General Questions

General Information

Is this game made by Nintendo?

No, this is a fan-made game based on previous Handhelds originally started by Kyro. Originally the game was under management of KyroCorp, and led first by Kyro; then by Zammbi after Kyro retired in mid-2009. Since March 2011, Pokemon World Online is now owned by CodeCore Entertainment and remains active on new servers.

How long has this game been online?

The website has been online since December 11, 2007. The very first beta of the game was released on December 27, 2007.

What long term goals do the Developers plan for this game?

While the game started with the Kanto region following Leaf Green, plans held for the future are very broad. Every region, Pokémon, item, and skill from the Pokémon series will eventually be added. When the designers run out of new material to add, they will add new, exclusive material. Examples of exclusive material that are in the game/may be implemented include: quests, new areas, guilds, selling Pokémon to NPCs, real-estate (this is speculation), and more. It will suffice to say that this game will never truly be complete, because there will always be new updates thanks to a hard-working and dedicated staff.

I have a question, what do I do?

Well, there are a few ways to find your answer. You can ask an in-game player, ask a Guide, ask a GM, post your question in the forums in the correct forum, ask someone in the PWO IRC, or search the forums or Wiki to find a thread or article regarding your question, which will most likely have the answer in it.

Account Information

Where do I register for the game?

Follow the instructions listed in Account Registration.

I made a new account. Should I give other people my password?

This is common sense but no no NO! Do not give it to family members, do not give it to your friends, do not give it to the GUIDEs or Staff either! You are liable for everything that happens on your account and if something happens to your account because you gave away your password, your problem will most likely not be fixed.

How do I become a member and what are the advantages?

Please see the membership page for information on how to become a member and its advantages.

I was muted/kicked/banned. Why?

If you have been muted or banned, then you have not followed the game rules. The extent of these punishments depend on how serious the rule-bending is. If it is minor, then it will be either a mute or a kick. If it is more serious, it may result in a temporary ban lasting a few days. Excessive trolling and cheating may earn a permanent ban. Continuing to do this on alternate accounts may also result in an IP ban.

How do I access the forums/report bugs or hackers?

First, you need to register an account for the game. You can visit the forums from here. When you are located to the home page of the forums, click "Sign In" at the upper right corner and enter your game account info. You should be able to make posts and topics then. You cannot directly make a new account on the forums. Report all bugs on the tracker and report hackers in the Hidden Reports section under the "Community Watch" board.

I registered my Account on Playerdex but I cannot log into the Forums. Why is that?

If you face this issue it only means that the DEVs have not setup Playerdex completely to register your account to the forum and means you must wait until they resolve this issue.

Staff Information

Main Article: Staff

What is an Artist?

An Artist is a common player who helps make pixel art for the game. They help make Pokémon sprites, trainer sprites, map tiles and more. A leader of the artist group is referred to as the Lead Artist. Most artists are volunteers. If you are interested in becoming an artist, you should post a portfolio here.

What is a [CG]?

A [CG] (or Community Guide) is a chat moderator who is in the game to help answer your questions and also kick/mute players who break the rules. They can also help you if you are stuck on a map (not if you are stuck in a battle). They are not always liable or responsible to answer all of your questions. A leader of the Community Guide group is referred to as the Community Guide Lead. They are volunteers so they have the right to choose to answer your questions or not. You cannot apply for a position as Community Guide.

What is a Composer?

A composer is in charge of handling the music and sound effects that are heard while playing Pokémon World Online. A leader of the Composers group is referred to as the Maestro. Most composers are volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a composer, you should post a portfolio here.

What is a [DEV]?

A [DEV] is a "Developer", or programmer, that have similar powers to a [GM] and more. Instead of moderating the game, DEVs are in charge of the game's programming including the game client, server programming and any other websites/devices used to run the game. This is the highest rank obtainable and will only be given to trusted people who displayed excellent conduct in and around the game as well as showing an outstanding knowledge of programming. And once again, these are volunteers. If you wish to apply for DEV, contact Xanatus.

What is a [GE]?

A [GE] is a "Game Editor". They are in charge of editing existing content within the game (such as NPCs and spawns) and adding new content to the game. A leader of the Game Editors group is referred to as the Lead Editor. All Game Editors are volunteers. You cannot apply for a position as GE.

What is a [GM]?

A [GM] is a "Game Master", who are similar to [CG] only that they have more power in the game. In addition to muting and kicking, they can also ban players from the game for improper conduct, cheating and general rule-breaking. GMs usually do not moderate the in-game chat as the responsibility mainly rests with the Community Guides. The main responsibilities of GMs are to moderate the game as a whole and to and work on cases which involve the game or the forums. They also have the ability to kick, mute and ban players. A leader of the Game Master group is referred to as the Lead Moderator. All Game Masters are volunteers. You cannot apply for a position as GM.

What is a Journalist?

A Journalist is a player who helps with communication between the staff and the rest of the players of Pokémon World Online. Journalists are in charge of making news posts that inform the players of what is going on behind the scenes. They are also in charge of informing the playerbase of recent and possible future updates. A leader of the Journalist group is referred to as the Lead Journalist. All Journalists are volunteers. If you are interested in joining the Journalist team, then you should submit a portfolio of your work here.

What is a Mapper?

A Mapper is a player who helps in making maps, or places and cities, for the game. They help make the regions from the Handhelds and more. A leader of the Mapping group is referred to as the Lead Mapper. Most mappers are volunteers. If you are interested in mapping, you should post a portfolio of your work here.

Server-Related Information

The game will not let me log in. Why does this happen?

Three possible reasons. One: the server is full. Click "Select a Server" until you see Sapphire ###/700 on the status bar. Two: the server is off-line. No one is able to log in. Three: the game is experiencing major lag or is frozen. There are currently only 700 slots in the server and more may be added in the future.

I see "Sapphire: ###/700" in the Server list but I still cannot connect, help me!!!

Stay calm! First, check if the number changes when you click "Select a Server". If the number has stayed the same for some time, the server may have frozen and needs to be restarted to allow people to get in. We are working heavily on improving the server's up-time, but for now, just be patient and you'll get to play eventually.

When I log in, the map is black, my character is standing on a single grass tile and no one is speaking in chat. Why is that?

It means the server is full. Look at the chat to find a System message explaining that your connection to the server was refused due to being full. Log off and try to log in again.

The map around me is all the same grass tile or all black.

The request for the map timed-out and failed to load properly. While you can still move around the map, you will still be bounded by the obstacles that would be there if the map loaded correctly. To fix this problem, log out of the game and attempt to log into the game again.

When my game crashed, a message pops up saying "user already in system"? Does this mean someone hacked me?

The chances of someone's account getting hacked is very low. Your account may be experiencing the "user in system", or UIS, bug in which your account does not log off the game when you exit. The server automatically kicks off accounts that are AFK for 10 minutes so please wait patiently for that to occur. A Guide may also kick off your account but they are not required to. Please do not harass the Guides to kick off your accounts.

My battle froze. What shall I do?

It is simple: just log off or type /quit. Guides will not kick your account for being stuck in battle. They will also not kick you off just because you are afraid of getting the "UIS bug." Please do not harass the Guides to kick you off.

How did a Lv. 2 Rattata KO my lv. 8 Squirtle?

Moves such as Tail Whip and Leer are currently bugged so they will have an overpower effect on low-leveled Pokémon. Remember, the battle system is incomplete and thus there will be many moves that do not work correctly. For a list of moves that do not work properly, see the Broken Moves page.

How do I raise a Lv. 2 Bulbasaur with only Growl?

To train a Pokémon that does not have any damaging attacks, simply have the Pokémon participate in the battle. The easiest way to accomplish this is to move the Pokémon into the first position and then switch that Pokémon out on the first turn. The experience-sharing system will allow the Pokémon to gain some experience for the battle.

Why didn't my Charmander learn Metal Claw?

Though not intentionally, some Pokémon do not learn certain moves at their designated levels. To learn or re-teach a move, go to http://playerdex.pokemon-world-online.net/ and log-in with your game account. Find the Pokémon you wish to teach and click "Edit Moves." Remember, it costs 500 PokéDollars per level to edit moves. Make sure you are not in the game while you perform this.

Gameplay Information

What are the game's controls?

1. Arrow Keys, AWSD, or simultaneously left and right clicking - Walking

2. SPACE BAR - Talk to NPCs (Non-playable characters), read signs and interact with objects

3. ENTER + - Speak in chat with other players

4. Left Mouse Button - Selects/confirms choices

5. Right Mouse Button - Extra commands (try right-clicking a player)

How do I obtain a Pokédex?

Speak to Professor Shane in Pallet Town and you will receive it and be able to view Pokémon data. There is a functional Pokédex feature at http://playerdex.pokemon-world-online.net/.

How do I earn Pokédollars?

You may gain some from defeating wild Pokémon and NPCs. You do not earn Pokémoney from PvP (player vs. player) battles. You may trade Pokémoney with other players once you acquired 100 Rep points.

What is Reputation?

Reputation is a meter that allows you to battle certain NPCs and also gives you other abilities such as trading and creating guilds. You earn 0.3 Rep points from defeating a NPC. You earn 5% of your opponent's rep points from defeating a human player. You can lose rep by losing to other players.

How do I re-order my team?

Right-click one of your Pokémon at the top of your screen and select a position to switch with.

Where do I go to heal my Pokémon?

In most towns/cities, there are buildings with a red roof called a Pokémon Center. Simply enter inside the Pokémon Center and your team will be healed.

Where do I go to buy PokéBalls and Potions?

In most towns/cities, there are buildings with a blue roof called a PokéMart. Speak to the merchant inside to view a selection of items. Most of the time, it is best to buy from DEVs and GMs as some greedy players overpriced items.

How do I exit the game/log off?

Clicking the X at the upper right corner, the first time while logged in will return you to the log-in screen. If for some reason this does not work, enter /quit in the chat - this will have the same effect as clicking on the X if logged in. If you are on the log-in screen, clicking on X will close the client. Alternatively, there are two other computer functions that allows you to close PWO. One, press ALT + F4. Two, press CTRL + ALT + Delete, open up the Task Manager and End Task for PWO.

How do I battle another player?

Type the command in chat: /battle playername OR right-click a player and select "Battle." Please do not send multiple battle requests to the same player.

How do I trade Pokémon/Items/PokéDollars?

First, you need to earn 30 Reputation points. Then, you need to be in the same Pokémon Center as the person you are trading with. Type the command in chat: /trade playername OR right-click the trade partner and select "Trade." Please do not intentionally steal or swindle the other player; if you are caught in the act, you can be banned from the game permanently.

How to do trade evolutions?

Main article: Trading

You need to trade 1 Pokédollar and make sure your Pokémon is in your team. You don't need to trade the actual Pokémon! Once you trade 1 Pokédollar, your Pokémon should evolve. To trade both players must have 30 reputation.

Outside Chat Information

What is the IRC/IPChat?

The IPChat is PWO's official chat and can be found through the forums here. If you either don't like the IPChat or can't visit it then you can visit our IRC Channel. Click here for information about the IRC and its rules. Both channels offer members to give support for any problems you may have. IRC channel staff may not necessarily be PWO Staff.

How do I become a Voice/Half-Op/Op/Admin on IRC?

To become a mod, you must NEVER ask for it, but rather constantly abide by the IRC chat rules, and also help others constantly. If you have any questions please feel free to talk to Reborn (Bluerise), Zukiedo, or Mind on the IRC chat or on the forums.