12 slot encounter system removed in Gen 7? #1170

Pinsplash · 2024-12-10T08:19:59Z

Pinsplash
Dec 10, 2024

The data for the Generation 7 games is written out in a way that suggests the old 12-slot system is not present. (Where the slots for walking are always two 20%'s, four 10%'s, two 5%'s, two 4%'s, and two 1%'s.)

In older games, the 25% Abra would probably be written as 20% Abra and 5% Abra, for example. Why is this not the case for the Generation 7 files? Was it really done away with? Was it a conscious choice to combine the slots like this? I have some data for which the only explanation I have is that the 5% Pichu is really a 4% and a 1%.

Explanation of data: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w8bt3ON3zi_utKvxex_haPB3AnVm0bLIGSceIwe5hx0/edit?usp=sharing

From the data in the first sheet, and disassembled code, I've found that in Emerald, when Static activates to force a wild encounter to be an electric-type pokemon, the original probabilities are ignored and all slots (not all mons) are equally likely to be picked. The encounter data was taken from a VOD of a shiny hunter using a Static Manectric on that route. The important slots are 20% Electrike, 10% Electrike, and 10% Manectric.

If the original probabilities were being preserved, it would be 3/4 Electrike and 1/4 Manectric.
If the mons were equally likely, they would turn out to be about 4/7 Electrike and 3/7 Manectric.
If the slots were equally likely (AKA what code says), it would be 2/3 Electrike and 1/3 Manectric. The data fits this very well. There were 274 samples.

Then I tried the same thing myself in Moon in Hau'oli City (Shopping District). No code to refer to for SM as far as I can see. The sheets are structured much the same so without repeating myself too much, the only way Static causes Pichu that often is if there are two Pichu slots, or Static in Generation 7 works in a new 4th way. Leaning heavily towards the former.