Please remember to follow the manual of style and code of conduct at all times.
Check the Bulbagarden home page for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.

Damage category: Difference between revisions

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Jump to navigationJump to search
mNo edit summary
(38 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:PhysicalIC.gif|frame|right]]
{{Move|Move category}}
[[Image:SpecialIC.gif|frame|right]]
{{DamageCats}}
[[Image:StatusIC.gif|frame|right]]
The '''category''' (Japanese: '''{{tt|分類|ぶんるい}}''' ''classification'') or '''kind'''<ref>In [[Pokédex 3D]]</ref> of a [[move]] is an element of said move that determines the kind of [[damage]] it deals.
'''Damage categories''' are a feature newly-introduced in [[Generation IV]] that categorize [[move]]s based on the kind of damage they deal. In previous generations, a move would base its power off of the user's [[Stat#Attack|Attack]] and the target's [[Stat#Defense|Defense]] or the user's [[Stat#Special Attack|Special Attack]] and the target's [[Stat#Special Defense|Special Defense]] depending on its type. For example, all {{type2|Fighting}} moves were the former, while all {{type2|Fire}} moves were the latter. However, in Generation IV, a move like {{m|Focus Blast}} is both Fighting-type and bases its damage off of the Special Attack and Special Defense of the user and target, respectively.  


The addition of this feature to the games has altered the playing field somewhat, as now Pokémon are allowed a much greater degree of freedom with the types of move that can be used. For example, under the former system, {{p|Sneasel}}, which has a much greater Attack than Special Attack, would often be forced to ignore all moves that would give it [[Same-type attack bonus|STAB]], due to {{type2|Ice}} and {{type2|Dark}} moves both being calculated from its Special Attack, the base of which is a low 35, compared to its Attack [[base stat]], 95.
In games prior to Generation IV, the [[type]] of a damaging move determines whether the move is [[Physical moves|physical]] ({{DL|Damage|damage calculation}} is performed using the user's {{stat|Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Defense}}) or [[Special moves|special]] (the user's {{stat|Special Attack}} and the target's {{stat|Special Defense}}).


Overall, when the feature was first announced, the change was very controversial among fans, as many players were unsure of which moves from the previous three generations would be affected. Eventually, this fear of losing hard-trained Pokémon due to the conversion died down, and as movesets were revealed, the change became an accepted part of the game.  
It was first assigned to individual moves in {{g|XD: Gale of Darkness}} for [[Shadow move]]s, and then applied to all moves starting in [[Generation IV]]. Among fans, this change is often known as the '''Physical/Special split'''.


While the moves remain, for the most part, in the same category that they were in before, the majority of moves of a formerly "Special" type that were given status as Physical, as well as moves of a formerly "Physical" type that were given status as Special, are obvious changes, as is the case with {{m|Fire Punch}}, {{m|Ice Punch}}, and {{m|ThunderPunch}}. Several new moves, as well, were introduced to give more balance to formerly all-Special and all-Physical types, such as the {{type2|Psychic}}, which got {{m|Zen Headbutt}} and {{m|Psycho Cut}}, and the Fighting-type, which got Focus Blast, {{m|Vacuum Wave}}, and {{m|Aura Sphere}}.
==Physical/Special split==
The Physical/Special split allows {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} to use moves from a wider variety of types. For example, prior to Generation IV, {{p|Sneasel}}, which has a much greater Attack than Special Attack, was not effective at using moves with [[Same-type attack bonus|STAB]], due to {{type|Ice}} moves and {{type|Dark}} moves both being special.


Moves that deal no direct damage were also given a category, however, as they never dealt damage in the first place, no moves formerly of other categories were moved to this category, and no moves moved from this category to another.
Several new moves were introduced to give more balance to formerly all-special and all-physical types, such as the physical {{type|Psychic}} moves {{m|Zen Headbutt}} and {{m|Psycho Cut}}; and the special Fighting-type moves {{m|Focus Blast}}, {{m|Vacuum Wave}}, and {{m|Aura Sphere}}. Other moves, such as {{m|Hyper Beam}} (which was physical prior to Generation IV but is now special), gained physical counterparts with the same characteristics (in this case, {{m|Giga Impact}}).


==See also==
==Type-based categories==
* [[Physical move]]
The move categories used from [[Generation I]] to [[Generation III]] are listed below.
* [[Special move]]
{| class="roundy" style="text-align: center; background: #ccc; border: 2px solid #888" cellpadding="3px"
* [[Status move]]
|- style="background: #C0C0FF;"
! style="{{roundytl|5px}}" | Category
! colspan="9" style="{{roundytr|5px}}" | Types
|- style="background: #fff"
| style="background: #{{Physical color}}" | '''[[Physical move|{{color|{{Physical textcolor}}|Physical}}]]'''
| {{typecolor|Normal}}
| {{typecolor|Fighting}}
| {{typecolor|Flying}}
| {{typecolor|Poison}}
| {{typecolor|Ground}}
| {{typecolor|Rock}}
| {{typecolor|Bug}}
| {{typecolor|Ghost}}
| {{typecolor|Steel}}
|-
| style="background-color: #{{Special color}}; {{roundybl|5px}}" | '''[[Special move|{{color|{{Special textcolor}}|Special}}]]'''
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Fire}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Water}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Grass}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Electric}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Psychic}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Ice}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Dragon}}
| style="background: #fff" | {{typecolor|Dark}}
|}


The unused {{DL|List of glitch types|Bird}} type from the Generation I games is physical.
==References==
<references />
==In other languages==
{{langtable|color=ddf|bordercolor=ccf
|zh_yue=分類 ''{{tt|Fānleuih|Classification}}''
|zh_cmn=分類 / 分类 ''{{tt|Fēnlèi|Classification}}''
|fr=Catégorie
|de=Kategorie
|it=Categoria
|ko=분류 ''{{tt|Bullyu|Classification}}''
|es=Categoría
}}
{{-}}
{{Project Games notice|game mechanic}}
[[Category:Damage categories|*]]
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
[[de:Schadensklasse]]
[[fr:Catégories d'attaque]]
[[it:Categoria danno]]

Revision as of 12:51, 23 September 2017

018Pidgeot.png It has been suggested that this article be moved to Move category.
Please discuss whether or not to move it on its talk page.
Damage categories
Physical
Special
Status

The category (Japanese: 分類 classification) or kind[1] of a move is an element of said move that determines the kind of damage it deals.

In games prior to Generation IV, the type of a damaging move determines whether the move is physical (damage calculation is performed using the user's Attack and the target's Defense) or special (the user's Special Attack and the target's Special Defense).

It was first assigned to individual moves in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness for Shadow moves, and then applied to all moves starting in Generation IV. Among fans, this change is often known as the Physical/Special split.

Physical/Special split

The Physical/Special split allows Pokémon to use moves from a wider variety of types. For example, prior to Generation IV, Sneasel, which has a much greater Attack than Special Attack, was not effective at using moves with STAB, due to Ice-type moves and Dark-type moves both being special.

Several new moves were introduced to give more balance to formerly all-special and all-physical types, such as the physical Psychic-type moves Zen Headbutt and Psycho Cut; and the special Fighting-type moves Focus Blast, Vacuum Wave, and Aura Sphere. Other moves, such as Hyper Beam (which was physical prior to Generation IV but is now special), gained physical counterparts with the same characteristics (in this case, Giga Impact).

Type-based categories

The move categories used from Generation I to Generation III are listed below.

Category Types
Physical  Normal   Fighting   Flying   Poison   Ground   Rock   Bug   Ghost   Steel 
Special  Fire   Water   Grass   Electric   Psychic   Ice   Dragon   Dark 

The unused Bird type from the Generation I games is physical.

References

  1. ↑ In Pokédex 3D

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 分類 Fānleuih
Mandarin 分類 / 分类 Fēnlèi
France Flag.png French Catégorie
Germany Flag.png German Kategorie
Italy Flag.png Italian Categoria
South Korea Flag.png Korean 분류 Bullyu
Spain Flag.png Spanish Categoría


Project Games logo.png This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.
Retrieved from "https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/w/index.php?title=Damage_category&oldid=2693142"