STICKY: Getting Started

Where do I sign up?

First, REGISTER with an account on the forum for your player character. You must make a new account for each new character you make. If possible, your username should be your IN-GAME CHARACTER'S USERNAME (for example, @cybertron instead of @aaron). Once you've got your new account, head on over to the Character Creation board and submit an application using the template provided!

Once that's approved, the devs will make a new post in the STARTER LAB, where you can get your first Pokemon!

I've never roleplayed VR/Pokemon/At All before!

For all of the above, check out our Glossary for some clarification on RP, Pokemon, and VR terms that might be unfamiliar to you.

We don't expect you to become a master overnight! If you don't feel confident at first, we recommend making a character who's just as uncertain in their role as you are. UNOVR is a game taken on by newbies, amateurs, and casual players. Your character might just like Pokemon, or want to try a cool new fad, or want to socialize with other people in a comfortable environment! There's no pressure to dig into the core gameplay, skill trees, or Pokemon mechanics.

If you're new to Forum Roleplay, just follow this pattern: 1, Write something for your partner to reply to. 2, Read what your partner said and reply to it. You don't have to write a lot, but make sure other players have enough to go off of and vice versa! If you follow this golden rule, you'll be roleplaying in no time.

If you're new to Pokemon, thankfully there are tons of internet resources to help you. We use them too! Nobody has Pikachu's learnset memorized by heart. Googling "charizard learnset/moveset" or "electric pokemon weakness" will get you as far as you need to go into Pokemon mechanics on this site. Everything else is based in Tabletop RP or RPG mechanics.

If you're new to Virtual Reality, the biggest challenge we all face is reconciling the fact that you're playing a character playing a character. In other words, your character on-site isn't actually real. Right?

...Well, no, but neither is the other one. That doesn't mean you can't still make their experience meaningful. We recommend leaning in on the differences between your real-life character and your player character, and using that fact to drive a meaningful narrative. Same goes for the virtual world itself! When you can rewrite the rules of reality, what will your character (and you) choose to make instead?

How do I "explore?"

UNOVR is a VR Open World game setting, meaning that there are few constraints on your exploration experience aside from general site Rules. Anything you imagine might be in a game could be waiting out there to discover— the key is finding the right people to do it with. Any threads you make that aren't explicitly catching or battling threads involve discovering some aspect of what's out there in the world! No need to wait for a mod to confirm: it's yours to define and discover!

We recommend finding a friend through the Bulletin Board or Discord to explore together with! There are even a few Tutorial Missions to help you get acclimated to the game setting in a humorous, Pokemon-game-inspired way.

If you need help coming up with ideas, you can always call on our Random Quest generator to drop in a thread of something interesting. 

If you see something exciting on your travels and want to share it with others, drop some details in the Rumor Mill here or on Discord! Other players will be free to pull that story thread into their own adventures, and it may be added to the random quests or picked up as a future world plot!

How do I level up my Pokemon? 

UNOVR uses a set of tiered Skill Trees for yourself and your Pokemon, which you can upgrade with points (BYTES) earned from posting or simply existing on the site (you get a weekly income of 100 BYTES). Most in-character posts earn you 5 BYTES. When you have enough to buy an upgrade you can head to the Upgrade Shop to have a mod upgrade your character!

These skill trees are used to upgrade your trainer, as well as to upgrade the Pokemon classes you have available (Tank, Sweeper, and Support). Through the use of customizable classes, both Pokemon and trainer can be unique and personalized.

How does catching work?

We have an automatic Wild Pokemon spawning plugin that generates an encounter, attacks, and damage! Take on a Tall Grass spawn either by yourself or with a friend. There are many routes to explore, each with their own unique landmarks and Wild Pokemon!

If you are looking for another teammate to add to your party, head on over to the route of your choice and trigger the plugin to begin! All spawns are FREE, but if you decide to catch the Pokemon once you've defeated it simply post again in the -25 Automatic Deductions Boards and a mod will add the Pokemon to your Box.

Keep in mind that you have limited Pokemon slots, which max out at 50. This is by design, as we want players thinking about which Pokemon they really want in their team, instead of catching everything they see.

How does battling work? Can I battle other players?

There are two combat systems on site, an automated system (used only while catching and battling wild Pokemon) and a more mechanics-heavy system used for most other official site events, including Arena Battles, Dungeons, and Raids. This means that battles in catching threads are fast and largely freeform, and other battles will use the Skill Trees that form the backbone of this site.

Our mechanical combat system provides Pokemon with classes (Tank, Sweeper, and Support) which allows for some great tactical moments where players can work together to defend, heal, buff, sacrifice, and even revive other players! The goal here is to simulate the sort of high intensity mechanical battles you would see in an MMO, but to make them more manageable in a text format. 

PvP battles, combat leaderboards, and the associated rewards are restricted to the Arena. We do not consider any kind of PvP to be part of the core gameplay experience, but you are welcome to practice or spar with one another in Arena Mode to rack up personal stats and rewards.

I heard something about 'elemental trainer classes'?

Yes! Like how in the games there are different trainer classes that specialize in different types of Pokemon, UNOVR takes this one step further. In-game, a character's Trainer Subclass also gives them aesthetic environmental features (like leaving trails of embers in their footprints) a useful ability (like breathing underwater) and a unique effect on that character's Pokemon (like their grass-types growing unusually large or verdant.) Players are able to spend BYTES on these Trainer Class skill trees to unlock additional mechanical effects for their Pokemon as well! 

Can I bring over my Dream Team?

Well, no! You start the game with one starter Pokemon, like a normal Pokemon game.

UNOVR is, by nature, a spinoff Pokemon VR Game. Asking if you could feasibly start a new game with a pre-built set of your favorite 6 Pokemon is kind of like asking if you could import your SWSH Dream Team to a game like Pokemon Go.

We're not saying "never!" But you'll probably have better luck just hunting them down on-site, either via spawns or special event drops. A Dream Team should be a goal, not a pre-built package! That said, let us know if your favorite Pokemon is missing from our currently available spawns and we'll try to incorporate them in when we can.

How can I influence the website?

Through building settlements, personal threads with other players, Rumor Mill submissions, contribution to raids, and running or participating in dungeons. Every new area that opens up is a chance for player development. Cities are even named and voted on by the players themselves.

We also display featured threads which particularly impressed us every month. Your creative work is read and appreciated, and we're happy to spotlight it when possible!