Why is 255 so common? Heres the answer.

[Noltron200]

If you know what I'm talking about, then you know.
If you dont, then let me tell you...

Master balls have a catch rate of 255.
The largest base stat is 255 (blissey's HP)
255 is the max level and feel for poffins + pokeblocs.
every 255 steps is when the game calculates whether a new egg should appear at the daycare center.
255 is the amount of EVs that can be distributed to one stat.
Many other places.
255 appears everywhere...

Heres why:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/255_(number)

Simple enough, eh? And here I thought they did it for some hidden reason kept among the developers. Guess I was wrong.
Just in case you didnt know; I sure didnt.

In order to keep this thread a conversation-keeping and active thread, rather than a dead one, I propose this poll and question.
Question: What did you think the 255 meant before you knew this? Did you even notice it? Or did you know this in the first place?

 

[Alakazam17]

Well, I knew about 255 being the maximum value for the 8-bit byte(as I have taken a bunch of ComSci scoures), though I never considered the connection. XD

Before, though, it never really dawned on me to think why. I didn't really know it was so prevalent, and only really took note of the number for EV training. But it's a cool bit of trivia though. ^_^

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

I knew that, but that's because I ROM hack and stuff. :|

 

[BleuVII]

Well, I always wondered about 255 being the max Rupee rate on the original Legend of Zelda (yes, I know this dates me), but I actually figured out why when Red/Blue came out, and I tried to hack the graphics.

It's because almost all video games are programmed on Hexidecimal, which is a base 16 number system (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F). FF, the largest 2-digit number, is just 15^2, which is 255. It's also why Game Genie, Game Shark, and Action Replay never have any letters beyond F in their code. ;)

But believe me, once you know this piece of info, you see it everywhere.

(It also means that pokemon can have up to 3375 creatures before they have to get a new data infrastructure.)

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

(It also means that pokemon can have up to 3375 creatures before they have to get a new data infrastructure.)

I believe it's something more like 65535.

 

[Myles]

It's because almost all video games are programmed on Hexidecimal, which is a base 16 number system (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F). FF, the largest 2-digit number, is just 15^2, which is 255. It's also why Game Genie, Game Shark, and Action Replay never have any letters beyond F in their code. ;)

They actually technically use binary. Just one hexadecimal digit fits four binary digits nicely and it's easier for humans to use.

 

[Haza]

There were to many words that made me yawn in the wiki page that i still have no idea why! :P

 

[Germaniac]

255 is a special number in some tasks having to do with computing. This is the maximum value representable by an eight-digit binary number, and therefore the maximum representable by an unsigned 8-bit byte (the most common size of byte, also called an octet), the smallest common variable size used in high level programming languages (bit being smaller, but rarely used for value storage). The range is 0 to 255, which is 256 total values.
255 = 28 − 1 = FF16 = 111111112 For example, 255 is the maximum value

• that can be assigned to elements in the 24-bit RGB color model, since each color channel is allotted eight bits.
• of any dotted quad in an IP address.
• of the alpha blending scale in Delphi (255 being 100% visible and 0 being fully transparent)

The use of eight bits for storage in older video games has had the consequence of it appearing as a hard limit in many video games. It was often used for numbers where casual gameplay would not cause anyone to exceed the number. However in most situations it is reachable given enough time. This can cause many other peculiarities to appear when the number wraps back to 0.
This number could be interpreted by a computer as −1 if a programmer is not careful about which 8-bit values are signed and unsigned, and the two's complement representation of −1 in a signed byte is equal to that of 255 in an unsigned byte.

I've know this before I read this, cus I love numbers like 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc.

 

[iNinja]

I thought max EV on a stat was 252... o.o

 

[Jesh]

I thought max EV on a stat was 252... o.o

Nah, 255, but EV's go up in fours, which makes the other three numbers irrelevant :3

also you're wearing a tin foil hat

 

[iNinja]

zOmg I am? ಠ_ಠ

But yes, I understand now.

 

[Wings Don't Cry]

I believe it's something more like 65535.

Fun fact 65535 is the max value for a 16 bit memory and we know this because 2^8 - 1 is 65535. Just like how 2^8 - 1 is 255. Which is why you get a 65535 floor deep mine in Harvest Moon DS.

 

[Corruptodile]

Hmm. I never paid much attention to 255. I only knew of it being the maximum allowed in a stat, whilst at the same time, also knew Blissey had an insane amount of health. xD Interesting...

 

[BleuVII]

I believe it's something more like 65535.

Currently, Pokemon uses three hexidecimal digits for an index number. FFF = 3375.

They actually technically use binary. Just one hexadecimal digit fits four binary digits nicely and it's easier for humans to use.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense! Yeah, I think programming would be much easier in hexidecimal than it would be in binary.

 

[RioKura]

I already knew 0-255 = bytes. I took a programming class a while ago.

 

[Charizard★]

I thought that 255 was the max amount a specific stat could have :O

 

[RioKura]

I thought that 255 was the max amount a specific stat could have :O

It is. Since it's measured in Bytes, it has a certain amount it can go up to, which is 255. Bytes are used in basically everything.

 

[Gymnotide]

Well I'm not sure since when I knew this, but I definitely knew waaaay back when I was 8 or so. Probably before that too. I don't know. I just happen to like trivia. A lot.

 

[Tabernacle]

very interesting post, thanks for sharing this. I did notice the number in a decent number of places, but I never took the time to look into it's re-occurrence before.

 

[mishy.]

This happens in more than just Pokemon. The max level you can be in the Tales of Series is 255, and there are plenty of other video games with that as a max stats elsewhere as well.

I've known this information for a while, back when I was just a wee bit curious.