A lot of people on /vp/ seem to hate Smogon and I don't really get why. Without something like Smogon, Pokemon's online battling would be all over the place. Weaker Pokemon would hardly get used and everyone would try to use the same Pokemon because they're the strongest.

>b-but people still do use the same Pokemon all the time!

That's why tiers exist. Smogon does a decent job of keeping most Pokemon in the tiers they belong in, and even if they're not in the tiers they belong in eventually they most likely will be. Now you're free to use the Pokemon you like, regardless if they're weaker or not. It could potentially dominate in it's designated tier.

So, with all of this in mind, why so much hate? I can see it from both sides, but I still think having something around to balance the game like Smogon is a beneficial thing.