Draft teams.
Cut the mode where you can choose all of your pets AND all their abilities. This mode is why pvp is oppressive, so it simply has to go. Treat pet battle pvp sort of like hearthstone arena.
When you queue, you can select from modes of increasing difficulty and increasing rewards. This will allow people to play with some pets they like, but also completely bust the meta:
- Common: You keep your team, but a random pet has their abilities randomized.
- Uncommon: One random pet on your team is replaced with a drafted pet. Choose one of three random pets with randomized abilities. You can see the pets’ stats and abilities before you choose.
- Rare: Two random pets on your team are drafted.
- Epic: Your entire team is drafted.
You can continue to play your current team until you lose three matches. Then you will be required to change at least one of your pets.
When replacing pets, the game will roll first for pet family (so family odds are fair), and then for the individual pet, which can be any pet in the journal whether you’ve collected it or not.
The randomness will increase tactical play and reward players for being able to adapt. The draft will reward game knowledge while also leveling the playing field. It will naturally draw more competitive/reward minded players into higher modes and consequently out of the predictable meta.
Random thoughts:
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Achievements can be developed for modes of play.
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A pet battle deserter debuff can be applied if players try to not play when they roll low.
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Dramatically increase rewards for playing in higher modes.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
