Talk:Great Marsh: Difference between revisions

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I noticed that you can get two 'rare' Pokemon on the same day (crogunk and skorupi), and it was my first time at the marsh. Does anybody know anything about this? [[User:Verity_Lies|Verity_Lies]]
I noticed that you can get two 'rare' Pokemon on the same day (crogunk and skorupi), and it was my first time at the marsh. Does anybody know anything about this? [[User:Verity_Lies|Verity_Lies]]
There are a few things that i have found wrong with the lists for platinum i have been able to catch a Carnivine as wall as finding a Skorupi at level 27 even though the range says 20-26, i was also able to find Yanma without it being indicated by the binoculars. I think there may be other anomalies but i haven't encountered them yet. [[User:Bonez565|Bonez565]] 08:40, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
:You might not see Yanma in the binoculars. The article is simply saying that it's the only way of knowing ahead of time, ''if'' the binoculars show it. The Yanma would've been there whether you looked or not, but you simply didn't know before going into the Marsh.—[[User:Urutapu|Loveはドコ?]] ([[User talk:Urutapu|talk]] <small>•</small> [[Special:Contributions/Urutapu|contribs]]) 18:16, 12 April 2009 (UTC)
==Carvanha?==
==Carvanha?==
It's possible to catch Carvanha in the Great Marsh with a super rod. How does that fit in? - - - '''[[User:Dra2k4|<span style="color:#00CC00;">dra</span>''<span style="color:#FF0000;">2</span><span style="color:#0000FF;">k</span><span style="color:#FF0000;">4</span>'']]''' 15:19, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
It's possible to catch Carvanha in the Great Marsh with a super rod. How does that fit in? - - - '''[[User:Dra2k4|<span style="color:#00CC00;">dra</span>''<span style="color:#FF0000;">2</span><span style="color:#0000FF;">k</span><span style="color:#FF0000;">4</span>'']]''' 15:19, 24 September 2007 (UTC)
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:It's probably a translation error. It's mentioned at the bottom of the page. [[User:Flicky|Fli]][[User talk:Flicky|cky]][[User:Flicky/Latin|1991]] 19:58, 6 September 2008 (UTC)
:It's probably a translation error. It's mentioned at the bottom of the page. [[User:Flicky|Fli]][[User talk:Flicky|cky]][[User:Flicky/Latin|1991]] 19:58, 6 September 2008 (UTC)
:Note, the text is different in Platinum. He says that bait will make them easier to catch, but more likely to flee, and mud will make them less likely to run (out of anger, he says), but harder to catch. Which is still contradictory to the article. I always thought it was the other way around, but playing in the Great Marsh and trying both out, I believe him. I'm changing it. [[User:Terrane|Terrane]] 16:15, 22 April 2009 (UTC)
Out of DPPt, I have only played the Platinum version. I also confirm to what Tomw says and personally, I found that the boy in the marsh is correct and the part in the article is incorrect. If this is also true for Diamond and Platinum, the article needs to be changed. Otherwise it needs to be mentioned that the system is opposite in Platinum.
Thanks
[[User:Ishu Bagaria|Ishu Bagaria]] 21:20 14 November 2010 (UTC)
: I am also playing Platinum version and have experienced some severe frustration with my usual catching strategy -- for example, after throwing two Muds, a Yanma escaped ''six'' Safari Balls before fleeing -- either the Random Number God is out to deprive me of any Safari catches tonight, or today must be Opposite Day.  Or maybe the above theory is correct?  So, experimenting with it, I successfully threw ... eighteen Muds at a Bibarel before it fled from battle.  Yes, ''EIGHTEEN.''  Random Number God may be fickle, but he can't like me ''that'' much, right?  By contrast, when I tried throwing Baits instead of Mud, and most wild Pokemon fled from battle after just two.  It ''certainly'' appears to me that Platinum's (if not D/P too) Bait/Mud effects are precisely the opposite of normal for Safari Zones.
: PS: Also by contrast, I threw two Bait at a Yanma and then caught it with just one Ball.  That's a huge difference from two Muds + six Balls and ''still'' not catching one. --''[[User:Stratelier|Stratelier]] 07:02, 30 April 2011 (UTC)''
::PPS: I found two user FAQs on GameFAQs.com corroborating that the Great Marsh's Bait and Mud mechanics (at least in Platinum) appear to be reversed from other Safari Zones.  --''[[User:Stratelier|Stratelier]] 16:02, 30 April 2011 (UTC)''


== Rarity ==
== Rarity ==
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For slots which say night, day, or something other than grass/surf/rods - These are slot replacements.  They replace the pokemon that normally occupies that slot and assumes its rarity.
For slots which say night, day, or something other than grass/surf/rods - These are slot replacements.  They replace the pokemon that normally occupies that slot and assumes its rarity.


<pre style="overflow: scroll; height: 500px">
D|P,23,0,grass,194,24
D|P,23,0,grass,194,24


Line 985: Line 1,001:


Pl,28,4,super-rod,318,40,55
Pl,28,4,super-rod,318,40,55
 
</pre>


You can tell from this data that there are descrete levels and rarities which change between the different areas.
You can tell from this data that there are descrete levels and rarities which change between the different areas.
This mistake has been made throughout all of bulbapedia's location project.
This mistake has been made throughout all of bulbapedia's location project.
I will get the daily great marsh zone pokemon rarities later.
I will get the daily great marsh zone pokemon rarities later.
[[Users:Sabresite|Sabresite]] 03:13, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
[[User:Sabresite|Sabresite]] 03:13, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
:Can you put that in the chart format which we have? '''[[User:TTEchidna|<span style="color:#FF0000">''TTE''</span>]][[User talk:TTEchidna|chidna]]''' 03:23, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
:Can you put that in the chart format which we have? '''[[User:TTEchidna|<span style="color:#FF0000">''TTE''</span>]][[User talk:TTEchidna|chidna]]''' 03:23, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
::Yes when I get time, I will do this.  I posted the long spam so that someone who has the time, can do it for me.  If a pokemon appears multiple times with the same level, simply add the percentages for each slot and that is the total rarity.  Keep in mind that rarity changes from night to day, or with the dongles present.  [[Users:Sabresite|Sabresite]] 03:39, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
::Yes when I get time, I will do this.  I posted the long spam so that someone who has the time, can do it for me.  If a pokemon appears multiple times with the same level, simply add the percentages for each slot and that is the total rarity.  Keep in mind that rarity changes from night to day, or with the dongles present.  [[User:Sabresite|Sabresite]] 03:39, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
 
== Platinum ==
 
Err, should the article mention that the place was redesigned in Platinum? The rough layout is the same (the railway tracks and platforms are still there, and it's still the same size and shape), but a lot of little details have been changed. The mud also looks a lot different (there are light and dark patches indicating where you can walk without falling) and it actually has unique grass-in-mud graphics too. All in all it's substantially nicer. [[User:Darien Shields|Darien Shields]] 12:30, 22 April 2009 (UTC)
 
==Drapion!==
 
I caught a Drapion in my Platinum copy, and it doesn't say so in the article!! :P [[User:YukitoOoO|YukitoOoO]] 00:10, 10 June 2009 (UTC)
 
== Toxicroak! ==
 
I caught a Toxicroak in my Platinum version just as YukitoOoO caught a Drapion in their Platinum version. --[[User:Kamikami|Kamikami]] 00:26, 31 July 2009 (UTC)
 
== Carvanha ==
 
I keep finding low lvl (16-20) Carvanha in the safarizone. im sing a super rod, yet it says on the list they 30+.i havent found 1 over 20. shold this be mentioned?--[[User:Ben7229|Ben7229]] 21:50, 23 November 2009 (UTC)
 
== Merge the platinum pre-national list? ==
 
Why is the set of three additional Pokémon available in platinum before the national Pokédex given it's own list? The availability marks should be enough. [[User:Kendai|~Kendai]] 10:03, 30 October 2010 (UTC)
:To signify the difference? Because someone was lazy when Pt came out? Change it if you want - it's a wiki, after all. &mdash;'''<span style="font-family:Verdana"><span style="color:#000">darklord</span>[[User talk:The dark lord trombonator|<span style="color:#0047AB">trom</span>]]</span>''' 10:24, 30 October 2010 (UTC)
 
== Shards in Platinum ==
 
Um, the Ace Trainer (or guy with green hair) doesn't just give you a green shard (he just gave me a blue shard today).  He gives you a random shard each day, think someone should correct that. ----[[User:NateVirus|<span style="color:blue">NateVirus</span>]]<small>''([[User talk:NateVirus|<span style="color:green">Talk</span>]]''|''[[Special:Contributions/NateVirus|<span style="color:red">Contributions</span>]]''</small>) 03:13, 6 December 2011 (UTC)
 
== Item list is lousy. ==
 
Someone needs to redo the list of items and where they are located for those who play platinum. I tried to use it, and almost nothing was where it said it would be. Some I couldn't find at all. Will someone please fix this. I would, but I can't remember where I found items and what they were. All I remember is that the Rare candy was the only item that was where the list said it would be. Someone also needs to change the map to one that shows the layout of the marsh in Platinum.--[[User:Toolen|Toolen]] ([[User talk:Toolen|talk]]) 22:32, 2 August 2012 (UTC)
 
Funny that you said that because that rare candy is not in Platinum as far as I can tell. I saw multiple rare candy guides of all 30 in Platinum and nobody even visited the Great Marsh in their videos. I don't think it is there. 05:17, 1 December 2020 (UTC)
 
==Quick Tram==
Should an area be added for the Quick Tram?[[User:152105|152105]] ([[User talk:152105|talk]]) 20:18, 14 May 2013 (UTC)
 
== Variable Pokémon reloadable? ==
 
I am attempting to complete my Pokédex, and was wondering whether you can manipulate the Pokémon that appear like you can with the Trophy Garden, or just have to wait a day like with Swarms. Also, either way, could someone add it to the page? (I don't see it there) Bookwyrm1357 06:55, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
:I'm not sure if this will work, but you may get different Pokemon if you set your DS's clock a day forward if you find the current Pokemon in the marsh are not what you want. --[[User:NOBODY|NOBODY]] ([[User talk:NOBODY|talk]]) 19:43, 29 November 2013 (UTC)
::The way daily events often work, you could probably save during one day, and, until you actually save again when it's a new day, you can load and reset your game as often as you need to until the right Pokemon is appearing.  You could try that.  If you mess with the clock, I think it makes you wait a day anyway until you can do time-based events again. [[User:Tiddlywinks|Tiddlywinks]] ([[User talk:Tiddlywinks|talk]]) 20:11, 29 November 2013 (UTC)
 
== Bait & Mud effects - an experiment ==
 
There is definitely something wrong regarding the effects of bait and mud, at least in Pearl/Diamond. Empirically, I have been surprised to see my catch rate go down trying to apply what was written here (bait makes them stay, mud makes them easier to catch). It's also the exact opposite of what a boy NPC in the Marsh says.
 
Catch rate is hard to test since you would have to throw a set number of mudballs/baits to test it reliably. The more you want, the more relevant the results will be, but the harder it'll be to get there (because the pokémon is likely to flee before that most of the time). However, fleeing rate is easier to test, so that's what I've done.
 
Pearl European cartridge. I've made two trips to the Great Marsh using alternately baits and mud on every pokémon encounter. I've counted how many of each I could throw before the pokémon flees. One is supposed to make it harder after each throw while the other should make it more increasingly more likely.
 
Results here : [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19K3QQFYOT0Npm_YVaYKQzQSWHhhWZ9cGJ-Atpz6ePDk/edit?usp=sharing]
 
Not surprisingly, short encounters are present in both case, because the first few throws have not changed the flee rate enough to make a huge difference. However, every long string (more than 5 throws) happens ''only'' with mud. Yes, this is really 42 mudballs for a Marill and more than 50 for a Bibarel (at this point I just stopped, as it was clear the probability was quite low).
 
Escape rate is apparently 60 for Bibarel, so without any modifier the probability to not flee is (255-60)/255 (about 76%). If I'm not mistaken (new to stat stages), and if mud increase that value by one stage each turn until it's at +6, it means the probability to get that 50 times in a row is :
(255-60)/255 * (255-90)/255 * (255-120)/255 * (255-150)/255 * (255-180)/255 * (255-210)/255 * ((255-240)/255)^44 = 4.058091e-57
 
which is less likely than winning 7 times the great prize at the national lottery in my country.
 
If mud decreases that value, we get :
 
(255-60)/255 * (255-39)/255 * (255-30)/255 * (255-24)/255 * (255-19)/255 * (255-17)/255 * ((255-15)/255)^44 = 0.03104970184
 
3%. Got "lucky" I guess, but reasonable, this is after 94 tries after all.
 
So yeah, after this I am pretty sure mud make them less likely to flee.
--[[User:Olaf|Olaf]] ([[User talk:Olaf|talk]]) 15:07, 2 May 2015 (UTC)
 
== Escape rates ==
 
Is there something on Bulbapedia that lists the escape rate of every Pokemon in the Great Marsh? [[User:Sumwun|sumwun]] ([[User talk:Sumwun|talk]]) 19:04, 11 March 2019 (UTC)
 
== Daily Changing Pokemon observations ==
 
While trying to catch every pokemon in the great marsh, I have made a couple observations.
 
1: The daily changing pokemon will not appear until you check the binoculars and see it.
 
2: The daily changing pokemon will appear in the most recent area they were spotted in.
 
For example, if you check the binoculars and see Paras in area 3, Paras will start appearing in area 3.
Then if you check again and see Kangaskhan in area 3 and Paras in area 1, Kangaskhan will start appearing in area 3 and ''Paras will move from area 3 to area 1.''
 
This also means that two daily changing pokemon can appear in one area (if you see a second daily pokemon in the area, and the first one hasn't been spotted elsewhere). I have seen both Paras and Gulpin appear in area 6 in this manner.
 
Can anyone confirm these observations?
 
{{unsigned|MegaNerd14}} 17:48, 29 May 2021 (UTC)
:I did not use the binoculars in DP and found Shroomish regardless. [[User:Nescientist|Nescientist]] ([[User talk:Nescientist|talk]]) 12:40, 30 May 2021 (UTC)
 
::I am playing Platinum if that's relevant. I would test it on my Diamond copy, but i don't have a file on it and given how slow the game plays it would take me about a week to reach pastoria. Observation 1 may just be me going insane. [[User:MegaNerd14|MegaNerd14]] ([[User talk:MegaNerd14|talk]]) 14:43, 30 May 2021 (UTC)
 
== Discussion on "Exclusively throwing Safari Balls provides the best chance of catching every Pokémon in the Great Marsh" ==
 
After doing some statistical testing in excel, I've begun to question whether or not exclusively throwing balls is the correct choice.
(for the purposes of this argument I'm assuming Mud increase catch and flee rate and Bait decreases catch and flee rate, though I know there is skepticism of this.)
 
Working on an excel file currently, will update later {{unsigned|Northern}}
 
:I was questioning this myself so I did the math and found that throwing a ball turn 1 is indeed the best chance for everyone except Whiscash (at least in Gen IV). For each turn, the probability of capture has to be multiplied by the probability of the Pokémon staying, which lowers the odds overall whether you increase the catch rate or decrease the flee rate. The exception is that every bait thrown at Whiscash increases the odds, reaching a max of 67% with only a 1.57% flee rate. But for everyone else, the odds drop lower than the turn 1 catch chance by turn 2. My logic might be flawed but I know for sure that the turn 1 catch rates I've calculated are correct. I could add the turn 1 catch odds to the article if they would be helpful, though I'm sure everyone is more interested in BDSP right now. I can easily calculate those percentages too if anyone can confirm that the Safari Ball is a 1.5x modifier in these games, since it was changed to 1x in SwSh. But we would still need to find the flee rates for BDSP to determine if exclusively throwing a ball is the best option. [[User:EV Love|EV Love]] ([[User talk:EV Love|talk]]) 06:08, 31 December 2021 (UTC)
 
== The NPC is correct ==
 
I’ve been doing extensive research on the bait/mud mechanic in the Great Marsh and am certain that the NPC is in fact correct, thus the mechanic is reversed from all other Safari Zones. I monitored the RAM while exploring the Great Marsh in DPPt and see that both the catch and flee rates increase when bait is thrown, while both decrease when mud is thrown (along with the 10% chance of one value not changing). The stages are contained in two values which both initiate to a hex value of 06 and increase/decrease by 1 to a min of 0 and max of 0B (12). I wasn’t aware there was a debate about the NPC until now, but looking back it appears he was initially believed to be correct. A few years back it was decided he was wrong and accepted to be that way ever since. If the original data miner who found this or anyone else with the tools wants to test this out, they will see the flip-flop.
 
Just to be sure, I also watched the RAM for RBY and FRLG to confirm that they work the "right" way. More importantly, I did the same for HGSS and found that the Johto Safari Zone also does it the right way, matching what an NPC in those games says. I’m thinking someone may have verified the mechanic in HGSS and thought it was the same for all of gen IV since they work very similarly. BDSP info can be tentative for now since we don’t have exact data yet, but it is also seeming to show the reversed mechanics based on a bunch of tests I did throwing the same object repeatedly (and I wouldn’t put it past the designers with how "faithful" the remakes are). Additionally, whoever added that trivia tidbit must have misread, because I checked the NPC in all games and found out he means the same thing each time:
 
'''Diamond/Pearl:''' "If you throw food at Pokémon, it makes them easier to catch...But they’re also more likely to bolt when they eat. If you throw mud at them, they also get easier to catch...But they also get more likely to bolt out of anger. It’s hard to decide what I should be doing."
 
'''Platinum:''' "Throwing food at Pokémon makes them more likely to bolt. But when they’re eating, it makes them easier to catch. If you throw mud at them, they get harder to catch...But they also get less likely to bolt out of anger. Urgh, what to do...?"
 
'''Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:''' "Throwing food at Pokémon makes it easier to catch them, but while eating it, they are likely to bolt. Throwing mud at a Pokémon makes it harder to catch, but it’ll also get angry and become less likely to bolt. Urgh, what to do...?"
 
I understand that this is a very easy thing to mix up, and numerous sites have mistakenly switched the wording over the years (not just for Great Marsh but for all games) but I hope that this is evidence enough to show that the mechanic is indeed reversed. I agree this is illogical (bait truly should make them stay while mud should make them flee) and it seems odd for them to suddenly change it, but mistakes happen. [[User:EV Love|EV Love]] ([[User talk:EV Love|talk]]) 23:36, 28 November 2021 (UTC)
:Just to add:
:'''HeartGold/SoulSilver:''' "When you see a Pokémon, you can choose to throw Bait or Mud. If you throw Bait, Pokémon tend to stay but will become more difficult to catch. If you throw Mud, it will become easier to catch, but the Pokémon may flee."
:For HGSS, the mechanics were apparently indeed researched extensively (e.g. [https://web.archive.org/web/20141105095403/http://www.upokecenter.com/content/pokemon-heartgold-version-and-pokemon-soulsilver-version-safari-zone here]).
:Also worth noting that the DP NPC still talks nonsense, as noted in the trivia (I initially thought you wanted to challenge that as well).
:Apart from that, I'd agree and go with what you said; and by default, I believe we should pretty much trust in-game text. [[User:Nescientist|Nescientist]] ([[User talk:Nescientist|talk]]) 01:31, 29 November 2021 (UTC)
::Oops, I misread the DP NPC text (furthering my point on how easy it is to confuse the mechanic). So yes, the trivia is fine. Thanks for getting the HGSS dialogue. [[User:EV Love|EV Love]] ([[User talk:EV Love|talk]]) 05:14, 29 November 2021 (UTC)
:::I also tested in BDSP, and (even though my sample was veery small) the results match Olaf's DP results above; longs streaks only occurred with mud, never with bait. [[User:Nescientist|Nescientist]] ([[User talk:Nescientist|talk]]) 17:13, 2 December 2021 (UTC)
 
== Details Section Still Not Quite Right ==
 
Cutting for brevity and clarity, the second paragraph of the details section states the following:
 
* Throw Bait: +1 Escape, 90% chance +1 Catch
* Throw Mud: -1 Catch, 90% chance -1 Escape
* When bait is thrown and flee is not increased, the message [...]
* When mud is thrown and catch is not decreased, the message [...]
 
The problem I see with this is thus: the conditions for displaying the messages contradict the explanations given for throwing bait and mud. For instance, the explanation for throwing mud implies that it always decreases Catch, while the condition for the message implies that there's a chance Catch is not decreased. This is not related to hitting the max/min stage, either; a quick test of throwing mud at a Marill displayed the message on the fourth throw, but not the fifth through eighth. I would fix it myself, but I don't know which is correct and there's no practical way to determine it in game.
 
Incidentally, while testing on the Marill, it turns out that the messages also come with a special little animation in BDSP. I have no idea whether that was in DPPt, nor do I know whether it's actually worthy of putting in the article, but I thought it was a cute touch. [[User:Zanmorn|Zanmorn]] ([[User talk:Zanmorn|talk]]) 05:35, 16 December 2021 (UTC)
 
:I just tested this myself on Emulator in Platinum because I noticed the same discrepancy. I found the two RAM values (<code>022C5A78</code> and <code>022C5A79</code>) corresponding to escape and catch stage and froze one of them on 0 one after the other to figure out which one was which.
:After having multiple Pokémon not flee until turn 30 to 40, I determined that <code>022C5A78</code> is the catch stage and <code>022C5A79</code> is the escape stage.
:Then I unfroze the values and started throwing bait and mud at various Pokémon. From that I determined that bait has a chance not to '''increase''' the '''escape stage''' and mud has a chance not to  '''decrease''' the '''catch stage'''.
:In short: The points explaining the text boxes are correct and the points explaining the percentage chance are incorrect.
:I fixed the text accordingly. --[[User:Palimer6|Palimer6]] ([[User talk:Palimer6|talk]]) 19:57, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

Latest revision as of 19:57, 7 March 2022

Somebody in the watchtower mentioned that the pokemon that are there seem different today. Is it possible that the pokemon that appear change from day to day?

According to Coronis, yes: the Safari actually works by randomly generating a pokemon from the 'rare' list for each 6 area each day. the same species can appear in more than 1 areas. according to your list, there seem to be 31 holders, and those that appear more than once, like the Sinnoh ones, are less rare, while the post-National dex Kanto/Johto/Hoenn ones, are rarer since they occupy one holder only - 振霖T 02:49, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Has anyone done any researching into how the Bait/Mud catching system works? I haven't figured out anything better than just acting randomly, pretty much. Opaopa13 18:37, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

While playing the game myself, i discovered a rare Carnivine which means that the list of pokemon is incomplete. I added it to the list, but i did not know the percentage. And by the way, throwing bit makes the pokemon less likely to flee but decreases the accuracy of catching it. Throwing mud makes the pokemon more likely to flee, but it increases the accuracy of catching it. CBhadha 21:57, 25 July 2007

It's in the Changing Pokémon section. --Pie ~ 02:04, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

I noticed that you can get two 'rare' Pokemon on the same day (crogunk and skorupi), and it was my first time at the marsh. Does anybody know anything about this? Verity_Lies

There are a few things that i have found wrong with the lists for platinum i have been able to catch a Carnivine as wall as finding a Skorupi at level 27 even though the range says 20-26, i was also able to find Yanma without it being indicated by the binoculars. I think there may be other anomalies but i haven't encountered them yet. Bonez565 08:40, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

You might not see Yanma in the binoculars. The article is simply saying that it's the only way of knowing ahead of time, if the binoculars show it. The Yanma would've been there whether you looked or not, but you simply didn't know before going into the Marsh.—Loveはドコ? (talk contribs) 18:16, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

Carvanha?

It's possible to catch Carvanha in the Great Marsh with a super rod. How does that fit in? - - - dra2k4 15:19, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

Magikarp weirdness

Okay, two things: 1--After tracking down Skorupi with the 'scope, the encounter rate in the specific area (6) seemed significantly less than the 10% offered... maybe less than 5%? 2--Most interesting, maybe spotted already but it wasn't posted here (and I do apologize in advance if it was already) but I had beyond abnormal difficulties trying to catch wild Magikarp (area 6 again) Using the good rod, I failed to catch ANY Magikarp (6 of them, aroundabouts) usually got them to 2/3 rolls in the ball before breaking out... but when I used the old rod, a level -4- Magikarp broke out -immediately- of the Safari Ball, and two level 5s were also failed to be caught despite 3 balls thrown at them, each. Well over a dozen balls wasted on them all :/

Yet I caught a level 30 Gyarados on my first try... *shrug*

If it helps any, this was all done around 1am in the morning, on Diamond.

--NotJim 24 December 2007

Umm...Just asking, but: Why are you trying to catch Magikarp in the Great Marsh in the first place? Go to any waterway in the game, whip out the Old/Good Rod, and you can catch a Magikarp the normal way.

As for how many balls it takes to catch a Pokémon: The number (and, outside the Safari-type areas, type) of balls you need to go through is completely random; I caught a Giratina (health in the Yellow area) with a Great Ball, after going through about 10-30 Ultra Balls, while I ALMOST RAN OUT of balls trying to catch Rotom. Diachronos 23:06, 5 September 2008 (UTC)
I tried using ultra balls on a LV. 2 Pidgey. IT WOULDNT WORK. then I tried a regular Poke Ball and "Pidgey was caught!" I dont get it. Ive tried catching other low level-ers with ultra balls and i have the same frusturation. any ideas? Mooites 23:42, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Huh, say what now?

Why is Carnivine on the list of Pokémon found NORMALLY in the Great Marsh? I thought it was one of them rares. I'm Missingno. Master, and I approve this message. 11:02, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

It sometimes appears without being a rare set for the day. Being a rare set just increases it's chance. Gywall(Talk) 11:16, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

Bait vs Mud

"If you throw food at Pokémon, it
makes them easier to catch...
But they're also more likely to
bolt when they eat.
If you throw mud at them, they
also get easier to catch...
But they also get more likely to
bolt out of anger.
It's hard to decide what I should
be doing."
-- this is said by a man in the Marsh.

This seems to contradict what is written on this page. Can anyone clear this up for me?
Thanks Tomw 23:14, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

It's probably a translation error. It's mentioned at the bottom of the page. Flicky1991 19:58, 6 September 2008 (UTC)
Note, the text is different in Platinum. He says that bait will make them easier to catch, but more likely to flee, and mud will make them less likely to run (out of anger, he says), but harder to catch. Which is still contradictory to the article. I always thought it was the other way around, but playing in the Great Marsh and trying both out, I believe him. I'm changing it. Terrane 16:15, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

Out of DPPt, I have only played the Platinum version. I also confirm to what Tomw says and personally, I found that the boy in the marsh is correct and the part in the article is incorrect. If this is also true for Diamond and Platinum, the article needs to be changed. Otherwise it needs to be mentioned that the system is opposite in Platinum. Thanks Ishu Bagaria 21:20 14 November 2010 (UTC)

I am also playing Platinum version and have experienced some severe frustration with my usual catching strategy -- for example, after throwing two Muds, a Yanma escaped six Safari Balls before fleeing -- either the Random Number God is out to deprive me of any Safari catches tonight, or today must be Opposite Day. Or maybe the above theory is correct? So, experimenting with it, I successfully threw ... eighteen Muds at a Bibarel before it fled from battle. Yes, EIGHTEEN. Random Number God may be fickle, but he can't like me that much, right? By contrast, when I tried throwing Baits instead of Mud, and most wild Pokemon fled from battle after just two. It certainly appears to me that Platinum's (if not D/P too) Bait/Mud effects are precisely the opposite of normal for Safari Zones.
PS: Also by contrast, I threw two Bait at a Yanma and then caught it with just one Ball. That's a huge difference from two Muds + six Balls and still not catching one. --Stratelier 07:02, 30 April 2011 (UTC)
PPS: I found two user FAQs on GameFAQs.com corroborating that the Great Marsh's Bait and Mud mechanics (at least in Platinum) appear to be reversed from other Safari Zones. --Stratelier 16:02, 30 April 2011 (UTC)

Rarity

The percentages for each pokemon to be found can be seen by the output of my Encounters Extraction program. The format is:

Game|Section|Slot|Encounter Type|PokeNatID|MinLevel|<MaxLevel>

Slots are like the following:

Slot 0 - 20%

Slot 1 - 20%

Slot 2 - 10%

Slot 3 - 10%

Slot 4 - 10%

Slot 5 - 10%

Slot 6 - 5%

Slot 7 - 5%

Slot 8 - 4%

Slot 9 - 4%

Slot 10 - 1%

Slot 11 - 1%


Surfing/Fishing

Slot 0 - 60%

Slot 1 - 30%

Slot 2 - 5%

Slot 3 - 4%

Slot 4 - 1%


Sections are as follows where 52 is the Great Mash location.

23,52,"Great Marsh [Area 1]"

24,52,"Great Marsh [Area 2]"

25,52,"Great Marsh [Area 3]"

26,52,"Great Marsh [Area 4]"

27,52,"Great Marsh [Area 5]"

28,52,"Great Marsh [Area 6]"


For slots which say night, day, or something other than grass/surf/rods - These are slot replacements. They replace the pokemon that normally occupies that slot and assumes its rarity.

D|P,23,0,grass,194,24

D|P,23,1,grass,400,25

D|P,23,2,grass,406,24

D|P,23,3,grass,396,26

D|P,23,4,grass,183,25

D|P,23,5,grass,195,25

D|P,23,6,grass,183,26

D|P,23,7,grass,195,26

D|P,23,8,grass,54,26

D|P,23,9,grass,54,24

D|P,23,10,grass,399,26

D|P,23,11,grass,298,24

D|P,23,2,night,163

D|P,23,3,night,164

D|P,23,8,gba-firered,24

D|P,23,9,gba-firered,24

D|P,23,0,surfing,194,20,30

D|P,23,1,surfing,183,20,30

D|P,23,2,surfing,195,20,40

D|P,23,3,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,23,4,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,23,0,old-rod,129,4,6

D|P,23,1,old-rod,129,3,7

D|P,23,2,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,23,3,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,23,4,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,23,0,good-rod,129,15,20

D|P,23,1,good-rod,339,15,20

D|P,23,2,good-rod,129,10,25

D|P,23,3,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,23,4,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,23,0,super-rod,340,30,55

D|P,23,1,super-rod,318,15,20

D|P,23,2,super-rod,130,40,55

D|P,23,3,super-rod,318,15,30

D|P,23,4,super-rod,318,15,30

Pl,23,0,grass,194,28

Pl,23,1,grass,400,28

Pl,23,2,grass,357,28

Pl,23,3,grass,357,30

Pl,23,4,grass,194,29

Pl,23,5,grass,195,30

Pl,23,6,grass,194,28

Pl,23,7,grass,194,30

Pl,23,8,grass,193,30

Pl,23,9,grass,114,30

Pl,23,10,grass,193,31

Pl,23,11,grass,114,31

Pl,23,2,night,164

Pl,23,3,night,164

Pl,23,6,pokeradar,194

Pl,23,7,pokeradar,195

Pl,23,10,pokeradar,193

Pl,23,11,pokeradar,114

Pl,23,8,gba-firered,24

Pl,23,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,23,0,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,23,1,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,23,2,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,23,3,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,23,4,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,23,0,old-rod,129,3,6

Pl,23,1,old-rod,129,4,7

Pl,23,2,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,23,3,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,23,4,old-rod,129,5,15

Pl,23,0,good-rod,129,15,20

Pl,23,1,good-rod,339,15,20

Pl,23,2,good-rod,129,10,25

Pl,23,3,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,23,4,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,23,0,super-rod,130,30,55

Pl,23,1,super-rod,318,30,40

Pl,23,2,super-rod,340,20,50

Pl,23,3,super-rod,318,40,55

Pl,23,4,super-rod,318,40,55

D|P,24,0,grass,194,24

D|P,24,1,grass,400,25

D|P,24,2,grass,406,24

D|P,24,3,grass,396,26

D|P,24,4,grass,183,25

D|P,24,5,grass,195,25

D|P,24,6,grass,183,26

D|P,24,7,grass,195,26

D|P,24,8,grass,54,26

D|P,24,9,grass,54,24

D|P,24,10,grass,399,26

D|P,24,11,grass,298,24

D|P,24,2,night,163

D|P,24,3,night,164

D|P,24,8,gba-firered,24

D|P,24,9,gba-firered,24

D|P,24,0,surfing,194,20,30

D|P,24,1,surfing,183,20,30

D|P,24,2,surfing,195,20,40

D|P,24,3,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,24,4,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,24,0,old-rod,129,4,6

D|P,24,1,old-rod,129,3,7

D|P,24,2,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,24,3,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,24,4,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,24,0,good-rod,129,15,20

D|P,24,1,good-rod,339,15,20

D|P,24,2,good-rod,129,10,25

D|P,24,3,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,24,4,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,24,0,super-rod,340,30,55

D|P,24,1,super-rod,318,15,20

D|P,24,2,super-rod,130,40,55

D|P,24,3,super-rod,318,15,30

D|P,24,4,super-rod,318,15,30

Pl,24,0,grass,194,28

Pl,24,1,grass,400,28

Pl,24,2,grass,357,28

Pl,24,3,grass,357,30

Pl,24,4,grass,194,29

Pl,24,5,grass,195,30

Pl,24,6,grass,194,28

Pl,24,7,grass,194,30

Pl,24,8,grass,193,30

Pl,24,9,grass,114,30

Pl,24,10,grass,193,31

Pl,24,11,grass,114,31

Pl,24,2,night,164

Pl,24,3,night,164

Pl,24,6,pokeradar,194

Pl,24,7,pokeradar,195

Pl,24,10,pokeradar,193

Pl,24,11,pokeradar,114

Pl,24,8,gba-firered,24

Pl,24,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,24,0,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,24,1,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,24,2,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,24,3,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,24,4,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,24,0,old-rod,129,3,6

Pl,24,1,old-rod,129,4,7

Pl,24,2,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,24,3,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,24,4,old-rod,129,5,15

Pl,24,0,good-rod,129,15,20

Pl,24,1,good-rod,339,15,20

Pl,24,2,good-rod,129,10,25

Pl,24,3,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,24,4,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,24,0,super-rod,130,30,55

Pl,24,1,super-rod,318,30,40

Pl,24,2,super-rod,340,20,50

Pl,24,3,super-rod,318,40,55

Pl,24,4,super-rod,318,40,55

D|P,25,0,grass,194,22

D|P,25,1,grass,400,23

D|P,25,2,grass,406,22

D|P,25,3,grass,396,24

D|P,25,4,grass,183,23

D|P,25,5,grass,195,23

D|P,25,6,grass,183,24

D|P,25,7,grass,195,24

D|P,25,8,grass,54,24

D|P,25,9,grass,54,22

D|P,25,10,grass,399,24

D|P,25,11,grass,298,22

D|P,25,2,night,163

D|P,25,3,night,163

D|P,25,8,gba-firered,24

D|P,25,9,gba-firered,24

D|P,25,0,surfing,194,20,30

D|P,25,1,surfing,183,20,30

D|P,25,2,surfing,195,20,40

D|P,25,3,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,25,4,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,25,0,old-rod,129,4,6

D|P,25,1,old-rod,129,3,7

D|P,25,2,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,25,3,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,25,4,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,25,0,good-rod,129,15,20

D|P,25,1,good-rod,339,15,20

D|P,25,2,good-rod,129,10,25

D|P,25,3,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,25,4,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,25,0,super-rod,340,30,55

D|P,25,1,super-rod,318,15,20

D|P,25,2,super-rod,130,40,55

D|P,25,3,super-rod,318,15,30

D|P,25,4,super-rod,318,15,30

Pl,25,0,grass,194,27

Pl,25,1,grass,400,27

Pl,25,2,grass,400,28

Pl,25,3,grass,114,27

Pl,25,4,grass,114,28

Pl,25,5,grass,195,29

Pl,25,6,grass,194,28

Pl,25,7,grass,194,29

Pl,25,8,grass,193,29

Pl,25,9,grass,114,29

Pl,25,10,grass,193,30

Pl,25,11,grass,114,30

Pl,25,2,night,164

Pl,25,3,night,163

Pl,25,6,pokeradar,114

Pl,25,7,pokeradar,195

Pl,25,10,pokeradar,193

Pl,25,11,pokeradar,114

Pl,25,8,gba-firered,24

Pl,25,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,25,0,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,25,1,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,25,2,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,25,3,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,25,4,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,25,0,old-rod,129,3,6

Pl,25,1,old-rod,129,4,7

Pl,25,2,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,25,3,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,25,4,old-rod,129,5,15

Pl,25,0,good-rod,129,15,20

Pl,25,1,good-rod,339,15,20

Pl,25,2,good-rod,129,10,25

Pl,25,3,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,25,4,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,25,0,super-rod,130,30,55

Pl,25,1,super-rod,318,30,40

Pl,25,2,super-rod,340,20,50

Pl,25,3,super-rod,318,40,55

Pl,25,4,super-rod,318,40,55

D|P,26,0,grass,194,22

D|P,26,1,grass,400,23

D|P,26,2,grass,406,22

D|P,26,3,grass,396,24

D|P,26,4,grass,183,23

D|P,26,5,grass,195,23

D|P,26,6,grass,183,24

D|P,26,7,grass,195,24

D|P,26,8,grass,54,24

D|P,26,9,grass,54,22

D|P,26,10,grass,399,24

D|P,26,11,grass,298,22

D|P,26,2,night,163

D|P,26,3,night,163

D|P,26,8,gba-firered,24

D|P,26,9,gba-firered,24

D|P,26,0,surfing,194,20,30

D|P,26,1,surfing,183,20,30

D|P,26,2,surfing,195,20,40

D|P,26,3,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,26,4,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,26,0,old-rod,129,4,6

D|P,26,1,old-rod,129,3,7

D|P,26,2,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,26,3,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,26,4,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,26,0,good-rod,129,15,20

D|P,26,1,good-rod,339,15,20

D|P,26,2,good-rod,129,10,25

D|P,26,3,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,26,4,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,26,0,super-rod,340,30,55

D|P,26,1,super-rod,318,15,20

D|P,26,2,super-rod,130,40,55

D|P,26,3,super-rod,318,15,30

D|P,26,4,super-rod,318,15,30

Pl,26,0,grass,194,27

Pl,26,1,grass,400,27

Pl,26,2,grass,400,28

Pl,26,3,grass,114,27

Pl,26,4,grass,114,28

Pl,26,5,grass,195,29

Pl,26,6,grass,194,28

Pl,26,7,grass,194,29

Pl,26,8,grass,193,29

Pl,26,9,grass,114,29

Pl,26,10,grass,193,30

Pl,26,11,grass,114,30

Pl,26,2,night,164

Pl,26,3,night,163

Pl,26,6,pokeradar,114

Pl,26,7,pokeradar,195

Pl,26,10,pokeradar,193

Pl,26,11,pokeradar,114

Pl,26,8,gba-firered,24

Pl,26,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,26,0,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,26,1,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,26,2,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,26,3,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,26,4,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,26,0,old-rod,129,3,6

Pl,26,1,old-rod,129,4,7

Pl,26,2,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,26,3,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,26,4,old-rod,129,5,15

Pl,26,0,good-rod,129,15,20

Pl,26,1,good-rod,339,15,20

Pl,26,2,good-rod,129,10,25

Pl,26,3,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,26,4,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,26,0,super-rod,130,30,55

Pl,26,1,super-rod,318,30,40

Pl,26,2,super-rod,340,20,50

Pl,26,3,super-rod,318,40,55

Pl,26,4,super-rod,318,40,55

D|P,27,0,grass,194,20

D|P,27,1,grass,400,21

D|P,27,2,grass,406,20

D|P,27,3,grass,396,22

D|P,27,4,grass,183,21

D|P,27,5,grass,195,21

D|P,27,6,grass,183,22

D|P,27,7,grass,195,22

D|P,27,8,grass,399,22

D|P,27,9,grass,298,20

D|P,27,10,grass,399,22

D|P,27,11,grass,298,20

D|P,27,2,night,163

D|P,27,3,night,163

D|P,27,8,gba-firered,24

D|P,27,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,27,0,grass,194,26

Pl,27,1,grass,400,26

Pl,27,2,grass,400,27

Pl,27,3,grass,193,26

Pl,27,4,grass,193,27

Pl,27,5,grass,195,28

Pl,27,6,grass,194,27

Pl,27,7,grass,194,28

Pl,27,8,grass,193,28

Pl,27,9,grass,114,28

Pl,27,10,grass,193,29

Pl,27,11,grass,114,29

Pl,27,2,night,163

Pl,27,3,night,163

Pl,27,6,pokeradar,193

Pl,27,7,pokeradar,195

Pl,27,10,pokeradar,193

Pl,27,11,pokeradar,114

Pl,27,8,gba-firered,24

Pl,27,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,27,0,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,27,1,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,27,2,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,27,3,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,27,4,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,27,0,old-rod,129,3,6

Pl,27,1,old-rod,129,4,7

Pl,27,2,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,27,3,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,27,4,old-rod,129,5,15

Pl,27,0,good-rod,129,15,20

Pl,27,1,good-rod,339,15,20

Pl,27,2,good-rod,129,10,25

Pl,27,3,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,27,4,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,27,0,super-rod,130,30,55

Pl,27,1,super-rod,318,30,40

Pl,27,2,super-rod,340,20,50

Pl,27,3,super-rod,318,40,55

Pl,27,4,super-rod,318,40,55

D|P,28,0,grass,194,20

D|P,28,1,grass,400,21

D|P,28,2,grass,406,20

D|P,28,3,grass,396,22

D|P,28,4,grass,183,21

D|P,28,5,grass,195,21

D|P,28,6,grass,183,22

D|P,28,7,grass,195,22

D|P,28,8,grass,54,22

D|P,28,9,grass,54,20

D|P,28,10,grass,399,22

D|P,28,11,grass,298,20

D|P,28,2,night,163

D|P,28,3,night,163

D|P,28,8,gba-firered,24

D|P,28,9,gba-firered,24

D|P,28,0,surfing,194,20,30

D|P,28,1,surfing,183,20,30

D|P,28,2,surfing,195,20,40

D|P,28,3,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,28,4,surfing,54,20,40

D|P,28,0,old-rod,129,4,6

D|P,28,1,old-rod,129,3,7

D|P,28,2,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,28,3,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,28,4,old-rod,129,5,10

D|P,28,0,good-rod,129,15,20

D|P,28,1,good-rod,339,15,20

D|P,28,2,good-rod,129,10,25

D|P,28,3,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,28,4,good-rod,130,15,30

D|P,28,0,super-rod,340,30,55

D|P,28,1,super-rod,318,15,20

D|P,28,2,super-rod,130,40,55

D|P,28,3,super-rod,318,15,30

D|P,28,4,super-rod,318,15,30

Pl,28,0,grass,194,26

Pl,28,1,grass,400,26

Pl,28,2,grass,400,27

Pl,28,3,grass,193,26

Pl,28,4,grass,193,27

Pl,28,5,grass,195,28

Pl,28,6,grass,194,27

Pl,28,7,grass,194,28

Pl,28,8,grass,193,28

Pl,28,9,grass,114,28

Pl,28,10,grass,193,29

Pl,28,11,grass,114,29

Pl,28,2,night,163

Pl,28,3,night,163

Pl,28,6,pokeradar,193

Pl,28,7,pokeradar,195

Pl,28,10,pokeradar,193

Pl,28,11,pokeradar,114

Pl,28,8,gba-firered,24

Pl,28,9,gba-firered,24

Pl,28,0,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,28,1,surfing,194,20,30

Pl,28,2,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,28,3,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,28,4,surfing,195,20,40

Pl,28,0,old-rod,129,3,6

Pl,28,1,old-rod,129,4,7

Pl,28,2,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,28,3,old-rod,129,5,10

Pl,28,4,old-rod,129,5,15

Pl,28,0,good-rod,129,15,20

Pl,28,1,good-rod,339,15,20

Pl,28,2,good-rod,129,10,25

Pl,28,3,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,28,4,good-rod,339,10,25

Pl,28,0,super-rod,130,30,55

Pl,28,1,super-rod,318,30,40

Pl,28,2,super-rod,340,20,50

Pl,28,3,super-rod,318,40,55

Pl,28,4,super-rod,318,40,55

You can tell from this data that there are descrete levels and rarities which change between the different areas. This mistake has been made throughout all of bulbapedia's location project. I will get the daily great marsh zone pokemon rarities later. Sabresite 03:13, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Can you put that in the chart format which we have? TTEchidna 03:23, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
Yes when I get time, I will do this. I posted the long spam so that someone who has the time, can do it for me. If a pokemon appears multiple times with the same level, simply add the percentages for each slot and that is the total rarity. Keep in mind that rarity changes from night to day, or with the dongles present. Sabresite 03:39, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Platinum

Err, should the article mention that the place was redesigned in Platinum? The rough layout is the same (the railway tracks and platforms are still there, and it's still the same size and shape), but a lot of little details have been changed. The mud also looks a lot different (there are light and dark patches indicating where you can walk without falling) and it actually has unique grass-in-mud graphics too. All in all it's substantially nicer. Darien Shields 12:30, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

Drapion!

I caught a Drapion in my Platinum copy, and it doesn't say so in the article!! :P YukitoOoO 00:10, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Toxicroak!

I caught a Toxicroak in my Platinum version just as YukitoOoO caught a Drapion in their Platinum version. --Kamikami 00:26, 31 July 2009 (UTC)

Carvanha

I keep finding low lvl (16-20) Carvanha in the safarizone. im sing a super rod, yet it says on the list they 30+.i havent found 1 over 20. shold this be mentioned?--Ben7229 21:50, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Merge the platinum pre-national list?

Why is the set of three additional Pokémon available in platinum before the national Pokédex given it's own list? The availability marks should be enough. ~Kendai 10:03, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

To signify the difference? Because someone was lazy when Pt came out? Change it if you want - it's a wiki, after all. —darklordtrom 10:24, 30 October 2010 (UTC)

Shards in Platinum

Um, the Ace Trainer (or guy with green hair) doesn't just give you a green shard (he just gave me a blue shard today). He gives you a random shard each day, think someone should correct that. ----NateVirus(Talk|Contributions) 03:13, 6 December 2011 (UTC)

Item list is lousy.

Someone needs to redo the list of items and where they are located for those who play platinum. I tried to use it, and almost nothing was where it said it would be. Some I couldn't find at all. Will someone please fix this. I would, but I can't remember where I found items and what they were. All I remember is that the Rare candy was the only item that was where the list said it would be. Someone also needs to change the map to one that shows the layout of the marsh in Platinum.--Toolen (talk) 22:32, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Funny that you said that because that rare candy is not in Platinum as far as I can tell. I saw multiple rare candy guides of all 30 in Platinum and nobody even visited the Great Marsh in their videos. I don't think it is there. 05:17, 1 December 2020 (UTC)

Quick Tram

Should an area be added for the Quick Tram?152105 (talk) 20:18, 14 May 2013 (UTC)

Variable Pokémon reloadable?

I am attempting to complete my Pokédex, and was wondering whether you can manipulate the Pokémon that appear like you can with the Trophy Garden, or just have to wait a day like with Swarms. Also, either way, could someone add it to the page? (I don't see it there) Bookwyrm1357 06:55, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

I'm not sure if this will work, but you may get different Pokemon if you set your DS's clock a day forward if you find the current Pokemon in the marsh are not what you want. --NOBODY (talk) 19:43, 29 November 2013 (UTC)
The way daily events often work, you could probably save during one day, and, until you actually save again when it's a new day, you can load and reset your game as often as you need to until the right Pokemon is appearing. You could try that. If you mess with the clock, I think it makes you wait a day anyway until you can do time-based events again. Tiddlywinks (talk) 20:11, 29 November 2013 (UTC)

Bait & Mud effects - an experiment

There is definitely something wrong regarding the effects of bait and mud, at least in Pearl/Diamond. Empirically, I have been surprised to see my catch rate go down trying to apply what was written here (bait makes them stay, mud makes them easier to catch). It's also the exact opposite of what a boy NPC in the Marsh says.

Catch rate is hard to test since you would have to throw a set number of mudballs/baits to test it reliably. The more you want, the more relevant the results will be, but the harder it'll be to get there (because the pokémon is likely to flee before that most of the time). However, fleeing rate is easier to test, so that's what I've done.

Pearl European cartridge. I've made two trips to the Great Marsh using alternately baits and mud on every pokémon encounter. I've counted how many of each I could throw before the pokémon flees. One is supposed to make it harder after each throw while the other should make it more increasingly more likely.

Results here : [1]

Not surprisingly, short encounters are present in both case, because the first few throws have not changed the flee rate enough to make a huge difference. However, every long string (more than 5 throws) happens only with mud. Yes, this is really 42 mudballs for a Marill and more than 50 for a Bibarel (at this point I just stopped, as it was clear the probability was quite low).

Escape rate is apparently 60 for Bibarel, so without any modifier the probability to not flee is (255-60)/255 (about 76%). If I'm not mistaken (new to stat stages), and if mud increase that value by one stage each turn until it's at +6, it means the probability to get that 50 times in a row is :

(255-60)/255 * (255-90)/255 * (255-120)/255 * (255-150)/255 * (255-180)/255 * (255-210)/255 * ((255-240)/255)^44 = 4.058091e-57

which is less likely than winning 7 times the great prize at the national lottery in my country.

If mud decreases that value, we get :

(255-60)/255 * (255-39)/255 * (255-30)/255 * (255-24)/255 * (255-19)/255 * (255-17)/255 * ((255-15)/255)^44 = 0.03104970184

3%. Got "lucky" I guess, but reasonable, this is after 94 tries after all.

So yeah, after this I am pretty sure mud make them less likely to flee. --Olaf (talk) 15:07, 2 May 2015 (UTC)

Escape rates

Is there something on Bulbapedia that lists the escape rate of every Pokemon in the Great Marsh? sumwun (talk) 19:04, 11 March 2019 (UTC)

Daily Changing Pokemon observations

While trying to catch every pokemon in the great marsh, I have made a couple observations.

1: The daily changing pokemon will not appear until you check the binoculars and see it.

2: The daily changing pokemon will appear in the most recent area they were spotted in.

For example, if you check the binoculars and see Paras in area 3, Paras will start appearing in area 3. Then if you check again and see Kangaskhan in area 3 and Paras in area 1, Kangaskhan will start appearing in area 3 and Paras will move from area 3 to area 1.

This also means that two daily changing pokemon can appear in one area (if you see a second daily pokemon in the area, and the first one hasn't been spotted elsewhere). I have seen both Paras and Gulpin appear in area 6 in this manner.

Can anyone confirm these observations?

- unsigned comment from MegaNerd14 (talkcontribs) 17:48, 29 May 2021 (UTC)

I did not use the binoculars in DP and found Shroomish regardless. Nescientist (talk) 12:40, 30 May 2021 (UTC)
I am playing Platinum if that's relevant. I would test it on my Diamond copy, but i don't have a file on it and given how slow the game plays it would take me about a week to reach pastoria. Observation 1 may just be me going insane. MegaNerd14 (talk) 14:43, 30 May 2021 (UTC)

Discussion on "Exclusively throwing Safari Balls provides the best chance of catching every Pokémon in the Great Marsh"

After doing some statistical testing in excel, I've begun to question whether or not exclusively throwing balls is the correct choice. (for the purposes of this argument I'm assuming Mud increase catch and flee rate and Bait decreases catch and flee rate, though I know there is skepticism of this.)

Working on an excel file currently, will update later - unsigned comment from Northern (talkcontribs)

I was questioning this myself so I did the math and found that throwing a ball turn 1 is indeed the best chance for everyone except Whiscash (at least in Gen IV). For each turn, the probability of capture has to be multiplied by the probability of the Pokémon staying, which lowers the odds overall whether you increase the catch rate or decrease the flee rate. The exception is that every bait thrown at Whiscash increases the odds, reaching a max of 67% with only a 1.57% flee rate. But for everyone else, the odds drop lower than the turn 1 catch chance by turn 2. My logic might be flawed but I know for sure that the turn 1 catch rates I've calculated are correct. I could add the turn 1 catch odds to the article if they would be helpful, though I'm sure everyone is more interested in BDSP right now. I can easily calculate those percentages too if anyone can confirm that the Safari Ball is a 1.5x modifier in these games, since it was changed to 1x in SwSh. But we would still need to find the flee rates for BDSP to determine if exclusively throwing a ball is the best option. EV Love (talk) 06:08, 31 December 2021 (UTC)

The NPC is correct

I’ve been doing extensive research on the bait/mud mechanic in the Great Marsh and am certain that the NPC is in fact correct, thus the mechanic is reversed from all other Safari Zones. I monitored the RAM while exploring the Great Marsh in DPPt and see that both the catch and flee rates increase when bait is thrown, while both decrease when mud is thrown (along with the 10% chance of one value not changing). The stages are contained in two values which both initiate to a hex value of 06 and increase/decrease by 1 to a min of 0 and max of 0B (12). I wasn’t aware there was a debate about the NPC until now, but looking back it appears he was initially believed to be correct. A few years back it was decided he was wrong and accepted to be that way ever since. If the original data miner who found this or anyone else with the tools wants to test this out, they will see the flip-flop.

Just to be sure, I also watched the RAM for RBY and FRLG to confirm that they work the "right" way. More importantly, I did the same for HGSS and found that the Johto Safari Zone also does it the right way, matching what an NPC in those games says. I’m thinking someone may have verified the mechanic in HGSS and thought it was the same for all of gen IV since they work very similarly. BDSP info can be tentative for now since we don’t have exact data yet, but it is also seeming to show the reversed mechanics based on a bunch of tests I did throwing the same object repeatedly (and I wouldn’t put it past the designers with how "faithful" the remakes are). Additionally, whoever added that trivia tidbit must have misread, because I checked the NPC in all games and found out he means the same thing each time:

Diamond/Pearl: "If you throw food at Pokémon, it makes them easier to catch...But they’re also more likely to bolt when they eat. If you throw mud at them, they also get easier to catch...But they also get more likely to bolt out of anger. It’s hard to decide what I should be doing."

Platinum: "Throwing food at Pokémon makes them more likely to bolt. But when they’re eating, it makes them easier to catch. If you throw mud at them, they get harder to catch...But they also get less likely to bolt out of anger. Urgh, what to do...?"

Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl: "Throwing food at Pokémon makes it easier to catch them, but while eating it, they are likely to bolt. Throwing mud at a Pokémon makes it harder to catch, but it’ll also get angry and become less likely to bolt. Urgh, what to do...?"

I understand that this is a very easy thing to mix up, and numerous sites have mistakenly switched the wording over the years (not just for Great Marsh but for all games) but I hope that this is evidence enough to show that the mechanic is indeed reversed. I agree this is illogical (bait truly should make them stay while mud should make them flee) and it seems odd for them to suddenly change it, but mistakes happen. EV Love (talk) 23:36, 28 November 2021 (UTC)

Just to add:
HeartGold/SoulSilver: "When you see a Pokémon, you can choose to throw Bait or Mud. If you throw Bait, Pokémon tend to stay but will become more difficult to catch. If you throw Mud, it will become easier to catch, but the Pokémon may flee."
For HGSS, the mechanics were apparently indeed researched extensively (e.g. here).
Also worth noting that the DP NPC still talks nonsense, as noted in the trivia (I initially thought you wanted to challenge that as well).
Apart from that, I'd agree and go with what you said; and by default, I believe we should pretty much trust in-game text. Nescientist (talk) 01:31, 29 November 2021 (UTC)
Oops, I misread the DP NPC text (furthering my point on how easy it is to confuse the mechanic). So yes, the trivia is fine. Thanks for getting the HGSS dialogue. EV Love (talk) 05:14, 29 November 2021 (UTC)
I also tested in BDSP, and (even though my sample was veery small) the results match Olaf's DP results above; longs streaks only occurred with mud, never with bait. Nescientist (talk) 17:13, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

Details Section Still Not Quite Right

Cutting for brevity and clarity, the second paragraph of the details section states the following:

  • Throw Bait: +1 Escape, 90% chance +1 Catch
  • Throw Mud: -1 Catch, 90% chance -1 Escape
  • When bait is thrown and flee is not increased, the message [...]
  • When mud is thrown and catch is not decreased, the message [...]

The problem I see with this is thus: the conditions for displaying the messages contradict the explanations given for throwing bait and mud. For instance, the explanation for throwing mud implies that it always decreases Catch, while the condition for the message implies that there's a chance Catch is not decreased. This is not related to hitting the max/min stage, either; a quick test of throwing mud at a Marill displayed the message on the fourth throw, but not the fifth through eighth. I would fix it myself, but I don't know which is correct and there's no practical way to determine it in game.

Incidentally, while testing on the Marill, it turns out that the messages also come with a special little animation in BDSP. I have no idea whether that was in DPPt, nor do I know whether it's actually worthy of putting in the article, but I thought it was a cute touch. Zanmorn (talk) 05:35, 16 December 2021 (UTC)

I just tested this myself on Emulator in Platinum because I noticed the same discrepancy. I found the two RAM values (022C5A78 and 022C5A79) corresponding to escape and catch stage and froze one of them on 0 one after the other to figure out which one was which.
After having multiple Pokémon not flee until turn 30 to 40, I determined that 022C5A78 is the catch stage and 022C5A79 is the escape stage.
Then I unfroze the values and started throwing bait and mud at various Pokémon. From that I determined that bait has a chance not to increase the escape stage and mud has a chance not to decrease the catch stage.
In short: The points explaining the text boxes are correct and the points explaining the percentage chance are incorrect.
I fixed the text accordingly. --Palimer6 (talk) 19:57, 7 March 2022 (UTC)