Rework Tournaments for accessibility & practical purposes
Forum Index > Core > Suggestions >
This thread aims to come up with ideas to make the entirety of Tournaments more accessible to players (regardless of experience and resources used), while also rewarding those who take Tournaments seriously and put in a lot of effort — all in a healthy and motivational way.
The concept of Tournaments is getting severely outdated. Most of the objectives aren't very practical to users for several reasons: some users have to sacrifice sleeping hours (especially due to timezone differences), some have no resources to place in the Top 100 for an Egg they need, and some are just unlucky because RNG-based Tournaments are simply — and excuse my language here — crappy.
While Tournaments definitely encourage competition in this game, they're very impractical in their current state. This goes for both newer and veteran players. Newer players have little chance to reach Medium/Hard Goals (although that somewhat makes sense), let alone place in the Top 100. Veteran players, who have more experience, have a bigger chance to place, but in some objectives it's at the cost of resources or their own physical and mental health.
It's become for some, if not many, people unbearable to keep up with Tournaments for these reasons. I constantly see people struggle to keep their Arceus rank just because of one EggDex entry they couldn't obtain by entering the Top 100, and thus have to spend tons of money to buy new Tournament Tokens from others (averaging at 400k Credits for each Token in the first two weeks of the season).
This is why I suggest a major rework of how Tournaments work, take place, and reward people. We can discuss ideas on how to make breathe new life in Tournaments, make them accessible and more fair for everyone, and give people the option not to participate without being punished greatly in terms of Ranks.
If you have any suggestions yourself, feel free to post them! I can make a whole list out of this.
Also read Colorful's post on why Tournaments are currently bad for your health.
You can read my original suggestion below. My stance has somewhat changed from what it was, but you may need to read it to understand the full context of what we've been discussing!
Trust me — as a Melan hunter, you wouldn't want your Melan boost to be taken away all because of one Egg.
Here are some points I've thought of. Note that I'm not demanding all of these points to happen. Some can be combined to create a solution, some can't. I don't even agree with some of the proposals here. These are just points to let us brainstorm.
Proposals
- No new Eggs as Top Prizes — distribute new Eggs in different ways;
- Widen the range of the Leaderboard;
- Decrease the Token cost of new Eggs (currently at 12 for the newest Season);
- Make new Eggs breedable immediately, rather than wait for two Seasons (albeit at a very low rate);This point is suggested under the condition that the Exclusive has been designed to be breedable, unlike Legendary Exclusives.
- Change how RNG-based Tournaments work to make them less punishing (for example, adding a pity meter)
Original post; hidden due to updated arguments.
I got kicked off the Leaderboard for sleeping. For sleeping, y'all.
The current Tournament objective is to obtain valuable items from Scours. This is a Tournament based on RNG (Randomly Generated Numbers), or, in other words, based on luck.
For years, Tournament objectives like this one have annoyed me. And this has somewhat become the last straw, especially because the top prize is a brand-new Exclusive Egg.
The reason why I want RNG-based Tournaments removed is because they don't really reward you for effort you put into it. Instead, you have to be lucky you get Boxes (which give you five points each) and hope your Pokémon don't come back with "Nothing!".
Furthermore, RNG Tourneys punish you for not being on PokéFarm, even if it's just a few hours. The only reason I was on the Leaderboard for two days was because I only slept for 4 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday each. As soon as I slept for a normal 8 hours, I got kicked off the Leaderboard... And now I likely can't get back on it, no matter how hard I try to.
RNG Tournaments aren't fun at all. They're annoying, unpredictable, and boring. When the top prize isn't an Egg I need, I only barely hit the Hard goal for five Tournament Tokens on purpose, because I know I won't place in the Leaderboard anyway. And now I can't even get the new Egg without spending a crap load of money on additional Tokens from other players, all because Sally decided to be an ass towards me.
You've got to look at it like this: imagine if the Tournament objective was to hatch as many Shinies as you can. Would you see that as a good objective? I definitely wouldn't, because even with full boosts, getting Shinies is based on chance. There's absolutely no guarantee you'll get Shinies at all, and your effort may not be rewarded.
I call for a complete removal of RNG Tourneys. This includes Scours and Berry harvesting. The reason why I'm against Berry harvesting as well is because despite it requiring a bit more effort than Scour Tournaments, it also punishes you for not being on PFQ for a while. You need to water your plants once in a while to keep them healthy. If you fail to do that, you'll get less Berries and/or your plants will die. Of course, there's Mulch to compensate for inactivity, but during Tournaments, they help way too little.
I firmly don't believe that there can be compromises here. The nature of RNG Tournaments is problematic in itself, no matter how much one tries to change them. However, I don't mind hearing suggestions. If you have better ideas, feel free to share them.
Positive points:
- Punishes players less.
- Makes it more fair for everyone.
Negative points:
- New types of Tournaments may have to be invented to replace RNG Tournaments. I don't see this as an issue, though, because I believe new Tournament objectives were long overdue. But I felt like I could add this point.
forum avatar is furina from genshin impact
I'm not against Berry Tournament simply because you don't get penalise that much for forgetting to water it. While it can be an hassle to set alarm or watering it each hour if you put grown mulch, you don't have to and aren't obligated to ruin your sleep to get in the top 100.
Tho as another RNG-Based tournament that I won't mind seeing gone is the fishing tournament, it's a bit boring and you have to spend currency on top of being lucky with catching what you reel up.
So yea, agree with removing RNG Based tournament, even if it's mostly the scour one who is the most problematic. What doesn't help it at all is that the daily task doesn't count toward your points, so it's like getting one nothing every day!
My first language is french! So sorry in advance for misunderstanding xD
Profile picture made by myself!
Gacha for DCP!
i agree 100%
RNG in competition where the reward does matter to people, often dont mix well
If you think any competetive game over the years (CSGO a great example), there is no RNG, even in bullet spread and spray patters, it was all things that could be learned and mastered and would set the best apart from the great and amazing players
The only thing I will kinda counter the Original post, is the 'Furthermore, RNG Tourneys punish you for not being on PokéFarm, even if it's just a few hours. The only reason I was on the Leaderboard for two days was because I only slept for 4 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday each. As soon as I slept for a normal 8 hours, I got kicked off the Leaderboard... And now I likely can't get back on it, no matter how hard I try to.' this being true and false
yes youre absoltely right being away from pfq, makes it harder to compete and place in the top 100 of RNG tournys, but the statement can be taken a bit further in being away from PFQ will effect your tourny standings no matter what kind of tourny it is, simply being less active is going to make it less difficult to compete - therefore this statement is not needed
I also agree with this for above statement made 'I only slept for 4 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday each. As soon as I slept for a normal 8 hours, I got kicked off the Leaderboard...' the tournys shouldnt have players creat bad habits in order to compete, which I know can be easier said than done with time zones and such. But as soon as people start opting to only sleep x amount of hours to 'play' pfq bceause the feel its needed is where changes need to be made
to add to this, its different than something like CSGO and COD where people just choose to sit up all hours of the night to play for fun or with their friends
I mean specifically those that feel they need to sleep less or alter healthy habits being the only way to compete with others
& 
Dead to Live Charm Swap 
& 
/
★/X Pass Rentals at 
Personally I don't support this, because I think RNG tournaments give players who are slightly less active or newer or with less money, at least somewhat of a chance to do well in tournaments. For me tournaments without RNG such as egg hatching ones are much harder, because some people are extremely active and hatch tons and tons of eggs, and also have the currency to keep buying DC passes in order to hatch even more evne after hitting shelter limit. The scour one gives somewhat more of an equal opportunity to everyone as long as you keep collecting your scours.
Edit: Although I do dislike the berry challenge, especially for those with a not fully upgraded field
My profile picture is me playing trumpet. I currently have nothing else to put here so, I like music, video games, and potatoes.
Check out my trade shop: 
QUOTE originally posted by frøst1595
(snipped) ... being away from PFQ will effect your tourny standings no matter what kind of tourny it is, simply being less active is going to make it less difficult to compete - therefore this statement is not needed
= 20 
= 20
Template credit: izu.ku Avatar credit: Agent8
Full support. The RNG elements are only really fun if it’s not for high stakes stuff like this, and are pretty much already covered with the buffs from the staff bar thing anyway. I’ve no interest in the berry fields for example and only used them when I was sorta... forced to, because of the tourney.
I think tourneys shouldn’t be reliant on RNG, but instead focused effort and determination. And, please, not to the extent where we have to choose between sleep and placing in the top 100...
Fully support this.
I’m at like 400 points in the current tournament, and I’ve been active every day keeping up with my scours. Between working and sleeping, I can’t afford to be competitive in the tournament. With egg hatching, I can at least try by participating during the time I can play the game.
I am going to say no support for this.
I think that RNG tournaments are a nice breath of fresh air, honestly. Yes, they are passive, and yes they need you to check in from time to time. But I like it.
I have gotten thrown of the leaderboard of a tournament countless of times during the last few hours of a tournament because I was asleep as an European. Shelter hatching tournaments are tournaments that never benefit me because it has been so often that on saturday, there was a Niet + Shazi boost I couldn't use for the tournament because I was asleep.
"Yes, but you can put in more time and effort with these tourneys beforehand so then you deserve your place on the leaderboard!"
Not everyone has the ability or the resources to keep up with "effort tournaments". Not everyone can hunt rus the whole day. Not everyone can buy several SLEs to "catch up".
I myself heavily dislike the interaction tournament because I am unable to click as much as is required for a tournament like that to place. Does that mean we should ban that one as well? No. Because I know that not every tournament is one I have to be the best at.
For this RNG tournament, yes, it is true that there is RNG involved. But does anyone look at the sample size of scours? People complain about the hours where they only earn one or two points, but I hear nobody exclaim about the hours where they got 3 boxes!
"RNG" will even out through bigger sample size. The more scours you make with optimal scour teams, you will see that there is an average score per hour, which is like 8 or 9 points from what I observed.
I get feeling helpless, I get feeling as if you can't win and need to be lucky. But that is what I find the beauty of the tournament. Anyone can win. Not just the people with the funds for SLEs, the ability to click 30k+ each day, or the time to hunt rus.
You win some you lose some.
As someone who has slept 8h each day and is still on the leaderboard: it is possible. Nobody forces you to choose between sleep and winning the tournament.
And, well, if this is mostly about the new egg: after 2 weeks you have earned 10 tokens (presuming you didn't sell your last batch). That means you only need to buy two more to unlock the last egg you need if you fail to place. That's not too bad, is it?
0 || 
Icon by @Lilypadlife
I don't support this at all. Why? Its because of my current responsibilities and commitments.
From morning to night for 24/7, I take care of my 5 (going 6) months old with barely any rest. And when I really do rest? Its at night, and its during the time when PFQ community is the most active. Yes, I have only joined this site for a total of 2 months, but I am observant. Honestly, most of my time spent on PFQ is just browsing the forums and reading everyone's suggestions or discussions or the like. And yes, my first tourney was an egg hatching tourney and on my first day, I went to bed with me somewhere on the leaderboard but when I woke up, I've been kicked out.
As much as I don't deny that tourneys that use scours, fishing and berry farming are the most RNG based, removing them is also removing the fairness for people like me where we believe that we have a chance to compete for the new fakemon egg unlike every other tourney where we simply don't have that kind of chance unless we sacrifice our commitments for it.
As someone who was spent alot of her time playing gacha games etc, I have to agree. But that is the purpose of RNG. RNG is meant to see if you're lucky or not. RNG is there to either lend you a helping hand and give you the ultra rare character that you need in order to complete your deck or they're there to kick you to the curb, telling you to survive by your own. All in all, RNG was never meant to be fun. RNG mainly exists to test your patience and understanding of the game system.
I agree that shiny hatching is based on chance, but it can also be based on your activeness and effort as well. Active in collecting eggs and the effort put into clicking and making your eggs hatch fast. Putting this as something that's RNG based may be correct, but its also wrong. It is simply two different objectives, albeit similar in chances and luck.
This is absolutely correct. No game developer will force its players in any shape or form to sacrifice your rest and sleep in order to maintain your position on the leaderboard.
This is exactly why I'm disagreeing. It's because some players simply don't have that kind of time and commitment to some egg image codded into the website and some pixelated creatures. If what you're thinking is the majority of the player base, then please think about the bigger picture first before talking about it. I know that you're suggesting this for the betterment of alot of players, but there's more to us than meets the eye.
All in all, I feel like everyone that posted onto this has forgotten about the 'fun' that PFQ gives you, and is now more like "I gotta get to this before anyone else does".
QUOTE originally posted by Sakuya
RNG Tournaments aren't fun at all. They're annoying, unpredictable, and boring.
QUOTE originally posted by Sakuya
You've got to look at it like this: imagine if the Tournament objective was to hatch as many Shinies as you can. Would you see that as a good objective? I definitely wouldn't, because even with full boosts, getting Shinies is based on chance. There's absolutely no guarantee you'll get Shinies at all, and your effort may not be rewarded.
QUOTE originally posted by Nightmøn
... you don't have to and aren't obligated to ruin your sleep to get in the top 100.
QUOTE originally posted by MysticMusician
... I think RNG tournaments give players who are slightly less active or newer or with less money, at least somewhat of a chance to do well in tournaments. For me tournaments without RNG such as egg hatching ones are much harder, because some people are extremely active and hatch tons and tons of eggs, and also have the currency to keep buying DC passes in order to hatch even more evne after hitting shelter limit. The scour one gives somewhat more of an equal opportunity to everyone as long as you keep collecting your scours.
/
/
/
/
/
I support this suggestion! Particularly with the scours one anyway, I work, I cannot be on my phone at work and then can only get maybe 6 scours sent a day at max. It defeats the point for me. With other tourneys I can use my time after work to catch up, hatch eggs and so on which i would do anyway bc I need to hatch eggs for hunts. But scours being hourly mean I cant catch up in the time i do have. Especially with the new eggs, it just gers frustrating. I havent hit the medium target yet and I doubt I will bc I have work.
UFT and Free Fields
Score: 1040
Cannot post: Please log in to post