snake
CAP Co-Leader
I'm not sure if I quite like the idea of an Ultra Beast CAP anymore. In fact, I'm not sure if I really like the idea of CAP27 happening in Generation 7 anymore. Here's the short of it:
Now, if we don't do CAP27, we shouldn't just twiddle our thumbs in the meantime. CAP has a lot of room to improve itself as Generation 7 closes and Generation 8 begins. Metagame resources (VR, Sample Teams, and analyses especially) can be finalized, the metagame can fully stabilize to CAP26's presence, and the metagame council can undergo nerfing processes if necessary; thus making future CAPTTs have Gen 7 CAP as a reliable, stable metagame that has good resources, unlike Generation 6, which has not only outdated but just flat-out incomplete resources. Metagame players, who represent a sizable chunk of the discussing portion of CAP, won't have to split their time between the end of CAPTT and the beginning of CAP27. We can work on PRC threads for issues CAP is facing now and have good discussions that aren't rushed by wanting CAP27 started ASAP. We can explore the possibility of art competitions for artists.
While I'm always enthusiastic about new making new CAPs, I really don't want to risk it running right into the end of the Generation because it, like Cawmodore, it won't be a fulfilling experience. I think we stand a better shot of making a plan to improve CAP as a whole for the next few months and then start Generation 8 off on a strong foot.
- Any CAP should have at least 4 weeks of play before we start a new CAP. This is to handle any PRC threads that need to be addressed and to let the meta shift due to the previous CAP dropping in. CAP26 will be shaking this metagame up a lot, unlike CAP25. I know the timeframe is a little arbitrary.
- In 2016, CAP22 (Kerfluffle) began on June 10th, ended on October 28th, and had about 3-4 weeks of playtime before Sun and Moon came out on November 18th. Assuming the same release date, and that we started CAP27 right now and takes the same amount of time to finish as Kerfluffle, that means that finishing CAP26, playtesting CAP26, building CAP27, and playtesting CAP27 will have to share about 5 weeks total. Even though Kerfluffle took longer than most CAPs, a good bit had to do with the next generation's hype, and I don't see that going away for Generation 8.
- If we were to constrain CAP27's process by a month compared to Kerfluffle, we'd have about 9 weeks to finish/playtest CAP26 and build/playtest CAP27, but we're cutting it super short with that timeframe. And that's not even excusing that 4 weeks should be MINIMUM amount of playtesting, with longer - about 6 weeks - being better, especially if we actually do playtests for CAP26 and CAP27.
- Basically, even if it's just barely possible to do CAP27 within Generation 7, I don't think we should take it, because we're counting weeks at this point, and that's not really safe. I really don't want another Cawmodore, where CAP27 releases after Sword and Shield drops. No one will want to playtest that, not when a whole new generation of Pokemon and mechanics is coming out.
Removing Ability stage removes about 2 weeks from a CAP Process, sure, but other relevant flavor stages wouldn't be bounded by smaller submission windows. Art submissions are dependent on competitive discussion anyway, so it doesn't count. Otherwise, I don't see how movepool, pokedex entry, name, etc. have their time reduced. Furthermore, the typing stage remains the same, the stat limits stage and stat submissions stage remain the same except for restrictions on the actual numbers (which doesn't reduce timeframe), and movesets discussion wouldn't be any different. Realistically, we're shortening process by 2 weeks-ish, and I don't think that's a safe enough plan to force a framework upon CAP27. It would be better if we were shaving off a month or more from CAP27, but I don't see how we'd do that.
- Reduced Timeframe by removing the Ability Stage entirely and bounding flavor stages for smaller submission windows
Now, if we don't do CAP27, we shouldn't just twiddle our thumbs in the meantime. CAP has a lot of room to improve itself as Generation 7 closes and Generation 8 begins. Metagame resources (VR, Sample Teams, and analyses especially) can be finalized, the metagame can fully stabilize to CAP26's presence, and the metagame council can undergo nerfing processes if necessary; thus making future CAPTTs have Gen 7 CAP as a reliable, stable metagame that has good resources, unlike Generation 6, which has not only outdated but just flat-out incomplete resources. Metagame players, who represent a sizable chunk of the discussing portion of CAP, won't have to split their time between the end of CAPTT and the beginning of CAP27. We can work on PRC threads for issues CAP is facing now and have good discussions that aren't rushed by wanting CAP27 started ASAP. We can explore the possibility of art competitions for artists.
While I'm always enthusiastic about new making new CAPs, I really don't want to risk it running right into the end of the Generation because it, like Cawmodore, it won't be a fulfilling experience. I think we stand a better shot of making a plan to improve CAP as a whole for the next few months and then start Generation 8 off on a strong foot.