How to Fit in on PS: Starting Off on the Right Foot!

Hey, all! My name is Novae, and I'm a moderator known as shaymin on the Pokémon Showdown! server! I'm typing up this brief summary to tell you all of my experiences on the simulator. I'll get to the purpose of what I'm trying to say at the end of this, so bear with me, here.

When I first entered the main server, it was intimidating. There were, of course, tons of users on, and I didn't know where to start chatting! It definitely pays off to lurk, because you can get a feel of how the environment is before you start jumping in. For me, it took about ... a month, or so, of lurking before I started to jump into conversations. For some of you, depending on who you are, it might take less time, but that depends on how familiar you are with the server. I was new to Smogon as a whole, so it took me a bit longer.

When it comes to "fitting in to PS!," so to speak, being social is definitely a must; talk to people, throw out a joke here and there, something! I cannot tell you how much more drawn I've been to members who really feel like they're genuinely having fun on PS!. This is how you really stick out to others, and being a positive chat presence greatly increases your chances of being noticed! The more you do this, the more, no doubt, that you'll become accustomed to the sim in no time. Along with helping others (when I was into battling at the time) with whatever their needs were (like, say, to give team advice on UU/Ubers, and then contribute to those discussions), this was how I personally got my start in it, and how I fitted in so well the PS! server in such little time.

I was first there under the name of Meteorstar and, truth be told, I was a greetbot, by the strictest definition of the word. It wasn't really a good thing, and that's mostly because I didn't produce much more conversation other than that. It was then that I spoke to a good friend of mine who was staff on the sim and she helped me become a better user. She told me not to be afraid of the other users, and just have fun, which is what I did! Considering I love to just chat around and hang out with friends anyway, that's exactly what I did!

Turns out, her advice was indeed correct, because after a solid month or two of doing so, I was rewarded and entrusted with drivers! I was finally given a chance to offer input on decisions that may impact Showdown as a whole, and was so proud of that! To this day, I make sure that I help out users to the best of my ability, and that’s my main goal on top of everything else. When I was a new user, I had myself to depend on as well as another staff member for guidance. Now that I'm in that "staff member" role, I want to use this to my advantage to help out other new users such as yourself fit in comfortably in the PS! environment!

As far my journey as a driver goes, it really wasn't too different than when I was a voice. you see, my passion lied purely within helping people with whatever they needed, and taking appropriate action whenever there were any rule breakers around, y'know? I'm not going to go too in-depth with this because it's irrelevant to the purpose of this article, but point being: as a new user, being helpful and being that "positive presence" really does make you stand out!

Now, if you're reading this and thinking "Wow, this kid doesn't have much of a history," then you're right! I really don't, and that even goes to prove my point further about the purpose of this article. I don't want new users to think that they have to be best buddies with staff in order to get along with them, or anything like that! Honestly, I was a "nobody," so to speak, and I don't think any staff member knew who I was prior to entering the server.

Coming from a rather new user myself, I can assure you all that, yes, I understand the feeling of being intimidated of the server at first, but get a feel of the environment beforehand! Especially if you're new to Smogon as a whole, like I was. First impressions always count, and they're ever-lasting. Though, I wouldn't worry too much if you managed to slip up, because there are always opportunities to improve, just like how I was given the opportunity to improve by receiving feedback from one of the staff members present.

There are many articles written about how to be a good PS! regular (and I encourage you all to read ALL of them), but I really don't feel that all of them are as personal as this, and I feel it's important to have this perspective, because a lot of us PS! staff started off as regular users as well, and, believe it or not, some of us were in the very some position you all were in!

When it comes to fitting into the server, some of you may think that it's a lot easier said than done, but, quite frankly, I find this to be only mostly untrue in actuality. What I mean by this is: communication is essential! Talk to people in an open and friendly manner and discuss your interests! And, not gonna lie, having a good sense of humor helps, too, but I believe that's something that applies even outside of the internet. Having that ability to make people laugh and tolerate a good joke is what is going to draw people toward you, and that's something I've noticed both on and off the internet, so it's best to use that to your advantage while on the sim, as well. Just a tip!

Take all of this from me. If you're sitting on the main server right now, confused out of your mind about what to say, hoping you won't sound like a huge idiot, I was in your shoes. There's also nothing inherently wrong with being the shy type, but I've learned that being a bit outgoing and friendly and talking to people as much as you can can help you develop a closer relationship with others (especially by sharing common interests)! This, in turn, would make you less fearful of talking in general on the sim. Remember, the more you help out others and talk to others in a pleasant manner, the more you stand out! That may lead to good things down the road for you, but I won't go much further than that!

Ultimately, I'm not going to make this some super long survival guide on how to make it through the dense forest that is the main server, because it isn't. What a lot of people see is a huge, unclimbable mountain, that if they even try to remotely approach it, harsh blizzards would sweep them away with the force of a monster hurricane, and, well ... truth be told, it's not like that at all. Once you take that first step towards initiating a conversation with others, helping others when you can, and being able to block everything unpleasant out (this is also a VERY valuable skill to have), then I will just about assure you that everything else is smooth sailing from that point forward, and talking to others on the server would just come as second nature to you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, new PS! users! Understand that all of this is something that is not going to be done in one day, especially if you're new to the environment. Again, lurk for a while, get a feel of how the environment is, and jump in whenever you feel most comfortable. Blocking out the negatives and filling it with positives is a skill that I encourage every user to have (if they don't already), because it's really what makes people stand out. With all of that said, I really hope that your PS! experience turns out as invaluable and unforgettable as mine. If there's anything that you feel uncertain about when concerning your experience on PS!, don't hesitate to PM any staff member, because I'm sure they'll help you out!

« Previous Article

Home