Inboxes, Xtransceivers and More!

Inboxes, Xtransceivers and More! Sept 13, 2022 11:49:40 GMT

Post by Espurr on Sept 13, 2022 11:49:40 GMT

BUT WHAT CAN WE USE?

What technology is available to Shulian residents?

Well, by default, every character on-site will be given an Xtransceiver capable of sending and receiving calls, texts, and emails- think of it as a stand-in for a phone, or a particularly bulky smartwatch!

Again, every character is given one of these at the start of their journey on Shula, whether it have been at the lab or otherwise!

What if you want your character to have something else, though? What other devices could Shulian residents- or even trainers arriving from other regions -have?

Note before proceeding that your character using a different device does not mean anything mechanically, and should not give you any advantage in gameplay.

All of the information below is provided purely for roleplay flavor and to elaborate on what's canon to the site in terms of communications technology.

XTRANSCEIVER

Starting off with the one everyone would have, an Xtransceiver (also called a cross transceiver or live caster) is a sleek, wrist-mountable, smartphone-like device developed by a company in Unova.

Alongside its popularity in Unova, it's extremely common in Shula due to an affordable price point alongside a supply deal struck between the developers and the region's lab.

Though mass-produced now like other popular communications devices, the Xtransceiver has surprisingly grassroots origins, which has led to its lead developers having a great deal of affection for beginning trainers.

As such, when the company expanded production into the Shula region, it was with the agreement that the Seabreeze Lab would receive Xtransceivers at an extremely reduced price- allowing them to distribute them for free to any trainers visiting to begin their journeys.

(This agreement predates Professor Kari Maple's career as professor, though her taking up the role didn't really affect the arrangement.)

⋅ * ⋅ * ⋅ * ⋅ * ⋅ * ⋅

As for its capabilities as a device, the Xtransceiver is primarily built for its video call functions. It boasts extremely clear video and audio quality, and with the company's presence in the Shula region it's not very likely trainers will be left stranded.

...And, even if they are stranded somewhere in the wilderness, an Emergency S.O.S. feature inbuilt to the device is designed to be able to send out a distress signal to the nearest patrolling ranger or police officer.

In addition to these base features, Xtransceivers also have text, email, and limited internet access capabilities (limited compared to those of an average smartphone such as a Rotom Phone).

Though it can't install new applications without jailbreaking, the Xtransceiver also comes with two slightly mediocre games- Balloon Catch! and Balloon Ka-Boom!

The Xtransceiver's one big flaw is its small digital keyboard, which takes up the secondary screen that slides out of the device's side when there's no ongoing call. Complaints have been lodged about the keys on the keyboard being small and easy to fumble, and its autocorrect feature not being nearly robust enough to make up for it. These, however, are not deal breakers for most.

(Any texts across regions also tend to be a hassle to send, sometimes making it more convenient to simply email any friends or loved ones that have left the region.)

Functions unique to the Xtransceiver are its accessibility in the Shula region, useful inbuilt S.O.S. feature, and unmatched video/call quality as well as its excellent infrastructure across several regions.

It's essentially the closest thing to a widespread, standardized smartphone you can get on Shula. So be grateful that you get one for free! >.>

POKEGEAR

A bulky, wrist-mountable device developed by Silph Co., the Pokegear is very popular in Kanto, Johto, and the surrounding regions for its durability and reliability despite its clunkiness compared to other communication devices.

The Pokegear is especially popular as a device for parents to give to young trainers setting out on their first journeys, due to its low price tag and restricted communication features- though it can send and receive messages and calls, it can not receive images, and does not have video call capabilities.

On top of that, the device's interface is very customizable, and because of how marketable the device is to younger trainers there's often a wide range of colorful and protective cases to choose from and personalize with.

With a radio card (which most trainers will receive upon buying or being gifted their Pokegear), the Pokegear can also access various radio stations with much clearer audio quality than other radio access options (second only, of course, to actual dedicated radios).

With a rudimentary map function to top it all off, the Pokegear proves to be a low-feature yet accessible option, especially for younger trainers.

Functions unique to the Pokegear are its customizability, advanced radio functions, and accessibility to younger and less wealthy trainers.

...and it's obvious lack of features in comparison to its counterparts.

POKENAV (AND PLUS)

Produced by the Devon Corporation in Hoenn, the compact and easy-to-carry PokeNav has its roots in being a navigation device first and foremost.

It has the most advanced location features of any communications device, making it extremely popular among traveling trainers- especially coordinators actively participating in the moving Hoenn contest circuits, due to some of its contest-specific features.

In the Shula region, as contests are centralized to Redshore Town and follow slightly different rulesets than in other regions, the device sees diminished popularity with the same audience and as such far less use (though some coordinators still swear by it!)

In terms of digital mapping technology, the PokeNav basic is only surpassed by the Rotom Phone, and even then it's a big argument among tech enthusiasts.

Much like the Pokegear, in terms of direct communications it's only capable of text messages and voice calls. However, what it lacks in direct messaging capabilities it makes up for with its advanced battle-seeking functions.

Any trainers traveling with a PokeNav or PokeNav+ have access to the exclusive Trainer's Eyes network, a social media network that allows trainers to create profiles, share their main battlers, and mark their location alongside whether they're free or not to battle.

Trainer's Eyes is built directly into the PokeNav's map function, so trainers are able to see other users and access their profile without even opening an external app.

Besides that, there's an extension to the Trainer's Eyes network meant especially for coordinators, allowing them to track contests they've participated in, see past and future contests in the region, and share ribbons they've earned.

The PokeNav+ (also referred to as the PokeNav Plus) is a more modern version of the original PokeNav, with a sleeker, flatter design. It has more or less the same features as the original PokeNav, but with the addition of a berry growing app that helps trainers gauge how long it'll take their planted berries to grow and how much a berry plant needs to be watered.

The PokeNav+ is also capable of accessing news broadcasts on both radio and television, though incapable of accessing any other television or radio channels.

Functions unique to the PokeNav and PokeNav+ are their advanced map functions, battle and contest stat trackers, exclusive social media.

...However, Devon Corp. has come under fire for both devices' fragility. They perform extremely poorly in places with strong magnetic fields, are not waterproof, and the PokeNav+ in particular will snap if treated too roughly.

They're powerful tools for socially-conscious trainers, to be sure, but there are certainly more practical options.

POKETCH

Manufactured by Poketch Co. in Sinnoh, the Poketch is a compact watch with a dot-matrix touch screen intended to be an assistive tool to Sinnohian trainers on the go. Due to its versatility, it's garnered a huge audience of excited coders and jailbreakers, which gives it the biggest range of potential apps to use out of all communications devices.

Anything you can think of, you can have with the Poketch!

...Except, ah...anything audio-related.

What the Poketch has in versatility it almost entirely loses in communications capabilities, making it only really grouped in with the others on a technicality.

Though the Poketch modding community has managed to make apps that allow it to send and receive texts, including rather pixelated images, any kind of call is just beyond the Poketch's capabilities (and the on-screen keyboard that modders have cobbled together is just too unwieldy for longform text, pushing emails out of the picture; unless you're seriously committed.)

With a watch, calculator, step counter, and pokeball-registering capabilities allowing trainers to see a list of up to 6 of their Pokemon and their statuses all included in the Poketch by default, many tech enthusiasts swear by it as the best tool for a Pokemon journey a trainer could ever have.

Functions unique to the Poketch are its unmatched versatility, useful inbuilt team-monitoring features, and an extensive tweaking/modding community constantly pushing its limits as a device.

...and, unfortunately, next to no options for communications aside short texts and emergency S.O.S.

(As a side note, there is an older, bulkier version of the Poketch now branded as 'the original Poketch', but unlike the PokeNav where trainers are still seen heavily using both, most Poketch enthusiasts consider the new Poketch to be superior in every way.)

(Because it is.)

ROTOM PHONE

Popular in many regions but originally from Galar, the Rotom Phone is a smartphone device with great versatility (even if its battery without a Rotom to power it leaves a great deal to be desired).

Though still branded 'Rotom Phone' by the company that produces them, due to a lack of resources and (more importantly) Pokemon welfare laws in most regions where the phones are sold, no Rotom Phone is sold with a Rotom already possessing it. Trainers wanting to harness their phones' full capabilities will have to go find a Rotom on their own.

This, along with the phone's extremely high price tag in Shula (a price calculated due to import costs, labor laws, differing economies, and Rotom Phones being considered a luxury item in the region) means it's a rare choice for Shulian residents, and trainers who arrive into the region with a Rotom Phone may find it difficult to find tech support if their device happens to go kaput.

If one has the money, however, and the patience to work past the hurdles of having an uncommon choice of communications, they'll be rewarded with...a device that can download a shoddy Pokedex app and dubiously fun idle games.

Whether that's worth it or not...is in the eye of the beholder. :P

Functions unique to the Rotom Phone are its inbuilt flashlight, structure conducive to Rotom possession (without destroying the device or harming the Rotom), and robust inbuilt regional maps with detailed weather information.

...and, without a Rotom powering it, a battery that drains like there's a dozen Joltik latched onto its back.

It also allows for easy tracking of collected league cards, though due to the practice of exchanging league cards being (at least, at the moment) a uniquely Galarian trend, it's debatable how useful that is. Fun, though!

BUT WHAT ABOUT [INSERT ITEM HERE]?

Did we miss one? Do you have any more questions that aren't answered here? Hit up our FAQ, and we'll be sure to answer!

See you there!

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Sifr @ THQ