Room Introductions and Descriptions

Introduction

At this point, I think that it's safe to assume that we've lost count of all of the amazing rooms that Pokémon Showdown! has to offer. More often than not, I find myself in shock when I realize that there's a room for something. We have rooms that specialize in tournaments, trading, roleplaying, and even food! With all the grandeur of each and every room, it's enough to make anyone spin more than a Hitmontop. How does one avoid all of this confusion? There are dozens of interesting rooms to choose from, so how can someone come to understand the room they're going in? Well, it's better to show than tell, and with this, room introductions were created. Room introductions are, as the title says, introductions to the room itself. They are primarily used to introduce new and old users alike to what the room is about through various links, themes, backgrounds, and texts. But what does all of this really mean? What is the point of a room introduction? Room introductions are extremely helpful for users to gain valuable knowledge when entering a new room. They really help to give users a sense of what the room is about and what the goals and benefits of the room are, just like that. No fuss, no mess, no hour-long explanations on what a "Mafia PL" is; it's all there for you. After taking the time to learn about a room, it becomes clear that room introductions are something that only certain people can change or make. Room owners are responsible for creating room intros, so looking at room intros, here are general thoughts to consider in how to take drab and turn it into fab:

Text & Effects

Big, small, long, or short, text is important in the way the room is viewed. It can reflect various ideas depending on the flavor of the text. Maybe the text is designed in an art style that gives off an enticing or mysterious vibe. Take a look at Text Quest, and you'll see that the room's flavoring and text give off an "adventure" vibe that fits what the room embodies, so it's a theme that fits the room perfectly. Cafe Le Wow, by using cursive text, gives off a fancy elegant vibe to the room, which allows people to truly appreciate its concept and what the basis of the room is. It gives the room that extra "oomph", if you will. Regular text, while short and sweet, is generally bland and uninteresting. It doesn't catch my eye, your eye, or anyone's eye, for that matter. Having a flavored text really does give off displays. Effects are generally important as well. I'll always have an everlasting impression of the Wi-Fi Room, just because The Immortal is watching me (l-lewd). Movement and blinking effects are also interesting. Normal text is great, no doubt, especially with a theme or flavor that represents a room, but being able to have text flash around or blink is impactful. It truly does leave impressions on both those who are new to the room and room regulars that feel happy every time they see the room intro.

Pictures

One of the most, if not the most, important parts of room introduction are pictures. Your eyes are immediately greeted with images of all kinds once you come into a room. Pictures attract attention to a room and are often the most memorable parts of a room introduction. Pictures leave you with a lasting impression of a room, and you can even get a better understanding of it. Pictures can be GIFs, memes, sprites (various kinds of Pokémon), special logos (Wi-Fi, VGC), artistic designs (Art), and images of pop culture. Look at The Happy Place, for example, as nothing is more inviting than an Ampharos waving at you while surrounded by Mareep. It's warm and charming, and, more importantly, it's memorable. I love that image because it has a meaning behind it, reflecting the room's basic thoughts and ideals. Pictures are the neon lights to the proverbial town scene, and the images that are the most interesting are the places that you want to go.

Links

It's important to note that links are important parts of a room's introduction, as they are crucial for users getting an understanding of what the room is all about. Imagine walking into Roleplaying and Mafia, two very diverse rooms, and attempting to interact or contribute within the rooms. Feelings of confusion, ignorance and boredom befall your face as you have no idea what these rooms are for, and you can't add to these rooms because you're unfamilar with the nature of the rooms. Not only do links provide users (old and new) with information such as the rules to certain rooms, but they help them understand and learn about the room in a much easier setting. Links to rules, websites, media, IRC, and even Smogon are crucial to avoid alienating new users when it comes to the expansion of the room.

Colors & Backgrounds

Room intros can contain red, blue, and green backgrounds; this usually works well with the contrast of colors within certain images or texts. Having a red background with cool colors such as blue, purple, and green makes them pop, capturing the attention of new users around the room. Warm colors are inviting as well as they are generally lighter colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows, while cooler colors have a darker feel to them sometimes such ash green and purple, making them pop out. Warm colors have a peaceful tone to them often embodying emotions of peace and innocence. A color such as yellow evokes emotional appeals of joy, the colors of spring, and sunshine. This is what makes having warm colors inviting, you get to not only feel the emotions but you experience them through visually seeing them. Take a look at TCG Room, now the red background, gives off a vibrant theme of warmth, however it is intentionally offset with a picture, with greens and purples. We see a clash of a warm background with a cool foreground causing the audience to feel intrigued and captivated by what they're viewing. Now cool colors are much more different, they evoke emotions of calmness. There's a fine line between cold and impersonal feelings compared to nurturing and comforting feelings when referring to cool colors. Taking a look at the OU Room, we're met with a blue background that almost emits a calm nature, but has shades of black from different sprites on screen that captivate a sense of mystery and a bit of an edge. The red flavored text then clashes with the blue background popping and again catching the audiences eye. The contrast in cool and warm colors creates excitement that entices the audience in wanting to learn more. Now, Free Time is rather different due to the mixture of using white and black, which are tones, instead of using colors. Black and white give off a feeling of light, innocence, elegance, power, and mystery. What makes it work even more is the fact that the white and black background is contrasting with the yellow font, that rich yellow font that again reminds us of sunshine, warmth, emotions of joy and excitement often making us feel invited and appreciated. There isn't any underlying message or any theme of any kind, you get to feel the emotions yourself. Alternatively, not having a background is an option, as having one may devalue the overall message or theme of the room and may not fit or look appealing. Introductions can either be large, taking up the entire screen, or small, for less involvement on screen and more emphasis on the links. It really depends; for example, the OU room capitalizes on having a large blue background with a few pictures involved, and you're immediately welcomed to a giant image. Having a background be not only colored, but also huge, can be great.

Conclusion

With that in mind, getting an understanding on room intros is just as crucial as understanding the room itself, as room introductions are not the only part of understanding the basis of a room. Room descriptions go hand in hand with room introductions as they serve to wrap up the room in about one sentence. While a room intro will always be seen, a room description is necessary to sum up a room as well. Room intros provide clarity for new and old users alike and will continue to play a major part in how people interact with new rooms as they explore the never-ending maze that is Pokémon Showdown!

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