What Qualifies as a good Fire Red Nuzlocke?

[Robinigo]

So, yesterday I started a Nuzlocke of Fire Red, and I was wondering if the little changes I made to my challenges make my playthrough not count as a Nuzlocke.

I follow all of the pre-existing rules EXCEPT for the fact that I add a few clauses to some of them:

-If a pokemon is knocked out by a crit that wouldn't have normally killed them, it doesn't count as dead.

-If a pokemon is knocked out, you don't always have to release it. I could simply put them in the box and never use them again.

-If a pokemon is killed by a crit that wouldn't have finished them normally during an important trainer battle (ie. Rival, gym, elite four...), it is okay to IMMEDIATELY and only immediately turn off the system and return to your last save point.

Do these make a Nuzlocke run too easy? I haven't lost a pokemon yet and I just beat Misty (although in fairness no one has actually fainted yet), although I did come damn close at the rival battle.

I'd like to be able to say I completed a full Nuzlocke, so if this shouldn't qualify, please let me know.

Edited October 5, 2013 by Spiky

[Icon of Sin]

Crit happens.

Be thankful this isn't normal Red where stuff like Dugtrio has 25% critical with normal moves.

[Robinigo]

I just like the feeling of, "you did this, and there's no way you can blame anyone else" as opposed to "YOU BASTARD, you can't crit twice in a row with tackle!"

[Jiac]

I think a Pokemon that just gets knocked out by a crit sounds like a fair rule,it's like someone hitting you hard in the face and fainting,so it uses a real logic, and I think the only time the Pokemon actually not dying in a fight would against gym leaders,but that would probably make it too easy,but i agree with the crit idea,it makes a lot of sense in my opinion.But if the move is Super Effective it should result in the Pokemon's death.

[Robinigo]

Yeah, I'm not planning on gibbing my playthrough too much more, except for maybe selfdestruct/explosion as well as the shiny clause if I see another one.

It's good to know the rules don't sound immediatly unfair.

[YoungXehanort]

You need your own Nuptup to win

[Refa]

I think the crit thing makes it more easy than it should be, as one of the fun aspects of Nuzlocke runs is dealing with unpredictability and having to change your team at a moment's notice. That being said, your second rule is actually an optional rule of nuzlockes (one that I follow), as I always leave my dead pokemon in a PC box appropriately labeled DEAD. Also, should you happen upon a Shiny Pokemon, feel free to catch it and just store it in your PC or trade it off or something.

[Ether]

Second rule is semi-standard, as was mentioned, but tbh, the crit rules kind of kill the whole point of the nuzlocke challenge. In the end, it's your game, and the nuzlocke itself is a self-imposed set of malleable rules, so I guess it's okay, but the RNG saying no and dropping judgment from the sky is part of the spirit of a nuzlocke challenge. Sometimes, there isn't anything you could have done, death is like that in real life too.

[Robinigo]

You need your own Nuptup to win

Done and Done, come at me Bro.

I think the crit thing makes it more easy than it should be, as one of the fun aspects of Nuzlocke runs is dealing with unpredictability and having to change your team at a moment's notice. That being said, your second rule is actually an optional rule of nuzlockes (one that I follow), as I always leave my dead pokemon in a PC box appropriately labeled DEAD. Also, should you happen upon a Shiny Pokemon, feel free to catch it and just store it in your PC or trade it off or something.

I don't like the "leaving the lives of pokemon to the rng" aspect of Nuzlocke, it's the reason I've been so hesitant up until now.

I like knowing what will happen, even if it means a surprise focus punch to my rattatta.

I'd actually enjoy that, my rattatta critted on the shiny spearow I found.

[Terrador]

Crit rules make it way too easy. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too easy. Snorlax and Zapdos already beat enough face.

[Robinigo]

I suppose once my pokemon start dying from crits, I'll have to reconsider, but for now, I'll revoke the first crit clause

But not the one with trainer battles, the rival is hard enough without the constant threat of instant death breathing down your neck.

[ponesjones]

You can new rules can be abused somewhat eg. if a Pokemon dies in an important battle then you could keep using potions until one of your other Pokemon gets killed by a crit, therefore allowing you to reset. I'm sure you wouldn't do that in the game, but I'm always wary of rulesets that have loopholes.

Out of interest, what's your current team?

[Robinigo]

I only just finished the route up to Bill.

My team is:

Ivysaur lvl 20

Pidgeotto lvl 21

Spearow lvl 18

Oddish lvl 16

Mankey lvl 18

Rattatta lvl 17

I didn't plan on abusing the crit rule, it's just if an important pokemon on either of our sides gets crit-killed, I wouldn't feel it was fair.

Plus, if a pokemon dies, it's gone once I finish a clean run-through of the battle.

I'm not gonna lie to myself and say "so and so lived through this variation of the battle" although I appreciate the skepticism.

[Refa]

I only just finished the route up to Bill.

My team is:

Ivysaur lvl 20

Pidgeotto lvl 21

Spearow lvl 18

Oddish lvl 16

Mankey lvl 18

Rattatta lvl 17

Nice team!! Pidgeotto/Spearow/Rattatta is a bit redundant, might want to take out Rattatta and one of the birds later on, as having a variety of types of Pokemon who can OHKO certain enemy types is crucial. Eevee is also the shit; Jolteon/Vaporeon are the way to go.

[Robinigo]

Yeah, I'm just not far enough yet.

Eevee's in Celadon, right?

[Refa]

Yup. If you can get a Machop or (lucky bastard) an Abra, those are pretty good at this point too.

[Guest meibum]

-If a pokemon is knocked out, you don't always have to release it. I could simply put them in the box and never use them again.

Most people already play with this rule :P

as for the rest it is a bit on the 'too easy' side but whatever you wanna do.

[Robinigo]

I've just always seen the "release on death" rule used, so I just assumed it was considered mandatory.

[Kon]

Most of the nuzlocke runs I follow allow for boxing their dead, and that's a part of my rule set too. Personally, I would take out the crit clauses, since unexpected deaths that most crits bring about are what really make nuzlocke runs challenging.

Hell, I've already lost my Snivy and my Huge Power Azurill to fucking crithax Patrats in my Black 2 nuzlocke, leaving me with only a Purrloin and a Sewaddle until I got to Virbank. But I'm going to soldier on without them, 'cause going "NOPE" and resetting kind of defeats the purpose of a nuzlocke, even if the deaths seem really unfair and more than a little bullshit.

[Robinigo]

^reads first few sentences of second paragraph.

Yeah, that's why they were there.

They're out for now.