How to Submit an Other Metagame

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to submit an Other Metagame but you just weren't sure where to start? Or have you ever wondered what exactly an Other Metagame is? That's what this article will be discussing. I'll be going over how to submit an Other Metagame, the submission process, some tips, a basic format, along with some more stuff! Other Metagames are basically what they sound like, metagames that are not standard; by standard I mean tiers like LC, Doubles, NU, RU, UU, OU, and Ubers. All Other Metagames are submitted by the community, and every single one has a chance to get a permanent ladder on Pokémon Showdown!, if it is chosen by voters. You submit an idea, moderators look it over and approve or reject it, and then you can post it! For some, though, submitting an Other Metagame, or OM as I'll be referring to them in this article, can be quite tough and also a bit scary; I'm here to help remove this fear.

Process of Submission

The most important rule of submission is that all submissions go here; if you post it in the general OM subforum, then it will not get approved and may result in an infraction. Anyways, after your metagame idea has been posted, nobody can see it but you and the moderation team. The moderation team consists of The Eevee General, Hollywood, and The Immortal; they're the ones who review your ideas. The posts you make in this forum should reflect how you would like the opening post of the public thread to look as well. If there has been no activity for about two weeks or so, be sure to tag them in it, they might have missed your idea; however, it's never a wise idea to spam them to notice you. Once they've reviewed it, they'll either give your metagame an approval or a rejection. All metagames require two of the three moderators to approve of it, otherwise it will not be able to be posted. Don't fret if one moderator rejects your idea; there's always the possibility the other two might approve it! One thing I cannot stress enough is to not give up. If one of your metagame ideas gets rejected, don't stop; although, do keep in mind to only post metagames of quality. I've had someone tell me they didn't want to continue with OMs because their idea got rejected and that really discouraged them. This is not what they want at all; it's just that some metagames don't get approved, that's just how it is. Another thing to note about rejection is that the moderators will almost always give you feedback about what went wrong and what you can do differently next time, so take that advice! If you feel confident enough, try to submit another one, as that next one might just get approved. After a metagame has been approved, post it in the general OM subforum for others to view and give feedback on.

What to Submit, What NOT to Submit

Probably the most important thing not to submit is a metagame that already exists! Be sure to check the index of existing OMs before submitting. Here are some tips to help you along! The first tip I'll be giving is the most important tip and is the reason OMs are played: "Is your metagame fun?" Fun in OMs are the main reason to play them and the reason many people like them. If the metagame just adds few small boring tweaks, it won't likely see much activity. If you create a whole new game mechanic, many more people will be interested. The second thing to keep in mind and another crucial part to any other metagame to think about: "Is my metagame easy to learn?" Is it? If a metagame requires a ton of math or is extremely complex, then people most likely will not play it. If the metagame is a bit simpler and tweaks a broad range of things then it will be much more easy to learn and grasp the concept of. Next, you have to ask:"Is this a Pet Mod?" A Pet Mod is basically a mod to existing mechanics that you create yourself, such as making specific changes to Pokémon versus more general ideas like OMs. Here's a way to think about it: all Pet Mods are OMs, but not all OMs are Pet Mods. Next, you have to ask: "Is my metagame a micro-meta?" Micro-metas are not exactly the most common, but they do exist. Micro-metas are any metagame that affect or include under 50 Pokémon and are posted in this thread! One thing that you really must ask is: "Is my metagame feasible?" This is so very important because this creates a common misconception about Other Metagames. Not all Other Metagames give everything Huge Power; that's not how it works. If you metagame idea is that everything gets Wonder Guard and Huge Power, it likely will not get approved. If you have a sort-of 'wishlist', Pet Mods are the place to go. Finally, a question that is not necessarily always doable but is certainly helpful when submitting: "Have I played this metagame? What's it like?" Replays are a great way to get approved and playing the metagame can help you get a much easier grasp of it.

Basic Structure of Other Metagame Submissions

How Do I get my OM as OMotM?

The OMotM, or the 'Other Metagame of the Month', is a metagame that gets nominated by users, then voted for, with the winner receiving a ladder on Pokémon Showdown! for the remainder of the month it was voted in. You might ask: "How do I get my metagame to be the OMotM?!" Well, it's not really up to you yourself; it's more so the community. The community in general is who picks the OMotM. Just a warning: don't bribe or tell other people to vote for you, as this is grounds for removal of the metagame from being an option to vote on. Anyway, you can of course vote for your own metagame; you can even nominate it! It's really up to whatever the community finds fun. Once a metagame has had a ladder on Showdown!, then it will receive a permanent option to battle via challenge. Some OMotMs even become full-time ladders, such as Almost Any Ability and STABmons. For further information, check out this thread, where all the magic happens.

My thread's a bit slow, what do I do?

This is a common complaint I hear from people: their metagame is very slow and has little discussion taking place. There are a few ways to revive your thread, but before we begin, we have to address a very important rule: do not bump it! Bumping a thread will result in your post being deleted and you being infracted, and we don't want that. If you do choose to bump it, then make sure it's a very meaningful post. One great way you can get some more posts and involvement is coming on over to Pokémon Showdown!'s Other Metagames room. The people there are more than happy to listen to your ideas, give you feedback, and possibly even build a team. Another way to spark involvement is through a community project like a Pokémon of the week or another project like a viability rankings. These are just a few ways to help your meta stay off the ground; there's always some more creative ways you can keep it alive!

Conclusion

I hope this article has helped you get a more basic understanding of the process of submitting an OM, what happens in this process, and some tips for OMs! Some more ways to get involved include finding an OM mentor, and, while there are only a few, it's a great way to help you get accustomed to OMs. You can also try getting involved in our subforum or even just lurking; be sure to come to here for the rules and any questions you might have.