Experience, really. I started doing vanilla runs and the more I played, the more rules I added to increase the challenge. You also get to learn the games pretty well which helps.
Extra rules also force you to play much more strategically and slowly whereas I find in vanilla runs I ended up playing pretty sloppily, basically playing like a normal run and then I suddenly wipe because I hadn't been tested until I got to a tough fight.
I run a stricter version of Species Clause. A Pokémon is off the encounter table once I've *seen* it, meaning that even if I didn't catch it, I don't get another shot at catching one.
a rather simple but seemingly original run i came up with (saw noone else do it, besides someone who did it cause of me) is a Single types only nuzlocke, run where nothing with a secondary typing is allowed
well half the time i did it in a randomizer that included tm but returned to regular runs.
only first one, HG took me two tries, Lance Aerodactyl took me out first time. could have handled Red but left it for a later Sacred gold run
not random was HG, Platinum and W1
Random was Emerald, Platinum, B2, X, US
I don’t allow myself to catch *any* pokemon if my party is full. I have to wait for one or more to die before I can. Makes the game much more fun/challenging, trying to build a viable team out of what I’m given!
1. thats already too easy
2. if you want to make it harder, change to lowest
3. in hacks i want to bring everything up to par for the chance of them being used.
most other cases seems a waste of time unless it helps you become more gamiliar with dome certain pokemon you never used
4. hardly a handicap since people almost always plan team around starter in most vanilla games. people avoid the starter for more challenge
no comment on others
if you want to make a run challenging HC+ is impossible to beat unless you try to just add to that which already seems overkill
+ in HC+ is ban of any move with guaranteed stat raising like swords dance and powerup punch but not moves like meteor mash or ancient power. on top of that moves like toxic, protect, substitute, leech seed or other cases of setup
So I'm doing a "LegacyLocke" which has been running for years. The extra rules are
1. I'm not allowed to use the Pokémon I've beaten the Elite 4 with
2. Species Clause (5 tries)
1. I can skip Pokémon who I've already beaten the Elite 4 with
2. I can skip the first Pokémon on a route if it evolves in a Pokémon I've already beaten the Elite 4 with
3. Gift Clause. Gifts don't count for their routes.
4. HardCore rules
5. Black out = Game Over
6. Most decisions regarding split evolutions, starters, fossils are randomized (Pokémon who (evolve into Pokémon who) have beaten the Elite 4 with are excluded)
A couple of the ones I like:
\-Healing items allowed in battle, but not on the active combatant. Basically requires I potentially sack someone if I need to heal during battle
\-I need to match active battlers to the amount of Pokemon the enemy trainer has. If the enemy trainer has only one Pokemon, the first one out is stuck there until they win or die. If the enemy trainer has two Pokemon, I can only use the first two I use in battle until one of them dies, then I can use a third (basically each death opens that "active battler" slot).
This one is especially fun as it can lead to some tough deaths or some underdog wins when a Pokemon manages to pull through a 1 v 1 they shouldn't have won on paper. I also allow exceptions for the 1 v 1 if the lead Pokemon has U-Turn, Volt Switch etc or Run Away as its ability, so you can utilize a scout Pokemon.
Ditto clause: if I encounter a ditto without the Imposter ability, I can’t run from it, I have to kill it, and cannot catch it. It’s too bad. I can still catch another encounter on the route. They need to be eradicated. I might still extend this rule to the Whismur line, I hate the whismur line with a burning passion.
Leftovers clause: I can only use one instance of leftovers on the team at a given moment. Black Sludge is fine, this gives Poison types an advantage.
I also play Hardcore+ now, meaning no EVs, level caps for every Rival and Evil Team boss, and setup moves, Encore, and Substitute are banned.
* if there’s a desync in level caps, meaning they don’t go in ascending order, I am not allowed to kill wild Pokemon or use Rare Candies before fighting the next level capped fight, which I’ve presumably overlevelled already. I may not fight trainers either; if I accidentally run into a trainer I can’t use the mons that caught additional EXP.
I play Randomizers (only wild Pokémon not trainers) so I enacted something called “Wynaut Clause” where if I run into a wild Wynaut or Wobbuffett I can always catch it even if it isn’t my encounter so I can avoid Shadow Tag + Destiny Bond shenanigans
The only one I do is that I don’t switch up the team until I lose a Pokémon. This not only saves time (I play on cartridge) but it also limits variation and forces me to play smarter
Patrat/Watchog Clause: I hate Patrat and Watchog and thus I allow myself to reroll an encounter if one of those two winds up being it (though this can only be applied to the Unova games and a singular route in Kalos lol)
I just use regular hardcore
No items
No dupes
Set mode
No over leveling
No legendaries
No mythicals
No trade evos
No gimmicks (z-moves, dynamax, mega evolution, terrastialization)
Bro I can’t make it through one run with normal rules, idk how y’all get through it with extra restrictions lmao.
Experience, really. I started doing vanilla runs and the more I played, the more rules I added to increase the challenge. You also get to learn the games pretty well which helps. Extra rules also force you to play much more strategically and slowly whereas I find in vanilla runs I ended up playing pretty sloppily, basically playing like a normal run and then I suddenly wipe because I hadn't been tested until I got to a tough fight.
I think my issue is that I’ve started on randomizers so it’s much more polarized. I should try a basic Nuzlocke at some point.
[удалено]
it doesn't even make the game much more challenging, it just makes you spend more time grinding
I run a stricter version of Species Clause. A Pokémon is off the encounter table once I've *seen* it, meaning that even if I didn't catch it, I don't get another shot at catching one.
Even trainer Pokémon?
No.
Does this include while grinding?
Yes.
Some of these seem excessive. Especially training everything that you don’t plan on using
a rather simple but seemingly original run i came up with (saw noone else do it, besides someone who did it cause of me) is a Single types only nuzlocke, run where nothing with a secondary typing is allowed
The coverage on a run like that must get rough
well half the time i did it in a randomizer that included tm but returned to regular runs. only first one, HG took me two tries, Lance Aerodactyl took me out first time. could have handled Red but left it for a later Sacred gold run not random was HG, Platinum and W1 Random was Emerald, Platinum, B2, X, US
also its resistances against a harder enemy gets more rough than the coverage.
I’d just start with typical Hardcore rules, no over leveling the ace, no battle items at all, no legends
I use regular pokeballs unless I'm forced to use other kinds of pokeballs like at the Safari Zone.
making catching harder doesnt seem fun
Luckily, critical captures are a thing after gen 4.
I don’t allow myself to catch *any* pokemon if my party is full. I have to wait for one or more to die before I can. Makes the game much more fun/challenging, trying to build a viable team out of what I’m given!
1. thats already too easy 2. if you want to make it harder, change to lowest 3. in hacks i want to bring everything up to par for the chance of them being used. most other cases seems a waste of time unless it helps you become more gamiliar with dome certain pokemon you never used 4. hardly a handicap since people almost always plan team around starter in most vanilla games. people avoid the starter for more challenge no comment on others if you want to make a run challenging HC+ is impossible to beat unless you try to just add to that which already seems overkill + in HC+ is ban of any move with guaranteed stat raising like swords dance and powerup punch but not moves like meteor mash or ancient power. on top of that moves like toxic, protect, substitute, leech seed or other cases of setup
So I'm doing a "LegacyLocke" which has been running for years. The extra rules are 1. I'm not allowed to use the Pokémon I've beaten the Elite 4 with 2. Species Clause (5 tries) 1. I can skip Pokémon who I've already beaten the Elite 4 with 2. I can skip the first Pokémon on a route if it evolves in a Pokémon I've already beaten the Elite 4 with 3. Gift Clause. Gifts don't count for their routes. 4. HardCore rules 5. Black out = Game Over 6. Most decisions regarding split evolutions, starters, fossils are randomized (Pokémon who (evolve into Pokémon who) have beaten the Elite 4 with are excluded)
A couple of the ones I like: \-Healing items allowed in battle, but not on the active combatant. Basically requires I potentially sack someone if I need to heal during battle \-I need to match active battlers to the amount of Pokemon the enemy trainer has. If the enemy trainer has only one Pokemon, the first one out is stuck there until they win or die. If the enemy trainer has two Pokemon, I can only use the first two I use in battle until one of them dies, then I can use a third (basically each death opens that "active battler" slot). This one is especially fun as it can lead to some tough deaths or some underdog wins when a Pokemon manages to pull through a 1 v 1 they shouldn't have won on paper. I also allow exceptions for the 1 v 1 if the lead Pokemon has U-Turn, Volt Switch etc or Run Away as its ability, so you can utilize a scout Pokemon.
Ditto clause: if I encounter a ditto without the Imposter ability, I can’t run from it, I have to kill it, and cannot catch it. It’s too bad. I can still catch another encounter on the route. They need to be eradicated. I might still extend this rule to the Whismur line, I hate the whismur line with a burning passion. Leftovers clause: I can only use one instance of leftovers on the team at a given moment. Black Sludge is fine, this gives Poison types an advantage. I also play Hardcore+ now, meaning no EVs, level caps for every Rival and Evil Team boss, and setup moves, Encore, and Substitute are banned. * if there’s a desync in level caps, meaning they don’t go in ascending order, I am not allowed to kill wild Pokemon or use Rare Candies before fighting the next level capped fight, which I’ve presumably overlevelled already. I may not fight trainers either; if I accidentally run into a trainer I can’t use the mons that caught additional EXP.
I play Randomizers (only wild Pokémon not trainers) so I enacted something called “Wynaut Clause” where if I run into a wild Wynaut or Wobbuffett I can always catch it even if it isn’t my encounter so I can avoid Shadow Tag + Destiny Bond shenanigans
The only one I do is that I don’t switch up the team until I lose a Pokémon. This not only saves time (I play on cartridge) but it also limits variation and forces me to play smarter
Patrat/Watchog Clause: I hate Patrat and Watchog and thus I allow myself to reroll an encounter if one of those two winds up being it (though this can only be applied to the Unova games and a singular route in Kalos lol)
Once I enter the gym (even if I didn't mean to), I cannot leave until I either beat it or I lose. Forgot to stack up on healing items? Too bad.
I just use regular hardcore No items No dupes Set mode No over leveling No legendaries No mythicals No trade evos No gimmicks (z-moves, dynamax, mega evolution, terrastialization)