

i want you take a look to money gained because battelling a high level and getting 20 pokedollars is not fair

[Shizeria]

The money income formula is unfortunately very random, and getting low amount of pokedollars is a possibility even on a strong trainer. From one of the guides I found, the money income from a wild Pokemon has a random factor that makes it possible to receive only 1% of the highest possible amount, and from personal experience, trainers seem to also follow that behavior.

 

That said, I have confirmed that the money income indeed scales with the level of the Pokemon, as well as the amount of Pokemon on the reworked trainers. Given the large level increase in the later half of the Kanto story, as well as the occasional team additions, this should definitely result in a money outcome increase from Kanto trainers, although other regions, especially Sinnoh, might still be more efficient overall.

[Falkenauge1337]

Will other NPC Trainers of other regions (Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh) be reworked with Python Script too?

[Omgupta2]

Time to do story again!!

[Shizeria]

Will other NPC Trainers of other regions (Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh) be reworked with Python Script too?

 

Yes, I am planning on eventually converting every single NPC trainer, including those in optional areas such as Trainer Valley. Kanto took priority, as the progression curve was very unbalanced in a way that negatively affected player progression.

[Allsmell]

Has this made it easier across the board for the first run?

[Shizeria]

In general, it should be harder, as the trainers now have controlled movesets, more variety in Pokemon species, and the levels has been increased. However, the levels were balanced around a player that would use a full team of 6 Pokemon while evolving them whenever possible. If you use that playstyle, all trainers will always be around your level, assuming you defeat every trainer whenever possible, and you will not need to grind against wild Pokemon.

 

On the overall, the main differences are that you will not be overleveled for the whole second half of the Kanto story, and you will not hit a sudden difficulty spike at the Cinnabar Gym.