Team Preview Discussion

T

The Yoshi

Wumbo
Member
Team Preview was something new 5th Generation brought to the table, and there's been some controversy over how it has affected the meta game, for positive or negative effects. Some argue that the fun of using interesting leads has been destroyed because of Team Preview, while others say that TP is actually useful because it allows for both players to lay out their strategy for the match. So here's some discussion questions:

  • What are your views on Team Preview? Was it for the better of worse?
  • How do you think Team Preview has affected your playing experience compared to other generations? (answer only if you played in an older generation)
  • Should Team Preview be available in 6th Generation? Would it be useful to have an option to turn TP on and off?

So, discuss!
 
To be honest, I don't like TP very much. It takes away the element of surprise for both you and your opponent, and often causes ridiculous situations e.g. two weather teams never get out their weather starter for fear that the other might do the same.
On the other hand, TP forces players to think more and often leads to new tricks and strategies.
So yeah, the best for Gen VI would be to have an on/off for TPs. So you can decide which you prefer the most.
 
It ruins actual battling. You know ahead of time what you're already facing and you can just go and easily predict what the foe has, as well as send in a Pokemon that best handles their lead.
 
I've not been playing competitively for long, but after a few games against other people I can say I'm not a fan of team preview. It takes away any element of suprise that you could throw or have thrown at you by an opponent.
 
I love team preview. It makes the battles more strategic and fun imo.

Now you don't have to constantly fear abilities like Flash Fire either...
 
I have mixed feelings on it, but for the most part, I think it was a good addition. It makes each decision in a battle much more important, especially when it comes to predicting possible switch-ins. I do hate that team preview pretty much got rid of dedicated lead Pokemon like Aerodactyl and Azelf, but overall, it was a nice addition to competitive battling.
 
I also have mixed feelings. I dislike it because Team Preview really aided offensive teams. Right from the get-go, they can see which pokemon they need to wear down, and they can have a plan of action from the word "go." It also really aids them in prediction, and can allow them to rip holes much more easily then they could in DPP. However, there are a couple of Pokémon that become way better without team preview. Dragonite and Volcarona are the two that I think of immediately. If you can keep them a secret until late-game, there is almost nothing you can do to stop them. They will just be dropped out of the blue and clean up late-game. Overall, I dislike team preview because we had a much more versatile playstyle without it, but I do think if we just got rid of it, some serious steps would have to be taken in order to keep the metagame balanced out.
 
I was going to make a discussion thread about this. Kudos!

Team preview, like any battle mechanic, is utilized depending on the experience of the player. For that reason, it does not do any damage to the game. Saying it is better or worse is subjective. I watch games where players do not use team preview to the full extent of its capabilities. Moreover, I see players getting misinformation from team preview. It takes a savvy player to use team preview to its maximum potential. It is not a simple matter of predicting the right move. At the highest level, you can win an entire game on team preview through proper game planning and execution.

Do I think there should be team preview in XY? No. As someone who comes from older generations, I feel that team preview made BW lacking in some areas of skill, such as lead metagame and scouting. Even with the expected amount of threats that will be present in the next generation, there will always be centralization to the metagame to create order. With that being said, the game is more competitive when everyone is given less information. It adds the necessity of getting that information in order to win. Ultimately, I feel there is more taken away from the game by team preview being present than it adds to the game.
 
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