Thread: Filling up Open Gyms (Substitute Gym Leaders)

*deleted Gym Trainers Information*


Current topic/idea (started by AmericanTreeFrog):

Allow Gym Leaders to take on a Secondary Gym. They would work as "Substitute Gym Leaders" for the second gym and defend it until a permanent Gym Leader is found for that gym. This is a lot simpler than the "Gym Trainers" idea.

This idea seems like it could also be used to encourage people to take part in gyms as well as possibly a way to introduce newer players to gyms once the Dojo league ends.

I feel like we would simply be adding 3 lesser versions of a gym leader.

By limiting what rules the trainers can set, we remove their advantage and the challenge of the gym. Weather for one is a huge play in some gyms - I'd hate to attempt to defend mine without sunlight, and I don't want to be forced to use Ninetales either. However, if they do have full access to the rule setting, then they're effectively a gym leader anyway, making the system pointless.

I'm going to say yes to the three-in-a-row rule.

It really just seems like unless this system was ABSOLUTELY perfect, that we would either be making it way easier to get gym badges, by completely removing the rule setting advantages but still enforcing monotype, or making it insanely difficult because people would now have to challenge three top-level battlers instead of one.

What if instead of the Gym Trainers losing their positions when a Leader is found, the Gym have both? That way there's 2 possibly ways to get a badge and it would take some of the responsibility off the Leader, since I know in some cases they don't want to/can't battle when someone wants to challenge them.

Could try making it so that Gym Leader battles = Badge + TM, while Gym Trainer battles = Badge only

Seems like an okay idea, but possibly a bit impractical.

As I'm sure you know, we've had this problem in the past but it was resolved without any drastic changes. The reason there are some empty gyms is because we ha a rough patch with very few new members, but within months the problem will be fixed.

People have managed to complete badge sets before with empty gyms, and if they have the patience they'll still be able to do it.

Originally Posted by Black_Cat320

What if instead of the Gym Trainers losing their positions when a Leader is found, the Gym have both? That way there's 2 possibly ways to get a badge and it would take some of the responsibility off the Leader, since I know in some cases they don't want to/can't battle when someone wants to challenge them.

Could try making it so that Gym Leader battles = Badge + TM, while Gym Trainer battles = Badge only

If we do this, there'll still be the problem of empty gyms. In addition, several leaders (including myself >:[) wouldn't want a bunch of newbie gym trainers for their gym practically giving their badges away to more experienced members. I'm sure Pidge would've been annoyed that someone got the Feather badge when he went 45/0 if he had people not as good as him as trainers, no matter how experienced.

If we can't fill Gym Leader spots completely, how are we going to fill the Gym Trainer spots?

Originally Posted by The Jr. Trainer

If we can't fill Gym Leader spots completely, how are we going to fill the Gym Trainer spots?

Because, more people would be able to participate. After all, even Gym Leaders from other gyms would be able to participate as Gym Trainers, plus, if we make it so that the Gym Trainers's level are divided between 1 inexperienced and 2 experienced Gym Trainers, people who don't have what it takes to become Gym Leaders would move in a bit and train in the next best thing. Who knows? The growing experience might even make them choose to become the new Gym Leader at some point.

Oh, and I don't agree with having 2 ways of getting a badge per gym. Gym Trainers would be for Opened Gyms only and only WHILE there are opened Gyms.

Even then, the fact that most of the gyms are taken anyways means we don't need that many Gym Trainers, but we could get them.


Also, this idea is just a work in progress. It needs more work, which is why it's here with a bunch of questions on it. I'm hoping to see more posts saying how to improve on it as it's not in the "Approving/Disapproving" stage yet.

Originally Posted by SLC04

If we do this, there'll still be the problem of empty gyms. In addition, several leaders (including myself >:[) wouldn't want a bunch of newbie gym trainers for their gym practically giving their badges away to more experienced members. I'm sure Pidge would've been annoyed that someone got the Feather badge when he went 45/0 if he had people not as good as him as trainers, no matter how experienced.

Could always test the Gym Trainers, have them battle an actual Gym Leader who will rate their performance and decide (either alone or maybe with a few others) if that person has what it takes to be a Gym Trainer. And the goal of the whole thing wouldn't be to see if the person could beat the Leader, it would be to see how well that person would do in battle so that you know they'd put up a good fight for the badge.

Originally Posted by Eraizaa-kun

Originally Posted by The Jr. Trainer

If we can't fill Gym Leader spots completely, how are we going to fill the Gym Trainer spots?

Because, more people would be able to participate. After all, even Gym Leaders from other gyms would be able to participate as Gym Trainers, plus, if we make it so that the Gym Trainers's level are divided between 1 inexperienced and 2 experienced Gym Trainers, people who don't have what it takes to become Gym Leaders would move in a bit and train in the next best thing. Who knows? The growing experience might even make them choose to become the new Gym Leader at some point.

Oh, and I don't agree with having 2 ways of getting a badge per gym. Gym Trainers would be for Opened Gyms only and only WHILE there are opened Gyms.

Even then, the fact that most of the gyms are taken anyways means we don't need that many Gym Trainers, but we could get them.


Also, this idea is just a work in progress. It needs more work, which is why it's here with a bunch of questions on it. I'm hoping to see more posts saying how to improve on it as it's not in the "Approving/Disapproving" stage yet.

I like the idea of 1 inexperienced and 2 experienced Trainers. It would give a newer URPGer (not exactly a total noob mind you) a chance to learn some tips from older, more experienced battlers, and it would sort of even out the difficulty level of challenging the Gym Trainers.

A much easier idea would allow a person to hold two gyms if spots couldn't be filled. We already do that for the OL, and the elite four way back when.

Perhaps more encouragement to become gym leaders. Aside from from pay for battles being equal to that of a 6v6+ there isn't really much one gets for being a Gym Leader. That and they are treated as having their gym's badge for the duration of being that gym leader. One neat thing that could be done is something like, if they defend the gym ten times in a row without losing they get their own badge if they don't have it. That way if someone doesn't want their gym anymore and didn't have the badge before they don't have to wait until a new leader is picked to finish that badge set.

Beyond that, do some gym leader only events or something. That way non-gym leaders would be all like "I want to be a part of that, where do I sign up?" Basically those that are skeptical about how enjoyable having a gym would be convinced that it is loads of fun.

Also, and this one is a crazy thought maybe, but perhaps add a new league. Now I am sure you are thinking, "Hold up there Sorm, we are trying to fill gyms not make more open gyms. Have you been on the bath salts?" No, my dear URPG member. No zombie drugs for me. But here is the idea. Some people likely are avoiding the gyms because either the types they wants aren't open or they don't like the type restriction. Now basically this proposal would be for URPG to great it's own separate league, unique to the URPG. I know, it sounds a bit creative, but hear me out. Keeping the gyms from the pokemon universe we know and love is awesome. But we are also so much more than the pokemon universe. We have already added creative flair to battling by not restricting people to four moves. So why not take the next step forward and make a custom set of gyms as well?

Basically there would be eight to ten gyms, based on the fact that we can see that each region has at least a minimum of eight to cover the badge requirement and so far at most about ten as seen in Kanto in the anime and in Unova in the games. Each gym would have a badge that doesn't immediately lend itself to a type, but perhaps it does. The way it would work is, as the new gym leader takes control of this gym they choose the type of the gym. The only restrictions being that no two gyms in this league can have the same type. That way we don't end up with eight dark type gyms in an attempt to "inb4 it happens in the games". The idea for this comes from the fact that in the games Viridian Gym goes from being a Ground-type to a Multi-type gym when the new leader takes over in the games. Which, brings on the that idea in the proposed new league. Multi-type gym. Simple solution there would be to work it much like the Orange Island Gym that requires one of each type. Only don't impose that restriction on the challenger and allow the leader to use any combination of the mons on the roster instead of them being rolled.

To protect the sanctity of the current leagues these badges would not lead to the Elite Four, much like Orange Island badges don't. So perhaps instead we could use them to do some sort of annual tournament wherein those that have completed this badge set and/or are leaders in this league compete for prizes. This would encourage both activity year round as well as creativity and whatnot. People would be attempting to complete the badge set both for collection purposes and to qualify for the tournament and new gym leaders to this league would come up with new gym type ideas. Maybe even dual-type gyms. Some sort of Psychic-Dark Gym that smacks people upside the head but gets overrun by them bug types.

@Sormeki I think your last post should go on a thread of its own since this thread is about filling opened gyms, not making new ones.

Originally Posted by AmericanTreeFrog

A much easier idea would allow a person to hold two gyms if spots couldn't be filled. We already do that for the OL, and the elite four way back when.

uhh...Actually, you are right. That would be a lot easier.

@Sormeki I really like that idea of creating a new league, but if we go with that idea then wouldn't there be a flood of requests coming in to be Gym Leaders? I suppose there would have to be some kind of way to select a Leader out of many potentials, either a test or tournament maybe?

But I can see this whole "URPG league" being used in more then just the battle section, like art contests could be made to come up with Badges. Once all 8-10 Gyms are filled, people could create their own ideas of what the Badges look like and then there could be a voting to see which ones will be officially used.

I think this idea would only work if it was set up that you have to beat 3 gym trainers in order to challenge the gym leader. It would be kind of impractical to give the badge away to three losses from gym trainers instead of a gym leader.

A much better idea is to just give a second gym to someone who wants it, and allow people to hold two gyms. I know there are a lot of newbies out there that would love a gym, but sadly most of the gyms they would prefer are taken. Our brainpower would be much better used on figuring out how to encourage new people to take up the gyms that have been vacant awhile, even if they don't prefer that type. Maybe a newbie gym leader recruitment tournament where the top 3 winners get a Pokemon of X rarity of the type of an open gym they want? I know a lot of peoples issue is the fact they don't have a large pool of same-type Pokemon to become a gym leader. This could possibly give a little boost to putting new people in gym positions.

I honestly like the idea of Gym Leaders being allowed to have 2 Gyms, but, there is just one problem I see with it. No one would be able to take over certain gyms in the future if the Gym Leaders can claim more than one.

hmm...How about this?

Allow Gym Leaders to keep their Primary Gym and be able to temporarily take over a Secondary Gym as well until someone applies become that Secondary Gym's Leader.

It's a lot easier than my Gym Trainers idea, yes.

Substitute gym leader; I like it.