CAP 12 CAP 1 - Topic Leader Poll

[Deck Knight]

Only CAP 1 Policy Review Committee members can vote in this thread. Posts by anyone else will be deleted. Policy Review Committee members are listed here.

The Topic Leader is the most important leadership position in the project during the creation process. So, it is important that we pick someone that will do a good job. For this reason, we do not choose a TL by popular community vote. Instead we choose the TL by a committee of trusted expert project members.

Here is the list of self-nominated candidates (in the order they submitted their candidacy):

Wyverii
reachzero
Deck Knight
​

The candidacy announcements and support posts from members of the community are in this thread:

http://www.smogon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86446

Please review all the information in that thread in order to inform your decision.

Here's how to vote:

• Only current Policy Review Committee members who are not running for Topic Leader are eligible to vote. Policy Committee members are listed here.
  
  
• Please post ALL candidate names ranked in order of preference. Also, please include a brief summary of your reasons for the ranking on your ballot. Do not adjust your rankings to attempt to "game the poll results". As expert project members, I hope we can expect everyone to vote fairly, and with integrity.
  
  
• If you do not complete a full ranked ballot with reasoning, as prescribed here, your ballot will be deleted. So, please take the time to evaluate all the candidates and compose a proper ranked ballot.
  
  
• Please post your ballots as soon as possible. This poll should close 24 hours from now. If any committee member needs more time to compose a ballot, please PM me and ask for an extension.

 

[Nails]

Reachzero is first because I have a ton of respect for him and what he's done on smogon and there aren't a whole lot of users I'd rate ahead of him. Plus, he's in my opinion the best battler of the three, and I think he'd make a great topic leader.

Deck Knight is second because he has the only experience of the three being a topic leader (albiet with fuzznip) and that kind of experience would probably help make it a better CAP.

Wyverii is last, not sure how to explain it...

 

[Aerodactyl Legend]

Three people to vote for. Not only that, they are all qualified in my opinion. This wasn't easy.

Wyverii is my primary choice. Though deep knowledge of the actual game is helpful, to be the topic leader, I don't think it is as important as some other things. The ability to direct discussion, be open minded, have interest in the community, possess structured thinking, and of course, possess knowledge of the CaP project itself are the keys to being an efficient topic leader. You must know something of the game and its strategies of course, which I'm sure Wyverii has (and lets face it, if you're signed into Smogon or some other related site, you know something about Pokemon). Since B/W hasn't been released in the states yet, probably a lot of people here still haven't tried out the 5th Gen extensively, so massive knowledge of how it works shouldn't be counted against any candidates. It's still in an early phase even as of now. I haven't seen Wyverii do the job before, and with the new generation, it would be a great time to do so.

Deck Knight is my secondary choice, but lets face it, very little members have been as much of an influence on the CaP project as he has. He knows it, I know it, and everyone apart of the project else knows it. Being one of the people who got the project back on its feet proves he can continue to lead it. What else can I really say?

Reachzero is my third choice, but honestly, it's really only because I have chosen the other two before him. Nothing else. He has deep knowledge of competitive play and has given great input for the CaP project ever since he joined. His maturity and previous leadership experience in the forums would easily allow us to move in a well paced and productive manner in the project.

That is my vote, but they are all good candidates to be the TL for CAP 1. May the best nominee win.

 

[SgtWoodsy]

1. reachzero

I feel that it is very important for a good Topic Leader to have a strong grasp of competitive Pokemon--several CAPs have turned out to be overpowered relative to their metagame (Colossoil, Arghonaut, Stratagem), and a few have been underwhelming (Pyroak, Cyclohm).

This is an incredibly important thing for a TL to keep in mind, as most of the CAPs have been - to put it politely - incredibly overpowering. A TL that can recognise this likely has the intelligence to step in when something like this happens again, which is what the CAP project needs; restrictions.

reach has also been a huge asset to Smogon as a whole in regards to leadership (such as 4th Gen UU), so I'd put my faith (heh) into him first.

2. Deck Knight
Deck obviously has gotten CAP up and running, which is a fantastic effort. However, as CAP is primarily a competitive project, and Deck doesn't have that much Gen 5 competitive experience, it makes me a bit hesitant to vote for him for my first choice.

Still, he would make an excellent leader.

3. Wyverii
Wyv gets my 3rd spot by default, unfortunately. I don't think she has as much competitive experience as reach, which is why I'm putting that first and foremost. Considering she's a mod, however, I don't doubt her leadership qualities at all.

Sorry Wyv!

(ps syclar is adorable)

 

[Captain]

Reachzero is considered a great smogon forum user for pretty good reasons and I know he's more active as a battler and thus probably much more knowledgeable about 5th gen than Deck Knight or Rising Dusk. Hell, when CaP server went up he quickly came on and became a regular, meanwhile I barely ever saw the other two on the server. I believe his 5th gen knowledge and forum contributions suggest that he will be a well-rounded excellent topic leader.

Deck Knight "He's the guy who keeps the lights on." There is no other man who wants to keep the CaP forum alive and active as much as he does and I know he has far more than the chops needed to guide it. I don't think anyone else is so dedicated at making sure things run smoothly, good topic leader no doubt.

Wyverii Wyv has definitely made good contributions to CaP but to me, Deck Knight and Reachzero are far more visible. It's hard to beat DK who is absolutely crazy about the CaP forum or Reachzero who has a much more balanced skill set. I think Wyv would make an ok topic leader but I'm just not sure, what'd she'd bring that the other two either don't do or simply more than make up for it.

 

[Rising_Dusk]

I want to precede this by saying that all three of these candidates are exceptional individuals and among the best I've had the pleasure of knowing in my time here on Smogon. They would each make superb CAPs with their own unique twists and tweaks, and that is exactly what makes this decision so difficult for me. That said, let's get to my votes.

Wyverii

First and foremost, I consider myself a Pokemon battler. Because of this, I find that Pokemon battling is perhaps the most important quality to have in someone leading a Pokemon project. That said, you may be wondering why I would vote for Wyverii. Wyverii gets my first vote despite not being a serious battler because I've worked with her and I know her as a leader. We have a lot of very competent veteran battlers in this project, and I trust them to not lead Wyverii astray as she deliberates over their concerns for the CAP.

Secondly, after battling, I consider creativity to be paramount for a CAP. One of the most exciting things about a CAP is finding new ways to do old things and creating something exciting that we, as a community, can learn from and cherish. That cannot be done without creativity. Wyverii is, without a doubt, one of the most creative individuals on this site. Her artistic experience lends itself to this quality, and I think that it will reflect positively on the CAP that she leads the creation of. For these reasons, and particularly for her unique outlook on things and ability to see critical and yet minute details that the rest of us overlook, I think Wyverii is the strongest choice of the three candidates.

reachzero

Like I said, battling experience is critical to the success of a CAP. And who better a battler is there in our midst than reachzero? He is not only a phenomenal battler, but a spectacular role model for others with his collected persona and overflowing wisdom. I know that he would lead a competitive CAP project with competitive notions at the forefront and with a level of reasoning that the users would respect. These qualities lend themselves to be exactly what we want, the seasoned veteran TL. I refuse to compare him directly to Wyverii or Deck, though, as they're all great choices for their own reasons. However, I do feel that the creativity and careful attention to detail that I know Wyverii for will be pivotal in keeping CAP 1 on track during the first CAP of the new generation. I know that reachzero, even if not the TL, will be there to provide her with unsurpassed knowledge of the metagame and justifications for his suggestions.

Deck Knight

Deck Knight's experience in CAP is unparalleled, even in the face of all of these other candidates. If there is anything that exists to be known about this project, its inner workings, and how to win in a poll, Deck knows it and would be happy to share it with you. I think that his knowledge would absolutely create a splendid CAP, and I hope one day that he does lead a CAP for us. I don't think that CAP should be this one, though. His submissions have always proved irreplaceable in the process, and provide us all with enlightenment on 'how to do it right'. I think these qualities will benefit CAP 1 more when said from the sidelines with the combined insight of the TL than anything. For this reason, I chose to vote Deck where I did in spite of his overabundance of CAP expertise. Another day, my good friend.

I wish all of the contestants good luck in the poll! Even though I voted as I did, I would be enthralled to have any of you as our first BW TL. I'll be behind you all the way.

 

[Vaz]

Hi!

Here are my votes for the candidates applying to become a Topic Leader. I have thought about my votes long and hard and believe that I have made the right decision.

reachzero would have to be my first preference for Topic Leader. This was quite a tough decision for me as I know that both reachzero AND Deck Knight both possess an extremely large amount of knowledge in the Create-a-Pokemon metagame and as well as Pokemon in general. The ultimate factor that sealed the deal for me is that I know that reachzero is not afraid to come in on any bad situation and eliminate it without hesitation. In every single CaP, there is always a flaw in the process that inevitably degrades the CaP to being not as or not at all being as successful as it was initially planned to be. Now no CaP is or ever will be perfect, but the more direct a CaP can be to it's original plan, the better. As well as having a deep competitive knowledge, he was the Suspect Test director for UU in Gen 4 (alongside Jabba). In simple terms, reachzero has a great knowledge of CaP and pokemon as well as the courage to step in to any bad situation and preventing it from applying damage.

Deck Knight is a brilliantly minded person, probably possessing greater knowledge and wisdom on CaP than anyone else on Smogon. He is definitely not in any way less knowledge-bound than reachzero, but is simply "Second Best" (just by that much) when it comes to making the most correct decision for a CaP for the right reasons.

Wyverii is definitely not a bad leader. She has great leadership skills and more than most likely far beyond any other CaP moderator I have witnessed. However, I feel she does not contain as much knowledge and deep experience to become a truly successful Topic Leader. I feel her decisions made will be decided upon mere theoretical evidence presented in text rather than real-hand experience throughout the project in the past and how certain decisions greatly affected the end result of a CaP. I am in no way questioning her overall ability to direct such a project, but only as compared to the other candidates.

All in all, I strongly believe reachzero will make the right decision when it comes to any situation at hand. I also wish every canditate good luck and hope that the best canditate wins!

Thanks, bye!

 

[bugmaniacbob]

choices...

Wyverii first. While I get that she's not perhaps as well-known as a competitive battler as the other two, not only has she been with the CAP Project for ages, I think that she would be the most likely to, if not take, then at least consider the less obvious paths down which a CAP can tread. Personally, I feel that she has already shown that she has the imagination and the drive to take the CAP down a less ordinary route.

Deck Knight. Long-standing contributor, biggest name in the project, etc. The only reason I'm not choosing him over Wyverii is because I think that he can contribute just as well, and possibly even better, through submissions rather than leadership. And since TLs have a tendency to disappear soon after the CAP finishes, I'd rather Deck Knight hung around for a little while longer.

reachzero. He's run suspect tests, is a great battler in all tiers and has proven his worth as a leader. He's also a seasoned CAP contributor. I'd happily have him as TL, but the only reason I've put him last is that the credentials and possibilities of the other two just barely outshine his.

Yet again, I'd be happy with any of them as TL. Good luck to all.

 

[DarkSlay]

This is a tough one, but here we go:

reachzero is my first choice. When it comes to what I believe a Topic Leader should possess, knowlege of the metagame is the number one attribute. In order to understand how a concept should work, you need a lot of background as to how a metagame works and what is good and bad in one (also what is "too good" in one). Not to say that the other candidates do not have this quality, but this is to say that reach has the most of this quality. reach is no slouch, having time to not only rise in the ranks of competitive Pokemon but also involve his time with CAP and various other Smogon projects (oh, and did I mention he's a pastor too?). Being here for two projects, I have also often seen reach's posts, and they are not only intelligent and thoughtful, but completely fair and compromising. I have no doubt that reach will be a great TL, so he gets my first rank.

Deck Knight gets my second choice. The next best thing after mastering the metagames is working hard enough to understand them outside of battle, which is what Deck Knight has mastered. If you've been keeping tabs on the CAP ASB project, you can tell that Deck definitely knows his stuff when it comes to Pokemon, and he's one of the hardest workers on the forums. I've never seen anyone able to multi-task like this guy can, and he's grown into a good friend. Another very insightful and fair person as well, so lots of positives there. The only thing that places him behind reach is the pedigree in competitive battling. reach just simply has more experience in how a metagame works, and most importantly, what succeeds in it. I look forward to Deck becoming a TL in the future.

Wyverii is in the last spot, but certainly isn't the least. While I am not super active in the art phases of CAP projects, I have seen enough of Wyverii to know that she is a very fair and understanding person. On CAP iRC, she is not afraid to share her opinion at all, and she knows some things about the metagame, as well as everything about art design (which quite honestly she should get all the credit she deserves on her designs and more). What's keeping her down is simply the talent in front of her in this poll. I just don't think she has the supreme knowledge of the Pokemon metagame as the other two candidates do, which is why she is third. She knows a lot about the CAP process, and is definitely not a slouch, so I expect a lot of great things from her in the future. I have no doubt that she has the capability to lead a project in the future.

All three could easily be TL. In the end, what separated them were their talents in competitive Pokemon that decided my rank. Good job to all candidates for making this decision hard, though.

 

[Korski]

Hmm well this is certainly one of the best TL slates I could imagine for the very first CAP of the new generation. I don't doubt for a second that any one of these three would prove to be the right choice going forward, but alas...

Deck Knight would be my first choice for TL right now, if only because he's been so intimately involved with the update of the CAP process and with keeping the forum alive during the lull. Deck has proven his leadership abilities in both the ATL and TL positions (as I've read, going through the Voodoom threads) and has an unparalleled grasp on the process we so vitally need to get the most out of these creations. I see Deck Knight being equally useful in the post-CAP PR rounds, where his understanding of the role of the TL and effectiveness of the process can be looked to to make CAP 2 a more fluid and rewarding experience.

Reachzero has the most battling and teambuilding experience of any of these three. In a scattered metagame such as the one we find ourselves playing, someone with immense knowledge regarding what kind of Pokemon our CAP will end up competing against is very, very important. His leadership and organizational skills are top-notch and reaffirmed with every project/article/anything he gets his hands on, so leading CAP into the new generation would be right up his alley.

Wyverii has proven time and time again to keep a cool head and to be very open to every point of view. She does not belittle new/uninformed users, but instead shows them where to get caught up with the topic at hand. I can also be confident that the vast time and effort she puts into this forum and this community would translate seamlessly into a great TL.

 

[capefeather]

All three of these people would probably make great TLs. I've only really been involved in CAP 11, but really that was enough to see the merit in all three of these people. reachzero easily shows his competitive clout and multitasking availability, being part of the "brain trust" of OU's suspect tests while having participated in so many other projects. Wyverii has creative talent going for her, as well as a quiet dedication to the project. Deck Knight has been in CAP since Day 1, and so he'd probably be the best of the three for tapping into the community's desires. I don't believe that I could say much more about these three without repeating what the others have said.

This was a very difficult decision for me, and eventually it came down to what I wanted prioritized in CAP 1. Can we, for example, afford to have a boring but balanced CAP 1, or a creative but overpowered CAP 1? I'm not saying that a reachzero-led CAP 1 would be dull or that a Wyverii-led CAP 1 would be overpowered; I'm just considering the strengths of each. Ultimately, I think that the community is in need of balance more than creativity right now, especially in these unstable times of a relatively new OU metagame. Since we are effectively giving the TL veto powers more than anything, these powers should go to someone who can put his/her foot down (lol, sorry) in matters of balance.

Therefore, my vote is the following:
reachzero
Wyverii
Deck Knight

Really, though, all of these people have the leadership skills to be TL.

 

[tennisace]

Wyverii
Reachzero
Deck Knight

In all honesty, I don't have the time nor the patience within the next 24 hours to bullshit about each candidate and suck their e-dicks. So, I'm going to say this: anyone saying that any one candidate is "better" than another is flat out wrong, and as evidenced by most posts in this thread, they are all stupidly qualified.

 

[DougJustDoug]

Very hard for me to rank 1 and 2.

Wyverii - From a battling standpoint, she has the least merit. But with the 5th gen still very much in flux, I think battling relevance is less important on this CAP than it was on 4th gen CAPs. This CAP is the first of a new gen, and I think capturing creativity, community participation, and setting the stage for future CAP's is most important. Balancing the metagame, experimenting with new battle strategies, etc -- that stuff is simply less important right now, since everyone is already adapting to new stuff from the real makers of Pokemon (GF and Ninty). Wyverii has a great outlook on the project and the role leadership should play. I think she will do a great job kicking off the 5th gen in CAP.

reachzero - Easily could be my number one choice. RZ is one of the people I like and respect most in all of Smogon. He has led big community projects, he's a great battler, a likeable guy, and has a great demeanor in working with others. If RZ leads this thing, we'll be in great hands.

Deck Knight - I obviously have great respect for DK and my praise of his contribution to CAP has been well documented elsewhere. The main reason I rank him third, is because I want DK to focus on being the mod of the CAP forum and getting accustomed to leading the community as a whole. If he is named TL, he'll do a great job, just like he did in picking up the pieces of CAP 11 and keeping a trickle of interest in CAP after the Japanese release of BW. But, DK should have his hands full with his new mod duties and will be a huge influence on this CAP project, with or without the title of TL.

 

[ssbbm]

reachzero
Deck Knight
Wyverii

In my opinion, all of these people are excellent candidates and have amazing leadership skills and I would be happy to have any of them as TL. However, I chose reachzero first because I believe that TLs should have battling experience so as to know what makes a Pokemon broken vs making a Pokemon that is balanced, like Voodoom. Then, I chose Deck Knight because of the dedication he has shown to keeping CAP alive (primarily through ASB). Again, I think all of these candidates are amazing leaders, and I honestly don't think that we would have a bad CAP if we had any of them as TL.

 

[eric the espeon]

I seriously considered asking to be able to abstain from this vote. The TL candidates are all friends or people I have a great respect for, and would expect any of them to be a great TL, and I've always hated trying to rank people in this way but...

Wyverii
reachzero
Deck Knight

The community of the CAP project has always been what I value most, and I feel that Wyv is the candidate most likely to pay close attention to keeping it together and working well, and with its help building us a new interesting creation. While Deck Knight has a very long and successful CAP history with many great contributions, it has been more results focused, more centered around a single vision and getting there than the others. reachzero is exceptionally knowledgeable about the game, widely known to be calm and considered, and not new to the project, but I have not seen the level of involvement with the community or "spirit" of the project that Wyv has had in the past.

 

[macle]

reachzero
Wyverii
Deck Knight

I feel reachzero is the best candidate for the job. He is the most knowledgeable about the 5th gen metagame and knows the cap process well. Wyverii and deck are also excellent choices but they aren't as good as reach.

 

[v]

Wyverii
reachzero
Deck Knight

love all you guys, but wyv would make an awesome tl. so would the other guys. but, deck already got to run the end of a cap and should get used to modding before trying it in addition to tling. reach is a great user and battler and would be as good as either. everyone is qualified this cap, so we will get a good product no matter what

 

[Deck Knight]

Fantastic Tabulation time:

Wyverii:
1st Places: 7
2nd Places: 2
3rd Places: 7

reachzero:
1st Places: 8
2nd Places: 6
3rd Places: 2

Deck Knight:
1st Places: 1
2nd Places: 8
3rd Places: 7

By popular demand, reachzero is the TL of CAP 1. Congratulations reachzero! Please select an ATL to assist you.

 

[reachzero]

<reachzero> I will extend that invitation to you, then, Rising_Dusk
<reachzero> be the Vader to my Palpatine.
<@Rising_Dusk> Fair enough, then I accept.
<+DrkSlay> Congrats Dusk. :)

I have chosen Rising_Dusk to be the ATL for CAP 1.