Do you prefer Open or Closed teamsheets?
This last two years of Pokémon VGC has been different with open team sheets in tournaments. I’m not going to claim there are no advantages to this over closed team sheets, but I’m under the opinion that it was not an overall improvement to the game and would like to state a case that closed team sheets are better for the enjoyment and competitive health of the circuit if implemented correctly.
First, I would like I would like to address the obvious. Open team sheets was a patch job solution because there was not a functioning spectator mode. With the switch not having spilt screens, this was necessary, because a player’s moves and items will be revealed on stream. With a mostly functioning spectator mode in the finals of the last couple World championships finals, the necessity of running tournaments open team sheet should no longer be a thing.
The other valid reason for open team sheets was the prevention of scouting. Scouting is the act of sharing and inquiring information about an opponent’s team for yourself or a friend prior to a match to give yourself an advantage.
Scouting was a problem, and open team sheets did fix it, but at the cost of something worse.
The problem with scouting is you cannot simply create a rule saying it’s not allowed. At the top level where winning is everything, players will do whatever it takes to gain an advantage, even cheating if they know they can easily get away with it. Policing it and proving players are doing it would be near impossible, which is likely why it was never explicitly against the rules.
But I think what everyone can agree on is that scouting is not in the spirit of the game. In addition to creating a rule against it, we also need to create a culture of honour amongst players. There have been times at tournaments where players have asked me about someone’s team I had already played. Each time I refuse to give them any information, even to my friends. We need to create a culture where this mindset is instilled in the players and sharing information is looked down on.
Even though open team sheets did help against scouting, it did not completely get rid of it. Stats of Pokémon are still hidden and can be discovered through play. Speed tiers, bulk and attack investment can all be found through attention to how much damage you deal and receive. This can be shared with your friends. An example of this I saw was a player sharing with a friend that their upcoming opponent’s Fluttermane out sped theirs, so it was at least 196 speed. A piece of information they shouldn’t have had, going into that game.
But what did we lose?
With the introduction of open team sheets, we lost an entire unique aspect of Pokémon that no other game does the same. I’m talking about limited information and the skillset which comes along with it. There are a few different skills a player needs to navigate this. Frist is Pokémon and metagame knowledge in order to approximate what moves and items your opponent is likely to have. You can help make these assumptions by looking at team composition and also process of elimination.
Some examples are:
My opponent’s team has two Pokémon that regularly hold a focus sash, but I can know that at least one of them doesn’t have it.
My opponents Raging Bolt just took Life Orb recoil, so now I know their Landorus doesn’t have it. This means I will live an earth power. This also implies it’s most likely choice scarf, because that’s the other common item It likes to run.
With this aspect also comes a strategy to fool your opponents by building your team with unorthodox moves or items to catch your opponent by surprise. For the record, I do think this is a completely legitimate strategy, that players can use to their advantage. There are some that do not like playing against others using surprise tactics, which is presented as a reason for open team sheet. This is only a problem in closed team sheets best of 1. A closed team sheet best of 3 mitigates this. Surprise tactics only work once and cannot win you a whole set. You also have to dedicate a portion of your teams’ available resources to this strategy, which makes it harder to win a second game.
Another skill higher level players have is to pay attention to and notice clues that reveal information about your opponent’s team.
Some examples are:
That Pokémon didn’t take sand chip, so I can conclude it’s holding safety goggles.
That Pokémon took less than half damage when it should have taken more, so I know it has as assault vest and cannot protect.
That attack did more damage than it was supposed to, so it must be holding a choice item, therefore it’s locked into that move.
That Pokémon’s intimidate activated before electric terrain, so it must be holding a choice scarf.
There is also the skill of scouting your opponents moves and items while not revealing your own. A great example of this is to continue playing a game you have lost and cant come back from. Since you are already in a cant win position, you keep using the same move over and over without revealing anything new, while your opponent shows extra moves to close the game. You can also do this in a winning position, when you can win a game by only using already revealed moves, then do it. You can even use a double protect to scout for potential information.
These examples are just scratching the surface of the nuance closed team sheets brought to the game.
Open team sheets are a hassle
Pokémon tournaments are one of the only video game events where you need something other than the game and hardware to play. When I’m playing a video game, I don’t want to have to take my eyes off the screen to focus on something else. Not to mention it becomes more about reading fast that actually thinking about the game. Many times, team preview ran out of time before I could look through every little detail of my opponent’s team.
Smaller tournaments require you to fill out or bring your own team sheet. Players would intentionally write in the messiest handwriting to make it harder for their opponent to read, or at least slow down their reading.
There is no way to practice this format using Nintendo
It is a problem when the official Pokémon games are not the best way to practice and prepare for the official events. Currently the best way to practice this format is on Pokémon Showdown, that allows you to play open team sheet best of 3 with strangers. Practicing the official format at home from your switch requires arranging with a friend to share team sheets via another device, and manually resetting after every game. Or you must meet in person. The way you play the game at home should be the same as how you play the tournaments. Current online Pokémon play is all without team sheets, yet the official tournaments are not. Playing for open team sheets vs closed are two different playstyles and skill sets, but you also need to build completely different teams to succeed at each. You are often disadvantaging yourself by practicing on battle stadium.
It’s much easier to make tournaments closed team sheets than it is to implement team sheets into the core game. Not to mention it would over complicate the core game play with a lot of extra reading.
But on a side note, what we really need is best of 3 mode for the online in game ladder. We can keep the best of 1 as well, making there two different game modes for doubles. This way we can practice playing at home exactly how we would play during a tournament.
