Welcome to the Random Battles Community Interview! The goal of this project is to interview well-known members of the Randbats community every month and learn more about them. These members may include players who’ve been successful in tournaments, high-ladderers, format/forum contributors, and more!
Tarrembeau
alright, let's start then with the usual unrelated question: do you have a favorite movie and if yes, which one?
xGang
Hmm, I don't watch that many movies, but the first one that comes to mind is Whiplash, really enjoyed it
Tarrembeau
ooh that's a very cool movie indeed! If you're not that much of a cinema aficionado, how do you like to spend your free time?
xGang
I spend a lot of time gaming for sure, mostly League of Legends and some other competitive multiplayer games. Besides gaming I'm currently trying to pick up tennis
Tarrembeau
you're mentioning LoL, competitive multiplayer games and tennis, and you also play Pokemon competitively; I can then assume you're more of a competition enjoyer than anything else. Do you still play Pokemon in its original RPG form, or any other solo Pokemon games among the many they have?
xGang
You are very correct. I really enjoy competing in a lot of various forms, from playing a 5 man League game to playing a team tour on Showdown.
I do like to revisit the old Pokemon games from time to time, with some of my favourites including Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky and Pokemon Emerald. I've tried the newer games a few times, but always quickly realised they aren't really for me. My knowledge about Pokemon heavily drops off after Gen 5 because of that
Tarrembeau
Pokemon, even competitively, comes in many different forms. How did you end up being involved in the Random Battles community?
xGang
From what I recall, I remember watching some VGC at the time and stumbled upon Showdown for the first time. I tried a lot of different formats at the time and ended up playing some Gen 6 Random Battle and BSS but they didn’t really do it for me.
I remember asking on the forums if it was possible to create a Gen 3 ladder, and a few months later they actually released the ladder and I ended up playing it a lot.
When I heard about RBTT having a dedicated slot for Gen 3 I knew that was exactly what I wanted to compete in. I remember grinding so many games to get my main and alt accounts into the top 10 to make sure any of the teams would notice me, and Team Victini ended up drafting me :).
Tarrembeau
I don't think I was even playing back then! Do you enjoy playing Random Battles in general or is it specifically Gen3?
xGang
Gen 3 is my favourite gen by far, but I also do like playing Gens 1-5 from time to time
Tarrembeau
What is it about Gen3 that you like? Do you think there is a particular reason why it's your favourite?
xGang
Besides Emerald being my favourite game, I also just ended up loving the power level of Gen 3. There also aren't a lot of hazards (especially Stealth Rock, I really dislike how they work).
While there are positive sides to the other gens, I think Gen 2 ends up being a bit too stally most of the time, and Gen 4 onwards has a bit too much power for my liking
Tarrembeau
Yeah I understand your preference then, even though I don't share it myself. Level balancing with the help of winrates statistics has recently been introduced to past Gens of Random Battles; do you have an opinion on this major change?
xGang
Loving the balancing so far. Roginald and I have talked quite a bit about Gen 3 balancing specifically, and I’m glad they ended up nerfing some of the overperformers. While Pokemon like Kyogre are still good, it’s not the almost instant win it was before.
It's also a lot of fun to see some of the weaker mons become useful with some aid. It ends up creating a lot more fair battles.
Tarrembeau
Glad you like it! it can sometimes be weird to deal with major changes, especially those which change your headcalcs and so on, but I agree it's for the best. You mentioned laddering a lot, earlier; do you enjoy laddering? Do you have any method in order to maintain good ranking and GXE?
xGang
I will admit that the changes have definitely made me underestimate some of the buffed Pokemon a few times, haha.
While I don't ladder as much as I did in previous years, it's always fun to set a goal for myself: like a certain GXE, rank 1, or getting multiple high accounts on the ladder. Having a goal helps me focus and play better.
Tarrembeau
Having a set goal is definitely a plus, but you still have to play well to perform aha! Do you have any general strategies when it comes to in-game?
xGang
I try to actively think about win conditions when I’m playing. Especially in the middle of a set or when the opponent reveals a new pokemon, I think it’s extremely important to stop clicking buttons for a few seconds and think about how to set up your sweep, or try to figure out what Pokemon I need to keep around to answer a certain check.
Tarrembeau
I'm so much of a natural clicker myself, I can’t relate to that thought process lol. You have the distinction of being the only player to win 3 different RBTTs. Do you particularly enjoy team tours, and if yes, why?
xGang
Team tours def are a lot of fun. I love to watch most of the matches every week and read all the active discussions about the games. Winning for your team is also an amazing feeling, especially because so many good players join the tours.
Tarrembeau
That is very true! Outside of RBTT, is there any Random Battle event you're looking forward to partake in?
xGang
Really looking forward to WCoR. Last year was a lot of fun and we got so close to winning with team Benelux.
Tarrembeau
I feel like half the people I did interview were on team Benelux so here's a bonus question: why do you think you guys are so strong at Random Battles aha?
xGang
Haha, I think we are just so used to dealing with the RNG weather we get here that we can weather the storm in our Random Battles. But on a serious note: I think we are just very down to earth and patiently weigh our options when playing Random Battles.
Tarrembeau
Hahaha I like both of your explanations! This interview is coming to an end, so let me ask the traditional question: do you have any advice for new players or players who seek to improve at the game?
xGang
I think besides playing a lot, think about the decisions you are about to make instead of instantly clicking or diving into the calc, especially in the mid and late game. Even when the timer is on, 150 seconds is a lot. If you are trying to win and improve, make sure to use it.
Tarrembeau
alright! Thank you a lot for your very cool answers and for your time!
xGang
Thanks for having me, it was a pleasure!
Thanks to xGang for the wonderful interview! Feel free to ask any further questions for them in this thread, and make sure to keep an eye out for future interviews!
